Page 100 of Quarterback Sneak

She sighs, but it’s her contented sigh. “Yes.” She finally turns my way. “Your family is really great, Zane.”

I want to make a wisecrack, but she seems contemplative tonight. “Yeah, they are.” When she doesn’t say anything more, I push a little. “When do I get to meet your mom?”

She shrugs and then goes back to staring out the window. “I’m not sure.” She doesn’t say anything else, and I wonder what’s going through her head. But the last thing I want to do is push her. So, I turn the radio up a little and just let her be.

“How your parents are; I always wanted that for my mom and dad.” Her words are sad, and I get the feeling she wants to talk this out. I stay quiet, hoping she’ll tell me everything she’s thinking. “Your dad. He's the real deal, isn’t he?”

I glance over at her, but she’s still staring out the window. “Yeah, he is. He loves my mom and would die for her if he had to. Same goes for us kids.”

“That’s really great, Zane.” Her words are soft.

I wait a beat. “I’m sorry you didn’t have that growing up, Evie.”

“It’s okay,” she says quickly.

“No. It’s not.”

She’s quiet after that, and I let her be. The fact that she seems fragile tonight makes it even harder than usual to let her go for the night. I walk her inside to her room when we get back tocampus. She looks up at me and smiles, but it’s not the smile I know and love. This one is tinged with sadness, and it nearly breaks my heart. “Night, Zane. Thank you for a great night.”

“Night, Evie. Get some sleep.” I brush her cheek with my lips and then force myself to step back. She steps inside and closes the door behind her. I stand beside her door for longer than I want to admit.

“Zane Blackwood?” I squeeze my eyes shut. I don’t want to deal with any fans tonight. “Is Evie okay?” The sound of my mate’s name snaps me out of it, and I turn to see Evie’s friend, Tessa. She’s wearing a campus security uniform.

I frown down at her. “You work security?”

She lifts her head. “I do.” I bite my tongue before I say something stupid, like pointing out the fact that she’s way too small to be doing security. By the scowl on her face, I think she must have been able to read it all over my face. “How did it go with Evie and your family tonight?”

I remember what Evie said about Tessa helping her. “Good. Thanks for helping Evie tonight and for loaning her the dress. She looked amazing.”

Tessa grins. “She did, didn’t she?” Her smile drops, and her eyes narrow at me. “Was your family good to her?”

“They were.”

She studies my face. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Because you were staring at my friend’s closed door with nothing but regret on your face.” She crosses her arms over her chest. I think she’s trying to be intimidating, but there is absolutely nothing about this fragile human that is intimidating. I’m not sure if it’s the light smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks, her ever-present grin, or her short stature, but she’s the furthest thing from intimidating.

I debate how much to tell her, but I want her to be able to be a friend to Evie tonight. “Evie was quiet on the way home. She asked me about my mom and dad; I think maybe she’s thinking about her parents tonight.” I don’t say anything more than that.

Tessa’s eyes fill with understanding. “Okay. Thanks for telling me.” Her voice softens. “I’ll make sure she’s okay.”

Relief fills me. “Thank you, Tessa.”

Her eyes narrow once again. “I’m not doing it for you; I’m doing it for my best friend.” I do my best to keep a straight face because I know she’s trying to come across as scary.

I nod solemnly. “Thanks. Have a good night.”

“Night, Blackwood,” she calls out from behind me.

I jog down the steps to the first floor. Two girls see me coming and zero in on me, but I evade them quickly and head outside. I make my way around the back of the building, not surprised when Reid steps out from the shadows. “How’d it go tonight?” he asks.

I run a hand through my hair. “I’m not sure. It started out well, but I think it might have been too much for her by the end of the night.”

“It will get better,” Reid says.

“How’s it been here?” I ask.