The Captain's Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 156: Chapter 156 - I Like You

Zac reached her before Karen and Angela did.

Roxie knew because his shadow fell over the paper first.

Then his hand touched her elbow.

”Roxie.”

She folded the paper fast.

His eyes dropped to her hand, then lifted to her face.

”What did she say?”

Roxie closed her fingers around the paper until the edge pressed into her palm. ”Nothing.”

His jaw tightened. ”That’s already a lie.”

The fundraiser kept moving behind them. Music, laughter, raffle numbers, people packing up tables. Everything sounded normal, like Miranda Prescott had not just walked away after turning Roxie’s whole life into a warning.

Roxie looked past Zac.

Miranda was already near the parking lot, calm and polished, walking away like she had only stopped to buy hot chocolate.

Zac followed her gaze.

His face changed.

”What did my mom say to you?”

Roxie swallowed.

She could tell him.

She could tell him his mother had warned her. She could open the paper right there and show him the address. She could say Miranda had handed her a place where Claire had been staying.

Then Zac would ask the next question.

How long had Claire been gone like this?

And Roxie had no clean answer.

Because she had never really told him. She had never said Claire had practically walked out and left her. She had never told him about the nights she and Claire fought or the day Roxie told her to pack up.

She had never said most nights, the house stayed empty.

She had not lied.

That was what she told herself.

She had not lied.

But standing there with the paper in her fist, it suddenly felt close enough.

Karen’s voice came from behind them. ”Roxie?”

Angela was beside her, holding the cash envelope, eyes wide with worry.

Zac looked at them once, then back at Roxie. He was trying to stay calm. She could see it in his shoulders.

Roxie shoved the paper into her hoodie pocket. ”I’m fine.”

Karen’s eyes narrowed. ”That word is still banned.”

Angela stepped closer. ”What happened?”

Roxie shook her head. ”I just need a minute.”

”With him?” Karen asked, looking at Zac.

Zac said nothing.

Roxie nodded. ”Yeah.”

Karen looked like she hated every part of that answer.

Angela touched Roxie’s arm gently. ”Text us when you get home.”

”I will.”

Karen pointed at Zac. ”If she cries, I will find out.”

Zac looked at her. ”Fair.”

Karen blinked, like she had expected him to argue and was annoyed he had ruined the fight.

Roxie almost laughed.

Zac guided her away from the field without touching her enough for people to notice. Just a hand near her back, close enough that she knew he was there, careful enough that anyone watching could call it nothing.

That made her chest hurt.

Even now.

They still had to be careful.

Zac’s car was parked near the far end of the lot. He opened the passenger door, waited until she climbed in, then shut it quietly.

He got in on the driver’s side and closed the door.

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.

The fundraiser lights glowed across the windshield. Students crossed the lot in groups, laughing, wrapped in blankets and school hoodies. Somewhere across the field, Mason yelled Zac’s name.

Zac ignored it.

”What did she say?” he asked again.

Roxie looked down at her hands. ”She knows things.”

His fingers tightened on the steering wheel.

”What things?”

Roxie’s throat worked.

The folded paper in her pocket felt heavier than it should have.

”She knows enough,” Roxie said.

Zac went still.

That scared her too, because Zac angry was usually loud. This was worse. This was quiet.

”My mom gave you that paper.”

Roxie’s hand moved over her pocket before she could stop it.

Zac saw.

She hated that he saw.

”It’s nothing.”

”Roxie.”

”I said it’s nothing.”

”That paper scared you.”

She looked out the window. ”Your mother scared me.”

Zac’s face hardened.

”She had no right.”

”I know.”

”No, Roxie. She had no right to come near you.”

”Don’t.”

”I’m talking to her.”

”No.”

His hand moved toward the door handle.

Roxie grabbed his wrist. ”Zac, no.”

His eyes cut to hers.

”She already made it clear she can hurt me,” Roxie said. ”At school. With rumors. With adults. With things people would believe because they already want a story.”

His breathing changed.

”If you go after her now, you make this worse.”

