Page 95 of Fast

I’m such a fucking moron. I’ve been staring at her like a weirdo. “Are you a vampire, if you need to be invited in?” I tease her to release some of the tension that’s swirling in the air like electricity.

“Ha. You’re so funny. So, can I come in?”

I move away from the door, letting her into the small hallway of my one-bedroom apartment. Thank fuck the cleaning lady came yesterday morning and everything looks neat and tidy.

She looks around the living room, and I imagine how it must look to her; I have a leather couch against one wall with a coffee table in front of it. A flat screen TV is hanging on the opposite wall; underneath is a wooden cabinet with my game consoles on top.

“How long have you lived here?” she asks, letting her eyes wander past the living room to the small breakfast bar and the tiny, but decently equipped kitchen.

I know why she asks. There are no photos, no art hanging on the walls. No rugs, house plants or anything that would personalize my living space. “About six months. I know it’s pretty basic, but it’s just a place to crash between shifts. I’m hardly ever home.”

Zara considers my words. “You need your privacy.”

She gets it. “Yeah.” I nod. “Dad wasn’t ecstatic when I moved out, but…”

“You’re an adult, and you want your own space.”

Yeah. And that house is full of too many memories and ghosts from the past. I don’t say that out loud.

“I had plans to move into the dorms, but Mom insisted that she missed me and she wanted me closer.” She explains. “Your dad’s place is beautiful, but a part of me regrets not to have a little more independence.”

There’s a beat of silence. I still don’t know what she’s doing here. “So, how did you get here? Did you drive?”

“Chance drove me. He and Lev were going to campus. Rush week begins today and their teammates invited them to the Gamma house. Apparently they’re shoo ins. Most hockey players are Gammas in Star Cove.”

Yeah, I’ve heard that. The whole Greek world is not my scene, but my brother and Lev are excited about the team spirit and the brotherhood the Star Cove Knights are famous for. “So, how are you getting home? Is Chance coming to pick you up?”

That was the wrong thing to say.

“Are you trying to get rid of me, Ares? I came here to bring you the cookies, and since your shift doesn’t start for a few hours, I was hoping to hang out.”

Fuck, she looks hurt. I realize that what I said sounded rude. “Yeah, no. Sure, we can hang out. I was planning to drop by the house before my shift, anyway. I wanted to see you.”

She smiles, thank you Jesus. “Great minds think alike.”

“I guess you could say that. The reason I asked if Chance was coming back for you, was that if you don’t have a ride home, I can drop you home on my way to work.”

Zara shrugs. “It’s very kind of you, but I have a ride. Heather is coming to pick me up to go to campus, to a Zeta Theta Beta rush sleepover.”

I look at her, taking in how her dark brown hair falls down her back in a silky curtain. She has makeup on, but it’s subtle and it highlights her delicate features rather than trying to change them.

“Hmm,” I muse. “Interesting. I didn’t peg you for the sorority girl type.”

Zara sighs. “Because I’m not. But Heather thinks I’m gonna fit in, and she’s excited about rushing together. I guess there’s no harm in seeing what the vibe is like.”

I nod. “Yeah, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to rush. But if Heather is your ride, you’re gonna be stuck there all night even if you hate it. Don’t you have a car? If not, Dad has a few. I’m sure he’ll be happy to let you drive one.”

Her next words surprise me. “I’m sure he would. But I don’t have a license.”

“What? How is that possible?”

Zara shrugs. “When we met two years ago, I had just gotten my permit. Then Mom sent me to boarding school, and we weren’t allowed to have cars on school property. So there was never the need or the opportunity to even practice.”

I offer without even thinking. “If you want to get a new permit, I can take you out to drive.”

This time, her smile lights up her whole face. “Really? That would be awesome. And if I fuck up, the cops will be already there.”

I chuckle at her goofiness. “Right. Let me know once you get that permit, and we’ll start. It’s always better not to have to depend on others to get around. Especially Heather.”

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