“Emma must be tired, Zack. Why don’t you show her to your room?”
“To his room?” I say.
“To my room?” Zack asks at the same time. We glance at each other awkwardly.
His mom gives us a look that can only be described as an obviously. “I may be from a different time, but I’m not naïve. There’s no point keeping you in different rooms when we know you’re doing what you want to do at school.”
My cheeks heat. I wait for Zack to tell his mom that whatever she’s assuming is happening here, isn’t, but when I look at him, all he does is flash me a devious smile.
“And what is it that you think we do when we’re back at school, Mom?” he asks, thoroughly enjoying himself.
“You know what I’m talking about. Just go and show Emma the room and maybe she can take a nap.”
“Honey, where’s the pepper?” Zack’s dad asks from the kitchen.
Margaret looks over her shoulder then back at me. “Men can never find anything,” she says. To Zack, she says, “Go and show her the room, and I’ll go and help your dad.”
“Okay,” Zack says.
His mom disappears into the kitchen and I stand frozen in place.
“Follow me,” he says with a cocky smile, walking toward the stairs. It takes me few seconds to gain control of my legs. I’m still scrambling to process everything that’s just happened.
His mom thinks we’re sleeping together.
He did warn me that they might think I was his girlfriend, but I thought Zack would deny it. I’m supposed to be just Emma. That’s all.
ZACK
I can almost feel her indecision as she walks behind me. I mean, I’d like to think she’s just as excited about the opportunity to share a bed as I am, but the reality is she’s freaking out right now.
I open the door to my room and let out a relieved breath; it’s tidy. I didn’t expect to stay over tonight. I also didn’t think she’d be staying in this room with me, so I’m glad there’s no mess.
“I’ve been to your room,” I say by way of introduction. “Now you get to see mine.”
“Apparently, I don’t only get to see your room but sleep in it too.”
I walk over to my desk and take a seat on the chair. “Yeah, that was a little surprising.”
“Did your mom let the other girl you brought home sleep in your room?” she asks.
“She wasn’t allowed in my room, no.” I’d snuck Amber in once and Mom had grounded me for a week.
“What ended up happening with her?” Emma asks tentatively, taking a seat on the edge of my bed. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer that. I’m prying.”
“You just want to get to know me, I get it.” Though I wish we’d stay away from this subject.
“What was her name?” she asks, turning to face me.
“Her name was Amber.”
“Oh my God. Did she die?”
I lean back in my chair, laughing. “No. Why would that be your first thought?”
“You said ‘was,’ which implies past tense.”
“Wow.” Shaking my head in disbelief, I prepare myself for a conversation I haven’t had in a while.
“What?”
“Nothing. I’d just forgotten how much of a nerd you are.”
Emma shrugs. “I’m smart. I won’t hide it or be ashamed of it.”
“And you shouldn’t. Ever.”
She frowns. “Stop trying to distract me. What happened with Amber?”
Apparently, nothing gets by Emma. “What do you want to know?”
“Did you love her?” Wow. She just cuts straight to the chase. I bet she’s imagining one of the plot lines in her romance books. This one doesn’t have a happy ending though.
“I did. I loved her as much as a high school kid could love someone,” I tell her, running my fingers through my hair.
“You thought she was going to be the one?” The way Emma’s eyes widen betrays her excitement.
“I did.”
“When did you start dating?”
“Freshmen year of high school.”
“Why aren’t the two of you still together?”
“Just let me tell you the story!”
“Sometimes I read the end of a book before I finish the other parts,” Emma says casually.
“That’s weird.”
“I need to make sure I like how the story ends.”
“Well, obviously, we’re not together, so you know this one doesn’t have a happily ever after.”
“It still could; you never know.”
Oh, I know there won’t be any do-overs with Amber. That ship hasn’t only sailed but sunk.
“I guess.”
“Tell me more!”
“She was a cheerleader and I was a football player.” I pause when I see Emma roll her eyes. “What?”
“Nothing. It just seems like a predictable pairing. But ignore me, carry on.”
“She left me for the quarterback of the team when he got into FSU.”
“Zack! You just went there without warning!”
“I figured I might be stuck telling you the story for hours since you keep interrupting me, so I went straight to the end.”
“Why did she do that?”
“She thought he had a brighter future than I did. After all, I was a poor offensive lineman. He came from money and was a quarterback.”
Her nose scrunches up. “What does that have to do with anything?”
I give her a really look. “It meant that her new boyfriend could give her the world. The odds were in his favor, not mine.”
“What a bitch,” she says, covering her mouth in an attempt to jam the words back in.
Emma always surprises me. “Make sure my parents don’t hear you; we have a no swearing rule,” I tell her.
She looks toward the door. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it. That’s a terrible thing for someone to do.”
“Yeah.” I guess it was, but at least it allowed me to focus on what mattered. I didn’t go to FSU, but I did go to Bragan, which had the better football program. My prospects for the future are good if I don’t fail biology.
“I bet she wishes she’d stayed with you now that you’re doing big things at Bragan.”
