Nolee
"Hey, you wanna get outta here?" Zack's gruff, elated voice is near my ear, sending electricity flying through my veins.
I take a step away from him, eyes focused on Lia and Xavier, who look suspicious with stupid grins on their faces. One look at Lia's blushing cheeks and Xavier's ruffled hair, and I know what they've been up to.
"No thanks."
"Hey, what's wrong?" Zack steps in front of me with a worried frown on his lips.
I turn around and grab my red cup of Sprite. No alcohol for me tonight, even though I need it to dull this annoying ache in my chest. If I drink, I'm going to chew Summer's head off, and probably knee Zack in the balls.
"Nothing."
"Uh oh, what did I do?" Zack chuckles but it's nervous.
There's a beat of silence between us as Zack gives me my space and waits for me to speak.
I'm mad that he doesn't know what he did. How can he not know what he did? Ugh, I want to smack him and kiss him all at the same time.
Slamming my cup down, I turn around and glare up at the QB.
"Why did you let her kiss you?" My words are harsh. I'm overwhelmed as I feel tears cloud my vision.
I am not going to cry over a guy.
Don't you cry, Nolee Rumi. Men are trash, they don't deserve your tears.
Yeah, but it's Zack...
"Who?" Zack looks genuinely confused.
Wow.
"Summer."
"Oh," Zack pouts, too relaxed for my liking, "I honestly don't even remember her kissing me. I was too busy thinking about when you were going to jump into my arms and kiss me."
I'm going to murder him.
Ugh, why does he have to go act aloof and then say stuff that makes my heart all gooey?
Zack cheekily grins, too amused.
"Nolee Rumi, are you jealous?"
"In your dreams." I bite with a glare which makes the stupid jock laugh like a psychotic clown.
I'm not jealous.
I'm just...mad.
I don't want him kissing another girl. Or touching another girl. Or looking at another girl. I want him to look only at me. Hell, I'm the cheerleader he annoys all the time. I'm the one he sends fuck-boy snaps to. I'm the one who waits giddily every night for his corny, crude texts.
When I saw that bitch kiss him, I wanted to drag her by her ugly ass hair and smack her into the next century. From what I recall, the dude doesn't like her, so how is she going to throw her skanky ass at the quarterback and act as if they're lovers?
Zack smiles and invades my space, trapping me against the kitchen counter. His variety jacket makes him look even bigger and broader. I'm having very inappropriate thoughts of me and him and that jacket.
Chill, girl, drink some water.
"Woman, you are in my dreams, and let me tell you, the things we do, we'd need to go to church every Sunday for those sins." Zack smirks, eyes on my lips.
His scent is intoxicating. Zack, fresh-laundry, and green-apples.
Zack cradles my cheek, his hazel eyes softening.
"Summer means nothing to me."
The elation I feel when I hear those words is indescribable.
"We dated in high school for a year but she ended up cheating on me with some other douchebag."
"She cheated on you?"
She fucking cheated on him?
Is she stupid?
Summer cheated on a guy like Zack. A guy who is so passionate about what he does and respects women and has the kindest of hearts and has the cutest dimples ever.
Is she stupid?
Now I'm really going to kill her.
"I'm glad she did it first," Zack smiles, "Between you and me, she's a stage five clinger and her tits aren't real."
I giggle, shaking my head at his bluntness.
How can this dude make me angry, almost cry then make me laugh all the span of one night?
"What I'm trying to say is that I don't care about her and that kiss—I don't even remember it," Zack's touch is gentle, "I care about you and you're the only one I want a kiss from. Your lips are unforgettable, Rumi."
"I am a good kisser." I boast.
"Good?" Zack scoffs, "Woman, you make a man want to bust a nut on the spot with those lips."
I laugh whole-heartedly, happy that goofy, mischievous Zack is back.
Communication is super important in a...relationship? Friendship?—whatever Zack and I have. I was mad and jealous for a valid reason but I know I don't have the right to because I slept with another guy after sleeping with Zack. And it's not like Zack hasn't slept with another girl since me.
Yup, he's probably slept with a bunch of girls since me...
