The Captain's Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 174: Chapter 174 - Babe

Roxie spent the rest of Winter Formal pretending she was normal.

She danced with Karen.

She watched Angela and Caleb look at each other like the gym had turned into a private movie scene, which was disgusting and sweet and made Karen threaten to leave three times.

She declined two dance offers from boys who suddenly remembered she existed.

She smiled for one group photo where Karen made a face, Angela looked beautiful, and Roxie looked like she had never once wanted to throw a cup across the gym.

She also watched Zac.

That was the problem.

The girl in the white dress stayed near the football table longer than Roxie liked.

Way too long.

She talked to Kyle first, then Mason, then Dylan, then Zac again. She laughed easily. She touched Zac’s arm once when she leaned closer to hear him over the music. Zac smiled at her like he knew her.

Worse.

He laughed.

A real laugh.

Roxie hated that laugh tonight.

By the time Formal ended, she had a headache, sore feet, and a jealousy problem she refused to name.

Karen knew anyway.

On the way out of the gym, Karen leaned close and said, ”You look like you want to kill someone.”

Roxie adjusted her shawl. ”I’m tired.”

”You’re homicidal.”

Angela looked over her shoulder, worried. ”Are you okay?”

Roxie smiled. ”Wonderful.”

Karen snorted. ”Terrifying.”

Roxie made it home without texting Zac first.

That felt mature.

Then she sat on her couch in her red dress with her heels kicked off under the coffee table and stared at her phone like it had personally offended her.

It buzzed at 10:47.

Zac: Home?

Roxie stared.

Then typed.

Roxie: Yes.

Zac: Can I come over?

He was annoying.

She wanted him there.

For explanation purposes.

Obviously.

Roxie: Sure.

She tossed her phone onto the couch cushion beside her and stood.

Then she sat back down because standing made it seem like she was waiting by the door.

She was not.

She was simply aware of the door.

Very aware.

A few minutes later, there was a soft knock.

Roxie waited three full seconds before opening it.

Zac stood on the porch in his black suit, jacket in one hand, shirt sleeves rolled to his forearms. His hair was slightly messy now, like he had run his fingers through it too many times. The cold had touched his cheeks, and his eyes moved over her immediately.

The red dress.

Bare feet.

Hair falling loose around her shoulders.

Roxie crossed her arms. ”You’re late.”

His mouth curved. ”I didn’t know there was a schedule.”

”There is always a schedule.”

”Can I come in, or am I being judged outside?”

She stepped back. ”Both.”

Zac came in, smiling like he was trying to hide it.

Roxie shut the door and locked it.

Zac watched her.

”What?” she asked.

”You look hot jealous.”

Roxie turned slowly.

The smile on his face got worse.

”Excuse me?”

”You heard me.”

”Say that again and you can go make that girl laugh some more.”

Zac blinked.

Then his smile widened. ”There it is.”

Roxie’s eyes narrowed. ”There what is?”

”You were mad.”

”I was bored.”

”Bored girls stare across the gym like they’re planning a murder?”

”I was checking the exits.”

”For her body?”

Roxie glared.

Zac set his jacket over the back of the chair and stepped closer, still looking far too pleased. ”You were jealous.”

Roxie lifted her chin. ”Jealous? No. I was observant.”

”Very observant of the girl talking to me.”

”She had a name?”

”Elena.”

Roxie made a face. ”Of course she does.”

Zac laughed.

The sound hit her wrong because it was the same kind of laugh from the gym.

Easy.

Familiar.

Her irritation came back fast.

”See?” she said. ”That.”

”What?”

”That laugh.”

Zac’s smile faded a little.

Roxie looked away first and moved toward the kitchen area, pretending she needed water.

Zac followed slower.

”Roxie.”

She grabbed a glass from the cupboard. ”What?”

”Elena is Kyle’s sister.”

Roxie paused.

Zac leaned against the counter. ”Older sister. She came home from college for break.”

Roxie filled the glass even though she suddenly had no idea if she wanted water.

”She grew up around us,” Zac continued. ”Kyle’s mom brought her to games since we were little. She used to sit on the bleachers and make fun of all of us. She saw me cry after a peewee game once because I got hit in the face with the ball.”

Roxie looked at him over the rim of the glass. ”Touching.”

”She also saw Dylan throw up after summer conditioning and told him he looked weak.”

”That part I respect.”

”She asked if I was still alive after State. Then she said Kyle looked worse than me, and Kyle was standing right there.” Zac lifted one shoulder. ”That’s why I laughed.”

Roxie drank the water.

Slowly.

Because now she felt stupid.

Still angry.

But stupid.

Zac studied her face. ”You thought what?”

”I thought she was pretty.”

”She is.”

Roxie looked at him.

Zac’s eyebrows lifted. ”What? She is. I’m alive. I can see.”

