CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
Zane
Iwake up to the sweet song of a bird filtering through the open window and Blair’s naked body intertwined with mine. Her head rests on my chest, her legs wrapped around me, her beautiful curls tickling my chin.
I run a hand along the curve of her back, as the other strokes through her hair.
Last night was incredible. I’ve had sex many times before—I’ve even had sex with Blair. But what we did, what we shared, was beyond anything I’ve ever experienced.
If I was questioning my feelings—not that I ever had—last night would have been a game changer. As corny as it sounds, I felt it in my soul. Blair is my person.
Nothing could possibly ruin this moment.
My phone buzzes and I laugh incredulously. Something’s going to try.
With my sappy loved-up smile still locked in place, I grab my phone to silence it and find a message from Keeley.
KEELEY: Landon’s death has hit the news and someone leaked that you were in lockup yesterday. We’ve got this. I’m not worried and neither should you be. But we’re going to need to talk
And so it begins.
My stomach knots as I slip out of bed, my pulse pounding with the blood coursing through me.
I probably should be thankful that we got a night of peace—they could have been surrounding our car as we left the Stevens residence, or hounding us here at the hotel. But I wanted more time.
“What is it?” Blair’s sleepy voice startles me and I’m quick to wave her off.
“It’s nothing. Go back to sleep.”
“Zane,” she warns, covering herself with the sheet. “We’re in this together, remember?”
My head drops as an internal war rages inside me. “How am I supposed to protect you, if you insist on knowing everything?”
Blair smiles as she stands, her steps light as she makes her way over to me, the crinkled white sheet secured tightly around her, reminding me of our night together. “I don’t want you to protect me.”
“Well, sometimes you don’t know what you need, Little B.” I raise an eyebrow in challenge and she raises one back, making me finally crack a grin. “Fine. I’ll tell you. But I’m not agreeing to this no protection bullshit. I’ve been living most of my life to protect you. I can’t stop now.”
“Alright.” She huffs adorably. “I’ll allow some protection.
You can step in when it comes to spiders, or wild animals stalking me like prey.
I’ll even let you come to my rescue if someone tries to hit on me, or I fall off my surfboard and get lost in the waves.
But when it comes to words on a page, or gossip about our lives, past or present, I want to be called into play. We’re better off facing that together.”
I frown. “How did you know?”
“Because I may or may not have set up alerts for your name.” She glances back to her phone lying on the bed. I hadn’t even noticed it in her hand. “I’m here. And I’m going to need you to promise that you’re going to let me help. That’s the only way this works.”
I swallow back my emotions as my entire future stands before me, her wide eyes staring up at me, her perfect pout making me whole.
“I promise,” I say honestly. And while my stomach sinks from the idea of any of this hurting her, it’s the easiest promise I’ll ever have to make. Because if it comes to working as a team, or losing her completely, it’s a no-brainer. “This is forever, B. And forever starts now.”
We head back to San Francisco later that day, and for the next week, every time Keeley calls to chat, Blair’s there, ready, her media alerts never once failing her.
She’s steadfast in her promise to get through it all together, and despite the fact that I know some of the things they’re saying are hard for her to read, she’s never once wavered.
Even after the last headline.
Sources have confirmed that Zane’s sister, Sierra, was driving the truck that killed her and another young woman on Ponte Vedra Boulevard in Jacksonville seven years ago.
She was underage at the time, so her name was concealed.
The same source claimed that Zane was drunk when he left the party with Sierra, and that the two of them were seen arguing shortly before driving away.
The article is mostly bullshit. We weren’t arguing until we got into my truck, but that’s not what hurts the most. It’s that Sierra’s name is being dragged through the mud when I’ve only just been able to start thinking it again.
“How about we go for a hike? You never know; it might work for you as well as it works for me.”
Blair’s been trying to cheer me up all day, and even though her attempts help ease some of the tension currently wrapped around my heart, it’s too thick to be cleared completely.
“Maybe I can get into hiking during the offseason. I swear Pierce was trying to kill me in practice today, claiming he needed my muscles aching to the point that it was all I could think about.”
“Did it work?” Blair giggles.
“Nope. Now I’m just thinking about everything while my muscles ache to the point of nausea.”
“That sounds like fun. Gotta love Coach for trying. What about sex?”
I choke on thin air. “Please.” My voice croaks and I cough to clear it. “Please don’t mention Pierce and sex in the same sentence.”
“I didn’t. It was two different sentences. They just followed each other. So, what do you think?”
“I think my cock has never been this soft in my life.”
“That’s a no then?”
“Come here.” I chuckle, grabbing her around the waist to pull her down onto me. “I appreciate everything you’re doing, especially when this is hard on you too, but I’m not sure I’m in the mood for anything today.”
“Are you sure about that?” She bites her lip, her gaze turning innocent and doe-y.
That’s probably not a word, but it sums her look up completely.
She’s doe-eyed and she knows that makes me feral for her.
Actually, who am I kidding? It doesn’t take much to make me feral for her.
Breathing would usually suffice. But now—
“I really can’t change your mind?” Her voice is soft and sultry as she repositions herself until she’s straddling my waist, rocking her hips. “I just want to make you happy.”
She lets out a breathy moan, and my palms flex as they settle on her hips, my cock twitching beneath her.
Her eyes widen and while I know she felt it, she doesn’t tease me. Instead, she grinds her covered pussy harder against my sweats, the material on her yoga pants so thin I can feel how hot she is, how ready.
My phone buzzes across the coffee table behind her, and she stops moving to glance back.
“Ignore it,” I groan, my voice strained as all the blood travels south, gearing up for action. The message is likely to be Keeley with more bad news, or the group chat checking in on me. Neither of which are important now that Blair’s succeeded in changing my mood.
