Chapter 422 - Something That’s Hers

Chapter 422: Chapter 422 - Something That’s Hers

By the time they got home, clips from the game were already everywhere.

Roxie sat sideways on the couch with her legs stretched across Zac’s lap while he scrolled through his phone, still wearing the Tennessee shirt he’d changed into after showering. His hair was damp, one knee kept moving under her legs and every few seconds he stopped on another post somebody had tagged him in.

"There’s another one."

"The touchdown?"

"No. This is the one where I got fucking murdered."

Roxie leaned closer just as Zac turned the phone toward her. The video started with him holding the ball far longer than he should have before that huge player slammed into him and sent both of them sliding across the grass. She immediately started laughing.

"Fuck you."

"You looked so small."

"I am six two."

"Tell that to the refrigerator that tackled you."

Zac shoved at her leg, but Roxie grabbed his phone before he could stop her and replayed the clip. Watching it from this angle somehow made it even worse. The guy looked massive beside him, and Zac barely had time to turn before he disappeared underneath him.

"Oh my God. Look at you."

Zac reached for the phone, but Roxie pulled it against her chest and kept laughing until he leaned over her and finally managed to steal it back. "You watched me throw a touchdown from half the fucking field and this is your favorite clip?"

"Yes."

"Terrible girlfriend."

"Very supportive girlfriend. I cheered when you stood up."

"That doesn’t help."

Still smiling, Zac scrolled until he found the clip Roxie knew he actually wanted to watch. The long throw to Dylan filled the screen, and her laughter slowly turned into a smile.

Someone from the team media staff had caught the entire thing from the side. Zac escaped the two players coming after him, started moving forward, then suddenly stopped when he saw Dylan farther down the field. The camera followed the ball through the air before Dylan caught it and kept running.

Then the whole side of the field erupted again.

Roxie watched Zac’s reaction more closely this time. He stood farther back than she remembered, following Dylan with his eyes until the touchdown was obvious. Then that grin appeared.

She looked at Zac beside her.

He was watching it too.

"That was good."

He glanced over. "Just good?"

Roxie smiled. "Fine. It was really fucking good."

"Thank you."

"Your head is already huge. I shouldn’t encourage you."

"Too late."

He replayed it anyway.

Roxie rolled her eyes but leaned closer against him while he opened the comments. There were already people asking who number seven was, somebody saying the freshman quarterback had an arm and another person talking about how clean the throw to number eighteen had been.

Then Roxie’s eyes stopped on one particular comment.

okay number 7 ??

Her eyebrows rose.

"Excuse me?"

Zac looked down at her. "What?"

She turned the screen toward him. "Your fan club has started."

He laughed. "That’s one comment."

"One too many."

"She’s probably talking about the throw."

"She put eyes."

"So?"

Roxie stared at him. "You know exactly what those eyes mean."

Zac leaned back against the couch with a grin that made her narrow her eyes even more.

"Oh, you’re enjoying this."

"I didn’t say anything."

"Your face did."

"My face is naturally attractive. That’s your problem."

Roxie smacked his stomach with the back of her hand, but before she could insult him properly another notification came in.

This time it was Mason.

He had found the touchdown post too.

Took Tennessee three weeks to discover Prescott is an annoying bastard who can throw. Proud of you princess.

Roxie burst out laughing.

Zac stared at the comment. "I fucking hate him."

Dylan replied before Zac even had time to type.

He almost threw it over my head. Relax.

Zac immediately sat forward. "Oh, fuck both of them."

Roxie watched over his shoulder while he typed.

You caught it because I put it where only your slow ass could get it.

Dylan’s reply came almost immediately.

You spent half the game getting folded by freshmen. Stay humble.

Roxie covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing louder.

Zac looked offended. "He’s a freshman too."

"That makes it worse."

"Whose side are you on?"

"Whoever is funniest."

Mason jumped back in with another comment.

Briarwick survived them. Tennessee’s problem now.

That finally made Zac lock his phone and throw it beside him on the couch.

"You people are fucking annoying."

"You love us."

"Unfortunately."

Roxie settled back against him, still smiling, but her eyes stayed on the paused clip on the television. She couldn’t stop thinking about the way the older players had reacted when Zac made that throw. At Briarwick she had seen people celebrate him so many times that eventually it became normal. Today had been different. Those guys hadn’t grown up hearing about Zac. They hadn’t spent years expecting him to do something ridiculous whenever a play started falling apart.

