6. Zander
CHAPTER 6
ZANDER
We won!
We fucking won!
And damn it feels good.
“Bears! Bears! Bears!” the crowd chants as we finally leave the field. Mom leans down from the stands, and like the good boy I am, I walk over to let her hug me. She wraps her arms around my neck so tight I think I’m going to choke, and Dad is right behind her, patting my back and telling me that I did great, but there’s still room for improvement.
The guy does not know how to just enjoy the win.
I shake them off me and head to the locker room, hoping they’ll leave by the time I get out. I normally take my sweet time, giving them plenty of chances to go, but I’m in a hurry tonight, blitzing through a shower and throwing on fresh clothes while the coaches continue to congratulate each other and the guys throw triumphant comments and hassles back and forth.
I tune them all out, towel-drying my hair and fighting a grin…
Because a bright-eyed girl with the best smile is waiting for me.
Holy shit, I can’t believe I just yelled that up to her, but she was looking at me in that way she always does, and I couldn’t resist. She came to the game! And I know she only did that because of me. I’ve asked around, found out what I could. She’s not a football girl. Apparently she’s been trying to learn the game, and Emily told Noah that she’s only doing it because she has the biggest crush on me.
I’ve been wanting to ask her out ever since the party, but between practice, studying, managing two parents, and making it to work on time, I haven’t wanted to ask Sienna out only to have to bail on her.
But it’s my monthly weekend off work, and I want to make the most of it.
Shit, I should have asked her out with more time to spare. What if she’s not free tomorrow?
My gut twists as I finish drying my hair and rush to pull my jacket on.
“Where’s the fire?” The assistant coach laughs at me.
“He’s got himself a pretty girl waiting in the parking lot, Coach.” Noah rats me out, and the entire locker room starts hassling me.
I glare at my friend, shouldering my bag and running out before someone tells me I shouldn’t be trying to fit a girl into my life as well.
This isn’t just any girl. Exceptions need to be made.
I’ve been watching her for two weeks, trying to talk to her between classes, smiling back whenever she catches my eye. And tonight’s my chance to finally do something about all this damn pining.
“Zander.” Dad’s voice catches my attention the second I hit the asphalt. Dammit.
I force a smile. “Hey.”
“Great game tonight.”
“Yeah, you said before.” I point my thumb at the field.
The corners of his eyes narrow, and my insides are already squirming before he asks, “Where are you off to now?”
“Um…”
“Oh, go easy on him, Brett,” Mom butts in. “He’s allowed to blow off a little steam.”
“I just don’t want him going crazy. I know what guys are like after a game.”
“He’ll be sensible.” Mom pats my chest. “Won’t you, baby?”
“Yeah, of course.” I clench my jaw. The tension riding through me is headache inducing.
Dad’s eyes are like laser beams, burning right through my skull. “Fine. Go and have some fun celebrating with the boys, but I want you home by midnight.”
“He’s staying with me tonight, and he can be home by one.” Mom gives my father a saccharine smile.
He narrows his eyes at her before huffing and spinning away, grumbling over his shoulder, “He’s mine next week.”
I sigh while Mom gives me a glum smile. “Ignore him. He’s always testy after a tough week at work.”
How the hell does she know what his week was like?
I so don’t get my parents.
All I know is that this week-on/week-off bullshit is exhausting. I go from one pressure point to the other. In Dad’s house, it’s like being at military school. And Mom’s place is manipulation central.
Thank God I’ll be living in a dorm next year. Yes, even if I go to Brighton and it’s only thirty minutes away, I will be living in a dorm!
Mom pulls me down so she can kiss my cheek, then tells me to have fun. “Turn the porch light off when you get in, baby. I’ll already be asleep.”
“Will do.” I straighten my jacket, relieved she didn’t ask for details about where I’m going tonight.
Both my parents assume I’m heading to Noah’s for video games and pizza.
But…
Spinning on my heel, I head toward my car, my smile growing a mile wide when I spot a twitchy blonde perched against my back bumper.
Olivia is hovering nearby, obviously keeping an eye out for me, and as soon as I’m within hearing distance, I catch, “Okay, sweets. Have fun.”
She gives me a little wave, then scoots off, leaving me alone with a blushing Sienna.
“Hey.” I grin down at her.
“Hi.” She smiles back, standing tall and smoothing down her skintight jeans.
Damn, her legs are long and lean and… fire. She’s fire. What I wouldn’t give to skim my hand up that taut denim, round the perfect curve of her ass.
Look up, you idiot! Stop thinking about her ass!
I force my eyes back up to her face. The breeze is blowing her fine hair across her cheek. She captures it, tucking it behind her ear before I get the chance.
For some weird reason, my heart is racing.
“So…” She tips onto the edges of her blue-and-white Adidas. “You wanted me to wait for you.”
