Chapter 431- Handsome Boy

Chapter 431: Chapter 431- Handsome Boy

Roxie was starting to think living with Zac was some kind of joke.

Technically, they still shared an apartment. His shoes were by the door, his shampoo was in the bathroom, half his clothes were mixed with hers and every morning she woke up beside him if he actually made it home. Somehow that still didn’t mean she saw him.

Another game was coming, and whatever little time they had managed to protect over the past two weeks disappeared almost overnight. Their two nights together were gone first. Then the half hour breaks she used to steal with him around campus started disappearing too because somebody always needed him somewhere. Film ran long. Coach added something.

The offensive staff wanted another meeting. He needed treatment. Dylan called. Zac had to go over something with one of the receivers. Every reason made sense by itself, which somehow made the whole thing worse.

Roxie couldn’t even properly blame him.

That was the problem.

If Zac had been hanging around doing nothing, she could have gotten mad and enjoyed it. Instead, every time he came home she could see how exhausted he was. He had new bruises almost every other day, his shoulders were constantly sore and lately he had started stretching while brushing his teeth because apparently football had decided every muscle in his body needed to hurt at once.

He still texted her whenever he could.

Film ran long. Sorry babe.

Coach wants us back after treatment.

Eating now. Did you eat?

Dylan called. I’ll tell you later.

Love you.

Sometimes Roxie would stare at those messages and feel guilty because Zac was clearly trying.

Then she would get pissed anyway because she missed him.

Karen had once told her that this was their future Zac was fighting for too. Football wasn’t some random hobby eating his time. This was the thing that could change his whole life, and if Zac made it far enough, it could change hers too.

Roxie understood that.

She understood it so fucking much she wanted to scream.

Apparently understanding something didn’t magically make her less lonely.

Her period wasn’t helping either.

It was due in two days, and Roxie already felt like a walking volcano waiting for somebody to touch the wrong button. Yesterday she nearly cried because she thought they ran out of the cereal she wanted, then found another box behind the rice and got angry at herself for almost crying in the first place.

Today Zac taking twelve minutes to answer her message had somehow felt personal.

She knew it wasn’t.

That didn’t stop her from staring at the little delivered mark like it had offended her family.

Roxie dropped her phone onto the couch and groaned.

"I’m going insane."

Nobody answered because, obviously, she was alone.

Again.

She stretched out across the couch and stared at the ceiling while the television played something she had stopped watching twenty minutes ago.

When was the last time she and Zac had actually talked for more than ten minutes?

She frowned.

Then another thought came.

When was the last time they had sex?

Roxie sat up.

Jesus Christ.

Now she was counting.

She actually started thinking backward through the past week and immediately hated herself for it.

"Okay, wow."

This was bad.

She wasn’t only missing him anymore. Now apparently her brain had decided Zac no longer wanted her because the man hadn’t jumped her while running on four hours of sleep and getting hit by football players every day.

Greedy.

That was what she was becoming.

Roxie threw one of the couch pillows over her face.

She wanted his time, wanted him home, wanted him awake, wanted him touching her, wanted him talking to her, wanted him to stop leaving every time somebody called.

And the worst part was she knew exactly how unreasonable half of that sounded.

She was still lying there feeling sorry for herself when the front door opened.

Roxie froze.

The pillow dropped from her face.

Zac walked inside wearing Tennessee sweats, his duffel hanging from one shoulder.

She grabbed her phone and checked the time.

9:26.

Roxie looked at him again.

Then at the time.

Then back at him.

Zac shut the door. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It’s not even ten."

"I can read a clock."

"Did Coach die?"

Zac stared at her.

"I’m checking possibilities."

He dropped his bag beside the door. "Missed you too."

Roxie tried keeping the pout on her face, but seeing him home this early had already ruined half of it.

"You’re really done?"

"For tonight."

"That sounds suspicious."

"Everything sounds suspicious to you lately."

Roxie narrowed her eyes.

Zac laughed and walked toward her, leaning down over the couch to kiss her.

She let him, but only for a second before pulling back.

"That’s all you get."

His eyebrows went up. "Why?"

"I’m mad at you."

"For what?"

"I’ll figure it out."

Zac laughed again. "Okay."

"That wasn’t permission to laugh."

"I’m gonna shower before you invent something."

"Good idea."

He kissed her forehead before walking toward the bedroom, and Roxie watched him disappear down the hall.

She was still irritated.

A little.

Mostly she was ridiculously happy he was home.

That annoyed her too.

