The Captain's Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 178: Chapter 178 - One Day

Roxie looked down at their joined hands.

”You’re making it hard to be sarcastic,” she said.

”I can stop.”

”No.”

His thumb moved slowly over her fingers.

Dinner arrived, and the food was irritatingly good.

Roxie tried to pretend otherwise for three bites.

Zac watched her. ”You like it.”

”It’s acceptable.”

”You closed your eyes.”

”I was praying for my electric bill.”

He laughed.

After that, dinner became easier.

Still awkward in places. Still more honest than either of them usually allowed. Still completely theirs.

Zac cut into his steak. ”Thinking about it now, I should probably thank Kendall.”

Roxie looked up. ”Kendall?”

”Her stunt was the reason you sat on my lap.”

Roxie smiled despite herself.

That was where all of this had started, wasn’t it?

That stupid day. Zac’s lap. His hands near her waist. Roxie pretending she felt nothing while every part of her noticed him.

”I think you would’ve made a move on me eventually,” she said.

Zac grinned. ”I don’t know. You were scary.”

”Scary? Really?”

”You never gave anyone a chance. Half the guys at school thought you would destroy them just for asking.”

”That’s generous. I heard frigid bitch.”

Zac chuckled, but his eyes stayed on her. ”They were scared.”

”Were you?”

”A little.”

Roxie stared at him.

He shrugged. ”You were hot enough to risk it.”

She took a drink of water. ”What did you actually think of me?”

”Hot.”

The answer came too quickly.

Roxie lowered her glass. ”That is your full emotional range?”

”No.” Zac smiled. ”I thought you were angry, pretty, and impossible.”

”That sounds better.”

”I also thought you hated me.”

”I did.”

”For how long?”

Roxie considered it. ”Longer than you deserved.”

”That isn’t a number.”

”I don’t know exactly when I started liking you.”

Zac leaned forward. ”You don’t?”

”It happened in pieces.”

His expression softened.

Roxie looked down at her plate. It was easier to say the rest without watching his face.

”Maybe it started when you stopped trying to impress me long enough to listen. Or when you kept showing up even when I was mean to you.” Her fingers tightened slightly around her fork. ”Maybe when you looked at me like you already knew I was lying and let me keep the lie anyway.”

Zac stayed quiet.

Roxie looked up.

He was staring again.

”Stop.”

”No.”

Her face warmed. ”Your turn. When did you start liking me?”

”I’ve told you. Since the beginning.”

Roxie rolled her eyes. ”You seriously expect me to believe that?”

Even as a freshman, Zac had girls circling him everywhere he went. Pretty girls. Popular girls. Girls who knew exactly how to smile at him and make their interest obvious.

”I saw you at my first game,” Zac said.

Roxie paused.

”You were cheering near the sideline. You were beautiful, angry, and louder than everyone else.”

”I was not angry.”

”You looked angry.”

”That’s my face.”

”I know that now.” His mouth curved. ”Every time you hit a count, I felt it in my chest.”

Roxie stared at him.

”That was terrible.”

”It was honest.”

”It sounded rehearsed.”

”I’ve had years to think about it.”

She rolled her eyes again, but she could not stop smiling.

Dessert arrived after their plates were cleared.

Zac had ordered something chocolate. Roxie had claimed she did not want anything, then ate from his plate anyway.

They talked about Christmas.

Roxie told him she had never cared much about the holiday. Christmas usually meant a quiet house, extra shifts, and pretending she had no problem spending most of the day alone.

”The Robinsons gave me gifts,” she added. ”So that was nice.”

Zac studied her face but never pushed for more.

He told her about being eight and opening one of his presents before breakfast because his father could not wait any longer. He remembered Miranda wearing matching Christmas pajamas before she started caring about perfect family photographs.

”Your mother wore ugly pajamas?” Roxie asked.

”Reindeer.”

”I need proof.”

”All evidence was destroyed.”

”Coward.” Roxie narrowed her eyes. ”Let me guess. You had matching ones.”

Zac looked away.

Roxie gasped. ”You did.”

”I was eight.”