I squeeze Blair’s waist, bringing her attention back where it should be, but when my phone buzzes again, three more times, I lose her.
“Are you sure you’re not going to check that?” she asks, clearly distracted.
“Fuck, no.” I run a hand through my hair.
“It sounds important.”
“You know it’s not.” Keeley only ever texts once, so it’s got to be the group chat and they’re officially cockblocking me.
I smile pleadingly, but Blair crosses her arms over her chest and stares pointedly at the phone, refusing to let me break my promise to be a better friend.
“Okay. Jesus,” I grumble, lifting her off me so I can grab my phone. I play the part of a grumpy asshole right up until she smiles triumphantly, and I can’t help but chuckle.
“One day I’m not going to be this whipped by you. You know that, right?”
“We’ll see.” Her innocent smile makes me snort while I check my messages. The truth is, I can’t see that day ever coming. And I hope she knows that.
Sitting back, I read the texts aloud.
REED: Hayley decided that since our group chat is basically a relationship starter, we need to consider making Keeley the next target
EASTON: Absolutely not. This isn’t a damn matchmaking service, it’s a chat for team workouts
LUKE: East… After all these years, are you still telling yourself that?
Easton left the group
Luke added Easton to the group
Blair laughs while I frown, confused.
ZANE: Since I’m relatively new here. How is it a matchmaking service?
REED: Hayley noticed the fact that whoever we name the group chat after seems to find love
LUKE: (Mind Blown Emoji)
EASTON: Dammit. I hate that technically she’s right
DYLAN: And that’s why I’ve never needed the chat. Makes total sense. I’m up for helping Keeley
EASTON: Again… No. I don’t want anything to do with my sister’s love life
ZANE: I don’t think she needs our help
I click send and Blair’s eyes flash my way, making me realize my mistake before Easton’s response does.
EASTON: What the fuck does that mean?
Fuck. “Maybe I shouldn’t have said that.”
“It depends. What do you know?” Her eyes are wide but they hold a hint of mischief in the way they sparkle.
“I don’t know anything. I just—”
My phone buzzes again, making me pause.
LUKE: Ooh what do you know?
Blair laughs out loud as her phone buzzes. “Look at Luke and me on the same page. You’re going to have to tell them something. And me. I want to know.”
EASTON: Zane?
What did I do? Easton’s going to riot. I only just got myself off his shit list.
REED: He probably just means that Keeley is capable of finding love on her own
ZANE: Sure. That…
“Oh, because that response was believable.” Blair shakes her head, not bothering to hide her giddiness over the hole I’ve dug myself.
I don’t really know anything. It’s just a feeling I have after finding her blushing at the courthouse the other day.
Why the fuck would I say anything? Truth be told, I was trying to do her a solid because she’s been helping me so much.
I think I’m going to retire from protecting my friends; it never ends well for me.
Blair reads a message of her own and bursts out laughing.
“You’re not helping,” I groan and she laughs harder.
“Maybe not, but the girls are loving your group chat.”
“What girls?” I ask distractedly as I watch Luke’s next message come through.
“The wives and girlfriends.”
“The what?” I laugh through my words, my brows rising in intrigue. “There’s a girls’ chat?”
“Yep.”
“When did that happen?”
“I assume it’s been going for a while, but I was added when you went AWOL.”
I wince and Blair’s smile softens as she squeezes my hand. “They’re a good group of people, Zane. We’re both lucky to have them.”
“I’m—”
“Stop. If you’re about to apologize again, I don’t want to hear it.”
“Okay. Jesus. You’re such a ball-breaker.” I smile and she laughs just as her phone buzzes for a second time.
“Oh, shit.” She flashes her screen my way. “Keeley left our group chat.”
“No way? Like brother, like sister.”
“Apparently so.”
My phone vibrates in my hand, and I can’t help but open the message right away, curiosity getting the better of me.
LUKE: You’re lying, Zane
LUKE: Oh fuck. I’m dying here. Keeley left the girls’ chat
EASTON: Good on her. Guess that means she doesn’t need help. Should we shut this chat down?
LUKE: No way. I’m now convinced she needs us. Unless Zane really does know something we don’t?
ZANE: Nope
My lips are sealed. I’m not even sure what I saw.
LUKE: Then it’s settled
Luke changed the group name to Keeley’s Support Group
Easton left the group
Reed added Easton to the group
“Paige just added Keeley back in. Looks like it’s on. We’re helping her find love.” Blair bounces on the couch beside me, and while it’s adorable and has her tits jiggling in her fitted white tee, I can’t ignore the pit forming in my stomach.
“What if she doesn’t want help?” I ask the obvious question.
“No one wants help with their love life. But sometimes they need it.”
“And sometimes they don’t.”
My gut tells me they’re wrong about Keeley, but I’m staying out of this.
Blair smiles again, her expression radiant as her fingers rapidly type away at her screen, and a wave of calm rushes over me. “Are you happy, B? With me. In San Francisco?”
She glances up, and the genuine warmth exuding from her smile gives me my answer before she does. “I’ve never been happier. Being with you feels like I’ve finally found my place. And for the first time in a long time, I know who I’m meant to be.”
“A WAG?” I raise an eyebrow jokingly, and she laughs.
“No. Me. I’m meant to be me.”
My heart drums in my chest as I stare deeply into her beautiful wide eyes, finding my home staring back at me. Grabbing her phone from her hand, I toss it on the armchair out of her reach and follow it with my own, then pull her into my arms.
Our world might be chaotic, and there will be times when one or both of us wants to fall apart, or hide away until it all blows over—probably me—but Blair’s right. As long as we’re in this together, we can get through anything.
I’d rather spend an eternity facing my mistakes than lose her again.
I may be careless when it comes to my life, but when it comes to hers, I’m the king of fucking stability.
And she’ll forever be my queen.