The Captain's Dirty Little Secret

Chapter 289: Chapter 289 - Secret Again I

Zac turned from the sink with a glass of water in one hand, looking genuinely confused as he set it in front of her. "Why?"

"Because if we show up together, everybody at Briarwick is going to know we got back together before we even make it through the parking lot." Roxie reached for the glass, already imagining how quickly it would spread. After the last few days of everyone watching them avoid each other, get jealous, fight and generally make a disaster out of being broken up, arriving together would answer every question before first period even started.

Zac leaned one hip against the counter. "We did get back together."

"I know that."

"So I’m struggling to see the emergency."

"The emergency is Noah."

That changed his face immediately.

Roxie almost laughed because she had barely gotten the name out before Zac’s mouth tightened. Apparently all the promises they made last night had not magically replaced his entire personality overnight. He could trust her and still apparently dislike Noah on principle.

"Noah?" Zac repeated. "That lanky guy?"

"Yes, Noah, and before your brain starts doing whatever stupid thing it’s already doing, you know he’s my friend." Roxie took a drink and watched him over the rim of the glass. "He asked me to Sweetheart because he wanted Dana jealous. I agreed because he offered to help cheer with the fundraiser. That was literally the agreement."

Zac straightened slightly. "Until when?"

Roxie looked down at the water in her glass. She already knew he was not going to love the answer. "Until after Sweetheart."

His arms crossed over his chest. "So you still want to go with him?"

"I need to." The discomfort in Roxie’s stomach grew because Noah had done exactly what he promised. For the last few days, while everything in her personal life was falling apart, he had still been helping Student Council coordinate with cheer and handling parts of the fundraiser decorations because he told her he would. "I can’t suddenly leave him walking in alone after he helped us. Besides, it’s mostly the entrance. He has Student Council responsibilities all night anyway."

Zac stared at her. "So I get my girlfriend back, but I still don’t get to be with her at Sweetheart because she’s going with another guy."

Roxie’s mouth went dry.

That sounded worse when he put it that way.

For a second she wondered if she was asking too much. They had barely gotten back together. They had spent half the night admitting how badly jealousy had damaged them, and now she was standing in her kitchen telling Zac she still planned to walk into Sweetheart beside another guy.

But Noah had done nothing wrong either.

"I need to keep my word to him, Zac. He helped me when he didn’t have to, and I’m not going to turn around now that I got you back and act like none of that matters."

Zac’s jaw stayed tight for another moment.

Then he exhaled. "Fine."

Roxie studied him. "Fine?"

"Yeah."

"That sounded suspiciously easy."

Zac picked up their plates and carried them toward the sink. "I’m trying this thing where I trust my girlfriend."

The word girlfriend still did something ridiculous to Roxie’s stomach.

She slid off the stool and moved closer because she wanted to see his face properly. "Then why are you making that face?"

Zac glanced at her. "What face?"

"That one. The one where you look personally offended that Noah exists."

"I trust you."

"I know."

"I do."

"Then what’s bothering you?"

Zac rinsed one plate before answering, his back partly toward her. "I just think it’s annoying that Noah gets to walk into Sweetheart with my girlfriend while I’m supposed to act single."

Warmth spread through Roxie’s chest despite herself. She probably should have been irritated that they had reconciled less than a day ago and Zac was already complaining about another guy, but after spending days wondering whether he even wanted her anymore, hearing him sound this bothered by a completely fake date was unfortunately adorable.

She moved beside him and started gathering the last few things from breakfast while Zac finished rinsing the dishes. For about thirty seconds the kitchen became peaceful again, which should have warned Roxie that he was thinking.

Then Zac asked, "Does Noah have abs?"

Roxie slowly turned toward him.

He kept his attention on the sink like he had asked whether Noah owned a backpack.

"What?"

"I asked if he has abs."

"I heard you. I’m trying to understand why the hell that information matters."

"It might matter."

"To what?"

"I haven’t decided yet."

A grin started pulling at Roxie’s mouth before she could stop it. There was absolutely no reason for Zac to know what Noah looked like without a shirt, which meant he had apparently invented some competition in his head and was now irritated because he lacked information.

Roxie slipped one arm around Zac’s waist and leaned against his side. "I have no idea."

"Good."

"Want me to check?"

His head snapped toward her. "No."

Roxie nearly laughed. "I could ask him."

"No."

"Maybe he has really good abs."

"Roxie."

"He probably works out."

"I’m aware other men exercise."

"Maybe more than you."

Zac turned the faucet off and looked at her fully now, while Roxie finally lost the fight and laughed. His expression only made it worse because he looked genuinely offended that some imaginary shirtless version of Noah had suddenly become competition.

"That isn’t funny."

"It is a little funny."

"You were just telling me there’s nothing romantic between you two."

"There isn’t. I’m enjoying how badly you regret asking about his abs."

Roxie kept smiling while Zac dried his hands. She had missed this too, apparently. She had missed finding exactly the right thing to annoy him with and watching him pretend it had no effect.

The difference mattered.

A few days ago, she had deliberately used other guys because jealousy was the easiest way to hurt Zac and prove he still cared. Now she already knew he wanted her. She was teasing him because his face was funny, and Zac knew that too.

He tossed the towel down and pulled her closer. "You know what Noah probably can’t do?"

Roxie folded her arms between their bodies. "What?"

"Cook."

"Well..."

Zac immediately narrowed his eyes. "What does that mean?"

"It means you don’t know if he can cook."

"I know how you like your coffee. I know what you eat when you’re upset. I know where everything is in this house and which cabinet sticks. I know how to fix that stupid faucet when it starts leaking again."

Roxie shook her head while Zac apparently committed himself to proving his superiority over Noah in categories Noah had no idea existed.

"I can cook. I can fix shit. I know your coffee. I know your food." Zac glanced toward the window, clearly searching for another accomplishment. "Can Noah mow your lawn?"

That made Roxie pause.

Her eyes slowly moved toward the window too.

The grass outside had gotten noticeably taller during the few days Zac had been gone.

She looked back at him. "It does need cutting."

Zac stared at her. "That wasn’t the point."

"You brought up my lawn."

"I’ll cut it."

Roxie tilted her head. "For free?"

Zac looked offended. "Obviously."

"That doesn’t sound competitive enough."

"What do you want?"

Roxie looked deliberately at his mouth.

Zac noticed immediately.

His expression changed.

"I’ll cut it if you kiss me."

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