By the time Zac came back, Roxie had changed the show and moved to one side of the couch like she wasn’t waiting for him. His hair was still damp, and he had changed into a shirt and shorts before dropping beside her with a tired sigh.

He immediately reached for her.

Roxie stayed stiff.

"No."

Zac looked at her. "No?"

"You disappeared for four days."

"I came home every night."

"You came home unconscious."

"That still counts."

"It doesn’t."

Zac wrapped an arm around her waist anyway and pulled until she slid across the couch against him.

"Zac."

"I miss you."

Roxie stopped fighting him.

His voice had gone quieter, and when she looked at him the teasing was gone.

"I miss you so much."

That was unfair.

Roxie’s pout weakened instantly, but she refused to give him the satisfaction.

"You’re trying to soften me up."

"Is it working?"

"No."

"You’re cuddling me."

"You dragged me here."

"You’re still here."

Roxie rolled her eyes and settled against his chest anyway.

Zac smiled and kissed the top of her head.

For the first time in days, Roxie actually relaxed.

His arm stayed around her waist while they watched the show, though Zac kept distracting her by kissing the side of her head or rubbing his thumb along her stomach. She complained every time and then moved closer anyway.

Eventually Roxie shifted across his lap to get more comfortable.

Then she felt it.

She stopped.

Zac went very still.

Roxie slowly looked up at him.

His expression was completely innocent.

She looked back down between them, then up again.

"Men."

Zac looked offended. "What?"

"You tell me you miss me and your dick joins the conversation."

He started laughing.

Roxie shoved his chest. "I’m serious."

"I can miss you in multiple ways."

"How touching."

"You’re sitting on me."

"I was cuddling."

"Very aggressively."

Roxie tried moving away, but Zac caught her waist and pulled her back.

"You’re so annoying."

"You were just wondering if I still wanted you."

Her head snapped toward him.

"What?"

Zac’s smile widened.

Roxie stared.

"How the hell would you know that?"

"You’ve been weird all week."

"I’m on my period soon."

"That explains some things."

Her mouth dropped open.

Zac immediately laughed and tightened his arm around her when she tried getting away.

"Let go."

"No."

"You’re brave tonight."

"I missed my girlfriend."

"You’re trying to get killed by your girlfriend."

"Still missed you."

Roxie hated how quickly that made her soften again.

She looked at him for a second before putting her head back against his shoulder.

"I thought maybe you didn’t want me anymore."

The admission came out quieter than she meant it to.

Zac stopped laughing.

"Rox."

"I know it’s stupid."

"It is."

She slapped his chest.

"Ow. I was gonna say because I’m exhausted."

"You have terrible timing."

Zac caught her hand before she could hit him again and kissed her fingers.

"I barely have enough energy to shower lately. That doesn’t mean I stopped wanting you."

Roxie glanced down meaningfully.

"That part is obvious now."

Zac laughed.

She finally smiled too.

Maybe she really had been losing her mind.

They settled back into the couch, and Roxie let herself enjoy having him there. She put her legs across his lap, Zac rested one hand over her knee and they actually watched the show instead of talking about football, Dylan or schedules.

For almost an hour, things felt normal.

Roxie had forgotten how much she missed normal.

Halfway through the next episode, she nudged Zac.

"Water."

He looked at the glass on the table.

"Empty."

"You have legs."

"I’m fragile."

"You were doing full ups two days ago."

"My period is coming."

Zac stared at her for a second before standing.

"That excuse is getting abused."

"Bring ice."

He shook his head as he walked toward the kitchen.

Roxie smiled and pulled the blanket higher over her legs.

His phone was sitting beside her on the couch.

The screen lit up.

Roxie’s eyes moved toward it automatically.

She wasn’t trying to look.

The notification was simply right there.

Sienna

thanks again handsome boy ??

Roxie stared at the screen.

Her smile disappeared.

For a second, she only looked at the words.

Handsome boy.

She slowly turned her head toward the kitchen.

Zac was standing at the counter filling her glass with water, completely unaware that anything had happened.

Roxie looked back at the phone.

She had spent the entire week telling herself to be understanding.

She had spent days reminding herself that Zac was busy because of football, because of Dylan, because he was exhausted, because he was fighting for his future.

She had spent the last hour convincing herself she was being insane for wondering whether he still wanted her.

And now some girl named Sienna was calling him handsome boy.

Roxie stared at the notification until the screen went dark.

Her period was coming.

She barely saw her boyfriend anymore.

She was already one inconvenience away from losing her shit.

Roxie closed her eyes.

"Oh, for fuck’s sake."