”Wow. Thank you for your honesty. It’s hideous. You’re hideous.”

He stepped closer. ”She’s Kyle’s sister.”

”She also has eyes. Apparently, so do you.”

”Come on. I was kidding.”

”It’s not funny. If you want to check out more girls, go to the party.”

Zac’s smile softened, but he still looked amused. ”Babe, I was just being friendly.”

Roxie paused.

Babe.

The word hit before the explanation did.

Her fingers tightened around the glass.

It was cheesy.

It was stupid.

It sounded too normal coming from his mouth.

It made something in her chest warm even though she was still mad at him.

Zac noticed.

Of course he noticed.

His smile changed. ”Babe, I’m sorry. I won’t do it again.”

Roxie pointed at him. ”Stop enjoying this.”

”I’m trying.”

”No, you’re not.”

”I’m really not.”

She set the glass down harder than necessary. ”You think this is funny?”

”No.” His voice softened. ”I think you’re jealous over Kyle’s sister, and I like knowing you care enough to hate it.”

Roxie’s chest tightened.

That was unfair.

Accurate, but unfair.

”I care,” she said. ”That was never the problem.”

Zac’s expression changed.

The amusement slipped.

The room got quieter.

Roxie looked down at her bare feet, then at the hem of her dress brushing her knees. ”The problem is I had to stand across the gym and watch girls walk up to you all night like you were available.”

”I wasn’t.”

”They don’t know that.”

”I know.”

”And I had to act like I didn’t care.”

”I know.”

She looked up at him. ”You looked like you were surviving fine.”

Zac let out a quiet breath. ”I spent the whole night trying to stand away from girls without looking insane.”

”I noticed.”

”Dylan kept bringing them over because he has a death wish.”

”I noticed that too.”

”I looked at you every five minutes.”

”I noticed.”

His mouth moved slightly. ”So you were watching me.”

”Shut up.”

”There it is again.”

”Zac.”

He held both hands up, but he was still smiling. ”Okay. Stopping.”

”You are horrible at stopping.”

”I know.”

Roxie crossed her arms again, mostly because she had no idea what to do with her hands. The house was too quiet. The dress felt different here than it had in the gym. In the gym, it had been armor. Here, under the small living room light, with Zac looking at her like that, it felt like trouble.

Zac’s eyes moved over her again.

Slower this time.

Roxie’s breath caught, and she hated him for noticing.

”You looked beautiful tonight, babe,” he said.

Her anger stumbled.

She recovered badly. ”That is suspicious timing.”

”I wanted to say it the second you walked in.”

”You didn’t.”

”I couldn’t.”

The answer sat between them.

Simple.

True.

Still painful.

Roxie looked away.

Zac stepped closer until she could feel his warmth.

”I hated that too,” he said.

Roxie’s fingers curled against her own arms.

He reached up slowly and touched one loose curl near her shoulder. His fingers barely brushed her skin.

”I hated seeing you walk in without me.”

Her throat tightened.

”I hated watching people ask who you came with.” His voice dropped. ”I hated pretending I wasn’t waiting for you to look at me.”

Roxie looked at him then.

He was close.

Too close for the argument to stay sharp.

”I did look at you,” she said.

”I know.”

His hand moved from her curl to the side of her neck, warm and careful.

Roxie stayed still.

Zac’s eyes dropped to her mouth, then lifted back to hers.

”I like it,” he said.

”What?”

”When you’re jealous.”

Roxie glared at him.

His thumb moved once against her skin.

”It makes me feel less crazy.”

That softened her before she could stop it.

Because she understood.

God, she understood.

All night, she had wanted proof that he hated hiding as much as she did. That he felt the same ugly twist watching other people get close. That she was not alone in this stupid, secret, aching thing between them.

Roxie swallowed. ”You’re still enjoying it too much.”

”A little.”

”I hate you.”

”No, you don’t.”

Her eyes stayed on his.

The house went quiet around them.

The movie from last night was gone. The Christmas lights from the street leaked faintly through the window. Her heels lay abandoned under the coffee table. Zac’s suit jacket hung over the chair like he planned to stay a while.

Roxie wanted that.

She wanted him there.

She wanted the warmth, the weight, the right to be jealous and comforted and wanted without checking doors, windows, hallways, gym corners, and who might be watching.

Zac leaned in, stopping just before his mouth touched hers.

”Tell me to stop enjoying it,” he said.

Roxie’s pulse jumped.

”I already did.”

”You didn’t mean it.”

She stared at him.

He was smiling, but softer now. Warm. Careful. Still pleased with himself, but waiting.

Her anger had nowhere useful to go.

Her jealousy had been fed, corrected, teased, and gently held until it turned into something else.

Something warmer.

Something lower in her stomach.

Roxie lifted her chin.

”You’re very annoying,” she said.

Zac’s smile deepened. ”I know.”

Then Roxie grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him down to her.