Page 64 of Summer Breakdown
“Oh my God,” Jasmine groans, her face in her hands, but jokes on her. Frankie’s is still laced with hers. “I’ll walk.”
Frankie laughs. She’s not one to tease because she knows Jasmine could obliterate her at anytime with one suggestive look, but it did what she wanted it to do. Jasmine takes a deep breath, her heel no longer tapping against the floor.
“If it helps,” Frankie whispers, then, “I think every time I speak to you is a date.” She leans to press her lips to her temple, and before Jasmine can reply, the light turns green.
The drive isn’t long, and before Frankie knows it, they’re back in Jasmine’s front garden.
Lani’s okay, but she does need her knee braces and she’s clearly been crying. She’s being tight lipped about what happened because she doesn’t want her useless father to get into trouble. As if he didn’t leave them at home alone. Frankie’s panicked the entire time, but Jasmine is calm and collected and exactly the person she would want around her.
Jasmine hands Lani to Frankie when they step inside. “I just need to grab—“
“It’s okay, Ma,” Marcel replies. “ I can get them. BRB.”
Frankie snorts. “You got the entire family to say it?”
“I heard you say it the other day,” Lani replies, and Frankie gasps at her.
“Fibs!”
Lani giggles, though she leans against her more than usual. “I’m not!”
“Cute girl is telling porkie-pies,” Frankie replies, and she spins her until she’s on her back instead. “Now I can’t hear you.”
“Frankie!” Lani squeals, her hands pulling at her cheeks. Jasmine smiles, her fingers tight against her thighs. Frankie figures it’s okay, Jasmine sees them at training all the time. And Lani is usually attached to her there.She hopes she knows she’d never drop her.
“Okay, alright,” Frankie says, spinning her back. “If you’re not telling porkies.”
“I’m not, I’m not.”
“How are your legs?” Frankie asks, and Lani frowns because she’s been tricked but Jasmine’s eyes light up, so Frankie figures it’s worth it.
“They’re a bit tired,” she whispers.
“What colour?” Jasmine asks, and Lani pouts a little, then holds her arms out until Jasmine takes her. Jasmine kisses her cheeks and her forehead and her nose until she smiles and kisses her back. Frankie smiles too.
“What colour, baby? You’re not in trouble.”
“Maybe a dark orange.” Jasmine clenches her jaw.
“Okay,” Jasmine whispers. “Okay. We can use a heat patch tonight, and tomorrow we can go in the pool.”
Lani hugs her tighter. “Frankie, we can play mermaids.”
“What if I can’t swim?” she asks, scandalised. Really, she’s ecstatic she has another reason to come back. “Are you trying to drown me because I won’t let you join the men’s team?”
Lani giggles, and Jasmine matches her. This isn’t how Frankie wanted to end the night, but Lani’s eyes are drooping. It’s what she knew could happen if she wanted to date a single mum, and she desperately, embarrassingly wants to date Jasmine.
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” Frankie asks and Lani nods, but her eyes are trained on Jasmine.
“Yeah, “ Jasmine replies. She leans forwards, and kisses Frankie’s check. “See you tomorrow, my girl.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
JasminepullsintoEzra’sdriveway. She’s seen his house before because they share lifts for the quiz. It looks different today, but she can’t figure out why.
“Ezra’s house is so pretty,” Lani says. It’s true. It’s all red bricks with wide white windowsills and bay windows. There are flower troughs under each large sash window and pots on the front steps, and Jasmine just knows Ezra does it all himself. She pictures him in a sun hat and an apron. His next-door neighbour is a five-foot-tall eighty-year-old, and she’s the only person on the street he talks to.
“So cool,” Marcel mutters. Ezra invited them for lunch. Well, he said he did a lunch thing every so often, told her the time, and left. He asked if they had allergies, so Jasmine’s fairly sure they were invited. Jasmine hopes Cam is here too. She hasn’t been to a few of the quiz nights, and Lani keeps asking to ask her something, but for the first time in her life, Lani’s being secretive.
