Chapter 5
Chapter Five
Z ach tried to pay attention to what Jonathan was saying as he focused on curling his forearm to his bicep. He’d hoped inviting Jonathan along on this workout/interview would help him stay distracted from Danielle, but from the way his stomach was in knots, none of it was working.
Jonathan was chatting too much and Danielle wasn’t even here.
He glanced up at the clock on the wall, taking note that she was now ten minutes late. Maybe she’d given up her job. Maybe she’d won this feud that he’d begun with her when he refused to grant her wishes.
But she’d been ridiculous in thinking that they couldn’t do this. That she couldn’t report on him. They could put the past behind them, right?
“You’ve got that look in your eye,” Jonathan’s voice broke through Zach’s thoughts, pulling his attention to his best friend who was folding his arms and giving Zach an incredulous look.
Zach relaxed his face and glanced over at Jonathan, hoping he’d buy his lie. “I don’t have a look in my eye.”
Jonathan snorted. “Okay.”
Zach groaned as he set the dumbbell down and rolled his shoulders. What was the matter with him? He needed to chill out before Danielle got here.
“You sure there’s no other reason?” Jonathan asked, as he replaced the dumbbell he was holding so he could grab another.
Zach needed a distraction. Anything to keep his mind off Danielle’s impending appearance and Jonathan’s incessant questions. Apparently, Zach had been very forthcoming that night at the club when he’d had a bit too much liquor in his stomach. Now, Jonathan kept hinting to the conversation without really saying anything. Maybe he was just waiting for Zach to offer information, but that was the last thing he wanted to do.
So, Zach strolled over to the treadmill and hopped onto it. After ratcheting the speed up to a 10, he took off on the belt. A few minutes in and his legs were burning. It felt so good. He stared at the wall in front of him, the pain in his body taking over his thoughts.
He got lost in the movement until a hand rested on his arm, which made him stumble. He grabbed onto the side rails and turned, ready to let Jonathan have it, when he was met with Danielle’s disheveled hair and crazy eyes.
He wiped at his brow as he steadied his feet on the sides of the treadmill and hit the emergency stop. He grabbed a towel that was stuffed in a cup holder and wiped his face. Maybe getting all sweaty before he was supposed to meet with Danielle had been the wrong move. At least he’d remembered to put on deodorant.
“You’re late,” he said as he glanced up at the clock.
“Thank you, Officer,” Jonathan’s voice carried from the back door. Officer? Zach glanced behind Danielle to see Jonathan shake a policeman’s hand.
Confused, Zach turned back to Danielle who looked as if she were about to scream. “You came here in a cop car?” he asked.
Danielle reached up and loosened her hair out of the elastic holding it back. She shook out her curls, causing them to bounce around her. Despite the fact that she was sweaty and had the look of death in her eyes, she was beautiful and it took Zach’s breath away.
“Late? Late?” she asked, her voice rising with each word. “I wouldn’t have been late had you not locked the doors or answered your phone.” She reached out and grabbed the towel from his hands. She began turning it around and squeezed it with her fingers, and then when it seemed like she found a dry spot she wiped her face and neck with it.
Zach tried not to notice how smooth her skin looked as she dabbed at it. And then he realized that he was staring, which he shouldn’t be doing at all, so he dropped his gaze and nudged the floor with his sneaker. “I didn’t hear any of that.”
Danielle threw the towel at him as she growled. “That’s because you had your obnoxious music at a ridiculous decibel.”
Jonathan must have heard her because seconds later, the volume decreased.
“That still doesn’t explain the cop.” Zach folded his arms. He had to admit, he was getting some amusement from how angry Danielle was. He was trying his hardest to take her seriously, but it was difficult when her cheeks were pink, highlighting the light splash of freckles across her nose.
She narrowed her eyes. “I thought I’d find a way in around back. Apparently, he thought I was trying to break in.” She reached back and braided her hair down and tied it, which was a fascinating process of light fingers and graceful hands.
Frustrated that with every movement, his feelings were growing for her in the wrong direction, Zach cleared his throat, stepped past her, and over to the squat rack. He wiped his face with the towel once more before racking the weights. With the way he was feeling, he had energy to work off.
He heard the huffing of Danielle as she followed after him. “Do you have anything you want to say to me?” she asked as she stepped into view.
