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“I wasn’t.” He chuckles in protest, tugging my forearm until I stumble into his arms. “I left that empty chair next to me for you. It wasn’t my plan to have Chelsea take it. And I’ve already told you … Jess isn’t a factor.”
“Someone should make that clear to her,” I grumble.
He grips the back of my neck. The scruff on his jaw scratches my cheek. “Well, let’s make it clear.” His lips brush across my skin with each word. “Right. Now.”
He pulls back just enough to kiss me, but it’s brief.
Then, he takes my hand again and leads us back into Deernan’s. The band has resumed playing. They’re in the middle of a Rolling Stones cover. Zane snakes his way through people and the tables like he’s on a mission. He tightens his hold when I try to pull away. I can feel the spotlight on us right now, like every eye in the room is aware of us.
He pauses for a step and glances back at me with a smirk on his face and a challenge in his expression. “There’s no turning back now, Lo.”
When we get to the table, everyone is back in their seats, and there are two open chairs. One is in between Chelsea and Jessica, and the other one is next to Wyatt. Everyone is watching us and waiting. Benji’s eyes are wide, but he’s nodding his head with a knowing smile on his mouth. Paul, his girlfriend, and Chelsea look surprised. And Jessica and Wyatt seem angry.
Zane sits in the seat I vacated a while ago and pulls me down onto his lap. My spine stiffens, but he rubs a palm along my thigh until I relax. Wyatt’s jaw clenches, and then he finishes his beer. Jessica is shooting daggers at me from across the table, trying to murder me with her stare alone.
“Where did you two disappear to?” Benji asks with a smug, entertained tone.
“We just had to get a few things straight,” Zane says, his voice strong and sure. He sounds the opposite of how I’m feeling right now.
The music drowns out further conversation, and I’m grateful for that.
After a couple more songs, Zane leans closer to my ear. “Wanna get out of here?”
I turn until I can see his navy-blue-colored eyes. We’re close, mere inches apart. It affects me in a way it never has with Wyatt.
I nod.
Zane breaches the small gap between us, his lips kissing the tip of my nose before landing on my mouth. The kiss is brief again—a rare show of affection in front of a table filled with his friends. But I don’t feel like he’s trying to get beneath Wyatt’s skin. At least, I hope not.
We say goodbye to everyone. The tension around the space is palpable. Chelsea decides to leave with us.
“When did this happen?” Chelsea asks, motioning between Zane and me as we walk to my SUV.
Zane’s arm is around my shoulders. He glances at me, silently giving me the reins.
“I’m not sure,” I say honestly. “A little bit at a time, I guess.”
Zane smirks. “I showed up at her house the other day and took her on a hike to Talbert Lake. Have you been there before?”
Chelsea says, “No,” and they start a conversation about the place.
I settle into the front passenger seat, relinquishing my keys to Zane, and listen to the two of them talk all the way home with a content smile on my face.
CHAPTER TEN
ZANE
We drop Chelsea off, and I pull the SUV into the driveway of Willow’s cabin and park. I exit the vehicle, meeting her around the front, and hand her the keys. I follow her up the porch steps and wait while she opens the door.
The neighborhood is quiet and still, but there’s something in the air tonight. It feels like opportunity. The anticipation grows as I follow her into the house.
Earlier in the night, I had one beer and one shot, but when I saw Willow take that first shot of whiskey, I stopped drinking alcohol so I’d be fine to drive later, knowing she’d probably need a ride home.
She thinks my attention was on Chelsea and Jessica most of the time. It wasn’t. My attention was on her. And I knew Wyatt would try to take her home. I wasn’t going to let that happen.
I follow her across the threshold as she places her keys on a side table. She left a lamp on, but the lighting is muted. Willow heads straight into the kitchen to fill a glass with water and immediately drinks half of it down. She takes a breath and then finishes it, adding more from the tap.
“Why does water taste better up here?” she asks.
