Jutting out my chin, I wiped a bit of mud off the side of my face. “Always. We Blacks go down fighting.”
He flashed me a quick smile and then moved the ball to his other foot. “I knew that was one of the other reasons I liked you.”
I glanced quickly around us. No one was within ear shot. Zane had left the rest of my team dead in the mud. They were all wiped. And no one remained close enough to hear his sweet words.
“You know, sweet talk gets you nowhere,” I said with a shake of my head. “I’m not going to take it any easier on you just because you’re cute.”
My heart stuttered a bit. Maybe I was crossing the lines flirting with Zane, even if everyone else was out of earshot. But Zane just tilted his head back and laughed.
“Can’t say I didn’t try and warn you.” He wiped the back of his hand across his forehead. “Ready, Lexi?”
“Are you?”
I wagged my eyebrows and he laughed again. But as he was distracted, I lunged toward him, doing the only move I remembered from my dad’s attempts at self-defense classes for me and my big sister. I hooked my foot around his and leaned my bodyweight into his, just enough to get him off balance. He went down in a tangle of limbs, sending mud flying everywhere.
The ball was free!
Out of the side of my eye, I could see Freddy and the other guys cracking up at my moves on Zane. Still, I didn’t let that distract me from the soccer ball as I dribbled it down the field with my feet. No one tried to stop me. And when I closed in on the goalie, there was only me and the mud and the squelching noises my feet made as I kicked it as hard as I could. It flew over the goalie’s head and through the trashcans. Goal!! With a cheer, I threw up my hands and celebrated my team’s 10 to 3 loss with my first and only career score.
“Not bad, Makeup Girl,” Freddy said, coming up behind me. Laughter still danced in his eyes. “I don’t think I’ll ever get the image out of my head of Zane Rees getting trounced by a girl half his size. Pure gold. Thank you for that.”
I grinned and turned to see Zane still sitting in the mud where I’d tripped him. He tried to glare at me before breaking out into one of those rare and real Zane smiles.
Yep. Mud looked good on Zane Rees.
“Had enough?” I asked, jogging toward him. I offered my hand and smiled down at him. “Guess you were right. You shouldn’t have counted on staying clean.”
He shook his head and then took my hand. Little bolts of electricity shot up my arm as I helped him stand. Touching him in front of the crew felt illegal. If only they knew how close Zane and I had gotten over the past week and a half. Or how much I wanted to do more, in that moment, than just briefly hold Zane’s hand.
“That was pretty good,” he said, looking down at me.
The way he squeezed my hand had my stomach turning like a tilt-o-whirl. “I got you good, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, you did.” He glanced over at Freddy and the other guys, before turning back to me to dip his head slightly and whisper, “Let’s talk again. Tonight?”
A fluttering sensation started in my chest. I couldn’t hold back a smile. Talking on the phone with Zane was the highlight of my day. Not trusting my voice, I simply nodded and then dropped his hand. The way he was looking at me, with heat behind those blue eyes, made me all giddy. Never mind the fact that I was covered in muck and probably half of my mascara had melted away.
“I’d better go,” I said, pointing over my shoulder. “I need a shower.”
“Yeah.” He tucked his hands in the pockets of his athletic shorts. “Good game, Makeup Girl. Until next time.”
My cheeks ached from the effort of keeping a smile off of my face. Somehow, I managed to keep things in check as I took my stuff back from Janelle and avoided her judgmental gaze. And as I left, trailing muddy footprints on the asphalt behind me, I couldn’t help but look back over my shoulder at Zane one more time. He was watching me leave, but the mask of emotion he wore so well was firmly back into place. The actor was back. It was hard to tell what he was thinking, but the one good thing I did know was that he was going to call me again tonight.
“Just friends,” I muttered to myself as I turned the corner of a trailer. “Remember that, Alexis Black. Friends. And nothing else.”
But my heart refused to listen to any words of wisdom.
It was far too gone.
Chapter Sixteen
Today had officially been the best day ever.
