Chapter 11 Zane
ZANE
Iswear I didn’t expect to run into Jakob at the gym.
Wait, hold on. I technically knew it was possible that we could run into each other there again since we belonged to the same fitness center.
I wanted to avoid that at all costs, though.
I even made a point of going at a different time to reduce the likelihood of that happening.
Whatever. Our running into each other at the gym once will seem like nothing once you’ve heard what I have to tell you.
I was changing into my workout clothes when it all started.
Short on time, I wanted to squeeze in as much of a workout as I could before heading back to campus for class.
Earpods plugged in, I had my jams cranked up, and I was totally feeling the beat, but then it happened—Jakob strolled out of the shower.
No, he wasn’t naked, if that’s what you’re wondering. He had a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair still wet and messy. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him.
Wait, that sounds totally wrong. I’m trying to say that I noticed how impressive a physique Jakob possessed. His upper body boasted two firm oval-shaped pecs, complete with a six-pack abdomen. His powerful shoulders made way for the set of guns that included hulking biceps.
Look, not everyone’s muscles show through their street clothes, or even their gym attire. Sometimes you have to see them strutting around in a towel to see how put-together they really are.
Part of me wished I hadn’t finished changing already, so I could show him how much work I’d invested in my own body, especially my butt. God, that sounded so weird. I didn’t like thinking that way, and yet I couldn’t stop.
When Jakob’s eyes landed on me, he quarter-turned, ready to head in the opposite direction. Shit, he would’ve darted for the hills if he could have. The sight of me alone drove him to it. I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck.
On the other hand, I couldn’t just let him leave.
“Jakob,” I said, “well, well, well.”
He froze, tensing up, and then slumped his shoulders. He quarter-turned back to his original position but didn’t look at me.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
“What does it look like?”
I sputtered, struggling not to laugh a little, because that was the bravest move he’d made against me since… well, since punching me in the face.
God, he could gain the upper hand on me without even trying or knowing he was doing it.
When he advanced on me, I thought we might actually have a civilized conversation. Even I can be wrong, rare as that may be. He appeared ready to breeze right past me, and I had to put a hand on his chest to stop him.
His bare chest, that is.
Oh, God…
“Hold on a second,” I said. “I just want to talk to you.”
“Fuck off.”
He spat the words out, like he’d rehearsed them a hundred times but didn’t know if he could actually say them.
I felt like he’d slapped me in the face, one way or another.
I tried not to feel enraged, even though I had no idea where he got off speaking to me that way.
But because I wanted to build a positive relationship with Jakob, I decided to forgive that.
“I’m sorry,” I said, “my mind must be playing tricks on me. Did you just say what I think you said?”
“Of course I did.”
“Why would you say something like that?”
“Because it’s exactly what I want you to do. Now, go piss up a rope!”
When he started away from me again, I slipped in front of him, and put both hands on his shoulders.
His insanely powerful (and bare) shoulders, I mean.
And then I stared down at those heavy pecs. Then I looked up at his eyes and honestly felt like he’d snatched a breath from me. Since I’ve told you about all the other crazy stuff, I shouldn’t exclude that.
“Zane?” he asked.
“Yes?”
“Did you just put your hands on my bare shoulders?”
“Uh, yes, it certainly looks like I did.”
I withdrew my hands at an excruciatingly slow pace. Look, if I’d yanked them away, I would have given Jakob the wrong idea.
And what idea is that? my inner voice asked.
I drew a deep breath, wanting to ignore that, alongside anything that threatened to trip me up.
“Are you obsessed?” Jakob asked.
“I don’t get you. Obsessed with what?”
“Obsessed with me.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Come on, even a confirmed nincompoop like yourself can understand that. On the other hand, you might not know how to spell it.”
I rolled my eyes. Yeah, I wondered why on earth I bothered with a guy who had nothing better to do than insult me. Obsessed? That sounded so stupid, and just like something a Larkin Lion would say.
“I’m not obsessed,” I said. “I can’t help it if we’re both here at the same time.”
“Oh, I don’t know how much of a coincidence that is—or isn’t. Why bother arguing over it? Anyway, just because you saw me here didn’t mean you had to talk to me, and it definitely didn’t mean you had to—”
Had to what? He could drive me nuts with unfinished sentences like that. I would ask him flat out how he meant to finish but knew he would somehow give me the runaround. Bullshit was the Larkin Lion way, you know.
