Page 89 of The Quarterback Sneak

Without another word, I walk back to the house, hiding my face as I pass by the guests. No one notices me because they’re all too busy celebrating, making it easier to run to my bedroom unnoticed. I slam the door shut, not that anyone could hear, and lock it. I’ve done enough pandering to my mother for one night.

My stomach lurches as I check my phone. Stupidly, even after all this, I hope I’ll see Zach’s name flashing across it.

Nope.

He’s probably too busy with his family to be thinking about me. I doubt I’ve crossed his mind since he left for winter break.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

“Honey?” I grunt when I hear Jamie’s muffled voice through the door. Can’t the guy give me a break? “Honey, are you in there?”

If only my mother hadn’t removed the climbing hydrangeas after I snuck out. They’d come in handy right now.

Another urgent set of knocks and a jiggle of the handle come from Jamie. “Honey. I know you’re in there.”

Tears of annoyance prickle behind my eyes. Why can’t he just leave me alone? Why does he have to be the one fighting for me?

After a few more minutes of trying, he finally walks away, but not before shoving a note under my door. I don’t bother getting up to read it. I’ve heard everything he has to say, and I’m not interested.

When the music dies down and the party is over, I finally let a single tear fall, then wipe it away.

Zach was never interested in me, and that’s something I need to get over.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Zach

I’m met with a sharp, deliberate silence when I push the locker room door open. No one was expecting me to have the balls to walk in here, but I like to defy expectations.

Mike is the first to stand, welcoming me by raising his hand for a high-five. “Hey, man. Welcome back.” Catching his hand, I pull him in for a hug, and everyone else avoids eye contact.

Damn. I would have thought winter break and my two-week suspension following it would have warmed some of the frostiness between us, but not so much luck.

“Look who’s back.” Jamie sneers, taking a few steps toward me. His face has mostly healed from when I fractured his nose. The only evidence of a break is the purple and yellow spots that speckle the bridge of his nose. Too bad. I enjoyed seeing the pictures Mike sent. The guy looked like an underdeveloped scrotum.

“I’m surprised you’re willing to show your face around here, but I guess there are perks to sucking Coach’s dick after every game.”

Mike stands closer, backing me up or getting close enough to stop me if I do anything stupid. Both are a possibility at this point.

Ignoring him, I drop my bag and unzip it, pretending I’m unbothered by his whiny voice. Coach may have done me a solid by brokering a deal with the principal to downgrade my punch to a suspension and get it hidden in my transcripts, but that’s as much for him as it is for me. Without me, South Point Prep has no way of winning.

“Cheaper way of staying on this team than buying the stadium,” I mumble, pulling out my practice uniform.

“Zach,” Mike warns, but I don’t listen.

“Although, that still only bought you a place on the bench. That’s how bad you are. Tell me, Jamie, is Daddy Nicks buying Southern Collegiate a new stadium so you can warm the bench there too?”

He slams his lips shut, glaring at me, because he knows I’m right.

The locker room is quiet as I pull my shirt off, changing into my practice jersey and shorts. Jamie hates the challenge, so he challenges me right back. He sits on the bench next to my unbranded bag and toys with the frayed fabric. I pull it away, and he just laughs bitterly.

“Aww, Scholarship Kid, are you upset? Suspension was hard enough, but now you’ve lost a bet to me too.”

I crick my neck, look from side to side and notice the other football players watching our interaction intently. I crack my knuckles, tightening my jaw before zipping up my bag. That bet was the last thing on my mind after Tiff dropped that bomb last month.

“Bet’s still on. Prom is in three weeks.” Not to mention that stupid debutante ball in between. Granted, I haven’t spoken to Honey, but once she finds out why, I’m sure she’ll let it slide.Not talking to her doesn’t mean I haven’t been thinking about her, though. Two weeks without school or football to distract me meant she was on my mind much more than I’d anticipated. I’m just a deal to her; that’s what I have to remind myself. I’m the stupid fool who started falling a little too hard for her.

Jamie leans back on the bench and blows out an arrogant, selfish huff as he looks at me with disdain. “Guessing you didn’t see the picture I sent you?” I draw a blank because I have no idea what he’s talking about.

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