He had made them notice him.

The thought filled her with another stupid wave of pride, and before Zac could react she reached up and squeezed both of his cheeks between her fingers.

"My little football star."

Zac slapped her hands away. "Don’t call me little after you watched me get hit by that fucking tank."

"That is exactly why I’m calling you little."

"I’m bigger than you."

"Everyone is bigger than me. That’s not impressive."

He laughed and pulled her closer until she ended up half across his chest.

Roxie looked toward his phone when another notification appeared. She couldn’t see the name this time, but after that comment from the girl her eyes narrowed automatically.

"You know what? I’ve decided I’m joining Tennessee cheer."

Zac looked down at her. "Because of one girl commenting eyes?"

"Exactly. Somebody needs to supervise this."

"You’re going to train for college cheer just to guard me?"

"I’m committed."

"That’s fucking insane."

"You knew what you were dating."

Zac laughed, then looked at her more seriously. "I thought you wanted to cheer because you missed it."

Roxie paused.

"I do."

"You should try."

That answer came so easily that she looked at him.

"Did you see them today?"

"Yeah."

"They’re insane."

"So were you."

"That’s different."

"How?"

Roxie opened her mouth, then closed it again when Zac smiled like he’d already won.

"I watched you work your ass off for nationals," he said. "If you want to try, then try."

Roxie studied his face for a second because there was no teasing in it now. He actually meant it.

"That was disgustingly supportive."

"Get used to it."

"I might."

She leaned forward and kissed him.

Zac kissed her back, his hand settling against her waist, and for a few seconds Roxie thought maybe the rest of the night was finally going to stay exactly like this.

Then Zac’s phone vibrated again.

He reached for it.

Roxie groaned against his mouth. "If that’s Dylan, I’m throwing your phone out the window."

Zac laughed as he checked the message. "It’s not Dylan."

"Good."

He read whatever was on the screen, then glanced toward the clock.

Roxie noticed immediately.

"What?"

"I need to leave around eight."

Her smile faded a little. "Leave where?"

"One of the seniors is having people over. Just the team after the game."

"Oh."

She hated how disappointed that one word sounded and Zac heard it too.

"You thought I was staying home."

Roxie shrugged, trying to make it smaller than it felt. "Kind of."

"I forgot to tell you."

"Clearly."

"Rox."

"I’m fine."

He kept looking at her until Roxie sighed and gave up.

"I just thought after the game we’d have tonight."

Zac’s face changed immediately. "I can skip it."

That made something twist in her stomach because she wanted to tell him yes.

She really did.

Then she remembered him standing beside those older quarterbacks earlier, listening while they explained things to him. She remembered how nervous he’d looked trying to find his place around a team full of people who barely knew him. One of those seniors had invited him over tonight.

That mattered.

And Roxie hated that she understood exactly why.

"You should go."

"I can stay."

"No, Zac. Go. You finally started talking to half these guys today without looking like you wanted to throw up."

"I never looked like that."

"You did."

"I did not."

"You looked terrified."

"Fuck you."

Roxie smiled slightly, and Zac reached for her hand.

"It’s just the team. No alcohol."

She raised an eyebrow.

"And no girls."

That made her laugh.

"You already thought of that?"

"I know you."

"Smart."

"Very."

The joke came to Roxie immediately.

But Dylan’s there.

A few days ago, she probably would have said it without thinking. Zac would have laughed, maybe called her ridiculous and sent Dylan a message telling him Roxie apparently considered him competition now. Tonight, the joke sat strangely in her mouth because she knew something now that she hadn’t known before.

Roxie let the thought die and simply nodded. "Go."

Zac watched her for another moment. "You sure?"

"Yes."

"I won’t be late."

Roxie gave him a look.

"You’ve said that before."

He winced. "Fair."

"Just go before I change my mind."

Zac kissed her quickly, but Roxie caught his shirt and pulled him back for another one before letting him get up.

"You better not come home at two."

"I won’t."

"One."

"Roxie."

"Fine. One thirty."

He laughed and eventually disappeared into the bedroom to change. A few minutes later he came back in another shirt, fixed his hair using the dark television screen and gave Roxie one last kiss before heading toward the door.

