AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He searched my face. “Okay.”
“How has work been?” I asked, deciding that it was best to keep the conversation off of us because obviously something had taken a turn for the worse inside of him. I just wished he would talk to me.
“Busy. As much as I think I can do it all, I know I can’t.” He smiled softly. “I wish my dad wasn’t retiring but I could never ask him to work alongside me.”
“You know he would if you asked him.”
“I know and that’s why I won’t ask him.”
“Makes sense.”
“Thank you,” Zach said, bringing our joined hands up to his mouth. “For tonight. For everything. For just being you. Thank you for showing me that there are women in this world who aren’t out for blood.”
My breath caught. “I…I don’t know what to say to that.”
“You don’t have to say anything.” He leaned his forehead against mine. “Just thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” I cupped his nape, my eyes fluttering closed. Breathing him in, I got the faint scent of sex and his spicy cologne. “But I really haven’t done anything,” I said after a minute or so had passed.
“You have.” Zach sat back and rested his arm across my lap. “Do you remember that girl I dated in high school? It lasted for less than a second.”
“I believe so.” Truth was, I remembered most of them because I was too shy to make a move, or he was too stuck in his head to do anything about it.
“She spread it around school that I wouldn’t take no for an answer. My parents had to step in before her older brother kicked my ass.”
“Wow.” My eyes widened. “Why would she accuse you of something like that?”
“Because she was drunk and wanted me to fuck her, but I said no. I may be a lot of things, but I don’t take advantage of women. I know how that feels and I didn’t like it. So why the hell would I do it to someone else?” He shrugged. “Anyway, that’s one of many stories but I don’t want to bore you with that shit.”
“You could never bore me.” I thought a moment. “Tell me something no one knows.” I turned toward him.
“Really?” He raised an eyebrow. “Why?”
“I want to get to know you more than I already do.” My cheeks burned. “That’s all.”
Zach pinched my chin, placing a soft peck on my mouth. “I like this girl who I wish I could have given my virginity to instead of it being taken from me without my....” He cleared his throat. “Yeah.”
“I…” Bile rose to my throat. “I didn’t know.”
“It doesn’t matter.” He cupped my cheek. “It’s in the past. As much as the shit I went through, sucked, I like to think I came out stronger in the end.”
My throat closed up, knowing he never had a choice who he gave his innocence to. Even though he had never said it, I could only imagine that was what happened to him. “Zach.” My voice wavered.
“Hey.” He brushed his thumb over my bottom lip. “I didn’t mean to make this…I didn’t…Fuck. I’m not used to this. I’ve known you for years. Since we were kids. You are my best friend, Moonbeam. I know your dad feels you could do better, but I promise, I will try my hardest to be the best for you and prove him wrong.”
“I don’t care what my dad thinks,” I blurted.
“Yeah, you do, Luna. And that’s fine. I get it. He’s your father. I understand.”
“So, just because he feels that you don’t deserve me…is this ending between us?” My stomach was doing flips, waiting for Zach to give me his answer.
“I don’t want this to end but he’s right.”
“No.” I pushed him. “Don’t say that shit to me. I don’t care what he thinks.” I raised a hand when he went to speak. “Listen to me, Zach. I like you. Alright? If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’ve liked you since we were kids, but I know you know that. Everyone knows that. But I don’t know what I’m doing. I’m new. Naïve. Whatever you want to call it, but I do know that I want more. From you. From this.”
“You do deserve better, Luna,” Zach told me.
“You just said that you would do your hardest to be the best for me.” I grabbed his shirt, pulling him against me. “You are the best for me. You are.” I covered his mouth with mine when he went to argue. “You are,” I whispered against his mouth.
