The Quarterback, Outcast and Me ✔

Chapter Nine - Caution: Fragile - Part Two

Jace was leaning against the wall beside the open door as our laughter slowly died out and got replaced with a slightly uncomfortable silence. He stared at me with a little too much intensity, and I scrambled off the bed to stand awkwardly next to it. He pushed himself off the wall and took a tentative step further into my room and closer to me.

All of a sudden it was like something lighted up inside of him, and he smiled at me. 

"Do you know how to play pool?" He asked, looking genuinely curious, almost like a more pleasant and nicer version of him. What a change. Then I realized what he was asking. 

"Pool?"

 Jace grinned widely and covered the last few steps before grasping my hand, making me slightly shiver as our skin connected, thankfully he didn't seem to notice.

 "Come on I'll teach you."

 He practically dragged me from my room and through the house. We went downstairs, passed the kitchen and went into the foyer, then down the stairs into the full basement below the house, equipped with a gym, home theatre and a game room.

 In that last room stood a large wooden table quilted in a dark green colour and Jace placed himself behind me so that I was practically trapped between him and the billiards table. Grabbing the cue with his right hand he wrapped his left arm around me to grab hold of the cue in front of me.

 "Okay, so here's the deal. You grab the cue with your right hand down here," he shifted my hand, so it was placed close to the end of the cue.

 "There are different ways to use your left hand to aim with, but I find this one the most helpful," he pressed my hand onto the quilted table and lifted my fingers slowly until only the base of my hand supported my arm, then he stretched my thumb out until it couldn't get any further away from my index finger without breaking.

 "Now you balance the cue in the space between your two fingers to steady it, then you bend down to aim," he gently pressed against me, pushing my upper body forward, bending me down against the table. All my senses were on red alert; my skin prickled where our bodies were touching; it almost felt electric to be this close to him. Not to mention I could feel a slight bulge against my backside. My breath got hitched in my throat, but then he un-wrapped me from his grasp and the feeling faded away, leaving me oddly bereft.

 "You look down and aim for that red ball over there and you want to hit it with the white one which you need to hit in the centre." Jace was still standing close behind me as I steadied the cue to take aim. I focused on the white ball and got ready to shoot. It couldn't be that hard to hit a stupid ball.

 "Wait I need to adjust..."

 Too late.

 I pushed my arm backwards for power, but before I could even remotely push forward to hit the ball, I felt my elbow connect with something soft that was immediately followed by a groan. 

"Ow! Son of a..."

My eyes widened in terror, and I let go of the cue immediately, causing it to slip down on the floor and land directly on Jace's foot.

"Ahh shit!"

I swirled around and clasped a hand over my mouth. Jace was clutching his nose with one hand and balancing on his left foot, the other hand holding onto his right foot, his eyes shut in what looked like agonizing pain.

"Oh God! I'm... I'm sorry.. Jace, sorry!" I fumbled with my apologizing words, speaking through my hand covered mouth.

He stopped jumping on one leg and tested his right foot on the floor.