Page 43 of Defensive Zone

I chuckle, shaking my head. “Thanks for being so great about this.”

“I meant what I said earlier, Carter. I want you to be happy—both of you. And make sure I’m a bridesmaid at the wedding.”

I snort. “Whoa, okay. On that note, I’m gonna go before we get way ahead of ourselves.”

She cackles.

We say our goodbyes with the promise to speak soon, and when I hang up, I feel lighter. Like a load has been lifted from my shoulders.

Maybe I’ve been oblivious all this time, but I can’t dwell on what I could have done differently. It’s about how I move forward that’s important. I can sense Zach’s apprehension, and it might just take time and patience to show him that my feelings are genuine, and I’m all his, if he wants me.

“You know you’re never gonna lose me, right?”

I jump two feet off the couch at the sound of Zach’s voice behind me. Dressed in nothing but his black boxer briefs, I takein his sleep-tousled hair and kind eyes, and my heart skips a beat.

“You heard all that?”

He nods softly, and I sit back down as he moves to sit next to me. He rests his legs on top of mine, then takes my hand and holds it on his thigh.

“I’m sorry I put you through all that.”

I open my mouth to argue that it wasn’t his fault, but he silences me with a pointed look.

“I can’t even begin to imagine how you felt, but I know I would have felt the same if the roles were reversed. But me and you? We’re endgame. If there were such a thing as fated mates, I’d like to think we would be that. You’ve always been my person, Carter.”

His face goes blurry as tears fill my eyes again. I quickly wipe them away with my palm.

“I don’t know why I’m getting so emotional about it all because I know you’re okay. Like, you’re right in front of me, in flesh and blood. I just…” I shake my head. “That was Raegan. She said some things when we broke up that I wanted to clarify.”

His smile is genuine as he asks, “How is she?”

“Good. She asked about you. I think hearing her say all she wants is for us to be happy kinda struck a chord and opened up the floodgates.”

“That’s understandable. You’ve had a lot to deal with. What with my grumpy ass, then the hit, and now looking after me.” He shrugs and squeezes my hand. “It’s normal to be emotional, but you’re not going to lose me.”

Closing the gap between us, I press a kiss to his lips. “How’s your head?”

“Eased up, luckily.” He murmurs against my mouth. “Great. In fact… I was wondering if you wanted to join me in bed for a bit.”

I pull back so I can see his face. His blue eyes glisten with heat, and my dick instantly takes notice of the smirk lifting the corner of his lips. I’ve been thinking about this nonstop.

“That good, huh?”

He nods. “Only if you want?”

“Oh, Iwant, all right.” I stand up so fast, my phone drops to the floor with a clatter. “Time to show me what you’ve got, Reid.”

Chapter Fifteen

Zach

I follow Carter as he rushes down the hall to my room, chuckling under my breath at his eagerness. I’m also trying not to let the little voice in the back of my mind think too hard about where this has come from. We’ve always been affectionate. Ever since we were kids, it was like physical touch was our thing. But it’s different now. Each touch means something more than just two best friends.

So muchmore.

When I walked into the living room, it wasn’t with the intention to eavesdrop on his conversation. I didn’t hear all of it, but I’m glad I caught the end. I could tell that there was something Carter was trying to deal with on his own, but I wanted—no,needed—to remind him he wasn’t alone in this. That just because I was recovering didn’t mean he couldn’t lean on me when he needed it.

His laughter fills the room as Carter throws himself onto my bed and tries to pull off his sweats as he bounces on the mattress, the springs groaning under his weight.

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