”She threatened you.”

Roxie shook her head.

Zac’s mouth pressed into a hard line.

For once, he looked exactly like his mother’s son.

Controlled.

Furious.

Holding the worst of it behind his teeth.

Roxie let go of his wrist slowly. ”Take me home.”

Zac stared at her for another second.

Then he started the car.

The drive to Roxie’s house was quiet.

Zac kept both hands on the wheel. Roxie kept one hand in her hoodie pocket, fingers wrapped around the folded paper like it might disappear if she let go.

Neither of them turned on the radio.

When they reached her house, the porch light buzzed above them. The street was empty.

Zac parked and turned the engine off.

Roxie stayed in her seat.

Zac looked at the house, then at her. ”Do you want me to leave?”

”No.”

The answer came out too fast.

She looked down, embarrassed.

Zac’s voice softened. ”Okay.”

They went inside.

They sat on the couch with a careful distance between them. A few inches. Enough to breathe. Enough to pretend this was calm.

Zac leaned forward, elbows on his knees. ”You’re really keeping the paper from me?”

Roxie stared at the coffee table.

”Yes.”

She waited for him to push.

He didn’t.

That made it worse.

”It’s about your mom,” he said quietly.

Roxie’s whole body went still.

Zac turned his head toward her. ”I guessed.”

”You guessed wrong.”

”Okay.”

That easy answer made her look at him.

He did not believe her.

He was letting her keep the lie anyway.

Roxie’s throat tightened.

She looked away. ”I haven’t told you everything.”

”I know.”

Her chest pulled tight.

”You know?”

Zac’s voice stayed low. ”I know there are things you try to hide.”

Roxie’s hand curled inside her pocket around the paper.

That was the problem.

”I don’t know how to start now,” she said.

Zac looked at her.

Roxie’s voice came out smaller. ”It would be weird. Right? Telling you now. Like I should have said it before, so now I have to explain why I didn’t.”

”No.”

”You don’t even know what I mean.”

”I know it’s you.”

Her eyes burned, and she hated it.

Zac’s jaw tightened, but his voice stayed careful. ”You don’t have to tell me tonight.”

Roxie blinked at him.

”You’re mad?”

”Yes.”

”At me?”

”No.” He dragged a hand over his face. ”At my mom. At whatever she said. At the fact that you’re sitting here scared and still trying to decide what parts of it you’re allowed to say.”

Roxie looked down.

”I’m also mad you won’t tell me,” he admitted.

Her shoulders stiffened.

”But I get it.” He looked at her. ”I hate it, but I get it.”

Roxie looked at him for a long second.

Miranda’s warning echoed in her mind.

Be smart.

Keep your distance.

Zac was flawed.

So was she.

Roxie looked down at her hands. ”Leave your mom alone.”

Zac’s face tightened. ”Roxie.”

”I mean it.”

”She scared you.”

”Yes.” Her voice came out sharper than she meant. ”And if you go after her tonight, she’ll know it worked. And you’ll give her proof that we’re really together.”

Zac went quiet.

Roxie hated that too, because it meant he understood.

”She wants us to panic,” Roxie said. ”She wants you angry. She wants me scared.”

”You’re never the problem.”

Roxie gave him a tired look. ”That sounds nice, but your mother disagrees.”

”My mother can disagree. It doesn’t mean she gets to come near you.” Zac leaned forward, elbows on his knees. ”So what? We just let her talk to you like that?”

”For now.”

His jaw moved.

Roxie watched him fight himself.

”For now,” she repeated. ”We hide better.”

Zac looked at her. ”That’s your solution?”

”It’s our current skill set.”

He let out a short breath. It almost sounded like a laugh, but there was very little humor in it.

”We hide better,” he said.

”Yes.”

”You hate hiding.”

”I hate your mom more tonight.”

His mouth twitched, then his face settled again.

Roxie looked away. ”I’m serious. We already knew people watching would be a problem. We got sloppy at the bonfire.”

”We missed each other.”

”That’s a cute excuse. Still sloppy.”

