Page 56 of Spring Awakening

“I have in my head.”

“When did they open the London Underground?”

Mali turns to look at him. He could kiss her so easily from here. “What?”

“You said you knew the answers in your head. When did they open the London Underground?”

“Are you here to ruin my life?” she says, poking his side. “Who sent you, with your arms and your voice and your face, just to taunt me over my quiz shows?”

“It’s not my fault you’re a dirty liar who likes bad television.”

Mali hums against him. “We don’t have to watch tele,” she says, though she makes no move to turn it off. “What do you do in your spare time? Wait, that sounds like an interview question. Do you play games or anything?”

Zach does have a console, but it’s in his room, and she’s not in his room, and he can’t invite her into his room because he’s already having dangerous thoughts about her while in his room.

“Kai used to try and drag me out to a club, but I have some games. Usually, I’m at home or at mum’s.”

“Why aren’t you going out with him? Everyone at work is nicer now, right?”

“Yeah,” he replies, and he wonders how much is from him trying and how much is Mali’s influence. “Well, it’s usually just to pick up girls.”

“Oh,” she says. She sits up a bit straighter, and he wonders what he’d have to say to get her to go back. Buffy is clearly thinking the same thing. “You can bring someone back if you want.”

“I don’t.”

She looks at him, then rubs the heels of her hands against her eyes. She should have her glasses on, but he doesn’t want to tell her that in case she puts them on and he’s harder than he is right now.

“You can put your game thing down here.”

“Then what will you do?”

Mali shrugs and leans against him again. She pulls Buffy closer under her arm, and Zach wonders if everything he needs is right here. “Read. Watch you play something and hope you’re bad at it. I just like being in the same room as you. Do you have Mario Kart?”

He shuffles until he drapes the blanket over her. “I can get it.”

“I’m so good,” she replies, but her voice isn’t as bright. She starts playing with the edge of his shirt. He wonders if she’s tired. “Why are you so comfy?”

He slides his hand down to her waist and tries to keep still when she rests her ankle over his shin. She’s lying on him. That’s like three steps away from sex. Sex is what he’s supposed to careabout. It’s all he used to care about. Now, he wants her to be safe. He wants her to be comfy. He wants her.

“As good as you are at this quiz game you haven’t answered a question correctly on?”

She hits his chest, and her hand slips down slowly to rest against a fold in his jumper.

“Shh.”

He brings her knuckles to his mouth, but he thinks she’s out by the time his lips touch them.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The breeze blows Mali’shair into her face and does nothing to calm the shake in her legs. She has no idea why she said she’d do yoga. Well, she does—she can do yoga, and she thinks it’s funny to watch grown men fall asleep in child’s pose. The team need to boost their presence on social media, and seeing as none of them are willing to do it themselves, Mali must take drastic measures.

Sponsorships are still coming in, but most of the queries are about the reach these players currently have. Blyke is a big sponsor, and an anomaly in that they appear to be in it for the long haul. They think the Titans will make it to the premiership, and they’re banking on being their main sponsor when they do.

Mali still has her sights set on Goliath. They’ve responded to an email, but they’re reluctant due to the limited reach of some of the players. Them being able to fund a junior league means nothing if the juniors don’t turn up. Some of the team have started incorporating their hobbies and small bits of their life into their social media. It’s all Mali has asked for, but the whole team need to be invested, and they’re not currently.

So, Mali stands in her shorts and her favourite sports top. It’s an old rugby top (the first Zachariah Azan top her father bought her). Mali wonders if she should tell the team they might have the chance to pick projects to fund with the sponsorship. Perhaps that would get them more engaged. But she’ll mention it after this because she wants to see Zach bent over… for scientific reasons.

Frankie is here for backup, and Mali is so jealous of her arms it’s not even funny. She’s just not going to mention it.

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