Page 70 of The Hearts We Fumble
I huff, yanking my hand away on instinct, but he’s faster, locking his fingers between mine to keep our hands joined.
“Don’t pull away from me,” he murmurs, his voice dropping just enough to make my breath hitch. “I thought we both knew this wasn’t one-sided.” His thumb strokes over the back of my hand. “I like knowing you still stare at me after all this time.”
I scoff again, needing to find some footing in this conversation. “Be careful. If your ego gets any bigger, you’re gonna float away like a damn hot air balloon.”
He lets out a dry, exaggerated laugh, the kind that drips with sarcasm. “Ha-ha.Real funny.”
By the time we pull into the campus lot, most of the spaces are already occupied since the earlier classes are still in session. He parks toward the back of the lot, shifting in his seat to face me with one arm draped along the top of the passenger seat.
His gaze roams over my face, something softer settling in his expression.
“Would it make you feel better to know I spent years trying not to openly stare at you too?”
I blink, caught off guard. “No, you didn’t.”
He arches a brow like my doubt amuses him.
“Are you calling me a liar?”
I shake my head, biting my lip. “Notexactly.I’m just saying… if you had been staring, I would’ve noticed at some point.”
His grin turns wicked as he leans in, pressing his palm to the side of my face, fingers tangling in my hair.
“Maybe.” His breath is warm against my lips, teasing. “Or maybe I’m just better than you at hiding it.”
I narrow my eyes, but my body betrays me, melting slightly under his touch.
“I still don’t believe it was as much time as you’re making it sound,” I whisper.
“Oh, trust me, I’d argue it was more time than I’d consider healthy.”
My cheeks heat at the thought.
“All those times you came over to swim in the pool with Myla. I remember the first time I saw you in a two-piece.” He rolls his head back, squeezing his eyes shut like the memory is too much to handle. “That cotton-candy-colored swimsuit that barely covered anything. You had no idea what you were doing to me.”
I raise a brow, feigning innocence. “Oh really?”
“Yeah,” he groans, dragging a hand down his face. “Call me jealous, possessive—I don’t give a damn—but I hated seeing you wear it around anyone but me.”
I choke out a laugh, expecting him to join in, but his expression turns serious.
“For starters, it was too small,” he continues, his voice dropping. “And I don’t mean that to be an asshole, but baby, that’s the year you started to… fill out your tops more, and holy fuck.” His jaw tightens. “All I could think about was how easy it would be to tug on that dainty little string and finally get to see those beautiful tits I’d been fantasizing about.”
My breath catches, my body reacting to his words before I can even process them.
“Zane.” His name comes out breathy, unsteady.
“And don’t get me started on the way your ass looked in those bottoms.”
“What else?” I ask, needing more—needing to hear every moment he saw me when I never thought he had.
His gaze softens like he’s flipping through a mental scrapbook of us. “I remember when you first cut your hair shorter. Junior year, I think. You always had long hair, but the moment you walked into the room with those wild curls and that confident smile, fuck…” He shakes his head like he’s seeing the memory play out in front of him. “You looked incredible. I would’ve loved your hair long, short, buzzed, whatever—but the way you felt good in your skin? That’s what got me.”
I swallow hard, remembering that moment, too.
Growing up, I’d spent years fighting my curls, desperately straightening them only for the Southern humidity to undo all my effort the second I stepped outside. But then, my mom found a stylist who specialized in curly hair, someone who taught me how to embrace it and let it be wild and free.
The first time I walked into my house after that appointment, I felt lighter—happy. That night, Colter was outside playing basketball with Zane and a few friends, and I remember how Zane’s gaze lingered a little longer than usual. I thought maybe I was imagining it. But now?
