Page 46 of Heartthrobs Don't Date Wallflowers
His phone had fallen on its side, propped up by the textbooks on the table, leaving its screen completely visible to me. With his brightness up so high, I could see the contents of it easily—including the fact that itwas open on a group chat. One whose last messages looked an awful lot like the one I’d just been reading.
I narrowed my eyes and looked at him. He was obviously friends with Megan, since he was dating her best friend, so I guess him being in the group chat did make sense. But my biggest question was who he was.
And more importantly, if he knew the real identity of Not Zesty.
fourteen
The rain was relentless.It pounded against the pavement, turning the sidewalk into a shallow river that soaked my sneakers with every step. I hugged my arms to my chest, trying to keep my jacket closed even though its zipper was broken, but it didn’t help. Water was already dripping down the back of my neck, making me shiver. Of course, the one day I forgot my umbrella, the sky decided to open up like this.
I should have taken the bus. Why didn’t I take the bus?
The wind picked up, blowing the rain sideways. Great. Just what I needed. My bag thumped against my hip as I picked up the pace, squinting through the downpour. My house wasn’t too far—I could make it. Maybe. If I didn’t freeze first.
Every step splashed through puddles, sending more icy water into my already soggy shoes, and my skirt clung to my legs, soaked through. It was likeMother Nature had it out for me today, and I couldn’t figure out what I did to deserve it.
Just as I mentally cursed the rain for the tenth time, a car slowed down beside me. I ignored it at first, figuring it was someone just passing by. But the sound didn’t fade. Instead, it slowed down, matching my steps. My heart jumped, a flash of panic running through me.
Was someone following me?
I picked up my pace, but the car stayed there, rolling along next to me like it was waiting for something. I had to resist the urge to break into a run. Maybe I was being paranoid, but this was how horror movies started, right?
Just as I was about to peek over my shoulder, the window rolled down, and I caught a glimpse of him.
Zach.
I hadn’t seen him since we’d held the signs up the other day. Now, he sat in the driver’s seat, with his leather jacket—because of course he was still wearing it, even in this weather—peeking out from beneath his seatbelt. He didn’t say anything right away, just looked at me, eyebrows raised slightly like he was waiting for me to do... something.
I blinked, caught completely off guard. “Uh... Hi?”
“Get in.”
I stared at him, my brain struggling to catch up. “What?”
“The car,” he said, as if it were obvious. “Get in.”
I glanced down at myself, my soaked clothes clinging to my skin.
“I’m fine,” I mumbled. “It’s just rain.”
His eyes narrowed slightly, clearly not buying it. “You’re soaked.”
“No, really, I’m?—”
He leaned over and popped the passenger door open. “Get in, Ivy.”
I hesitated, glancing around like there was someone else who might swoop in and save me from this awkwardness. But the street was empty, just the sound of rain hitting the pavement and the faint roar of thunder in the distance.
Zach continued to sit there, the open door like a silent challenge. My teeth were chattering at this point, and despite myself, I glanced at the warm, dry seat. I cursed the universe for making this decision harder than it should be.
I couldn’t get in the car. I couldn’t embarrass myself in front of him even further like this. Except… would it be more embarrassing to walk in the rain while he watched me? What if he drove alongside me the whole way home?
“Fine,” I muttered under my breath, slipping into the car before I could change my mind. I pulled the door shut behind me, feeling instantly guilty as water dripped from my clothes onto the leather seats.
I fumbled for the seatbelt, reaching for it with my bad hand without even thinking. My fingers were already stiff from the bruising from the locker incident, and with how cold it was outside,I could barely feel them at all, making it impossible to get a grip on the seatbelt. And even when I finally did manage to grab it and pull, it wouldn’t budge. Not even an inch.
“Ugh, come on...” I muttered, struggling to yank it free. I glanced at Zach and mumbled a quick apology under my breath, still wrestling with the stubborn thing.
“It’s okay,” he said, totally calm, like nothing was happening.