“I did.” I grin. “I was hoping you’d let me drive you home.”
Sienna’s breath catches, her bright eyes dancing like fairy lights, her voice breathy. “Okay.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes, please.” The most stunning smile takes over her face, and this tingle in my chest—the one I haven’t been able to shake—grows with intensity.
Opening the trunk, I dump my bag in the back, then race around to the passenger door and open it for her.
“Thank you,” she murmurs, another blush flaring over her smooth skin.
At least I think it’s smooth. It looks flawless to me. I want to touch it. I want to brush the back of my finger down her cheek. I want to trace the line of her lips with my thumb, then pinch her chin and bring her in for a kiss.
“You okay?” She blinks up at me, and I let out this awkward laugh that’s just plain embarrassing.
She giggles, her nose wrinkling. Damn, she’s cute. And sweet and…
I clear my throat, closing her door and running around to the driver’s side. I buckle up and grip the wheel, begging myself to stop acting like such a spaced-out moron. It’s not like I can just blurt, “You’re so pretty I can’t think straight.”
I need to pull my shit together or she’ll never let me drive her home again.
Starting the engine, I turn to her with what I hope is a charming smile. “So, navigate me, lady.”
She laughs as I reverse out of my spot before directing me left out of the school.
“Are you warm enough?” I ask, pumping up the heater.
“Oh, yes… I mean, no, so thank you for the heat.” Her laughter is edgy and nervous, turning my insides to putty.
Turning on the stereo, I get some tunes going, and she starts to relax, bobbing her head along to the beat.
I grip the wheel, focusing on the road and getting her home safely. I’ve never cared so much about being a good driver, but tonight I’m on my game.
Glancing right, I steal a look at the blonde beauty beside me. Her eyes dart my way, and we flash each other a grin before quickly looking away again.
Strains of “Honeymoon Fades” by Sabrina Carpenter are filling the car. They’ve been playing that song so much lately. I glance Sienna’s way again, enjoying the curl of her lips. She’s mouthing the lyrics, then brushing her teeth over her bottom lip and making my chest do that weird clutching thing again.
Holy shit. What is this girl doing to me?
My heart hiccups as I stare at the road ahead and try to think of something to say, because we can’t just drive around in silence, right?
Is that too awkward?
Is it?—
“So, did you have fun playing tonight?” She breaks the silence with her sweet voice, and I feel like I take my first full breath since starting the engine.
“Uh… fun?” Football is never referred to as fun in my house. It’s a goal, a commitment, a privilege.
She smiles, tipping her head to study me. “Yeah, like… it should be fun, shouldn’t it? I mean, that’s why you’re so committed to it, right? Because you love it?”
“Yeah.” I bob my head. “I’ve just never really thought of it like fun before. I mean, we’re in it to win it, you know? That part’s fun, I guess.”
She gazes at me for a long beat, and my skin starts to burn. “You looked like you were enjoying it. You’ve got a great throw, and you seem to read the field well.” Her nose wrinkles. “I don’t know if I’m using the right terminology there, but from what I’ve researched, quarterbacks need to be smart and know the playbook really well. So, not only are you very physically amazing, but you’re clever too.”
“Thanks.” I nod, feeling a punch of pride.
“I’m sorry you don’t find it fun, though.”
“I do,” I quickly correct her. “I guess fun just makes it sound like we’re playing a game, you know. But football’s serious business.”
She laughs. “I hate to break it to you, but you are playing a game. The game of football that you play every Friday night.” She lets out a soft snort, then covers her nose, laughing quietly into her hand, while I shake my head with what has to be a blush.
“You got me.” I bob my head and laugh.
Glancing at her, I enjoy the beam of the streetlights hitting her face just before I look back to the road.
“It’s right at the next intersection,” she murmurs. “I think.” Her expression bunches. “I know I’ve been living here since like July, but I’m still learning this town.”
“What street do you live on?”
“Chesterfield.”
“Oh, that’s just around the block from me.”
“Really?” She perks up.
The edge of my mouth curls up on the right. “You didn’t find out where I live?”
Her cheeks flare to a neon red as she bites her lower lip and winces. “As tempting as that was, I felt like it was way too stalkerish, so I wouldn’t let Olivia show me, even when she offered. I instead stuck to only public stalking… like your football practices and scanning any public venue I was ever in.”
My laughter comes out soft and husky. She’s adorable.
“So, are we going the right way? To Chesterfield?”
Hitching my shoulder, I glance at her. “Well, we’re going a way. A pretty long way, but…” Pausing at the lights, I turn and smile at her. “I don’t mind so much.”
Her teeth skim over her bottom lip as she grins at me.
So damn beautiful.
“Tell me something about yourself,” I murmur. “Anything.”
“Anything?” She tips her head, fighting a smile as she narrows her eyes in thought. “Um… well… I love spicy food.”
