Chapter Twenty-Four

Honey

Zach's fingers stretch across the football as he searches for an open target. The bright lights and cheering crowd don't seem to bother him. Instead, I think they push him. There's a defensive player ready to pounce, and I wince, anticipating the pain of the hit. He throws the ball, but it's too late, and he gets tackled to the ground.

The ball stays course, flying flawlessly into Mike's hand as he runs toward the end zone.

Fifteen yards, then ten, five yards, with no one in sight.

Touchdown!

The crowd roars, and Olivia screams, "We're going to make it, H! We're going to win this." Grinning, I let the energy in the atmosphere ping through my veins because she might be right. With only four minutes left, we're twenty points up. North Central High would need a miracle to beat us.

"Come on, Mike!" Olivia's intensity grows as Mike dances in the end zone, celebrating. The rest of the team on the field tackles him as though they've already won.

"We can't get too excited. A lot can happen in four minutes." Pulling on Olivia's jacket, I try to convince her to sit, but she laughs it off.

"Wow, Honey. This is the first time I've seen you care about a game."

"That's because Jamie never got off the bench."

Olivia throws her head back on a cackle. "Oh, man. I like this new Honey. You're so bad."

Zach toys with his mouthguard, pushing it in and out of his mouth as he walks to the bench. A flutter of expectation brews in my belly, just thinking about how he used that mouth on me before. I bite my lip, looking forward to getting him alone again.

He sidesteps the bench and makes his way to the bleachers. Grappling at the metal rails, he pulls himself up to survey the crowd and raises his brow.

Unmoving, I still can't believe it's me he's looking at. Olivia bumps me on the side with her elbow. "Aren't you going to go to your boyfriend?"

Zach points to me when I don't move, then beckons me over. With one final push from Olivia, I skip down the steps straight to him.

Our smiles grow the closer we get, and anyone watching would think we haven't seen each other in months when, in reality, it's only been a few hours.

"Did you see that, Honeycomb?" His helmet is still on, so I can't get as close as I'd like, but I rest my hands on his and lean in.

Rolling my eyes, I say, "Not much else to watch out here except your greatness."

He smiles smugly. "How many touchdowns is that now?"

"Four in this game."

"Glad you're keeping count."

"How could I forget? Didn't I promise you a blow job for each one?" I say quiet enough so only he can hear.

"Honeycomb," he drawls out with a groan. "I can't believe you said that when I still have a game to finish. I'm glad you didn't forget, though."

As he squeezes my hand, one of the coaches slaps his back. "Evans. Stop canoodling with your girlfriend and get your ass back down here." I drop my forehead onto his pads.

"Guess I better get back down there. You still on for meeting after the game?"

"Of course. If I want to get through all these blow jobs before prom, I'll need to start straight away." I wink and blow a kiss in his direction before walking back to my seat.

He chuckles as he drops back down to the field. Olivia watches me the whole time, letting out a low whistle when I get close enough.

"If anyone doubted your relationship before, that little show set them straight. You should have seen Jamie's face. He is pissed."

"I wasn't doing it for Jamie or any of the other football players."

"I know. That's what I'm worried about."

I tilt my head in Olivia's direction, ignoring the action on the field to focus on her. She shrugs, taking a sip from the coffee in her hand. "Don't bother denying it. I don't think either one of you is that good at acting. I think you're into each other."

"Like I said, we're just friends helping each other out."

"Does it sound more convincing when you say it out loud? Because to me, it sounds like a feeble attempt to brush me off." My mouth hangs open. "I'm just saying, the sooner you admit you're in love with Zach, the sooner you can move forward."

The crowd cheers, but Olivia's words haunt me as we stand there. Am I in love with Zach? I definitely like hanging around him, and I know I've developed a little crush, but love? That's a strong statement, and I'm not sure I'm there just yet.

"Fine. Maybe it's just a little crush, but that's as far as it goes."

A slow but excited smile grows on her lips, and I know I'm in for it. She squeals and hugs me, much to the confusion of everyone around us since there's no play on the field. "I knew it. You know I'm happy for you, right? You deserve to be happy after all the crap Jamie put you through."

