The Captain's Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 17: Chapter 17 - 7 Minutes

Roxie wanted to go.

The living room had shifted into full party-game mode in less than thirty seconds. The coffee table was pushed against the wall, people were sitting on the couch arms, the carpet, the stairs, and anywhere else they could get a good view.

Someone turned off the main light and left two lamps on, which made the whole room dimmer and somehow more embarrassing.

Mason stood in the middle with the baseball cap full of folded slips like he had been waiting all night to become the worst person in the house.

"Names in," he said.

A football player threw his hand up. "No cheating. You can only write your name once."

Mason looked offended. "I think we’ll all know if I cheated."

Dylan laughed from beside Zac. "You cheated at cornhole last summer."

"Why can’t you let that go?"

Roxie stood near the edge of the living room with her arms crossed, trying to look bored while every part of her wanted to leave.

Kendall stood across from her with Tori and Marissa, all three of them smiling too much.

The blonde girl from the body shot had moved closer to the football group again, but her eyes kept sliding to Zac like she was waiting to see if he would look back.

He did not.

Zac stood a few feet away from Roxie, quiet now, with Dylan still close enough to annoy him.

Mason shook the cap. "First round."

The first names were called. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

A girl from student council and a baseball player got shoved toward the pantry while everyone screamed like they had never seen two people walk through a door before. The pantry was off the short hallway near the kitchen, narrow and dark, perfect for the game.

Seven minutes later, they came out red-faced and laughing too hard.

The room got louder.

Roxie regretted everything.

Mason shook the cap again. "Next."

A cheerleader from another grade got picked with one of the football boys. Then another round. Then another. People booed when nothing interesting happened and screamed when someone came out with messed-up hair.

Roxie stayed where she was.

Kendall kept watching her.

That was the worst part. Kendall’s little smile, like Roxie had already stepped into the trap and Kendall was just waiting for the rope to tighten.

Mason shook the cap again. "Next round."

The room started clapping while he reached in and pulled out one folded slip. He opened it, grinned, and looked straight at her.

"Roxie Jones."

The room yelled.

Roxie stayed still, but her stomach tightened. Everyone was looking at her now. The pantry door was open down the hallway, and even from where she stood, it looked too small. Being locked inside with some random boy while everyone waited outside laughing made her skin feel wrong.

She looked at Kendall.

Kendall was smiling.

Roxie fixed her face because backing out now would only make it worse.

Mason reached into the cap again. Before he opened the second slip, Zac stepped forward.

"Mason."

Mason opened the paper and laughed. "Me."

The room booed immediately.

"You cheated," one of the football boys said.

Mason held up both hands. "How? You all watched me pull it from the cap."

Dylan leaned against the wall, watching him with a grin. "You cheat at everything."

Mason ignored him and looked at Roxie. "Rules are rules, Captain."

Roxie forced a smile. "Lucky me."

Mason started toward the hallway, but Zac moved in front of him before he could get far.

The room reacted at once.

"Ooooh!"

"Prescott!"

Mason stopped, his smile dropping. "What?"

Zac looked at him. "Pick again."

Mason laughed. "Why?"

"Because she doesn’t want to go with you."

The room went quiet.

Roxie’s face burned.

Mason’s face flushed too, but for a different reason. "She didn’t say that."

Zac did not move. "She doesn’t have to."

Mason looked past him at Roxie. "Is that true?"

Every eye turned to her.

Roxie hated Zac for that.

A little.

"I’m fine."

Zac’s jaw tightened.

Mason smiled. "See?"

Zac stayed in front of him. "Pick again."

Mason looked around the room. The football boys were quieter now. A few girls were watching with uncomfortable faces. Even the blonde girl by the counter had stopped smiling. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com

It was not funny anymore.

Mason noticed.

His mouth twisted. "Whatever." He shoved the slip into Zac’s chest. "Fine. Go. Since you care so much."

The room reacted again, louder this time.

"Bro stole his turn!"

Roxie looked at Zac.

Thank God, it was Zac.

The thought was humiliating.

Mason would have made it disgusting. Some random football boy would have made it worse. Zac was still a problem, obviously, but at least she knew what kind of problem he was.

He just tilted his head toward the hallway. "Come on."

Roxie’s spine stiffened.

Even when he was being useful, he had to be irritating about it.

She lifted her chin and started walking before anyone could say something worse.

Zac followed close behind her.

The pantry waited at the end of the hallway, door open, shelves packed on both sides. Zac stepped in first, then turned slightly so she could enter.

She stepped inside.

The room outside screamed.

The door shut.

The lock clicked.

And then it was just her and Zac.

For two seconds, neither of them said anything.

The pantry was too small. Roxie could hear the party outside, muffled through the door, people laughing, someone shouting Mason’s name, someone else yelling for the timer to start. A shelf pressed lightly against her back, and Zac stood in front of her with barely enough space between them to pretend this was normal.

It was not normal.

Zac looked at the door first, then at her.

"Why’d you go with Mason?"

Roxie blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You like him?"

"No."

The answer came out fast.

Too fast, apparently, because Zac’s eyes stayed on her like he was checking if she meant it.

Roxie crossed her arms. "Are you fucking serious right now?"

"You were going to walk in here with him."

"I was going to walk in here because that’s the game."

His jaw tightened. "So you don’t like him."

"No, Prescott. I do not secretly like Mason, the guy who shoved a mystery drink in my hand and tried to hit on me several times."

Outside, someone shouted, "Start the timer!"

Roxie pressed her lips together, then looked back at him. "Are you fucking jealous?"