Not sure what to say, Zach glanced down at her. He moved to the other side of the bar and racked those weights. Then he shifted his shoulders as he stepped up to the bar and got into position.
“He’s sorry,” Jonathan offered from behind him.
Danielle looked to Jonathan and then back to Zach. “Yeah, I need to hear it from him.”
“I’m sorry you got mistaken for someone breaking and entering.” He shot her a smile and then straightened, lifting the bar off the hooks and taking the weight onto his shoulders. Blowing out his breath, he squatted down and then straightened. From the corner of his eye, he could see Danielle standing there with her arms folded and a scowl on her face. It was adorable.
He did as many reps as he could before he almost gave out. He’d do just about anything to prolong this conversation. To say he had been dreading and looking forward to this meeting wouldn’t accurately describe his feelings. It had been so hard seeing her at every game these last three months, off on the side lines, within reach, but not touchable. So much so that he’d contemplated calling up her editor and demanding a different reporter. But now? He loved her being here as much as he hated it.
What could he say? He was a glutton for punishment.
As if she suddenly realized that she wasn’t going to get an answer from him, Danielle turned and zeroed in on Jonathan who’d moved to the treadmill and was running. Thankful that he was going to get a break from her prying eyes, Zach took that time to return the weights and let out his breath. The muscles in his legs throbbed from the intensity and work he’d just done.
Their conversation was muted and Zach tried hard not to stare too hard at them. He knew Jonathan was a flirt and it hadn’t ever bothered him—until now. A fire built up in his chest as heat pricked his already warm skin. It definitely wasn’t the temperature that was making him agitated. It was Danielle’s ridiculous giggle and the way she smacked Jonathan’s arm that had his frustration near boiling.
He left the weight cage and made his way over to his water bottle where he downed the liquid, reveling in the lower temperature as it cooled his body. He took a few deep breaths and had to mentally keep his gaze from wandering over to the mirrors—in the direction of Jonathan and Danielle.
“Are you ready to talk to me?”
Her soft voice washed over him, causing Zach’s heart to pound. Was it wrong that he enjoyed the fact that Danielle had left his best friend’s side to be by him? That for once in his life, even if it was stupid, she was picking him over someone else?
He turned and met her bright green eyes. She looked less upset as she stood there with her arms folded and a soft expression on her face.
He pushed his hand through his hair as he swallowed. If she only knew how much he wanted to talk to her. But, those were things he couldn’t say even if, after so many years, those feelings never faded.
“I’m sorry,” he said, dropping his voice so she knew that he was serious. He was sorry. For everything.
Her eyebrows rose as she cleared her throat and nodded. “Thank you.”
He gave her a smile. “Now, should we start this interview?” Hoping it was his smile that caused her cheeks to flush, Zach took it as an invitation to lean and give her a wink.
Like two wrong sides of a magnet, Danielle stepped back. Zach tried not to notice it. Thankfully, she disguised her movement as looking for her bag. When she located it, she walked over, removed a notebook and pen, and then came back over to him.
Needing something to do other than just stand there and stare at her, Zach made his way over to the dumbbells and picked one up. Pushing his muscles past their breaking point seemed like a good way of keeping himself distracted.
Danielle clicked her pen and flipped open her notebook. He noted how she kept flicking her eyes up to him and then back down to the paper. It was almost like she was trying to avoid not looking at him as much as he was avoiding not looking at her.
And then he pushed that thought from his mind. Last time he got swept up in trying to analyze her actions, he had stupidly kissed her. Right now, he needed to push all thoughts of her and him from his mind and focus on the task at hand—which was answering her question.
Glancing over at Danielle, Zach raised his eyebrows. “Sorry?”
She chewed her lip as he felt her gaze travel down to his arms and then, almost like she’d been shocked, she pulled her eyes away and stared—hard—at the paper. “How do you think last year went?” she asked, her voice quiet, like she was scared that something might be revealed through her tone. A feeling Zach was all too familiar with.
Switching hands, Zach focused on the questions and the pain rushing up his arm as he began curling the dumbbell. After all, that was all he could do. Danielle was off limits and if it took pain to remind him of that, then he’d inflict it on himself.
He had to.
An hour later, Zach was shaking from his workout. Apparently, the best way to push himself was to have Danielle here, asking him questions. Thankfully, it didn’t take long for them to fall into a professional rhythm.