"Thanks," I reply feebly. "Remember, this whole thing ends after prom. So don't get too excited." It's a statement I've been repeating to myself too.

"It doesn't have to," she states, but she doesn't get it. She doesn't know about Zach's commitments or that my family doesn't approve. She just sees what everyone else at school does, the shiny veneer.

"We'll see. I've planned a surprise for him to say thank you for everything."

Olivia wiggles her eyebrows, giving me a smirk. "Oh yeah? A sexy surprise?"

I scrunch my face. "No. Not everything is about sex with us."

"Could have fooled me," she mutters, but I ignore her barb.

"I'm getting his motorbike fixed so he doesn't have to get the bus to school anymore." Olivia's face turns to a frown.

"Does he know?"

"No, I wanted it to be a surprise."

She rubs her thighs and lets out a low whistle. "Honey, I—"

"Come on, Zach!" A female voice breaks through the chatter, making me turn my head. Who's that? No one else in this school calls him by his name, and I'm the only one here who would be rooting for him.

The girl is easy to spot in the crowd. Her energy is all-consuming, and everyone around is watching her. She's the only one standing, proudly clapping as she looks on. His sister has come to watch the game. It's the first time any of his family have ventured to our school, and I am urged to introduce myself, considering she's seen me dropping him off before.

"I'll be right back," I say to Olivia, making my way up the bleachers while everyone else enjoys the game. She hasn't noticed I'm making my way to her, but it's not like she's expecting me.

I stop just as I get a few steps away from her row.

No? That can't be what Zach was hiding all this time.

She lifts a little girl out of the stroller next to her. Stupidly, I thought it belonged to the couple beside her. She places the tiny girl on her lap, and she's the cutest thing I've ever seen. Her bright-blonde hair is pulled into pigtails, and her large smile reminds me so much of Zach.

Is she the commitment he's always referring to? Does he have a niece he feels he needs to care for? Is that why he didn't want me to meet his family? Did he think I'd judge him for that?

The final whistle blows, and the crowd erupts in raucous cheering. I take a few more steps, making my way to his sister, but she's gone when I get past a few overexcited fans. How the hell did she get away so fast with a baby?

My eyes dart around the stadium, but I can't find her. I head back down the bleachers, assuming she wanted a better view of Zach. Celebrations on the field are in full swing, and despite not playing, Jamie is in the thick of the group, making it all about him.

Idiot.

The closer I get to the field, the faster my heart beats. Zach's not there, and something feels wrong. Something's off about this whole thing, but I'm not entirely sure what. I walk out to the concrete floor under the bleachers, where the sound of the crowd is muffled. Hardly anyone is down here because they're too busy celebrating our win.

I stop walking when I hear a couple arguing, and just as I'm about to turn back to give them privacy, his distinct voice makes my heart stop.

"I'm sorry, Zach. We wanted to see you play." She sobs through an apology while her baby gargles.

"I've told you not to come here." His voice is sharper than I've ever heard it. "You don't know what these people are capable of or what they'd do if they found out about you."

"I know, but I saw—"

"It doesn't matter what you saw. Showing up here gives people that don't deserve it leverage against me."

Stepping backward, I stop listening and just process the snippet of the conversation I heard. Why would Zach having a niece give anyone leverage? It makes no sense. My ankles buckle the faster I walk. I need to get away from all this. I can't go back into the crowd, so I stride through the expansive bleachers, hoping it will clear my head.

"I told you." Jamie's confident, cocky voice echoes through the quiet hallway.

"What are you doing here?"

"I saw you running from the bleachers, wanted to see what all the fuss was about." Was I running? It didn't feel like it, then again, I don't feel like myself right now.

"There is no fuss."

"You sure about that?" He studies me with narrowed eyes. We're far enough apart that he can't touch me, but I feel his consuming presence, and I don't like it. "Because Brett mentioned that a hot girl was wearing Zach's jersey tonight in the bleachers." He drops his gaze to my number 2 jersey and cocks a grin. "He also said that it wasn't you."

"Don't you and Brett have anything better to do than watch the crowd?"