Mmhmm.
Cool.
Zack smiles and slips his palm into my hair and seals my lips with his. It's a strong, depraved kiss—one he's been waiting for all night. I smile in the kiss, all my anger, and sadness washing away.
I don't need to worry about Summer. Zack and I just need to talk about what we are. I know where I want to be with him but I don't know about him.
I've always thought that Zack has never been serious with me. Main reason, his reputation...and body count. He always gives me mixed signals and I always think, that's him being him but now that I really picture it, Zack is into me.
But, is he serious?
Can I trust him?
"Look who it is." Will's obnoxious voice startles me, I break the kiss and look at him wide-eyed.
Will looks drunk and angry as he steps towards us, his eyes dead on Zack.
"The fancy quarterback who thinks he's the best player in the world and god's gift to women." Will jabs Zack on his shoulder, playfully but it looks taunting.
I hold my breath, scared.
"My bad," Will scoffs with a nasty sneer, "You're nothing but a sus motherfucker whose daddy don't even support him."
Zack growls and lunges for him but I step in-between, my palms against his hard chest.
"Zack, no." Harshly, I commend.
Zack is going to start a fight if Will doesn't shut his drunk ass up.
Zack breathes but he's agitated and one more push from Will and he's going to explode.
Will's attention falls on me.
Uh, oh.
"Hey, sweet thing," Will licks his lip and bites it as he stares lewdly at my body, "When are you gonna let me fuck that tight, wet cunt again?"
Fuck.
"Again?" Zack incredulously grits.
My heart freezes.
My face must be looking guilty as fuck right now because Zack is mad.
"Didn't tell your little boyfriend about our hookup?" Will feigns shock, then taunts Zack with a vicious lightness to his words, "Oops, I fucked your girl, Mackenyu."
Zack's jaw clenches as do his fists and in the next moment, Zack is punching Will.
"Zack!" I'm bewildered.
This is not happening.
Zack did not just find out I slept with another guy, especially the QB of his rival team.
And he's fighting.
This is all my fault.
Zack grabs Will by his varsity jacket and slams him against the kitchen counter, the alcohol bottles breaking and crashing all around them. Zack lands a good punch on Will's jaw and the sound is nauseating. I don't think he'll be able to eat for the next few weeks.
Zack is not giving Will a chance to hit. Will is too drunk to coordinate his punches let alone take the punches.
Blood seeps out of Will's nose, lips, cheek.
Xavier and Hudson rush in to hold Zack back with the latter growling and oozing animosity.
Worriedly and nervously, I go to him and touch his cheek.
"Zack."
Zack roughly pushes my hand away.
"Get the fuck away from me."
My heart breaks.
No.
"Zack, please." Softly, I beg.
Tears overwhelm me and they fall when I blink.
Zack pushes me against the counter, reckless and hurt. I gasp at his sudden touch and roughness.
"You slept with him," he snarls, pupils dilated in disbelief and rage, "You fucking slept with another guy after being with me. What the fuck, Nolee?"
"Zack, I'm—"
"I haven't fucked another girl since our night together," Zack quietly rages, a storm brewing in his eyes, heart, soul, "Yet you fucked a random stranger as if our night meant nothing to you."
He hasn't slept with anyone?
No.
He can't—why would he—he's got to be lying. There's no way he didn't sleep with another girl, this is Zack. Our night was just another hookup for him...he can't.
Our night meant everything to me. I didn't know what I was missing until I slept with Zack. All my others are insignificant. Zack touched me in ways no other man has ever done. And he made me feel so...vibrant and sexy.
I dreamt about our night over and over and over again, waiting for it to happen again.
I slept with Will because I thought Zack would do the same—our hookup was casual, between friends.
I never thought Zack would cherish it.
"Zack, no..." My tears roll down my cheeks.
"I haven't touched another girl since you, Nolee." Zack peacefully confesses.
Happiness I would feel if I weren't broken at the knowing of where this is going.
I fucked up.
Zack's eyes darken, a small, sad, sinister smile on his face.
"But I guess that's nothing special to a girl who throws away the good for a meaningless fuck."