Page 100 of The Hearts We Fumble
I brace my other hand against the locker, chasing the building pleasure coiling deep in my belly. “I’m close,” I pant.
“Come with me, baby. Let me feel it.”
Zane’s hand tightens around my throat, his body pressing flush against mine as we shatter together. Pleasure crashes through me, sending him over the edge along with it. His firm hold is the only thing keeping me from collapsing as my legs tremble beneath me.
For a long moment, we stay there, tangled and breathless.
The words sit heavy on my tongue. Those three little words I’ve never said to him before. I don’t know if there was ever a defining moment, a clear shift, or if I’ve always loved Zane. All I know is that the feeling grows stronger every day I’m with him.
I don’t care about the future. About where we’ll be after he graduates. About what comes next.
I just want him.
Zane helps me clean up, tugging my underwear and jeans back into place before taking care of himself. I turn to face him, feeling steady on my feet again, just as his phone starts ringing.
The sharp sound cuts through the air, making us both freeze.
“Damn. Meant to put it on silent,” Zane mutters, reaching into his pocket. Reed’s name flashes across the screen. He answers.
“Hey, I’m out with Wya—” He pauses, his brows pulling together. “Oh shit. I forgot I asked you to look into that. What did you find?”
His expression sharpens. His grip on his phone tightens.
“I’m not in Braysen right now. We’re in Lancaster. But we can head back now. We’ll stop by the house when we get into town.”
I watch him run a hand through his hair, a telltale sign that whatever Reed is saying has him on edge.
“Can you just tell me now?” His gaze flicks to mine, tension stiffening his shoulders. He nods once, jaw flexing. “All right. We’ll see you soon.”
Zane pockets his phone, exhaling slowly.
“What’s going on?”
Instead of answering right away, he bends down, grabbing our skates before nodding toward the exit. I grab the door for him, and we sneak back down the hallway to the seating area.
Only when we’re out in the open again does he speak.
“The night I fought Luca, he made some comments about my dad. At the time, I thought he was just being a dick, making up shit to get under my skin. Like he did with Myla.”
I cross my arms, unease curling in my gut. “And?”
Zane exhales, rubbing a hand down his face. “Reed offered to look into things, see what he could find out. I completely forgot about it until now.”
“Did he find something?”
Zane’s throat bobs. “Yeah. He wouldn’t tell me what. Just said we need to come over.”
Something heavy sits between us now, the weight of whatever truth is waiting on the other side of this.
I know that when we get back to town, Colter will be there. He’ll see me with Zane, and the secret we’ve been keeping won’t stay hidden much longer.
But right now, I don’t care.
Because whatever this is—whatever Zane is about to face—I want to be there for it.
For him.
Chapter Twenty-Four
