8. Zander
CHAPTER 8
ZANDER
The porch light gave me the perfect shot of Sienna just before she disappeared into the house. My heart is still thumping like it only just started working for the first time tonight.
Unbelievable.
That girl is… something else.
A smile tugs at my lips, and they stay that way the entire drive home. Which is like two minutes, because she seriously only lives around the corner from me.
Yes!
I’ve just had the best night of my life with the sweetest, sexiest, prettiest girl I’ve ever met.
Listening to her talk about her travels, watching how animated her face was… even in the dim light of the car, I could see the sparkle in her blue eyes.
She’s so beautiful. And it seems to be on the inside as much as the outside. She’s funny and knows so much about the world. I love how bright her voice is and the way she laughed at my comments, then did that snort thing and held her nose.
How cute was that?
I’m falling already, and we haven’t even been on a date yet. This is insane!
My stomach dances and knots as I imagine how tomorrow will play out. The thought of being with her, focusing on just her for a whole afternoon and evening, is nothing but thrilling.
Steering my car into the driveway, I pull up the handbrake… and my smile disappears.
What the hell is Dad doing here?
It’s so fucking tempting to start the engine and disappear, but he’s seen me. How long has he been waiting on the porch?
Must be a while. He’s looking pissed, even though I’m home five minutes before curfew.
What the fuck is his problem this time?
With a sigh, I shoulder the door open and shuffle toward the front steps. Dad’s on his feet and clambering down to meet me halfway.
Before he can even say anything, I go on the defensive. “What? I’m home on time.”
“You weren’t at Noah’s place,” he hisses, crossing his arms and looking livid. His large biceps bulge beneath his shirt, and I tense, my fingers curling inside my jacket pockets. “Noah didn’t even know where you were!”
My insides go cold, my skin bubbling with goose bumps. “Why are you checking up on me?”
“Why are you lying to me!” he bites back.
“I didn’t lie. You just assumed I was going to Noah’s.”
“A fair assumption to make!” His arms flick wide. “That’s where you always go! But not tonight, right? Instead, you took some blonde who knows where to do who knows what. I swear, Zander, if you get some girl pregnant, I’m gonna?—”
“Dad!” I snap. “It wasn’t like that. I just gave her a ride home. We sat outside her house talking . That’s it.”
His eyes narrow into fine slits as he obviously tries to figure out if I’m pulling a fast one.
I roll my eyes.
“Who is she?” he growls.
“Her name’s Sienna. She’s new around here, and I was just trying to be nice.”
“Yeah, right. I saw the way her face lit up when you approached the car. Why was she waiting for you?”
“Because I told her to,” I grit out, my insides twisting into tight, uncomfortable knots.
“I don’t want you getting distracted by some girl.”
“Dad—”
“This is an important year for you. You can’t lose focus. We want more than one college offering you a place on their team. I want you to have options. Choices. You need to be in peak physical and mental condition. You really don’t have time for a girl in your life.”
I clench my jaw. I hate that he’s taller than me. Broader, stronger. When he looks down on me like this, I feel like a five-year-old kid again, desperately trying to make him happy so he won’t get mad and start yelling and throwing things, then slamming doors and disappearing for a few days to cool off.
“I mean, what does she even want with you, anyway? Is this some status thing? Is she trying to add you to her little black book or something? Earn herself bragging rights because she got to sleep with the quarterback?”
“No!” I bark, fury whipping through me like a hurricane. He doesn’t know shit, and I fucking hate his assumptions. But I can’t let that show, right?
Stay cool. Stay calm.
My nostrils flare as I cross my arms and grit out, “Dad, come on. Stop turning this into something it’s not.”
“I’ve got a bad feeling about it.” He shrugs. “I want you to stay away from her. You need to focus on football. That’s it.”
“Am I still allowed to go to work?” I grumble sarcastically.
“Hey.” He snaps his fingers at points at me. “Don’t get smart with me. I’m doing you a favor here, kid. You can’t lose sight of what’s important. Your entire future is riding on this, and I don’t want you to fuck it up the way I did.”
His words make me flinch, and I glare at him with the darkest look I can muster.
He sighs, his shoulders slumping as he rests his hands on his hips. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I’m sure Monica will be stoked to have the fact that she’s a big mistake shoved in her face. What the hell is your problem?” My voice starts to rise before I can stop it. “I know what’s at stake, okay? You’re reminding every two seconds, so it’s kind of impossible to forget! I’m not gonna make your mistakes, so get the fuck off my back already!”
“Watch your mouth,” he growls, grabbing my arm when I try to walk away. “I’m trying to protect you.”
I scoff and shake him off me. “Thanks for that, warden,” I spit, trying to move past again.
He shifts, getting in my face and making me feel small. His finger presses into my chest, and I’m seconds away from flicking him off me when the front door opens.
“Zander? Baby? What’s going…?” Mom’s voice trails off as she quickly takes in the scene before her. Her sigh is low and heavy, her voice terse. “Brett, what are you doing here?”
“I needed to talk to Zander.”
“At one o’clock in the morning?” Her expression is incredulous. “Shouting away like we don’t have neighbors? Honestly. Go home.”