Zac’s eyes stayed on hers. "And if I am?"

"That would be embarrassing, because you have no right."

His eyes sharpened. "And you weren’t?"

Roxie stared at him. "Are you kidding me?"

"You looked pissed."

"Because you were acting stupid in public."

"Because of Janice?"

Roxie laughed, sharp and disbelieving. "Oh my God. You really are full of yourself."

Zac stepped a little closer. "Answer."

"Who am I supposed to be jealous of? That blonde girl?"

His jaw shifted. "Is she the only one?"

Roxie blinked. "What does that even mean?"

"You tell me."

"No. Eeeew." She pointed at him, anger coming fast now because it was easier than admitting her chest had tightened the second he asked.

"You think everyone wants you," she said. "You think every girl in that room is waiting for you to look at her, and maybe most of them are, so congratulations. But don’t confuse me with them."

Zac’s face tightened. "I don’t."

"Really? Because you sure act like it."

"You think I act like this for other girls?"

Roxie stopped.

Her chest did something stupid.

The pantry went quiet except for the party outside. Someone yelled through the door. The music kept thumping from the living room. A girl laughed too loudly in the hallway.

Roxie hated that she could not answer fast enough.

She swallowed. "I like you, Zac."

His face changed.

Roxie lifted her chin before he could enjoy it. "As a friend."

Zac laughed once with no humor in it.

"Right," he said.

Then he stepped closer.

Roxie’s back touched the shelf behind her. One of his hands came down beside her waist, gripping the edge of the shelf. He still was not touching her, but he was close enough that it almost did not matter.

Her skin reacted anyway.

Traitor.

Zac dipped his head, eyes on hers, and Roxie suddenly noticed everything at once. The red at the tips of his ears. The small cut near his mouth from the game. The way his shirt still sat crooked from that stupid body shot. The warmth of his breath when he spoke.

"You sure don’t act like a friend," he said.

Roxie’s mouth went dry.

Her first instinct was to snap back.

Her second was worse.

His eyes dropped to her lips, and something low in her stomach pulled tight.

Absolutely not.

"Friendship," she said.

His eyes came back to hers.

"That’s all I’m offering." Her voice came out lower than she wanted, but at least it came out. "Take it or leave it."

Zac did not move.

Roxie lifted her chin higher. "And if you don’t want it, then fuck off out of my life."

His face changed again, but this time he did not cover it fast enough. His jaw tightened. His hand stayed on the shelf beside her waist, but the rest of him went still.

Outside, someone yelled, "Four minutes!"

Roxie kept breathing like her heart was not trying to embarrass her.

Zac looked at her mouth one more time.

Then back at her eyes.

"Friendship," he said.

It did not sound like agreement.

Roxie put both hands on his chest and pushed him back. "Okay. We’re friends. Back off."

Zac moved.

Barely.

His mouth curved. "Friends can stand close."

Roxie stared at him. "That is not a rule."

"It is tonight."

"You’re drunk."

"A little."

"That explains a lot."

His eyes dropped to her hands.

Roxie realized she still had both palms on his chest.

Embarrassing.

Before she could pull away, Zac caught one of her wrists and pressed her palm flat against his chest again.

Roxie’s eyes snapped to his. "Let go."

"Friends do this." His grin went crooked. "Builds trust."

"You’re ridiculous."

"I’ve been told."

He held her hand there for another second, just long enough to be annoying, then let go.

Roxie pulled her hand back fast.

Zac laughed under his breath.

"I hate you," she said.

"No, you don’t."

She should have answered right away.

She did not.

That was the problem.

Zac stepped closer again, and Roxie’s back touched the shelf behind her. A bag crinkled near her shoulder. His hands came down on both sides of her, braced against the shelf, trapping her there without actually touching her.

Roxie should have shoved him.

She wanted to.

Mostly.

"Zac."

"What?"

"I said back off."

His grin flashed.

Annoying.

Hot.

No. Annoying.

Outside, someone yelled, "Four minutes!"

The party screamed after it.

Zac did not move.

Roxie lifted her chin, but it was a stupid move because it brought her face closer to his.

His eyes dropped to her mouth.

Her breath caught.

He saw that too.

She hated him for it.

"Don’t," she said.

His gaze came back to hers. "Don’t what?"

"You know what."

"I’m not doing anything."

"You’re standing too close."

"You haven’t moved."

Roxie opened her mouth.

Nothing came out fast enough.

His smile turned smug.

She hated that too.

"You’re crowding me, genius."

"I don’t know." He leaned in a little. "I don’t think I’m close enough."

Roxie made a sound she immediately hated and turned her face away before he could get closer.

Her whole face burned.

Wrong move.

His breath touched the side of her neck.

She went still.

The party was still loud outside. People were laughing. The music kept shaking the walls. Someone banged on the door and shouted something she did not understand.

Roxie heard all of it.

She still noticed Zac more.

His shirt brushed her hand when he shifted.

Her fingers curled once before she could stop them.

Zac noticed that too.

He went quiet.

For once, no joke.

That made it worse.

Roxie stared at the shelf over his shoulder and tried to remember why she had walked into this pantry in the first place.

Mason.

The game.

Kendall.

The whole stupid party.

Right.

She pushed at Zac’s chest again.

Not hard enough.

His mouth came close to her ear. "Friends?"

Roxie swallowed.

"Shut up."

He laughed softly.

The door opened.

Light rushed in.

"Time!" Mason shouted.

Roxie froze with one hand still on Zac’s chest.

Zac’s hands were still braced on both sides of her.

The whole room outside screamed.