My mind wouldn’t focus on anything else. If only my library date with Zane could’ve lasted all day. All month. Heck, I’d skip my junior year just to spend it with Zane.
He had a quiet way of taking me all in, without making me feel like I was too much. He seemed to like me the most when I was just...me.
The world had officially turned upside down.
“Lexi? Lex? Earth to Alexis.”
Dad stared at me from across the dining table, holding his fork aloft like it was a signal for incoming air traffic. I blinked hard and then smiled sheepishly at him. The late night spaghetti dinner in front of me was still mostly there. I’d pushed it around my plate a bit, but most of it had gone uneaten as I daydreamed about Zane.
“Yes, Dad?”
“You’ve been awfully distracted lately. I hope you’re still keeping up with your schoolwork.”
I nodded eagerly and set down my silverware. Zane’s tutoring session this morning had actually been really helpful. Maybe I would pass that next pop quiz after all.
“Don’t worry, Dad, I’ve got it covered. It’s all locked up tight in here.” I tapped the side of my temple and grinned.
“Yeah, that’s what I’m afraid of.” He tore off a chunk of garlic bread with his teeth and chewed it viciously. Marie had made dinner tonight. Her skills didn’t extend far into home-cooked meals. That was why the garlic bread was a bit on the well-done side. “Is it locked up so tight it doesn’t come back out? Are all these hours on set putting you behind in school?”
“Oh, Dad!” I giggled. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you down. And I definitely won’t let you meet the same fate as Hamlet’s dad.”
I shivered and then rubbed my palm on my ear. When Zane had explained that part of the play, I’d wondered how come Mr. Garret hadn’t explained it more clearly. This play was full of death, mystery, and craziness. It was way more interesting when I actually knew what it was about.
“Don’t worry, dear.” Marie patted my dad on the shoulder. “Sounds like she’s got it down.”
Smiling proudly at her, I felt my phone vibrate in my jean pocket. It was probably Zane. I was dying to know when he was going to call tonight.
“I’m not super hungry, so I think I’ll head to bed.”
“What? No parties to run off to on a Saturday night?” Marie asked, taking my plate as she stood.
“Nah. I think I’m over that,” I said with a shrug. Last year, they wouldn’t have caught me home like this on a Saturday night. If it wasn’t a party, it was a date. But this year felt different. “Guess I’m maturing.”
“Oh my word, we can only dream of having such hope,” Dad said, grasping the front of his chest in mock despair.
I laughed mockingly as I walked out of the living room. He thought he was so funny, but I really had this all under control. I had the job that would open doors everywhere for me. I had the guy that girls everywhere would kill for to date. And I was going to pass that quiz. Everything was going my way. There was no fighting it. The tidal wave of Lexi was going to sweep everything out of the path, until life had no choice but to go my way.
I gave a satisfied smile down at my phone screen as I unlocked it, but the message wasn’t from Zane. It had been from Charlotte. The very appearance of her name made my gut reel with a wave of guilt.
Charlotte: Hey Lex. Chick flick night at my house. Come over!
Beth is already on her way.
And no boys allowed!
My fingers hesitated over the keyboard. A Friday night with the girls sounded fun, but woul
d I be able to keep my secret from the two gals who were quickly becoming the closest friends I’d ever had? They were too good at getting the truth out of me. I was sneaking around with Zane. Maybe we were just friends, but we were still sneaking. One glance at my face and they’d know it. And then they’d try and talk me out of it. I couldn’t face it.
Me: Actually, I’m not feeling so hot.
Maybe it was the fruit I ate on set today.
Raincheck?
There, now I wasn’t in danger of spilling my secrets anymore. I held the phone tightly in my hands as I went into my bedroom and shut the door behind me. It was late and Dad and Marie were probably getting snuggled in on the couch for one of their boring movies. If Zane didn’t call soon, I was in serious danger of crawling into my bed and falling asleep way too early on a Saturday night for any respectable teenage girl.
My phone buzzed again, immediately setting me alight with energy. I looked down to see Zane’s name. Finally. Flopping backwards on my bed, I answered it and pressed it up to my ear.