“Probably, but only because the high school quarterback she started dating never actually got to play.”
“Why not?”
“He just didn’t play well enough to ever take off his red shirt.”
She nods. “Karma. She wasn’t good enough for you anyway. The fact that she left you for someone else hoping to ride his coattails shows how much of a snake she was.” I can hear the anger in her voice and it’s the same anger I held on to for a very long time.
“I’m grateful for what happened though.”
“Why is that?”
“Well, it taught me that some people are leeches hoping to take advantage of your success.”
“Is that why you’ve never brought anyone else home?”
“That’s why I haven’t dated anyone else since Amber,” I admit.
Emma looks at me. My admission has caught her off guard. “You do know that not all girls are like her, right?”
I take a second to take in her words. “Honestly, I didn’t want to put in the effort of figuring out who was genuine and who wasn’t. I got burned by Amber. I didn’t want to get burned by anyone else.” I know this next part is going to sound bad, but I don’t stop myself from saying it. “I didn’t want girls sleeping with me in the hopes that I’d make it big one day.”
“That’s valid, but don’t you feel like you’re missing out?”
“On what?”
“On having a real relationship with someone who truly loves you. I’m sure there are girls out there who don’t care that you’re a football player and might have a future in the NFL. I’m sure there are girls out there who’d love you for who you are.”
I didn’t think there were any girls capable of not caring about my status.
&
nbsp; Not until I met Emma.
Not until I realized she didn’t like football players.
Not until she told me about her father.
She’s different. She hasn’t even bothered to give me her cell phone number.
She keeps saying there are girls out there who’d be with me because they like who I am. I find myself wishing there was a girl in here who’d genuinely want to be with me instead.
27
ZACK
A couple of hours later, I head up to my room. When I knock on the door, Emma opens it, her eyes bleary. I guess she took advantage of that nap after all.
“Hey you.”
She rubs her eyes. “Hi.”
“Had a good nap?”
“Yeah. You have a very comfortable bed.”
“This is true.”
“What time is it?” she asks.
“It’s almost 5 PM.”
“I slept for two hours?” she exclaims.
While she slept, I helped my parents get everything together while avoiding their questions about Emma. I didn’t want to tell them we weren’t dating, but I also didn’t want to lie.
“That you did.”
She wraps her arms around herself. “How come you didn’t wake me up?”
“You needed to rest.”
“When’s dinner?”
“About an hour from now.”
“Crap! I gotta get ready.”
I nod. “Me too. I’ll take a shower in my parents’ room. The main bathroom is right outside the door.”
“Okay, great.” I walk in to grab my clothes. I’m excited to see Emma in the dress I got her.
For the first time in a long time, I wish I had money to provide for more than just myself and my parents.
When I handed her the bag earlier, she looked through it excitedly. She told me the dress was beautiful and hoped it’d look good on her. I knew it would. Instead of telling her that, I smiled and nodded.
Putting on my slacks and a button up shirt, I leave the bathroom and walk straight to my bedroom.
Opening the door, I stick my head in to see Emma quickly turning away from me, her dress only halfway on. “Crap. I’m sorry,” I say.
“It’s fine. I’m sure you’ve seen a bra before,” she replies, humor lacing her voice. I half expected her to scramble away and become super shy, but Emma never reacts the way I expect her to.
“Only a few,” I joke.
Turning around, she clutches the dress to her chest and says, “Could you zip me up?”
I nod, walking slowly toward her. Extending my hand, I unintentionally touch her back. But instead of pulling away like I know I should, I boldly trace my finger down her spine. She looks at me over her shoulder, her blue eyes growing darker with desire. My pulse is hammering as I lean forward, placing my mouth against the warm skin of her shoulder and placing a gentle kiss there. Emma inhales sharply but doesn’t stop me. Running my nose along her neck, I take a moment to just breathe her in; she smells amazing, like vanilla infused caramel. When I pull back, goosebumps appear on her gorgeous skin. Reaching down, I pull the zipper up slowly, securing her dress in place.
Neither one of us says anything, but we can’t deny there’s an attraction here. The moment seems too sensual—too intimate—but we’re both lingering in its aftermath. I step away. Being this close to Emma has a way of scrambling my brain.
“Are you guys ready for dinner?”
I turn around to find my mom standing in the open doorway. I immediately feel like a child who’s been caught doing something they shouldn’t have. I guess it’s not too far from the truth.
I clear my throat as she looks at me with her brows raised. “Yeah. I think we’re good.”
My mother shifts her eyes to Emma. “You look beautiful.”
I turn to look at her too. The dress looks better on her than I’d imagined. It complements her body—her curves—perfectly. She should wear dresses like this more often… Then again, guys would be all over her if she did, so I’d rather she stays hidden under her nerdy shirts and glasses.
Speaking of glasses, hers aren’t perched on top of her head and knowing she removed that barrier brings a satisfied smile to my face.
“Doesn’t she look beautiful?” my mother cuts in.
