Page 38 of Quarterback Sneak
“Sure.” She snatches the paper from my hand and strides towards the door.
I step further into the shadows with Reid and Quint. “Now we wait.” I lean against a tree and cross my arms over my chest as I watch the front door. I study every single person that goes in and out of those doors. There are far too many males coming and going, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I let my wolf’s vision bleed into mine, helping me see clearer. My gaze snaps to the figure walking towards the front door. My heart speeds up when I see Evie step out of the front door and into the light. The way Reid described what she wore tonight did nothing to accurately describe her. She looks hot. The dress is short, shorter than anything I’ve ever seen her wear. And the boots with heels elongate her legs and show off her shapely calves. I didn’t take her for a runner, but now I can see it. No wonder she’d made it clear across campus. My gaze travels up the dress, taking in the leather jacket and her hair pulled back. I swallow hard as myblood thickens. My mate is the most desirable female I’ve ever seen.
“Try to rein it in,” Reid says, coughing softly.
I don’t bother apologizing. I’m not going to apologize for the way I’m feeling about my mate. I wait for her to look for me, but she never does. She walks over to a guy, and I barely keep my growl in my chest. She reaches a hand out to him, and I take a step forward. “Wait,” Reid says softly.
I watch as the guy holds out something and drops it in her hand. I rely on my wolf hearing and hear her say, “Thanks, Bisch.”
“You’re welcome. You’ve got this; you’ll do great.”
“I hope so; I’ve never opened before.”
“You’ll be fine. Just follow the checklist.”
She nods. “I will. Thanks.” He turns and walks away. The fact that he kept his hands to himself and was respectful is the only reason I allow that to happen.
“Rein it in, Zane,” Reid says again.
I ignore him and study my mate. She looks tired and beaten down. My chest tightens, and I walk towards her before she can slip back inside. “Evie.”
She turns around in surprise. It’s clear that her roommate didn’t tell her I was out here. I want to rage at her roommate, but more than that, I want to know that my mate is okay. “What are you doing out here?” She pulls the leather jacket around her and tugs the bottom of her dress down, trying to make it longer. I hate that she’s clearly uncomfortable in her dress, and I figure the roommate is probably to blame. I'm equally parts mad that she feels uncomfortable at all. She has a gorgeous body and shouldn’t be embarrassed about any part of it.
“Didn’t your roommate tell you I was out here?”
Her eyes widen in surprise. “No, sorry. I just had to come grab the key for the shop because I’m opening tomorrow morning by myself.”
“What time?” My voice is clipped. I’m not upset at her, but there’s no way she’s opening a coffee shop on campus by herself. I’ll be there to make sure she’s safe.
“Five.” I make a mental note of it. I’ll be outside to make sure she gets there safely and stays safe. “Okay. Well, good night.” She turns around, and I can tell she’s going to run. Not literally, but she doesn’t want to face me tonight. I can feel that she’s vulnerable, and that makes me extra protective.
“Evie, wait.” My voice is deep because of the presence of my wolf.
She turns to me, shame clinging to her. “Listen, Zane, if this is about tonight, I’m going to pay back Reid. I promise. I—”
“You don’t need to pay back Reid; I’ll take care of it.”
She blinks a moment and then shakes her head. “No, you’re not. I'm going to pay him back.”
I finally ask the question I’ve been wanting to ask all night. “Evie, are you okay?” She stops abruptly, and her eyes shoot to mine. I want to smile when those gorgeous brown eyes hit mine, but not when I see that they’re red-rimmed from crying. My heart squeezes in my chest, and I want to hurt Jace more than I’ve ever wanted to hurt anybody in my life. “Reid told me about your night, and I just want...no, I need to know that you’re okay.”
She stares up at me. “Why?”
It’s a simple question, but there is no simple answer for me to give her. “I just do,” I say as gently as possible.
Chapter 18
Evie
I stare up at Zane. This night has been an absolute disaster. I just wanted to go to bed after my train wreck of a date. After calling my mom, I was planning on getting my pajamas on and going to bed. But then Bisch called, telling me that I’m in charge of opening tomorrow and asked if I’d come grab the key. I didn’t want to go outside, but it was kind of him to walk it all the way over here. I didn’t even bother to change; I figured I’d just grab the key and head back inside. Seeing Zane was not a part of that plan. My head is spinning, and I feel completely lost. I just want to go inside and go to sleep. “I’m good. Thanks. Have a good night.” Before he can say anything else, I head back into my dorm. I make it up the stairs, but I’m breathing heavy and seriously feel like I’m going to throw up or pass out, or maybe both. I lean against the wall as sweat drips from my forehead.What is wrong with me?
“Somebody’s been partying before the weekend.” Two girls laugh as they pass me, but I don’t bother responding. It’s not like I could even if I wanted to. I blink blurry eyes and try taking a few more steps. It takes me forever to reach my room. Every few steps, I have to lean against the wall and close my eyes to try to stop the hallway from spinning. When I finally make it to my room, I open the door and drop to the ground. I can’t move. The lights are off, so hopefully Sam is asleep.
I’m not sure how long I lay on the floor. Finally, it feels like whatever it is that’s making me feel like I’m going to die begins to wear off. Eventually, I push myself off the floor. I still don’tfeel like I can make it to the bathroom, but I manage to drag my body over to my bed. I take off Sam’s clothes, being careful with them, even in my fog. I snatch the first tank and shorts I can find and drop into bed, setting my alarm for four-thirty. I'm asleep before I even fully cover myself up.
The next morning, my alarm wakes me way too soon. I turn it off quickly and take a minute to wake up. If I didn’t have to open the coffee shop, I would totally roll over and go back to sleep. But I don’t have time. I have to be at the shop in less than thirty minutes. I drag myself out of bed and try to massage my aching head. When I step into the bathroom and close the door behind me, I turn on the lights and wish I hadn’t. The light feels like it’s piercing my brain. I quickly turn off the light.I guess I’ll be getting ready in the dark.
Thankfully, I took a shower before my date yesterday. I throw my hair up into a bun on top of my head and slip on a fresh t-shirt and leggings. Since it’s so early, I grab a sweatshirt to throw on and slip into my Chuck Taylors. My feet are still a little sore from the other day but not bad. Snagging my phone and wallet, I pat my pocket to make sure I have the key and slip quietly out of my room. I make my way to the first floor and out the doors. I start towards the shop and nearly jump out of my skin when somebody joins me.