“What kind of spicy?”
“Thai spicy. I spent six months living in Thailand when I was seven, and I really loved the food.”
“You lived in Thailand?” My voice pitches. I’ve never even left the States.
“I’ve lived all over.” Her smile grows, and there goes the rest of my night, driving the streets of Everett, listening to Sienna’s travel stories and picturing her in places all over the world.
She’s seen so much, experienced so many cultures. I sit there feeling out of my depth, like how can I ever be enough for this girl?
But when we finally pull up outside her house, she runs her hand down my arm. “To be honest, though, I really love being in the States. Traveling is fun, it really is, but after a while, you just want somewhere to call home, you know?” Her expression crumples. “I mean, my family is my home, but I’m talking about a house that’s yours. There’s something very comforting about having my own room that I can decorate. I used to sometimes wish we lived in just one place so I could carve my initials into a tree trunk or chart my height in a doorway, you know?”
“I’ve done both those things,” I rasp. “It is pretty cool, but man… you’ve seen so much. That’s epic.”
Her blushing smile makes my chest warm.
“You’re epic,” she whispers. “Meeting you is epic.”
I shake my head with an abashed smile. She can’t go comparing me to the Eiffel Tower or Colosseum. No way am I as cool as Angkor Wat.
“It’s true. Being here, starting this school… it’s been the best year so far. And you’re a big part of that. I didn’t want to move to Everett, but then we got here, and I saw you… and I was suddenly cool with it. If anything, I was practically forcing my parents to sign some kind of declaration stating that we wouldn’t be moving again until after I graduate.” Her cheeks flush, and she covers them with shaking fingers. “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I just said all that. I’m not even drunk and I can’t hold my tongue.”
“I don’t want you to hold your tongue. I like your honesty.”
Her perfect nose wrinkles. “It’s just so forward, and… and what if you don’t feel the same way! I mean, I admitted before that I totally stalked you! How creepy is that? And now I’ve just confessed to my major uber-crush, and talk about pressure on you, and?—”
“I do.”
“What?”
“I feel the same way.” I smile at her, resisting the urge to cup her cheek or run my thumb over her lower lip. “You can’t tell by the fact that I’m always finding excuses to walk past you and smile at you any chance I get?”
She swivels in her seat to face me. “So, why haven’t you asked me out already?”
“Because, I—” My eyes bulge, ice running through my veins as a man walks out of Sienna’s front door. “Oh shit, is that your dad?”
Sienna glances over her shoulder. “Yes.” Then she turns back to me with a quizzical frown. “Now, what were you saying?”
I squirm in my seat, waiting for the man to start yelling at me, demanding to know what the hell I’m doing with his daughter. I prep for the shouting, reminding myself to remain calm and assure him that my intentions are pure. I’d never do anything to disrespect his baby girl.
“Zander, are you okay?” Sienna gives me a worried frown, then turns when there’s a tap on the glass. Lowering her window with a grin, she greets her father with an innocent smile while I break out in a cold sweat. “Hey, Dad.”
“Hey, Blue. You guys okay out here?” Her old man crouches down. Shit, he’s huge. Big, broad shoulders, and he’s taller than my dad and me. I mean, I could take him if I had to, but?—
“Yeah, we’re just getting to know each other. This is Zander.” Sienna leans back so her father can get a decent look at me.
“Hi there.” He smiles, extending his hand toward me. “I’m Albin, but people just call me Al.” He laughs. “You know, like the song.”
I force a smile, taking his hand and wondering when he’s going to start yelling at me. “Good evening, sir. We were honestly just talking.”
“I know.” He nods. “We’ve been watching you from inside the house. We were just worried you might be getting cold out here. You guys want to come in for a hot chocolate or something? It’s nice and warm by the fireplace. And we can leave you alone to chat if you want.”
What is happening right now?
I stare at him, not sure what I’m supposed to say.
The few times my sister ever had a guy drop her off at our place, my dad raged at him, yelling him away from the house in a torrent of threats and abuse. Monica would get so pissed off. And the argument would continue into the house, Mom trying to break it up while I stood at the edge of the room trying to blend into the wallpaper.
“That’s uh…” I clear my throat. “Thanks for the offer, sir, but I should probably be getting home soon.”
“Okay, no problem.” His smile is just like Sienna’s—broad and friendly. “Just know you’re welcome anytime. And please, call me Al.” He lets out a soft chuckle and stands, strolling back into the house singing “ Call Me Al” by that dude Paul something, loud enough for us to hear.
“My gosh.” Sienna giggles, shaking her head. “He’s so embarrassing.”
But it’s obvious how much she adores him.
Wow.
Who are these people?
This girl is…
I stare at her in wonder, my mouth going dry when she smiles and says again, “So… back to our conversation. Why haven’t you asked me out already?”