“I’m trying to keep our son from screwing up his?—”
“Brett.” Mom’s voice is firm as she crosses her arms and glares at him. “Go. Home.”
He huffs, shoving his hands in his pockets and softly growling, “We’ll finish this later.”
“Can’t wait,” I mutter.
Dad gives me a stern side-eye before stalking to his car and peeling out of the driveway.
I clomp up the stairs, and Mom wraps her arms around me before I can even close the front door.
“That man,” she mutters. “He’s impossible.”
Despite the fact that I’m riled with my old man, I still find my instincts going on the defensive. I nearly start telling her that he’s just trying to look after me, but what the fuck?
It’s an automatic response to years of being caught between these two.
Like Pavlov’s fucking dogs.
Whatever point Dad’s trying to make, Mom’s always making the opposite one… whether she agrees with him or not.
“So, I’m guessing he was here wondering why you didn’t go to Noah’s.”
I sigh. “I never said I was going to Noah’s.”
“I know. We both just assumed… until we saw that blonde girl waiting by your car.” Mom smiles. “She’s pretty.”
“Yeah.” I nod, unable to hide my grin. “She’s great, Mom.”
“That’s nice, sweetheart.” She palms my cheek. “High school is about having fun, too, you know?”
I bob my head.
“Your father wants you to stay focused, but I want you to make sure you fit in some good times as well. So, you enjoy her company, but… baby…”
The serious look on Mom’s face is making my stomach knot all over again.
“Don’t fall in love with her, okay? You’re too young. You need to keep things light and easy. Nothing serious. You’re not even eighteen yet.”
“Mom, I’m?—”
“I saw the way your face lit up when approached her tonight. You really like this girl. I can tell. So just… take it easy, okay?”
Great, now I’m frowning again.
Mom’s smile is glum as she trails her hand down my neck and squeezes my shoulder. “I should have taken my time with your father. If I had, we wouldn’t have gotten into the mess we did and then spent years trying to make it work, only to fail. You don’t understand yourself when you’re a teenager. It’s too easy to get caught up in all the emotion and not think clearly.”
She’s looking at me like she’s doing me this huge favor, but it feels like she’s just dumped a bucket of cold water all over my epic night.
I step away from her, refusing to give her any kind of verbal agreement. This is bullshit. She thinks I’m going to end up just like her and Dad, but I’m not.
They don’t even know Sienna.
Neither do you.
Yes, I do! Well, I’m getting to know her, anyway. Which is why taking her out tomorrow is a really good idea.
I don’t care what my parents think. This is my life, isn’t it? And they can’t put all their shit on me.
“It’s late. I’m gonna go to bed,” I mumble, kissing Mom lightly on the cheek.
“Okay, sweetie. Sleep well.”
She looks all proud of herself, like she’s given me this soft lecture that was somehow better than Dad’s. But doesn’t she get that it’s basically the same message?
Stay away from the blonde. She’s gonna ruin your life.
Or she’s gonna make it pure magic.
I walk into my room, shutting the door behind me and plunking onto my bed just as my phone dings with a text message from my sister, Monica.
Dad wants me to tell you to keep your head in the game. Because I value my sanity, I responded with a polite “Will do.” But here is what I really wanted to send him…
My screen starts filling up with one F-you GIF after another. They get funnier and more obscene, and I’m soon lying back on my bed, cracking up at how awesome my big sister is. I text her with a few GIFs of my own before saying…
Thanks for having my back, sis.
Always. Love you, bro.
I smile, knowing it’s true.
Monica might be eight years older than me, but we’ve always been close. Even after she left for college, we kept in touch with daily Snaps to each other and video calls whenever we needed them. She’s never once treated me like her annoying kid brother. And I’ve adored her since the day I was born. Apparently I used to trail her around the house, and she loved it. I was like her own little puppy.
Damn, I miss her.
Biting the inside of my cheek, I hesitate for only a second before texting her again.
What do girls like doing on dates?
It takes less than a minute for my phone to start ringing with a video chat.
I grin and swipe my thumb across the screen.
Monica’s big brown eyes stare me down. “You’re taking out a girl? Tell me everything. Looks. Personality. Meet-cute. I want the full rundown. Go.”
With a soft laugh, I update my sister. She already knew about the puking thing. I’d told her about the girl from the party, and she’s seriously stoked for me.
“I knew you liked her big. You’ve been managing to bring her up in every conversation we’ve had in the last two weeks. You do realize that, right?”
“No.” I snicker. “Was I seriously doing that?”
“Yes. And it’s taken you a millennium to ask her out. Geez, you’re slow.”
“Why didn’t you tell me to get on with it?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t want to pressure you.”
I smile my appreciation, and we say it all with one look.
Then she grins at me, leaning closer to the screen. “So, this date tomorrow. Are you still in the ‘testing the waters, trying to figure out if you really do like her’ phase? Or are we going full-blown ‘I want to impress the shit out of her’?”
I laugh. “The second one. Definitely the second one.”
“Okay.” She raises her eyebrows. “You asked for it. Get ready to take notes, dude.”