Page 55 of The Quarterback Sneak

I smile, and my stomach flips at the compliment, and when I draw my attention to Zach, he’s watching me. “So, that means red is out of the question.” Casually, he carries on. “Black and silver are both sexy.” Still watching him, his gaze drifts to my thigh-skimming skirt and the tight blouse under my blazer. “Which you are, but they’re too generic for a girl like you. You might not want to draw attention to yourself, but that doesn’t mean you like to be like everyone else.”

“You’re really overanalyzing this, you know.” I huff out a laugh, but I feel a warmth between us.

“Green,” he states simply.

“Green?”

“Racing car green. That’s your color. A little dangerous, not too flashy, but just enough for people to know that you’re special.”

“It’s also the color of your eyes.” I point out. “Are you suggesting green because I’m the apple of your eye?” Giving him a playful wink, I wonder how far we can take this little flirting session, because I like it.

“If that’s what you want, Sugar Cookie.”

Groaning, I slap the steering wheel lightly. “You always have to ruin the moment, don’t you?” He grins. “These nicknames are terrible.”

“You’re right. None of them suit you, but we’ll find the right one eventually. Until then, I will just have to persist in trying every single one I can think of, Dunkin’ Donut.”

“Please. If you’re going to name me after a donut, at least call me Krispy Kreme. The best donuts in the world.”

Zach chuckles. “I can think of plenty of Urban Dictionary definitions that might make you think twice about that nickname.”

“Spare me the details.” I roll off the highway, driving down the familiar street to Zach’s house. “Are you looking forward to college?” I ask to change the subject.

“Of course. Football and out of the hell hole that is South Point. Who could ask for more?” He jokes, but the words sting because I’m part of that, and it’s a hammering reminder of the contrasting worlds we come from.

“Is it that bad here?”

“It’s not great. Try being the scholarship kid in a prep school full of arrogant rich idiots who think they know the answer to everything.”

I gnaw at my bottom lip. “Try being the heiress to the most notorious law firm in the country and losing your arranged marriage because of McKenna Bryan.”

A small smile plays on his lips, and I draw my sunglasses down, so our eyes connect. “Money doesn’t get rid of your problems, Zach. It only creates different ones. You still have to learn to navigate through them. At least people’s expectations involve you doing what you love. I’ve got to follow the destiny my parents planned before I was even born.”

“Guessing you don’t want to be a lawyer, then?”

I snort, shaking my head. “Who gets to do what they want to in life? Apart from pro athletes, but even then, they’re skating on the edge of an injury which would demolish their career in a second.”

“What kind of worldview is that? I’m used totheHoney Sanderson. The sassy girl that takes no shits, not this sad, depressed one.”

“Yeah, well, that girl got shit on one too many times for her to think she can change it.”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Baby Face. The world hands you a challenge, and how you deal with it is up to you. Sink or swim, rise or fall. You have to do one or the other to get through it, and I don’t know about you, but I’d rather be living.”

“Did you get that off the back of a cereal box?”

“No. Something happened to my family last year that I thought would crumble the very foundations of it, but it didn’t. We grew stronger, and even though we’re going through the hardest part of our lives, I know it will all be worth it.”

Pursing my lips, I hold back on asking him what he’s talking about because it all feels a little too personal.

Toying with his hands, I know that took a lot for him to admit, so I try to lighten the mood. “You know what? You’re right. My life could be a lot worse. I could still be betrothed to Jamie.” I scrunch my nose, and Zach brightens again. “I mean, if there was a choice between living in a postapocalyptic world where zombies were trying to eat my brains out daily or marrying that cheating asshole, I’d pick zombies any day. At least I’d get a cool sword or something.”

He chuckles, rubbing my thigh, and I like it a little too much. “Although I think you’d kill it in a postapocalyptic zombie world, that’s quite a statement.”

“I know, right? But every time I think about what happened between Jamie and me, I get so embarrassed. There I was, thinking he was the love of my life, and the guy could barely stand me. Yet he was willing to put up with me forever just to get on his daddy’s good side.”

Zach shuffles in the seat, moving his hand away. “I wouldn’t say that’s entirely true.”

“What are you talking about?”

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