”You were a reindeer.”

”It was Christmas.”

”I need that picture.”

”You will never see it.”

When the dessert plate was empty, Zac reached into his coat pocket.

Roxie immediately narrowed her eyes. ”No.”

He smiled and pulled out a small dark box.

Roxie leaned back in her chair. ”Zac.”

”Open it before you yell.”

He placed the box in front of her.

Roxie looked at him, then at the box.

It was smaller than she expected.

That somehow made it more suspicious.

She picked it up carefully and lifted the lid.

A thin silver chain rested inside. At the center was one tiny diamond, simple enough to catch the candlelight without taking over the entire necklace.

Roxie stared at it.

”It’s small,” Zac said quickly.

”That sentence has never calmed anyone holding a diamond.”

”I picked it myself.”

She looked up.

”My mother had nothing to do with it,” he added. ”I bought it with my own money.”

”You have your own rich money.”

”I worked at football camps during the summer.”

”You stood around throwing footballs at children.”

”They were difficult children.”

Roxie looked back at the necklace.

It was beautiful.

Simple enough to wear every day.

Small enough to hide beneath her clothes when she needed to.

That last thought hurt more than she expected.

Zac’s voice softened. ”You don’t like it.”

”I love it.”

His shoulders relaxed.

”I also want to hit you with the box,” she added.

”There she is.”

Zac stood and came around the table.

Roxie lifted her hair while he fastened the chain around her neck. His fingers brushed the back of her skin, making her shiver.

The diamond settled beneath her collarbone.

Zac’s hands rested briefly on her shoulders before he bent and kissed the side of her neck.

”Merry Christmas,” he said quietly.

Roxie touched the pendant.

Her throat tightened.

”Sit down,” she said before her voice embarrassed her.

Zac returned to his chair.

Roxie reached into her bag and pulled out a wrapped rectangle.

His eyebrows rose. ”You got me something?”

”Obviously.”

”You already gave me your personality.”

”Open it before I take it back.”

Zac started unwrapping it carefully.

Roxie frowned. ”Why are you doing it like that?”

”Like what?”

”Carefully. Rip it.”

”You wrapped it.”

”Exactly. I want proper destruction.”

He tore the rest of the paper with more effort.

Inside was a simple black picture frame.

The photograph had been taken in Roxie’s living room one evening. She had balanced her phone against a stack of books and set the timer. Zac sat on the couch with one arm around her. Roxie had turned toward him at the last second because he had said something stupid.

They were both laughing.

Neither of them was looking at the camera.

It was the first picture she had where they looked like a real couple because they were one.

Zac went quiet.

Roxie suddenly felt more nervous about the frame than she had about the necklace.

”It was cheap,” she said. ”The frame, I mean. Printing the picture was almost free because I had a coupon. I thought you could keep it somewhere private.”

Zac ran his thumb along the edge of the frame.

”Can I put it in my locker?”

Roxie stared at him. ”Only if you want Miranda informed before first period.”

”Right.”

He looked at the picture again.

”My room, then.”

”Somewhere she won’t see it.”

”My desk drawer.”

”That sounds romantic.”

”I’ll take it out when I’m alone.”

Roxie made a face. ”Ugh. That somehow got worse. Must you make everything filthy?”

Zac grinned. ”I didn’t mean it like that, but your mind went there.”

”My mind went nowhere.”

”Sure.”

His gaze returned to the photograph.

”This is my favorite gift.”

”You got a new watch this morning.”

”Exactly.”

Roxie looked away before her eyes did something embarrassing.

After dinner, they walked through the town square.

Lights covered every tree. A huge Christmas tree stood near the fountain, surrounded by families taking pictures. Children ran past carrying glowing toys while couples stood beneath heated lamps with cups of cider.

Zac held Roxie’s hand the entire time.

Sometimes his arm rested around her shoulders. Other times, his hand settled at her waist while they moved through the crowd.

He kissed her near the fountain with people walking around them.

Roxie laughed against his mouth because it felt strange.

Zac pulled back slightly. ”What?”

”Nothing.”