I nod. “Absolutely stunning.”
Emma runs her hands down the front of her dress. “Your son picked it out for me.”
“My boy has good taste,” Mom says, beaming with pride as she looks at the two of us. Her words make me think she isn’t just talking about the dress.
“Can’t argue with you there. I love your skirt,” Emma says, complimenting my mother’s outfit. She’s wearing a flowing floor-length, high-waisted skirt with a flowery shirt.
My mom spins in a circle, putting on a show. “Thank you! Mr. Hayes picked it out.”
“He’s got good taste too,” Emma says. “It must run in the family,” she adds. Together, she and my mom start walking toward the stairs. I trail after them, listening as they talk about what’s for dinner. I’m glad my mom likes her.
Because honestly, so do I.
EMMA
We’re sitting at the dining table, enjoying the meal Zack and his parents prepared. Stephen and Margaret laugh at each other’s jokes as they tell us stories about when they were young. Well, they tell me stories because Zack already knows them.
I try to keep my eyes fixed on Zack’s parents, or the food in front of me as I avoid Zack’s glances. Still, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop myself from looking at him for much longer.
Something has shifted between us and all I know is I want to explore that.
Under the table, he brings his hand to my bare knee, sending a wave of longing through me.
“So how did you guys meet?” his mother asks. I don’t know what to say since I can’t tell them I’m tutoring him. I glance at Zack.
“Emma’s roommate is dating one of the guys.”
Margaret nods, excitement visible in her eyes. “Who?” she asks and I wonder if she knows many of his teammates.
“Falcon.”
“Oh, Jesse! I love Jesse. He’s such a good guy.”
“Mom, how would you know? You’ve only seen him a handful of times.”
“I’m big on first impressions. I can always tell everything I need to know about a person the first time I meet them.” The way she says that and then looks at me adoringly tells me I’ve passed her first impression test.
“That’s how she decided to date me,” Stephen says, kissing his wife on the cheek.
“Is your roommate a good girl?” Zack’s mom says, returning to the conversation.
I don’t think I’ve ever been asked this kind of question before, but I know the answer. “Zoe is amazing. I moved into the dorm with her this year and she’s become my best friend.”
“Make sure she doesn’t make any trouble for Jesse,” Zack’s mom warns, but I know she’s joking.
I laugh. “I’ll definitely warn her.”
“And so the two of you met through them?”
The real answer—the one I want to give—is that we’ve been hanging out in the same circles but never really had a reason to talk to each other until now.
“Basically. Zoe and I have been to a few football games together, so I got to see your son play. We also spend a lot of time at the Football House for bonfires. It kind of happened naturally.” I leave out the part about the parties and tutoring, knowing I made the right decision when Zack squeezes my knee.
His dad asks, “Do you think our boy here is any good at football?”
“I do. My father seems to think so too.” Shit. I can’t believe I said that! Even though I avoid looking directly at Zack, I can feel his surprise the moment he retracts his hand like my knee is on fire.
“Your father? Zack’s met your dad already?” his mom asks. She probably thinks Zack and I must be really serious if we’re meeting each other’s family.
That’s not what this i
s though.
I nod, deciding to go with the truth. I’ve done enough lying for a day. I try to ignore the confused look in Zack’s eyes as I brace myself for how he’ll react after what I say next. “Yeah. My dad is the head coach of the Bragan football team.”
28
ZACK
Football.
Football coach.
Her dad is my football coach. I force myself to school my expression so my parents don’t notice this is news to me.
How could she have been Coach’s daughter and I didn’t know?
Would Coach Wilson really have his daughter tutor me?
Wilson.
E.L.W. She told me what the E and L stood for but never gave me her last name. This must’ve been why; she didn’t want me to put two and two together.
Why wouldn’t she just tell me? Why tell me so much about the man she calls her father but not tell me I’ve known him this whole time?
I gulp down the glass of water in front of me as I try to mask my surprise. Emma and my parents continue talking and I sit there digesting the news—learning more about the girl I thought I knew.
The worst part about all the questions running through my head right now is I can’t ask any of them—not while my parents are around.
Emma Lynn Wilson.
I start to compare Emma to Coach to see if there are any similarities I missed…
Nothing. I come up with nothing. It seems impossible that someone as sweet as Emma could ever be his kid. I mean, don’t get me wrong, he’s a great Coach, but he’s not known for being nice.
He treats her like crap.
The thought rushes into my mind, quickly followed by another.
He wished he had a son.
Her relationship with her dad is probably the reason she didn’t tell me the truth. Although I wish she had, could I blame her for keeping it from me?
She had to tutor me. It was a requirement. I thought she was doing it for credit, but the longer I sit here, the more I realize it had to be Coach who put her up to this. No one else would have agreed to meeting every day for tutoring sessions, let alone meeting during the break. I can’t help but think about Coach differently now. I worshipped that man and thought he could do no wrong, but after getting to know his daughter, I know it isn’t true.
Bragan Boys (Bragan University Boxset) Page 52