15. Zayne
CHAPTER 15
Zayne
D elaney pats herself dry with the towel as I drive. When I see her wince, I pull along the side of the road and turn on the dome light.
“Jesus, Delaney. Is this the result of punching Tim?” I gently cradle her hand in mine, examining it.
“Yeah. I’ve never punched anyone before.” She looks down at her swollen knuckles, which are already starting to bruise. It’ll be worse tomorrow.
“I should take you to the ER to get it checked out.”
She frantically shakes her head, pleading eyes on mine. “No, please. They’ll ask questions that I don’t want to answer.” The wild look in her eyes makes me uneasy.
I lean closer to her, my gaze studying her intently. “Has Tim hit you before?”
“No, he hasn’t. But he was drunk, and it scared me. His hands were clenched into fists, and the look in his eyes…” She swallows hard.
“I’m sorry, sweetie.” I pull her against me. “I’ll do anything to keep you safe and prevent him from getting close enough to harm you again.”
“You’re so sweet, Zayne.”
She pulls back, her gaze moving over my outfit. “Why are you dressed up?”
My other hand tugs at the collar of my shirt, which suddenly feels oddly restrictive. My face, neck, and ears feel hot as I avert my eyes. Blowing out a breath, I finally meet her eyes. “I-I don’t have the money for a tux. Earlier, I saw you exiting the limo and going in with…” My jaw clenches, and I’m so fucking pissed I can’t say his name. I want to break that fucker’s face. The chicken shit attacked me with a bat when I least expected it. Then he threatens the woman I love, making her feel like he’s going to hit her….
That motherfucker is gonna pay.
Gentle fingers touch my face, caressing my jaw with her uninjured hand. “You dressed up and came to prom for me?”
I nod, my eyes locking with hers. I lose myself in them, forgetting everything.
“What were you planning to do?”
A sheepish smile curls my lips. “Steal you away and dance with you, putting a smile on your face.”
She blinks rapidly, moisture coating her irises. “I wish so badly that would’ve happened.” Her gaze drops to my chest. “That asshole ruined my prom. I didn’t want to go with him, and then he made it worse by sneaking booze in, getting drunk, and…” Her bottom lip trembles.
I turn my head and kiss her fingers that are stroking my jaw. “Did he dance with you?”
She shakes her head, and I grab her hand, kissing her knuckles. “I’d like to take you to the lake and dance with you. But I’m worried about your hand.”
Excitement dances in her irises as she shifts in the seat. “You wanna take me to the lake and dance with me?”
I nod. “Yeah, but it’s not a good idea?—”
“It’s the perfect idea. Please, Zayne. My hand doesn’t hurt that badly. I really wanna go.”
I can’t fucking resist her. “I’ll tell you what. There’s a gas station ahead. I’ll get some ice, and as long as you put it on your hand while I’m driving, I’ll dance with you.”
She raises her injured right hand. “I promise.”
Thirty minutes later, gravel crunches beneath my tires as I head to where I usually park. The rain stopped before Delaney and I arrived at the gas station.
It’s a different world up here.
The clouds have parted, making way for the stars to shine. Although I see water dripping from the needles of the pine trees in my headlights, it’s not wet like it was in Green Haven. The storm likely started here before moving to town.
My veins hum with anticipation as I shut off my truck. My gaze moves to the sky, and I smile as happiness thrums through me, my heart beating like a drum. I turn my head, staring at Delaney’s profile as she leans forward, peering through the windshield at the beauty illuminated by the headlights.
“Stay right there.” I open the door and slide out, then hurry around to Delaney’s side. Opening the door, I hold out my hand. The smile she graces me with takes my breath away.
She takes my hand and climbs from my truck. “You’re such a gentleman. Your momma raised you right.”
“She did. But you bring out this side of me.” Shutting the door, I hold her hand in mine as we approach the dock. “No one else affects me like you do.”
Her eyes meet mine, and even in the darkness, I see her blush. “I’m honored I see a side of you no one else does.” Her voice lowers to a conspiratorial tone. “You get to see the real me, Zayne. I hide behind a fa?ade around everyone else. But not with you.”
We step onto the docks, and I shoot her a wink. “I’ve seen through the fa?ade for a long time. You tried to hide who you were when we first met… but I saw you . I’ve always seen you.” I lean down, capturing her lips with mine.
When I pull back, I pull my phone from my pocket and pull up one of her favorite songs, “Truly Madly Deeply” by Savage Garden. I shove it back inside my pocket before we melt together, always drawn to each other like two magnets. I wrap my arms around her and whisper, “Be careful with your hand.”
She nods as I begin swaying us to the beat of the song. Her head moves to my chest, and I lay my cheek against her silky hair, closing my eyes as the dream I’ve always wished for comes true.
Exhaling a breath, I tilt my head to the sky, silently thanking the stars for giving me the most perfect moment of my high school career. Nothing compares to this.
When the song ends, she pulls back, looking up at me with such adoration that I’m speechless.
You can’t have her . My traitorous thoughts ruin the moment. I push them away, refusing to believe their lies.
I spin her around so she’s facing the lake. “Look.”
She gasps as she takes in the silvery glint of the moonlight on the water. “Oh my God. That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
“It’s the second most beautiful thing I’ve seen.” Tearing her green irises from the moonlit lake, they lock with mine. I gently stroke my knuckles over her cheek. “You’re the first.”