Tanner

It's been a long last few weeks full of practice and games both home and away. One of those games was against the team that now has my former teammate, Tatum Charles, on the roster. Yeah, that game was fun. The other guys and I showed Tatum the boards all night after he made lewd comments and gestures at Jenna and Lindsey. Not gonna lie; that felt pretty good. Tatum needed to be brought down several pegs for his bullshit.

On top of having to keep up with everything going on with the team lately, I've also been trying to figure out what the hell is going on with me mentally. After my revelation about catching feelings for Jenna, I've been trying to sort through how to handle that. It's not something I've ever had to deal with, so I'm feeling kind of lost on that front. I mean, seriously, how the hell do I figure that shit out?

Do I want to date her? Would she even consider it? Am I sure it's not just a crazy blockage that I need to get out of my system? I mean, the whole thing has my mind spinning.

I need to wind down. The rest of the guys need to wind down too. So, that's how I ended up here- at the karaoke bar with the team. Some of the guys suggested we get away from our usual haunt and check this place out.

Everyone is having a blast. Drew just sang "Hot in Here" by Nelly and is now hitting on two puck bunnies that found their way over to him. Rob is sipping on his drink, pretending to be interested in whatever it is the chick next to him is saying. Dan and Tyler are on stage now, singing some song by Journey. Chase, Liam, Lindsey, and Jenna are sitting at a table close to the stage, laughing about something.

I can't help but feel a sense of longing as I watch them. It would be nice to know what was so funny. Or to have a closer seat to Jenna to hear her laugh or talk or whatever. As these thoughts come tumbling out of my brain, I start to realize just how fucked I am.

I've never had these kinds of thoughts. Now I want to sit closer to her and hear her laugh? What the hell is wrong with me?

Drew breaks me out of my downward spiral. "Hey, you gonna go up there and sing something?"

I look at him and laugh. Is he serious right now? "Uh, no, man. I'm gonna pass. I don't sing."

He drops the line of questioning and sets his attention back on the bunnies under each of his arms. I take another long gulp of my drink and turn around toward the stage just in time to see Jenna and Liam grab the microphones. They sing "Carry on My Wayward Son" by Kansas and get the whole crowd going. I can't help but smile as I watch her up there. She's fucking gorgeous, belting out each line with confidence, swinging her arms to pump the crowd up. Fuck, I wish it were me up there with her.

The night goes on, and several other people brave the stage and belt out various songs, some better than others. Redhead Jenna and her bitchy friend go up and make a hack job out of some Britney Spears song. I thought I was going to need earplugs to make it through that. Luckily, they were followed by someone who could actually carry a tune. Then, I see Jenna and Liam return to the stage. Seeing them up there again together strikes a nerve.

I elbow Drew in the side and nod up to the stage. "What do you think is going on there?"

Drew clearly misunderstands my question. "Yeah, man, they're doing awesome!"

I suppress a groan. "Yeah, but I mean, have you ever wondered if something is going on between them? Ya know, in private?"

Drew chokes on his drink. "Liam and Taylor?"

I nod, and Drew starts laughing, which catches Rob's attention. "What's so funny?"

Drew calms himself down enough to answer. "T.J. thinks Liam is fucking Taylor!"

Fuck's sake. I roll my eyes and look away. Then, Rob starts laughing. "Dude, that's hilarious!"

I don't get what they think is so funny. "Are you telling me you don't see that?" I point to the stage where Liam and Jenna are getting into their song.

Drew seems sobered by my attitude. "Dude, they're just friends. There was a rumor going on at one point that they were together, but that's all it was, man, a rumor. And it was a long time ago." He sends me a knowing look.

Drew has known for a while now or at least suspects that I have feelings for Jenna. He's just decent enough not to say anything. But I'm not gonna lie; hearing him say Liam and Jenna are just friends makes me feel better. The part about a rumor going around irritates me, but as long as it's not a recent rumor, at least I have some hope.

