Willow by Michelle Scott

Author:Michelle Scott [Scott, Michelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-26T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

WILLOW

Part of me wanted to tell Zane to uninvite Jessica. But the other part wanted her to see us together. Me, here, at his house. My things in his space. The two of us hanging out with his friends. I’d brave the tension and the arrows being aimed at my chest all night just to get my point across. Jessica might have been here first, but I’m here now.

The water is boiling in the hot tub, and it’s spacious enough for all of us. I’m wearing my yellow bikini again—the one that Zane and Wyatt seem to like so much. Wyatt is sitting to my left, and Zane is on my right with his arm slung over my shoulders possessively. All the guys look good in their board shorts. Toned physiques and washboard abs.

Benji is entertaining us with stories from their snowboarding days. Zane’s laughter is rich and deep, vibrating in my ear. The fire is blazing in the corner. The air is cold now, and it’s dark out. There are a million stars twinkling in the sky, and the moon is nearly full.

Jessica has a permanent frown on her pretty face, not even attempting to hide her disdain for me. Her gaze is focused on Zane’s hand, where it’s absentmindedly toying with the string holding my top in place. Anita is quiet, sitting in solidarity with her friend.

“You were so pissed.” Benji laughs, his attention on Zane.

“I would be too,” Wyatt says, “if you switched my music to Celine Dion and messed with my pregame routine.”

Benji is talking about the prank he played on Zane one time before a half-pipe competition. Zane apparently listened to hard-core rap or heavy metal before competitions to psych himself up. Benji switched out his playlist for a mellow one.

“It didn’t matter though,” Benji says proudly. “My boy still whipped all our asses that day. He was standing on top of that podium in the end.”

“I didn’t tell you, but I started listening to that same Celine song before every competition from then on.” Zane smirks.

Benji throws his head back and howls with laughter.

“You’re not superstitious at all, huh?” I joke.

“That was my best competition to date. Can’t monkey with what works.”

“Maybe I should’ve started listening to Celine too,” Benji adds humbly. “I needed something to give me an edge.”

“You shred just fine,” Zane says to his buddy.

I pull my knees up to my chest and wrap my arms around them. The air is especially cold when it hits my skin above the hot water. But the contrast feels good.

“I always loved watching you guys compete,” Jessica says, the whisper of a smile on her full lips now that she’s focused on something other than me. “It was my favorite thing to do in high school.”

“Other than Zane,” Wyatt quips, that hard glint back in his brown eyes as he stirs the pot.

Jessica freezes. Benji blows out an exhale and runs a hand through his hair as Zane tenses beside me.

“Other than Zane,” Jessica blatantly agrees, her eyes on the man next to me.

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