Chapter 11 #2
“To clear the air,” she says lightly, stepping closer. “Look, I’m sorry about what happened at your house. I shouldn’t have stopped by. I also shouldn’t have given you my number without explaining why…or flirting with you.”
So, she admits it? Just not in front of anyone.
She shakes her head, laughing nervously. “It was stupid, and disrespectful. I was just embarrassed, and when I’m nervous, I say things. Even if I don’t mean them. I just, I don’t know. I’m sorry.”
I cross my arms and study her, letting the silence stretch long enough to make her shift her weight. Her lip trembles. Her eyes shine. I’ve seen this play before. Hell, I’ve dated girls who could pull it off better.
She keeps talking. “Look, I really like Honey. I do. She’s been through a lot and… she needs people who care. I want to be one of those people. I’d never hurt her.”
“If that’s true,” I say, my eyes narrowing, “then why didn’t you mention you knew her to me? Why did you give me your number with no context?”
She tilts her head, her mouth parting like she’s shocked I remember. “I did mention her. I said we’d be seeing more of each other.”
I try to recall the conversation, but the moment was so insignificant it barely stuck—except for that vague threat.
“I’m so thankful and appreciative that I’m one of her friends, you know? I wouldn’t want that to end over a misunderstanding.”
There it is. The real voice underneath the mask. Reese would say I’m reading too much into this, and to give her a chance.
Apparently, Reese is a better guy than me.
Before I can respond, she closes the distance and wraps her arms around me.
I don’t move. Don’t breathe. My arms stay limp at my sides, and I resist the urge to shove her off, knowing that if I put my hands on her, she could misconstrue it.
When I’ve waited an appropriate amount of time, I pull back, but she presses her body close, and her mouth hovers close to my ear when she says, “Thanks for being so cool about it.”
That’s enough.
She pulls back, and when her eyes meet mine, her lashes flutter.
Flirting. She’s still fucking flirting.
And now I’m done.
I need to get back to Honey.
I shoulder past Jenni with my fists clenched and my chest tight. I can hear her shuffling behind me and when we get to a crowded section, her hand brushes against mine, but I yank my arm away fast.
Honey’s still sitting at the table smiling, and just like that, my heart calms. This is the first time I’ve really seen her let loose.
Fuck. Why the fuck did she have to become besties with that snake?
When I slide into the booth, her hand finds mine and she squeezes it. “There you are! Sebi was just telling me about that prank you pulled on Covey U last season.”
“Traitor,” I say, shooting Sebi a look. “That was his idea.”
“Was not!” he says, hands in the air. “You’re the one who said, ‘What if we steal their mascot suit—’”
“And you’re the one who actually did it,” I fire back.
“Details,” Sebi says, waving it off with a smirk.
Honey laughs again, and it’s fucking criminal what that sound does to me. It’s light, open and real. Almost as though no one’s ever hurt her and she’s not looking over her shoulder.
“Ready to head out?” she murmurs with this little sexy edge to her voice.
“Yeah,” I say, grateful for the out. “Definitely.”
As we head out of the booth, I bump into Jenni, and her hands rest on my chest as she takes me in with wide eyes. Give me a goddamn break. “Are you guys leaving already?” she asks, all sunshine and fake sweetness.
“Yeah, we’re beat,” Honey answers for us, pulling her into a hug. “Tonight was fun. We should do it again soon.”
Jenni nods. “Definitely. Hopefully next time we can bring Chris along too...”
And maybe next time, I’ll be less polite.
Once we’re in the car, it’s finally calm. I stop at a red light, leaving my indicator on to turn onto campus so I can drop Honey off at her dorm. She’s been quiet for the drive, keeping her head against the window instead of looking at me.
“That was really shitty of you,” Honey says quietly, her voice cutting through the tick of the indicator.
My jaw tightens. I should’ve said something first. “Honeycomb“
“No, Zach.” She turns to face me, and even in the dim light, I can see the exhaustion in her eyes. She’s not angry with me, she’s just tired. “You embarrassed me. You embarrassed her. In front of everyone.”
“That’s because she’s lying to you,” I say, gripping the wheel harder, realizing this is exactly what Jenni wanted. To plant a seed. “I know you like to see the good in people, but—”
“Stop.” She holds up a hand. “I’m not saying you’re wrong to be suspicious considering the track record I’ve had here.
I’m saying the way you handled it was shitty.
” She pauses, and when she speaks again, her voice is softer.
“I’m saying I need you to trust that I’ve done my own due diligence.
If Jenni’s playing some game, I’ll figure it out, but you can’t…
you can’t do that again. Not in public. Not in front of our friends. ”
The light turns green, and I ease off the brake.
“I just don’t want anyone to hurt you,” I mutter.
“I know.” Her hand finds mine on the gearshift, and she squeezes gently. “But I need to handle my own friendships. Can you trust my instinct on this?”
I should tell her about what happened in the hallway. About Jenni and how she openly admitted she flirted with me, but I don’t. Because there’s a tiny part of me that wonders if I did misconstrue this. What if I’m so hung up on Honey, I’m seeing things that aren’t there?
I meet Honey’s eyes and they fucking undo me. She’s asking me to trust her. Not back down. Just to trust her.
“Okay,” I finally say, because what else can I do? “But if she—”
“If she does anything, I’ll handle it,” Honey says firmly. Then her expression softens, and she leans her head against the window, still looking at me. “I’m tired, Zach. Can we just… not fight tonight?”
“Yeah,” I say, softer this time. “We won’t fight.”
When I pull up outside her dorm, I shift into park but leave the engine running. I don’t want to say goodbye tonight. Not after that, but asking Honey to come home with me feels like the wrong thing if I’ve upset her.
A few girls walk past the car, laughing loudly, and I watch Honey’s shoulders tense.
She stares at the entrance for a long moment, then lets out a slow sigh.
“I don’t want to be at the dorm tonight. Can we just go home?” she asks quietly, still looking at the building.
Not “your place.”
Not “the house.”
Home.
The word hits like a sucker punch to the chest. I grip the wheel tighter, forcing my voice to stay steady as I turn the indicator off. “Yeah, Honeycomb. Of course.”
She shifts closer, her hand finding mine again and lacing our fingers together. “I just want to be with you,” she murmurs. “Just us. No drama. No other people. Just... home.”
“Yeah,” I say, my throat tight as I shift back into drive and pull away from the curb. “Me too.”