“Hi, you. What’s up?”
“I’ve got a surprise for you,” he said in a low voice.
I sat up, a smile blossoming on my lips. “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
“Come to your backyard and you’ll see...”
The line went dead and I rushed to the ground level window. My room looked out on the neighbor’s house, so there wasn’t much to see. I pushed it open and took out the screen. Hesitation made me pause at the sill. Thanks to the muddy soccer game today, I was already makeup free and ready for bed. Did I want Zane to see me like this? To see the real me beneath the concealer and powder and falsies? Was he really a friend I could trust?
Yes.
Without a doubt. I was ready to take that next step to trust another human being with my insecurities.
With a little bit of effort, I dropped myself over the sill and onto the grass. Excitement and anticipation darted through my abdomen as I rounded the house. Light flickered through the darkened sliding glass doors on the back porch. Sure enough, I could see the backs of Dad and Marie’s heads as they sat on the couch, watching one of their shows. No way would they know what was going on in their own backyard, not with the extreme volume at which my dad watched his shows.
I glanced around at the pool and the rest of the backyard, and spotted a dark hooded figure sitting in the grass on the far side of the house. Zane! This was a million times better than a phone call. He sat on the same flannel blanket from our study date this morning. A lit candle stood next to it.
“Sorry if this is too much.” He gestured at the candle as I approached. “But I couldn’t end today. Not yet. Not without continuing our study date for just a little while longer.”
Taking a spot on the blanket next to him, I shot him a tentative smile. The backyard was dark, but there was probably still enough light for him to get a good look at me and my clean cheeks. “This is the best two-part study date I’ve ever been on.”
“Then the bar is set pretty low.” He laughed and tugged a handful of candy from his hoodie pocket. There was no flicker of disgust or shock as he gazed steadily at my face. “I brought more sugar. Only stuff from the vending machine in the hotel. Anything else, and my dad would get suspicious. What’s your poison?”
His lack of initial reaction had me relaxing a bit. I took the Skittles bag and happily popped a couple in my mouth. “I hope you know, today was torture. It’s not easy pretending not to know you. It’s about as easy as watching you flirt with Janelle, even if it’s for the camera.”
He grimaced and slid closer to me on the blanket. Only two inches remained between our pinky fingers and I could practically feel the heat of his body.
“Sorry about that. Comes with the job.”
“I know.” I glanced down at my lap. “She’s just the worst, though.”
He laughed. “She really is. Did you know the first time I had to do a run-through with her, she thought I was the set boy? Wouldn’t even look at me. And when she found out who I was, and who my parents were, she tried to invite me over to her place for some one-on-one time. It was so uncomfortable.”
I laughed softly. “Sounds like most of the stars in Hollywood are kind of snobbish.”
He wrinkled his nose and laid back on the blanket. “Yes. And no. It always feels like they want something out of you. My mom wasn’t like that, though, so maybe I’ve just had bad experiences.”
I laid beside him, looking up at the sky above. It was almost a royal blue color, with bright pinpricks of starlight popping up here and there. In just a few minutes, the last of the light would be gone and the sky would be thrown in to a navy blue blanket of stars. I chewed my Skittles and let the peacefulness wash over me.
“You know, you’re not like that.” Zane shifted beside me and I could feel him staring at the side of my face—the place where I hated most. I turned to see him angled toward me, his elbow resting on the ground and his hand cradling his cheek. “I’m pretty sure the first time we met, you thought I was a loser.”
“And you thought I was the paparazzi,” I shot back at him with a smile. “So, we both didn’t make the best first impressions.”
“Yeah, but then you found out who I was, and you still didn’t act like it mattered.” He reached hesitantly toward me and softly touched my cheek. I closed my eyes and sank in the warm sensation spreading across my skin. “I liked that. Just like I like that you trusted me enough not to wear makeup around me tonight.”
Warm emotions jolted through my torso. So he had noticed. And it didn’t make a difference to him. He was touching my scarred cheek and he still wanted to be here with me. He really was one of a kind.
