Page 24 of The Quarterback Sneak

I flutter my lashes closed, so ready to feel his lips again.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

Jumping back, I look around, flustered while I try to figure out that noise.

Zach snatches his phone from the table. “Sorry about that,” he mumbles, typing away. Too bad I already saw the name “Tiffany” scrawled across his screen.

I tense my jaw, holding back the question on the tip of my tongue.

Does Zach have a girlfriend back home?

“Hey. What’s up?” he whispers into the phone, and turns to the side to block me out. “Yeah, okay. I’ve got practice tonight, but let me speak to my coach and see if I can be there instead.”

Zach goes quiet, and I hear the faint lilt of a girl on the other end of the line.

Who the hell is Tiffany? Why the hell is he moving everything to be with her?

“Sure. Yup. You too.” He hangs up the phone quickly and shoves it into his pocket before turning back to me. “Sorry about that.” He slaps his laptop down and shoves his phone in his pocket. “I’m glad we agreed on everything, but I’ve got a few things I need to sort out before I get to class.” He stands, takes his things with him, and drops a kiss on my forehead. “I’ll see you later in history, Pudding.”

Just like that, he acts like that phone call is nothing and I shouldn’t be worried. And I guess I shouldn’t. He’s not my actual boyfriend. We’re pretending at school. I don’t need to know everything about him.

“Sure thing,” I drawl out. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask him who Tiffany is, but before I can get the words out, he’s already striding off.

Sitting there, I know I’m still being watched, so I act like nothing happened and finish my salad before heading to class, even though Zach’s half-eaten burger is next to me.

Chapter Eight

Honey

My thumbs move furiously over my phone screen as I walk down the hall ignoring the hushed whispers from my peers. The lies are already spreading, and we’ve only been doing this fake dating thing for forty-eight hours.

Honey:We need to talk.

After pressing send, I toss my phone back into my bag and jut out my chin, trying to save face. It’s stupid being petty about this, but if we’re going to do this and be taken seriously, then I need to know where he is, at least. Bottom line, he missed history, and I was left on my own swerving questions from everyone about our relationship status. At first, I dodged a few questions, but then I started making up random crap about how he wooed me so they’d stop asking. It was fine until I got this weird festering feeling in my stomach that grew with every lie I told because I didn’t know how Zach would react.

Then he didn’t show up for math either. I heard the whispers. People think he’s avoiding me already because I’m too highmaintenance, and he’s too chicken shit to face me. This is making me look worse.

As I walk down the hall, Tiffany keeps running through my mind. Who is she, and why is Zach so willing to drop everything for her? Skipping class has a hefty grade fine if he’s caught, so she has to be someone special.

Standing at the door to study hall, I take a few deep breaths because, for the slightest of moments, everything feels like it’s caving in on me.What am I doing? Why am I so bothered about Zach? Why did I want to get Jamie back so badly? Does any of this really matter?

When I’ve cleared my head of all the useless thoughts, I grasp the handle to go in. My phone buzzes in my bag, and I step back with a stupid amount of excitement.

That’s gotta be Zach.

He knows how important this is for us.

Pulling out my phone, I frown when I see a different name flashing before me.

Olivia:As your best friend, you’d tell me if you had started dating Zach Evans, right?

Olivia:Because I keep getting asked about it, and I don’t’ know what to say anymore.

Olivia:Mentioned it to Mike since he’s friends with Zach, and the guy nearly peed his pants and said I should talk to you.

Olivia:Typical politician. Always getting out of the hard questions.

Olivia:Granted, I didn’t realize your relationship status might be a hard question until this morning.

---