Zac leaned back against the couch and rubbed both hands over his face. ”Okay.”

Roxie blinked. ”Okay?”

”Yeah.” He looked at her. ”We hide better.”

She studied him, suspicious. ”That was too easy.”

”It’s the part after that I care about.”

Her stomach tightened. ”What part?”

Zac turned toward her. ”Give me a few more weeks.”

Roxie went still.

He kept his eyes on her. ”I just need State. After that, I’m done with them.”

Roxie’s fingers curled into her hoodie pocket around the paper.

”And then?” she asked.

”Then we talk about telling people.”

Her throat tightened.

Zac talked about it like it was easy to step away from a family. But when it came down to it, who would he really choose?

She did not want to think about it.

”Zac.” Roxie swallowed. ”I like you so much it’s starting to piss me off.”

Zac went still.

The tips of his ears reddened. ”Um... yeah.” He muttered the words like she had surprised them out of him.

She looked at him. ”That’s your reaction?”

He scratched his neck and looked at her with a boyish kind of embarrassment. ”Yeah.” He cleared his throat. ”I like you too.”

Her chest tightened. ”Too bland.”

He grinned, then leaned closer. ”More than I know what to do with.”

Roxie looked away, but he caught the side of her face gently and turned her back.

”You’re supposed to say something less cringy,” she muttered.

He grinned.

Roxie stared at him for one second.

Then she kissed him.

Zac’s hand slid to her cheek, and the kiss stayed soft. Careful. Nothing like the stolen one in the shed. This one had no rush in it.

Then they pulled apart, Roxie rested her forehead against his shoulder.

”I’m still scared,” she said.

Zac’s arm came around her. ”I know.”

She lifted her head.

Zac was already looking at her.

She kissed him.

This time it was not soft.

Zac made a low sound in his throat. His hand slid to the back of her neck and held her there. His mouth moved harder against hers. She felt the change in him right away. The careful version of him was gone. He kissed her like he had been holding it back for weeks.

He shifted his weight and pushed forward. Roxie went back into the couch cushions. Zac followed. One of his arms braced beside her head. The other stayed at her waist. His body came down over hers. The kiss turned rough. His tongue slid against hers. He bit her bottom lip once, not hard, just enough to make her breath catch.

His mouth left hers and moved to her neck.

”I like you so much,” he murmured against her neck, and the sound that left her throat embarrassed her.

Zac kissed the side of her throat. Open. Hot. He dragged his lips down to the spot just under her jaw. Then lower.

”I like you too,” she muttered, even though she knew exactly how dangerous this was getting.

He kissed her neck like he wanted to leave something there. His teeth grazed once. Just pressure of his teeth along her skin but it made Roxie’s head tipped back on the cushion. Her hands tightened on his shirt.

It was too much at once. The weight of him. The heat of his mouth on her neck. The way her body was reacting without asking her first.

”Too much,” Roxie said. The words came out breathy but clear.

Zac stopped right away.

He lifted his head. Looked down at her.

His breathing was rough. His eyes were dark. Pupils wide. He looked wrecked, like holding still took real effort.

Roxie kept her hands on his chest. She could feel how fast his heart was beating too.

”Too much,” she said again, quieter this time.

Zac nodded once. His voice came out low and rough.

”Okay.”

Zac pushed himself back slowly and sat on the edge of the couch.

His breathing was still rough.

Roxie fixed her hoodie with shaking hands.

”Sorry,” he said.

Roxie looked at him. ”I kissed you first.”

”I still should’ve slowed down.”

”You did.”

He looked at her then.

Roxie swallowed. Her face was still hot. Her neck was still warm where his mouth had been.

Roxie moved closer and leaned her shoulder against his.

”This okay?” he asked.

”Yeah.”

His arm came around her carefully.

She let her head rest against him.

”One night,” he said quietly.

Roxie closed her eyes. ”One night.”

She did not go to Route 9 that night.

She did not tell Zac what was written on the paper.

But she stayed beside him until her breathing finally slowed.