Zach was even able to focus on the questions about the team, his predictions for the new season, and his plans to keep in shape. He even managed a few smiles at her when she got out her camera to record a segment about how NFL players stay in shape. He was sweaty and gross, but she said the viewers would love it.
When Danielle clicked her pen and stood, Zach glanced up at the clock.
“I think that’s good for now. I’ve got a lot of stuff to work with.” She stuffed her notebook, pen, and camera into her bag and turned, giving him a wide smile. He couldn’t tell if it was fake or real and he hated how much he wished it was real.
“I guess we can get together again next week?” she asked as she pulled out her phone. “I should probably get some more footage of you not all sweaty,” then she dropped her voice and whispered, “even though I’m sure what I have will attract the attention of a lot of women.”
Zach stared at her. Was she giving him a compliment? When she didn’t elaborate, he decided that it was best to just move on. He couldn’t spend his time with her trying to dissect her words. It would kill him inside just to have them not mean what he so desperately wanted them to mean.
“Are you sure you don’t need anything else?” he asked. Was it wrong that even though warning bells were going off in his mind, he still wanted her to stick around? That he didn’t want this meeting to be over?
She was chewing her lip as she stared into her purse. After pushing some items around, she glanced up at him. “Yeah, I think I’m good.”
Zach stepped forward. He wanted to get her stay. There was this deep down desire growing in his chest and he felt as if he were about to burst. “Are you sure?” he asked, before he could stop himself.
Danielle glanced up at him. Her brow was furrowed as she parted her lips. “I think so,” she said.
“Okay,” he said.
She cleared her throat, pulled her purse strap up onto her shoulder and turned toward the door. “I should get going. I’ve got a bus to catch.” She moved to walk away.
Not wanting her to ride the bus, Zach reached out and grabbed her arm before he could stop himself. “Take my car. Paul can drive you back home,” he said as he glanced down at her.
Danielle pinched her lips together as she dropped her eyes to his hand and then slowly raised them to meet his. “I’m used to the bus. I’m a big girl,” she said.
Zach nodded. He was sure she was a capable woman, but he didn’t like the risk taking the bus brought to her. “I know. I’d just…feel better.”
She studied him for a moment before sighing. “Okay. Yeah, I guess.”
Zach grinned at her as he pulled his phone from his pants pocket and texted Paul who responded with a “be right there”.
“He’s on his way,” Zach said as he slipped his phone into his pocket.
Danielle was chewing her lip as she nodded. “Great. Well, I’ll see you next week.” She regarded him for a moment before turning and making her way to the front doors. Zach’s black Lincoln could be seen through the large glass windows as it pulled up.
He wanted to stop her, but there was just no non-insane way of doing that. So, he leaned against the wall and watched as Danielle unlocked the door and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Just before she slipped into the car, she glanced back inside—meeting Zach’s eyes.
He focused his expression as he held her gaze. There was no way he was going to break it. She had to know what her coming back was doing to him. She had to.
But, instead of making any indication in her expression or gestures, she just blinked, dropped his gaze and disappeared into his car.
Defeated, Zach cleared his throat and pushed off the wall. He needed a shower and food, neither of which was going to happen anytime soon seeing as how he just sent his car off. Now he was stuck, covered in sweat and his stomach grumbling.
Jonathan’s snickering drew his attention. Man, how had he forgotten about Jonathan?
“What?” he asked as he flipped the lid of his water bottle open and took a drink.
“Nothing,” Jonathan said as he pinched his lips together. A lame way of trying to hide his glee.
“Hey, I beat you up on the field, don’t make me do it again.”
Jonathan raised his hands. “Easy, man. I’ve just never seen you so moony.”
Zach threw his now empty water bottle into his duffle bag and zipped it closed. “I’m not moony.”
Jonathan snorted. “Yeah. Okay.”
He growled as he swung his bag up onto his shoulder and turned. “I can’t have feelings for her.” Maybe if he said the words out loud, he would find it in himself to believe what he was saying.
“Cause she’s your brother’s ex?” Jonathan didn’t look like he was buying Zach’s reasoning.
But Jonathan didn’t realize their history. He didn’t understand everything that had happened. Zach’s parents weren’t going to be pleased. Not to mention the guilt that hung around Zach every time he thought about Isaac. No, in order to be a good brother and son, he needed to push Danielle from his mind and way, way out of his thoughts.