Page 53 of Summer Breakdown
“Mhm. I think it’s the reason you’re as good as you are. You need competition.”
“I’m not competitive.”
Jasmine snorts. “Liar.”
“I am not.”
Jasmine raises her eyebrow. “You are a professional rugby player and you refused to let me tackle you.”
Frankie laughs. “It was instinct!” Jasmine smiles and Frankie wonders if they’re okay now. Even if she thinks about the way Jasmine’s hand shook against the kettle as Frankie walked past her to leave.
Then, Jasmine smiles a little. She swallows, tucking her lip between her teeth. “I’m going to go lift Mali up now. If I fall to the ground just leave me there.”
Frankie truly tries to coach. The championship is important to them. Figuring out why Kai is so hellbent on keeping M’Baku off the team is important to them. Watching Jasmine line up on the other end of the pitch is the most important thing to her.
Frankie misses Kai foul Zach. To be fair, Zach almost misses it too because Mali is also on the pitch. On the other side of the pitch but the distance is useless. Frankie would see them anyway. There’s too much purple hair and way too much Jasmine’s legs for her to not be looking in that direction.
“Wait,” Mali shouts with a laugh. If Frankie had any sense, she’d ask them to move further away. Even though she said they could use it. Jasmine jumps onto Mali’s back and Mali runs. About five meters then her knees give out and she falls to the ground. Frankie hears them laughing moments later but she watches Zach’s hands clench.
“Lads, run it again,” Frankie says. It takes them a moment, but they get into position. They’re waiting for Frankie to blow the whistle but Jasmine’s about to pick Mali up by her shorts and Frankie needs to watch it. It would be a crime against humanity to not watch it.
Kai throws the ball anyway, and Frankie is supposed to be watching the technique, but her eyes are trained on Jasmine’s thighs. The way she tenses as she gets ready to lift Mali into the air. She’s so fucking sexy.
Jasmine is stronger than she looks. She threads her hands through the sides of Mali’s shorts, and she lifts her up. Mali floats above Jasmine’s head with a squeal. Mali’s whole arse is out, and Frankie can only think about Jasmine’s jaw.
“We could totally catch it!” Mali says as Jasmine deposits her on the floor.
Frankie watches Zach walk over in her peripheral vision.
“No.”
“Frankie,” Zach pleads. That man is down bad for Mali it’s embarrassing. The only reason she lets him get away with it is because Mali is great.
She rolls her eyes. “We’ve been on the pitch for twenty minutes.” But it’s no use. She’s fighting a losing battle and mere moments later, Frankie is standing, waiting for Mali to attempt to take her down.
Zach gives her a pep talk, and Frankie wants to be excited for her, but Bright pulls Jasmine’s ponytail. It’s a joke. He’s flirting like a year-five schoolboy, but Jasmine laughs. Bright could be the person she likes. He’s tall. He’s muscular. He’s got a weird face, but Jasmine wanted to kiss Frankie, and she’s got a weird face too.
Jasmine knocks into Bright with a smile. Oh, God, maybe she should let Mali knock her out.
Flirt with me.It’s an unreasonable thing to think because Jasmine has flirted with her before. She fucked her before. God, so good as well. And Frankie made it so she wouldn’t do it again.
Zach blows the whistle, and Frankie focuses as Mali runs at her. She’s too straight. At best, she’s going to hit Frankie in the chest, at worst she’s going to break her nose. Then Jasmine shouts.
“Now!”
And Mali bends slightly, her shoulder against Frankie’s stomach and Frankie moves back a good metre. She doesn’t fall over, because Mali isn’t particularly strong, and Frankie has spent her entire life making sure women can’t just waltz all over her. But it’s something.
Jasmine cheers and Mali is so excited that it’s hard to be annoyed.
“That was so good!” Jasmine says as Mali runs over. They high five and Jasmine shows her some photos she took.
“Your turn,” Mali replies as Zach’s arm drapes over her. He’s so protective of her when she’s on the field.Frankie remembers when she got hurt and then she feels guilty that she told Zach he couldn’t be with her.
“Okay,” Jasmine says as she takes a sip of water. She hands her bottle to Ezra, and she rolls her neck. Jasmine is stronger than Mali, but she’s not as strong as Frankie even if she hasn’t been on the field in months. Jasmine tried to take her down at her house, and Frankie wonders if she’ll try that tactic again. She’d let her, the mere idea of a kiss sends her heart racing.
Jasmine looks at her, a challenge in her eye that mimics the one she gave her the night her life changed. She charges, and Frankie almost moves out of the way just so Jasmine doesn’t get hurt. She doesn’t drop when Mali does, she has more technical skill than that. She does hit Frankie in the stomach with her shoulder, but it’s not as hard as it should be. It’s not as gutting as it could have been. Frankie has got this. But then Jasmine’s hands grab under her thighs and pull her off the ground entirely. It’s not until Frankie’s back hits the ground that she realises she was taken out at all.
“Oh my God, bro!” Kai shouts. He’s never going to let her live it down. Frankie blinks up at the bright sky. She’s strong but she hasn’t had the wind knocked out of her in a while, but then Jasmine’s face is in her view. The bounce of her ponytail falling over her shoulder. It’s curly and she’s delightful.