I peered down at his chest again and couldn’t help but admire the crease between his pecs. Then my eyes traversed lower, and I noticed a treasure trail I’d totally missed before. Dropping lower still, my eyes landed on a bulge in his towel.
I’m a hockey player. I’ve been in a million locker rooms and had taken in that sight more times than I cared to count.
I’d never really noticed that stuff before.
Wait, that’s not true. I’d noticed them, otherwise I couldn’t tell you about it now.
I’d noticed those things, but they hadn’t mattered.
In other words, my eyes might’ve spotted towel bulges, but they never stayed fixed on them.
I looked up to face Jakob before he offered up some version of “my eyes are up here, Zane” that would make me want to scream. My eyes locked onto Jakob’s again and I felt trapped. I honestly thought my heart had skipped a beat.
“Are you going to finish that sentence?” I asked.
“Why should I? I think you know the score here. Shit, I should be the one asking you what’s going on.”
“Nothing’s going on.”
“Oh, really?”
“Hey, I have a gym membership here, pal.” I dug my phone from my pocket and showed him my membership in the Planet Fitness app. “Nothing more to it than that.”
“And you bugging me all the time?”
“Bugging you? I was trying to make peace. Sue me for being the mature one here.”
“Mature one, that’s rich. There’s no such thing as maturity when it comes to the Lions and Riptides. We’re supposed to hate each other.”
“Says who?”
“Says the Lions-Riptides rivalry. There’s an entire history that goes back a long way. I guess you don’t care about tradition?”
“See? That’s the difference between you and me.”
“Well, that and I use soap.”
God, Jakob Martin could be so infuriating.
“You think that’s funny?” I asked.
“What’s funny is that you think you can make nice with me and I’ll fall for it.”
“Well, I sure as hell don’t apologize for taking the high road in all of this.”
The little asshole actually rolled his eyes. That drove me crazier than anything. Until now, I thought I could take anything Jakob dished out, but he’d tried my patience.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me.” I heard the anger and contempt drip from my voice.
“What are you going to do if I roll my eyes again? I’m already one-and-oh against you in fist fights. Might want to think better of trying anything physical.”
“You laid me out with a sucker punch, and you know it. No way on earth would you last two seconds with me in a real fight.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, dude. I’d mop the floor with you and then twist you into a pretzel. Then I’ll slam dunk you if I get bored.”
He rolled his eyes again. Honest to God, the guy must’ve had a death wish. My heart quickened, my muscles tensed, and my breathing grew hectic. I swore I was about to lose it.
When he turned from me, I snatched his wrist, pulled him in close until his (bare) chest pressed against mine.
Jakob’s eyes stared deeply into my eyes.
Then I leaned in and brushed my lips against his.
Oh, who am I kidding? I practically inhaled the guy.
He didn’t put up a fight, though. Matter of fact, he seemed every bit as into the kiss as I was.
I kept my grip firm on his wrist, but he reached past my shoulder and clamped his hand into the back of my head, pressing our faces together.
When our mouths opened, my tongue slipped into his mouth.
They lapped over one another, mingling and playing.
The rest of the world fell away. I can tell you that much. No violins sounded and no birds appeared, but I can honestly say that only Jakob and I existed in that moment. I felt weightless, as if filled with helium.
And then I came to my senses.
Our lips broke apart. We pushed away from one another. I can’t say who did or didn’t do what. We both sort of broke away from the kiss. Then we stared at one another like we couldn’t believe what we’d done. I wasn’t angry, though. I couldn’t speak for Jakob.
I realized that we couldn’t undo what’d just happened. Part of me didn’t want to, though I understood it could have serious consequences.
When I peered down, I noticed his bulge now tented his towel. Worse, that throbbing hard-on would’ve brushed against me only a moment ago. I hadn’t realized it because I’d lost myself in the moment.
“I’m out of here,” Jakob said.
“Wait!”
Jakob not only ignored me but stepped out into the hallway beside the gym itself, towel hard-on and all.
The kiss might’ve been awkward, but at least I hadn’t made as much of an ass of myself as Jakob.
When I peered down, I noticed I was sporting a throbbing hard-on of my own.