Page 108 of The Hearts We Fumble
Tate frowns. “The media’s still running with that crap?”
“Of course they are,” I mutter. “The fight gave them a story, and with the championship coming up, they’ll do whatever they can to add fuel to the fire. There’s even speculation that if Braysen and Keaton make the playoffs, they could face each other again.”
Hallyn groans. “Great. Because that’s exactly what he needs right now.”
I nod, my stomach twisting at the thought.
As much as Zane is trying to move forward, the weight of everything—the suspension, his father, the truth about Luca—still lingers. And no matter how much I want to protect him from it all, I know he’ll have to fight some battles on his own.
I’ve also made it known he’s not fighting them alone.
“Yeah, that’s what Beckham was telling me too,” Hallyn says, nodding.
I remember the drama when she split from Keaton’s quarterback and started dating Beckham. Her ex didn’t handle it well, and rumors swirled that the guys had stepped in, roughing him up and making it clear that if he came around again, things would get worse.
“How’s Zane handling everything with the media?” Everly asks, her voice dipping with concern.
We’ve been keeping in touch more lately. She understands better than most what it’s like to date someone in the public eye. The tabloids print their fair share of crap about all the guys, but only Hayes has truly been burned by them before.
I sigh, rolling my shoulders. “I’ve been trying to keep him off his phone. Between his dad texting him, pissed that he skipped Thanksgiving, and the media running stories about the game and the fight, it’s better if he avoids it.”
Tate grins knowingly. “Well, you two are still in that honeymoon phase, so I’m sure you’ve been finding plenty of ways to distract him.”
Heat rushes to my cheeks, the image of Zane’s hands on me flashing through my mind, and the girls erupt into laughter.
“We’ve definitely been enjoying fall break,” I admit, biting my lip to fight back a knowing smile.
Hallyn sighs dramatically, stretching her legs out in front of her. “I miss those days.” She presses a hand to her chest. “Don’t get me wrong, Beckham still can’t keep his hands off me, but I remember when it was new and all-consuming.”
She wiggles her eyebrows, and the girls burst into laughter. I shake my head, warmth creeping up my neck.
Ava pushes herself up from the couch, drowning in an oversized sweatshirt that clearly belongs to Colter—it’s practically five times her size.
“We should probably head outside,” she suggests. “Colter mentioned wanting to talk to Zane at some point. Maybe we should make sure they’re all behaving.”
“Oh jeez,” Everly chirps. “You’d think we could take these guys somewhere without supervision.”
When we step outside, the crisp evening air greets us, carrying the smoky scent of the bonfire pit burning a few feet away. The guys are gathered in a loose circle around the fryer, beer bottles in hand, their conversation low and relaxed.
Zane stands next to Colter, their shoulders squared in a way that tells me their talk is already over—or at least settled. The second Zane spots me, his expression softens, and whatever conversation they were having fades into the background.
I take a seat next to Ava and Tate, stretching my legs toward the fire. Zane cracks open a beer, handing it to me before leaning over the back of my chair to press a lingering kiss against my lips.
A slow smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. “So?”
His blue eyes glint with mischief as he shrugs. “What’s he gonna do? We’re two consenting adults. Whether he likes it or not, he’s just gonna have to get used to it.”
“I can hear you, you prick,” Colter grumbles from across the fire.
Zane’s grin widens as he leans in and kisses me again, his tongue teasing the seam of my lips before I open for him.
“All right, back the fuck up.” Colter’s voice cuts through the moment. “You two can save that shit for later.”
Ava rolls her eyes. “Oh, knock it off. It’s not like you weren’t doing worse with me behind Alec’s back.”
The guys laugh, and Colter groans, rubbing a hand over his face as Ava smirks in victory.
I settle deeper into my chair, Zane’s warm hand resting on my thigh, and take a sip of my beer. The night stretches ahead of us, and for the first time in weeks, it feels like things are falling into place.