”You keep saying that today.”

She looked around.

People passed with shopping bags and cups of cider. A family took pictures near the tree. A couple laughed under one of the heated lamps. Everyone had their own lives, and none of them cared enough to study hers.

”I like being your girlfriend here,” she admitted.

Zac’s expression changed.

”You’re my girlfriend everywhere.”

”You know what I mean.”

He did.

His arm tightened around her shoulders.

Near the Christmas tree, Zac asked an older woman to take their picture.

Roxie almost refused.

Then she looked at him standing beneath the lights, still holding her hand.

She gave the woman her phone.

Zac pulled Roxie against his side, his arm settling around her waist. She looked up at him at the same time he looked down at her.

”Look at the camera,” the woman called, laughing.

They did.

For once, neither of them hid the smile.

In the photograph, Zac’s arm was around her waist and Roxie’s hand rested against his chest. They looked happy.

Openly happy.

Like nobody had ever told them to keep space between them.

Roxie saved the picture twice.

On the drive home, the city lights slowly disappeared behind them.

The music stayed low. The truck was warm. Roxie’s feet hurt, her stomach was full, and the tiny diamond rested against her skin beneath her coat.

During the second hour, she moved closer and rested her head against Zac’s shoulder.

”You’re falling asleep,” he said.

”No.”

”Your eyes are closed.”

”I’m resting them.”

”You’ve used that excuse before.”

”It remains accurate.”

She woke when the truck slowed near Briarwick.

Her cheek was still against his shoulder. Zac’s hand rested near hers between them.

”You drooled on me,” he said.

Roxie sat upright. ”I did not.”

”You did.”

”You’re lying.”

”A little.”

She hit his arm.

He smiled for the rest of the drive to her street.

It was late when he parked outside her house.

The porch light was on. The bungalow stood quiet behind it.

Zac walked her to the door with the framed picture tucked safely beneath one arm.

Roxie unlocked the door, then turned around.

He was still standing close.

Far too close for someone expected to leave.

”You’re going home,” she said.

His face fell immediately. ”What?”

”You heard me.”

”It’s Christmas.”

”Yes. Your family will notice.”

”They already know I’m out.”

”They’ll notice if you never come back.”

Zac looked past her into the house. ”I drove four hours.”

”You chose to.”

”I paid for dinner.”

”That was your gift.”

”I behaved through the entire date.”

Roxie crossed her arms. ”Congratulations.”

”I expected more time.”

She stared at him.

His mouth curved slightly.

They both remembered the last time he had been inside.

The couch.

Her dress gathered around her thighs.

His hands on her hips.

The moment she had stopped because the pressure inside her had become stronger than she understood.

Heat rushed into Roxie’s face.

Zac saw it and grinned.

”This is because of last time.”

”This is because you have parents.”

”I can behave.”

”You already proved otherwise.”

”You started it.”

Roxie’s face burned hotter. ”Go home.”

”Babe.”

”Christmas is over.”

”It’s technically Christmas for another hour.”

”Use that hour to drive.”

He looked deeply offended.

Roxie grabbed the front of his coat and pulled him down.

The kiss began softly.

It lasted much longer than she planned.

Zac’s free hand moved to her waist, pulling her closer beneath the porch light. Roxie rose onto her toes and kissed him until sending him home felt like the worst decision she had made all day.

His mouth moved against hers again.

She forced herself to pull back.

Zac followed for half an inch before stopping.

His eyes were dark.

Roxie’s breathing had changed.

”Go home, Prescott.”

He stared at her. ”Cruel.”

”You’ll survive.”

”Barely.”

She opened the door and stepped inside.

Zac remained on the porch, still looking offended.

Roxie smiled as she closed the door.

The house was quiet again, but it felt different tonight.

The diamond rested against her chest. Her lips were still warm. The photograph on her phone showed a version of them that had been allowed to exist openly for one entire day.

Her phone buzzed before she reached her room.

Zac: Cruel.

Roxie smiled.

Roxie: Merry Christmas.

The typing bubble appeared immediately.

Zac: I love you too.