I smirk even though I know the implication behind those words. The shit they’re saying aboutmeisn’t cute. “You really think you’re hot stuff, don’t you?” I play it off, because focusing on it only makes it worse.
Zach grins. “Can’t help it. My mom always said I was the best kid she knew.”
I elbow him in the ribs, then wrap my arm around his waist. “You don’t have to worry. I’m making more friends now, and I can stick up for myself,” I say coyly. I might’ve only spent a little time with Jenni and Chris, but it’s something. “And I’m also sure they’ll eventually get over how gorgeous you are. I know I did,” I say with a teasing lilt.
“Maybe you are.” Zach turns me around. “Doesn’t mean I’ll ever get over how gorgeous you are, Honeycomb,” he whispers in my ear, leaving me to wade through the sea of footballs.
I fan myself dramatically. “Oh, you do make me swoon.”
“And you make me hard. So very hard.”
He drives the point home with a teasing thrust against my ass.
I push back with my hips, laughing. “Zach!”
“What? I’m just being honest.”
I shake my head. “Let’s just get out of here before you make it impossible to leave.”
“Aw, Honeycomb, don’t you realize yet? That’s the whole point.”
“So then my roommate tells me all about this guy,” Jenni starts, her eyes dancing between Chris and me. “She says he’s super cute, obviously. Deep brown eyes, killer smile, the whole shebang, and just when I’m about to zone out, she hits me with it. He’s the one. The love of her life. The game-changer. Roll the credits, we’re done.”
“Where are you going with this, Jenn?” Chris asks, shooting his girlfriend a side-eye, then he glances at me with a smirk. He’s not annoyed, not even close. This is just their love language.
“It’s coming,” she says, pausing for dramatic effect. “So I start asking her a few questions. Things like how far have they gone? How many dates have they been on? You know, basic recon. Only to find out, she’s never even spoken to him.”
“What? How does that work?”
“I know, right? She’s already planning their wedding, and she hasn’t said a single word to the guy. It’s giving unhinged, and I kind of respect it.”
“There’s nothing wrong with liking someone you’ve never spoken to,” Chris cuts in, his tone light as his eyes flick to me. “Right, Honey?”
“Of course. People get together in all kinds of circumstances,” I say, a little too quickly. My cheeks go warm, already dragging up memories I wasn’t planning to entertain, because, yeah, Zach and I weren’t exactly the high school sweethearts everyone thinks we were. We were a fake-dating pact that turned into late-night drives, real kisses, and feelings we both couldn’t ignore.
I shift in my seat, suddenly aware of how much I miss him. His bed. His smell. His stupid, perfect laugh. I’d only left his house a few hours ago, but something about last night changed things between us.
I knew it would happen. I knew seeing his house would make me question things and challenge my very weak resolve when it comes to my blond-haired boyfriend.
One minute I’m halfway ready to say yes, but then another minute, I’m cowering away, wondering if it will only make things worse for me at college. Being Zach Evans’ girlfriend is hard enough—but to be hislive-ingirlfriend could be worse. I can already hear the taunts.
She’s so desperate to lock him down.
She probably faked a pregnancy to get him to feel sorry for her.
Does she really think we can’t all see how pathetic she is?
My chest constricts the same way it did in high school when people talked like I wasn’t a person, just the subject of all their gossip. A cautionary tale. A punchline.
Sometimes I wonder if it hurts because a part of me agrees with them.
Who am I, really, without the men who’ve defined me?
My father’s obedient daughter.
Jamie’s almost-wife.
Zach’s ride-or-die.