After Jenna and Liam's duet of "Somebody to Love" by Queen, some drunk yells up at her that he volunteers to be her lover. Son of a bitch! I see the guy in the crowd and glare at the mouthy bastard. Jenna just laughs it off and walks off stage.

Rob, Drew, and I order another round and continue taking and watching the show. They decide to go up together and sing a duet by the Backstreet Boys, which earns them shouts of approval from the female patrons. Val and Jenna D. butcher one of Christina Aguilera's songs. And after some of the guys beg her, Jenna goes back on stage and sings "Man, I Feel Like a Woman" by Shania Twain. The crowd loves it- loves her. I can't help but stare at her through the whole performance. She's absolutely incredible.

And I am so screwed.

I watch her as she gets off stage and heads to the bathroom. Then, I get a sinking feeling in my stomach as I see the drunk guy from earlier follow her. Oh, hell no!

I leave the table and decide to wait by the hallway that leads to the bathroom. I take a quick peek around the corner. The guy is just standing by the women's restroom. He's obviously not here for the facilities. I move from my spot into the hallway and clear my throat. The drunk notices me and immediately looks nervous.

He quickly shoves something in his pocket as he tries to make up an excuse for standing outside the women's restroom. "U-uh, I-I'm just waiting on my girlfriend."

Lying ass.

I nod my head. "Yeah, me too."

When Jenna comes out, she sees the drunk guy first as he steps toward her. I move fast to step in front of him, stopping him in his tracks. Then, I put my arm around Jenna. "Hey, babe. You ready for another drink?"

She looks confused as she looks at me then at the guy who was about to approach her. He's still too close for comfort, and Jenna picks up on the danger.

She looks back at me and puts on a believable smile. "Yeah, baby, I am. Let's go." She puts her arm around my waist and leans into my side.

We leave the hallway, arms still wrapped around one another. Once we're at the bar, Jenna drops her arm and lets out a shaky breath.

I put Jenna between myself and the bar top, shielding her from any other creeps who get the wrong idea. "Hey, are you okay? I went back there when I saw that guy follow you to the restroom."

Jenna nods and gives me a half-smile. "Yeah, I'm okay. He didn't actually do anything, thanks to you."

Her eyes drift up to meet mine, and her smile grows a little. Not wanting our interaction to end, I ask, "Can I buy you another drink?"

Jenna shakes her head. "No, I'm done for the night. Probably heading home soon, but thank you for everything, Tanner. That could have gone very differently. I'm glad you were there."

I suppress the images of what could have happened and take her in, making sure she really is alright. She's not trembling or freaking out. Aside from looking slightly rattled, she seems perfectly fine. I take in her face as she tells me she will have Liam take her home.

There's something in her eyes as she looks at me, something new. I can't quite figure out what it is before she tells me goodnight and walks away. She goes over to Liam, and shortly after, they head toward the exit. I feel that pang of jealousy again as Liam leaves with Jenna. I would have been more than happy to get her home safely. Why does he get to do it?

I'm moping to myself as I watch them walk through the door- just the two of them. It's not as bad when I see her leave with her little group- Chase, Lindsey, and Liam- but the other two left a while ago. So, now it's just Jenna and Liam, and it's driving me crazy. Just before she closes the door behind her, Jenna looks my way. Her eyes catch mine, and I see her smile. It's not one I'm used to getting. Usually, I get forced smiles or irritated, tight smiles that scream, 'I want to strangle you,' but this one, this one, was genuine. And she gifted it to me.

~

That night, as I'm lying in bed, I start thinking about the events from earlier. My heart starts racing as I think about what could have happened to Jenna if I hadn't seen the drunk guy follow her to the restroom. The thought terrifies me. I'm glad I was there to make sure nothing happened.

I manage to calm myself down from that train of thought when something else pops into my mind. What was it that I saw in her eyes at the bar? Was it just because I helped her, or was there more to it than that? And what about that last second before she left? That smile was real, and she intentionally gave it to me. Is it possible that I'm growing on her?

Is there a chance that she's catching feelings for me too? I feel the smile spread across my lips as I drift to sleep.