“Well, at first I didn’t care who you were.” I opened my eyes to look at him. “And then you acted like a jerk, so then I really didn’t care.”
He grimaced and fell back on the ground. “Ugh, don’t remind me. I was stupid. You make me all twisted up inside.”
I crawled toward him and rested my arms on his solid chest. “But then I got to know you. And I started to trust you. If it helps, just know that you’re the only guy in the past three years who’s ever seen me without a face-full of makeup.”
He lifted his head slightly from the ground to pierce me with a steady gaze. “You know, this is the best I’ve felt since my mom was around. It feels like things are finally looking up.”
I sighed happily. “I was just thinking about how everything was different this year. In a good way. That’s because of you.”
His lips curled into a soft smile as he reached up to cradle my cheek again. “See? Guess being friends wasn’t so horrible after all.”
I licked my lips and stared into his blue eyes. This wasn’t like any friendship I’d ever had before. I’d never had a guy give me butterflies by just looking at me. And when Zane’s hand touched my skin, it lit everything inside of me on fire. I tried to breathe, but it was impossible with how he was staring back at me with the same hunger in his eyes.
“I’m not so sure we’re friends, Zane.”
He cocked his head slightly to the side. “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?”
“Because friends shouldn’t feel the way I feel about you...” I bit my bottom lip until it hurt. “I’m not sure I can settle for friends. We might be doomed.”
His mouth hardened into a frown and his gaze darted to my lips and back to my eyes. “I’m not sure I want to settle, either. What do you say about that?”
My stomach rumbled with all kinds of gut reactions to his words. I couldn’t make sense of it, but mostly, I could feel it propelling me closer to him. Closer to the warmth of his body beneath mine. And closer to his beautiful lips, drawing me in like a magnet.
“I’d say...we’re slowly breaking every rule we put into place.” I stared at his mouth, trying and failing to convince myself to look away. “But for some reason, right now I can’t really remember why we set them in the first place. We weren’t meant to be just coworkers. Or just friend
s.”
He sighed heavily, dropping his hand from my face and raising his torso enough to rest on his elbows and stare intently at me. “Honestly, I can’t remember the reasons we set them, either.”
I fiddled with the drawstrings of his hoodie. Everything about this conversation was undoing me. My mind was drawing a complete blank as to why my lips shouldn’t be all over Zane’s at that exact moment. He looked so good. I would’ve bet everything that he tasted just like ice cold Cherry Pepsi fresh from the cooler. And his touch would melt away any resistance I had left. It was a safe assumption that one more kiss from Zane and I’d be a goner. A complete and total goner.
“Uh oh,” I said with a laugh. “We’re really in trouble now.”
“The last thing I think about when I look at you is trouble.” His lips hinged slightly in a smile. “You’re confident and you go after what you want. But you don’t stomp on people in the process. You never made me feel like you only wanted to be around me because of my name or what I could do for you.”
My gaze flicked up to his. “The girls in LA are so weird. Is that really how they act? Are they all like Janelle?”
“Enough of them that it’s hard to know what’s what.” He swallowed and then grimaced. “Maybe I’m just cynical because of my dad’s warnings, but you have to be extra careful.”
“That’s terrible.” I stared down at his sweatshirt. “I’m sorry you have to go through that. No one should date someone just because of what they can get out of the other person.”
He captured my hand in his and ran the pad of his thumb over my palm in circles. Then, with slight hesitation, he pulled it toward his mouth and placed a gentle kiss there. My breath hitched in my lungs as he lingered, his lips scorching my skin. This wasn’t what friends did. Not at all. But I didn’t care. Not when I wanted to forget about everything keeping us apart.
“Zane?” I stared helplessly as he laced his fingers between mine. “Why did you come here tonight?”
He blinked up at me with a steady confidence burning in his eyes. “Because I had to get out of that hotel room.”
Dare You to Chase the Soccer Player (Rock Valley High Book 5) Page 13