Chapter 45
Chapter forty-five
Sixteen years ago, Seattle: Zac
“I’m so proud of you for telling your parents to back off, tabby cat,” Zac crooned as he swept a lock of auburn hair from her sweaty forehead.
His heart battled furiously in his chest just as he felt her heart thrumming in return.
The bliss of her orgasm lingered on her lips, pulled up slightly in a satisfied smirk.
“That doesn’t sound condescending, does it? ”
Tabitha chuckled. “No, it sounds supportive. Which is exactly what I need right now.”
“They’ll come around.” He placed a kiss on the tip of her nose.
Her smile dipped. “I’m not so sure.”
“I am. They could never give up on you. You’re too loveable.”
Her eyes sparkled with so many emotions, a beautiful glimmer in those baby blues that Zac could get lost in—happily—for a long time.
The rest of his life.
He’d already decided to follow her wherever she wanted to go.
It would be tough to leave Leavenworth and the Millers, but something told him they wouldn’t dismiss him as a result.
They’d brought him in when his own mother and father had decided being parents was a drag and dropped him off on Patty and Robert’s doorstep.
“We’ll compensate you of course,” his father had said, unaware that Zac and Jonathan had opened a window to eavesdrop.
“We don’t want your money,” Jon’s mom, Patty, had said with so much venom.
“What she means to say is that it won’t be necessary. Zac is welcome with us and can stay as long as he wants,” Mr. Miller, ever the peacemaker, had stated calmly.
“Well,” Zac’s father had responded in that stick-up-his-ass way he says anything to anyone. “I’ll have an account opened anyway. My guess is you’ll change your mind eventually.”
They never had and eventually passed the money on to Zac once he’d turned eighteen. He tucked it away, unwilling to touch it—or his ample trust fund, for that matter—because he wanted nothing from his parents. He had everything he needed already.
“What’s your plan?” Zac settled next to Tabitha and pulled her tight to his chest.
“I’ll apply for the colleges I’m interested in and still do the climbing thing over the next year. With or without them.”
“What if they cut you off?”
Tabitha froze. “I—I hadn’t really thought about that.”
Planting a kiss into her hair, he rubbed her shoulders. “I can support you.”
“I’m not going to take your money, Zac,” she blustered as though refusing to touch a piggy bank offered by a love-sick little boy.
He only chuckled, swatting away her concerns. “My folks are loaded. They set up a trust fund, but I won’t ever use it on myself. I don’t want anything from them. But I can’t think of a better cause than helping a promising young journalist get her degree.”
“Zac.” Tabitha braced herself up on her forearms to look down at him.
Her messy hair swirled around her face in a beautiful red halo.
“That’s sweet, but I’m serious. I’ve lived off my parents’ money and I’m ready to do it on my own.
I’ve never touched my sponsorship money, and I’ll apply for scholarships and loans to make up the rest. If I need to work, I'll find something.
Maybe on campus or at a climbing gym. I'll be fine.”
“The offer stands, if you ever need it.”
“Zac—”
“I said if, not when. Don’t worry, I know exactly what you’re capable of.” He tucked hair behind her ear and pulled her in for a kiss.
“There’s nothing I can say to convince you to stay the night?” Zac asked, wearing only a pair of boxers as Tabitha tied the laces of her sneakers.
“Sorry, but no. I’ve got a ritual I need to stick to.”
“Right, right. Your prequalifier ritual,” Zac said with a nod. He was excited to see her wipe the floor with the competition the next morning. No doubt she’d come out on top and be poised for a great final season of competing.
She looped her purse over her shoulder and stepped out of Zac’s van. He followed, grabbing her hand to pull her back so she pressed against him.
“You’re going to kick ass and I’ll be front and center cheering you on.” He dipped down and grazed his lips over hers.
“Nothing too embarrassing. I have to focus.” She twined her fingers into the hair at the base of his scalp and tugged. A rumble of pleasure coursed through Zac.
“Only the appropriate amount of embarrassment, deal?”
“Deal.”
They kissed again, a tangle of lips and arms and hot breath. Zac almost proposed another round in the van, until Tabitha placed a hand on his chest.
“I have to go.”
He conceded with a nod, twirling a lock of hair around his fingers.
“I love you, tabby cat.”
They popped out of Zac’s mouth, words he’d never said to anyone. Not since he was a child and parroted them back to his parents with zero understanding of what love meant.
Tabitha’s smile lit up the dark summer evening. The glow of joy was all the light he’d ever need. She didn’t say it back, only leaned in for one more, shatteringly deep kiss before pulling away to walk to her car.
Zac wasn’t upset.
He could wait as long as she needed him to. And while he knew how she felt about him, he only wanted her to say it when she was absolutely ready.
He watched her car pull away and returned to his van to straighten up a little.
Then his heart leaped as a knock sounded at the slider door.
Tabby cat.
But when Zac slid open the door a different set of blue eyes greeted him.
“Beefy.” Wrong twin. “What’s up, man?”
“Can we talk?”