Page 51 of Offside Attraction

Instead, I turn—slowly—toward Shay, who hasn’t taken her eyes off me since I arrived.

“Cute outfit,” I say casually. “You pick it out yourself?”

She giggles immediately.

Shay is beautiful—tall, polished, effortlessly confident. And absolutely not my type. This has nothing to do with her.

“You’re kidding,” she says. “Didn’t think anyone would notice.”

I smirk. “First thing I noticed, actually. Your boyfriend should’ve known better—unless he’s into watching someone else steal your attention.”

For a split second, my eyes flick to Hayes.

His jaw tightens.

The room erupts in jeers and laughter. Shay laughs harder, clearly enjoying herself.

Hayes shoves her thigh off his lap and stands abruptly.

His eyes lock on mine—pure fury.

Then he turns and storms out.

CHAPTER 11

Itakealongdrag from the cigarette, the smoke swirling lazily in front of me as I lean back against the fence in Lance’s massive backyard. The party inside is a blur of music and shouting, but out here, it’s quiet. Exactly how I like it. The cool night air feels good against my skin, cutting through the haze of heat and alcohol.

“You know those things’ll kill you, right?”

I turn my head just as Zach steps up beside me, hands shoved into his pockets, that easy smile plastered on his face. He’s always smiling—something I’ve never quite understood. His blonde hair is loose tonight, long strands framing his face.

He’s pretty.

“God, you sound like my sister,” I mutter, taking another drag before spurting the smoke through my nostrils.

He laughs, the sound low and relaxed, leaning against the fence—way too close for comfort. “Guess that means she cares about you.”

I give him a sideways glance but don’t answer. Instead, I stare straight ahead, blowing out another puff of smoke. I’m not really in the mood for company, especially after my altercation with Hayes, but something about Zach is… disarming.

“You’re not really the party type, huh?” he says, bumping me lightly with his elbow. The touch lingers just a second too long.

“Not really,” I reply, flicking ash off the cigarette. “Tripp talked me into it. Team bonding or some shit.”

“Yeah, I figured.” He shrugs. “Still… I’m glad you’re here. You make things more interesting.”

I raise an eyebrow, finally turning to look at him. “Interesting?”

Zach shrugs again, but there’s something in his eyes now—playful. His gaze drops to my lips for a split second before lifting to meet mine.

…Did he just check me out?

“Yeah,” he says. “You’ve got this way of standing out, even when you’re trying to blend in. Kinda hard to miss.”

I let out a low, dry laugh. “That your way of saying I’m weird?”

“Nah,” he grins. “More like mysterious. And I’ve always had a thing for mysteries.”

Okay. Yeah. He’s flirting.