Page 71 of In Love and War
Even the thought of them together was like a punch in the gut. It knocked the wind right out of me.
Breathe.
“Oh, I don’t think that’s something you’ll have to worry about, sweetheart. I really don’t think she’s his type.” He took a full bite of his taco.
I paused for a moment, frowning and tilting my head at him. “Dad, it’sMonica.She’s everyone’s type.”
“Don’t be silly. Lovely girl, your cousin, don’t get me wrong. But I simply don’t see the two of them together.”
Huh.I wondered what type of girl hedidsee with Zac. Though, of course, I couldn’t ask.
“I’ve always thought he’d end up with someone who really challenged him,” he explained, as if he were reading my mind. “Because I don’t think many people do. And I don’t think Monica would either.”
“Yeah, okay, that I agree with. Hedoesdeserve someone equally as difficult and stubborn as he is.”
He let out another laugh while wiping his mouth with a napkin and shaking his head at me. “And once again, the pot calls the kettle black.”
21
“Why the hell not?”
I looked up from my monitor to find Zac leaning against the doorframe of my office with his arms crossed.
“You know exactly why the hell not,” I answered, glancing away from him and back to my computer almost immediately.
My father was wrong. Zac hadn’t been at his desk when I got back from lunch, and he’d been gone the rest of the afternoon. It had been a lot easier to respond to his text, knowing he’d taken Monica up on her offer. I had said that I didn’t think it was a good idea for us to see each other after work.
The door shut with a soft click, and he sat down in one of the chairs facing my desk.
“I don’t. Enlighten me.” His fingers tapped the armrest, but his voice was more curious than annoyed, which surprised me.
“I’m not going to talk about this here.” I kept my eyes on my computer and away from him. It was a little past 5:00 p.m., which meant that most people were already gone for the day, but I still hoped my response would buy me more time.
The tapping stopped, and Zac got up from his chair. I semi-exhaled, relieved that he was leaving. But instead of heading toward the door, he circled around my desk and reached under it.
“What the hell are you doing?”
I heard a small beep when his fingers found the button they were looking for, and watched as the two glass walls iced over, entirely eliminating the visibility into and out of the room. I remembered Margaret mentioning something about the opaque feature of the glass on my first day, but I’d honestly forgotten about it until now.
Before I could think or do anything else, my chair was swiveled around to face Zac. His hands landed on the armrests, and my torso hit the back of my chair when he leaned down, attempting to create as much distance between us as possible.
“Talk,” he bit out, his face only a few inches away from mine.
“Zac, get off! The door doesn’t lock, anybody could walk in!” I seethed, pushing at his chest. It was like trying to move a boulder. He didn’t budge.
“Then you better talk fast.”
I let out a heavy sigh, and my hands came up to cup my face as I leaned back into my chair again. “I’m losing my goddamn mind.” I could feel my cheeks heating up under my palms.
He visibly softened, the tightness leaving his jaw, and I watched him resist a smile as the corners of his lips momentarily perked upwards.
“It’s not funny!” I smacked his shoulder.
“It’s a little funny,” he responded, losing the battle against his facial muscles and letting a grin break loose. “Your cheeks are super pink.”
“Ugh.” My hands were back on my face, covering it entirely this time.
“Stop it,” he chuckled. I felt his weight lift off the chair, and then his hands were around my wrists, gently pulling down. But I tightened my muscles and kept them in place.