"I’ll text you."

"You better."

"Love you."

"Love you too."

Then the door closed behind him.

The apartment became quiet again.

Roxie stayed where she was for a while, staring at the television where the touchdown clip was still paused with Zac’s arm extended after the throw and Dylan already running farther down the field.

She had been so sure they would spend tonight together.

Apparently she had never actually asked.

That made being disappointed feel stupid.

Roxie reached for her phone before she could sit there thinking about it any longer and started a call with Angela and Karen.

Angela answered first from what looked like her desk, surrounded by books. Karen joined a few seconds later from bed.

Angela frowned. "Why are you calling again?"

"Wow. I love how happy everyone is to see me."

"You called us yesterday."

"So?"

Karen looked around Roxie’s screen. "Where’s Zac?"

"At a team party."

Karen immediately smiled. "Ah."

Roxie narrowed her eyes. "What does that mean?"

"Nothing. It means you’re bored."

Angela laughed. "She is."

"I called because I have news."

Karen adjusted herself against the pillow. "Pregnant?"

Roxie stared at her while Angela burst out laughing.

"You’re horrible."

"So what’s the news?"

Roxie smiled despite herself. "I think I’m going to try for Tennessee cheer."

Angela’s expression changed immediately. "Seriously?"

"Maybe. I watched them today and they’re fucking insane, but I miss it."

Karen sat up a little straighter. "Wait, like actually try?"

"Yeah."

The more Roxie said it aloud, the more real the idea started feeling.

She looked toward the television again before adding, "I miss being down there."

Angela nodded slowly. "I get that."

Karen smiled. "You should do it. Then send me videos so I can judge everybody."

"You can come here and join me."

Karen’s answer came immediately. "No."

Roxie laughed. "That fast?"

"Without you two? Fuck that. Cheer was fun because we were all there. I’m not starting over with a bunch of strangers."

Roxie looked toward Angela. "You too?"

Angela nodded. "Yeah. My family wants me focused on school. They already keep reminding me I’m supposed to understand enough about the company to help someday, so apparently flipping around a football field isn’t part of the plan."

"That sounds depressing."

"It is."

Karen laughed while Angela shrugged.

"I miss it sometimes," Angela continued. "I just don’t want it enough to build my whole schedule around it anymore."

That felt strange to hear.

Cheer had been such a huge part of all three of their lives that Roxie had never really imagined Angela and Karen simply deciding they were finished with it.

Karen studied her through the screen for a moment. "Are you actually joining because you miss cheer?"

Roxie frowned. "What else would I join for?"

Karen lifted her brow. "Zac?"

"No."

The answer came fast.

Then Roxie paused.

Karen caught it.

Angela definitely caught it.

"Oh," Angela said.

"Shut up."

Karen laughed. "I’m asking."

"I miss cheer."

"I believe you."

"And I want to join."

"I believe that too."

"Then what’s the problem?"

"There isn’t one. Just make sure you’re doing it because you want it too. You already moved to Tennessee with Zac."

Roxie’s expression tightened. "I moved because I’m going to school here too."

"I know."

"Then don’t make it sound like I’m following him around."

"I didn’t say that."

"It sounded like it."

Karen sighed before adjusting herself against the pillow. "Rox, I’m saying you need something that’s yours too."

Angela nodded from the other screen. "That part I agree with."

"I have school."

"Yeah," Karen said. "And what else?"

Roxie opened her mouth.

Nothing came immediately.

That annoyed her more than the question itself.

Angela spoke before Karen could push again. "It can be both. You can miss cheer and also want to be closer to Zac during games. That doesn’t make the whole thing fake."

Karen nodded. "Exactly. Just make sure there’s enough of you in the reason."

Roxie looked away from the screen.

"I’m not making my entire life about Zac."

Karen stayed quiet.

Roxie looked back at her.

"Say something."

"I didn’t say you were."

"You made that face."

"What face?"

"The face where you’re silently judging me."

Karen smiled. "Maybe that’s just my face."

Angela laughed, and Roxie rolled her eyes before the conversation finally moved somewhere else.

Karen complained about treatment. Angela complained about school. Roxie told them about Zac getting flattened during the game and promised to send them the clip. By the time they ended the call, Roxie felt better.

For about thirty seconds.

Was she really doing this for herself?

Or Zac’s?