"Not when it involves you. You should have seen how upset she looked when she saw you kissing Zach."

"She wasn't upset."

"Why do you think she left so abruptly? Do you know who else left the celebrations early? Zach." Words fail me because so much is going through my mind. I know what Jamie is trying to imply, but there's no way that can be true. That's something you tell someone you're close to. "Don't suppose you've seen him."

Dread consumes me as all these little pieces come together in my mind, and I don't like the picture they're creating.

"I'll take your silence as a yes. I must admit, I never expected you to be a homewrecker, Honey."

"Homewrecker? What are you talking about? That's his sister?"

Jamie snorts and shoves his hands in his pockets. "Is that what he told you? That she was his sister ?"

I purse my lips, hating how small he's making me feel. He walks closer and pulls me to a dark corner at the back of the bleachers. "Evans doesn't have a sister. He told me as much when I had to orientate him when we were sophomores, don't you remember?" I shake my head, not wanting to believe the words spilling out of his mouth. "That was before any animosity had built between us, so he had no reason to lie."

Studying Jamie's face, I wait for it to crack. He's only fucking with my brain because he knows he can, right? Right?!

He raises his brows. "He really told you that's his sister? And you didn't bother checking with Mike?" He shakes his head, blowing out a breath. "Man, you're even more gullible than I realized. But then again, Zach is desperate for money, and he stands to make a lot of it with you."

"What are you talking about?" Tears brim my eyes as the reality of the situation settles in.

"You're a bet, Honey." His tone is harsh. "That's all you ever were to him. A way to make cash for his family. He saw you as nothing more than a means to an end." I know this; it's what we originally agreed on. But why does it sound so much worse when Jamie says it? "Must suck to find out that you're essentially a glorified hooker."

My arm moves without thinking, and I slap him across the face. "No." It's all I say. I don't care if he's right; I will not be belittled and ridiculed by him again.

He rubs his cheek, laughing at me. "Wow, you've really got it bad for him, haven't you? And to think this whole time you've been trying to frame me as the villain because I made one tiny mistake with McKenna. Yet, here's your newest boyfriend completely lying to you about his family back home, and he's still prince charming."

"Shut up, Jamie." I push past him and start to walk away.

"He's a dad, Honey, and you're just a bet."

That makes my feet stop, along with my heart.

"That's why he's so invested in making it work with you. He's desperate to prove that I can't have you."

Seemingly a glutton for punishment, I turn. "What are you talking about?"

"Think about it, Honey. You're smarter than your looks would make people believe. You're a bet, he's a dad, and his sister—a sister he doesn't have—cried seeing you together?" I frown, moving away from him. "All the evidence screams baby mama if you ask me."

Shaking my head, I run toward the parking lot without glancing back. He's trying to get in my head. He wants to win a bet and doesn't care about the fallout or how it will affect me. Zach and I need to have a conversation, but he'd tell me if he were a dad. There's no question in my mind… Until there is.

Shaking my head, I pull out my phone to see if Zach's messaged. A blank screen greets me, and it feels almost as bad as the lump forming in my throat.

I need to speak to Zach. It's the only way we'll clear this up.

Zach: Can we talk?

I write it out for what feels like one hundred times, losing my nerve for ninety-nine of those until I finally press send. He's not my boyfriend, and we agreed that we shouldn't get our families involved, but after everything, I thought that had changed. I thought we had changed. After fooling around, I thought we had an unspoken connection. Something more than I ever felt with Jamie.

I drop my head to the pink metal of my car and close my eyes. There's a prickling sensation across my face, and I have to stop myself from crying. Have I been fooled again? Was Jamie right about me? Why am I so upset?

Zach told me it was his sister, and I believed him. Why wouldn't I? He's been nothing but honest with me since the start. Nothing about tonight should make me think differently. I just wish I didn't have this gnawing, unsettling feeling in my stomach like I've been betrayed.

People filter into the parking lot, so I jump into my car, not wanting anyone to see me in such a sorry state.

I'll talk to Zach and get to the bottom of all this. Until then, I need to leave and compose myself.