Page 117 of Quarterback Sneak

“Do you want to?”

I vacillate. “I don’t know.”

“Since you don’t know, then come with me. It’s late. I'll drive, and you can rest in the car. There’s food. You can eat something and then study. I’ll make sure it’s quiet for you.”

“Food?” I ask.

He smiles. “Yeah.”

His offer is too tempting. “Just for tonight. I do want to get back to my room.”

He nods. “I asked Tessa to pack a bag for you just in case.”

“You were pretty confident I’d say yes,” I tease.

He glances over at me. “I was hoping.”

I lean my head against the seat of his truck a little bit later. Tonight, I just want that feeling of being safe that I had the last two nights. Tomorrow will be another chance to find my courage and stay in my room again, but not tonight. Zane turns the radio on, and quiet music plays. In the silence of the truck, surrounded by the scent of him, I feel safe and protected and so incredibly comfortable. I close my eyes and just revel in the peace.

All too soon, we arrive at the house; and it’s time to go in. Zane grabs my bags for me, and I follow him inside. “I’d just about given up on you two,” Quint says when we walk into the kitchen.

My stomach rumbles loudly. “What did you make? It smells so good in here.”

“Zucchini, eggplant, and leek soup.”

My face falls, but I try to keep the grimace off my face. Quint doubles over laughing. “Your face.”

“Knock it off,” Zane says, smacking the back of Quint’s head.

“Sorry.” Quint sucks in some air. “I’m sorry, Evie. I couldn’t resist.”

“What did you actually make?”

“Oh, I didn’t make anything. We ordered food. There’s several pasta dishes from a local place. Help yourself; we left everything out for you guys.”

I pull up the foil lids and look at the dishes; everything looks so good. “Did you eat yet?” I ask Zane.

"I ate earlier with the team, but I’ll eat again.”

I fill my plate with salad and some lasagna. “Do you always eat with the team?”

“Most of the time. They keep us on pretty regimented eating schedules. Honestly, it works because it’s one less thing that we have to worry about. It’s never bothered me until now.”

I sit at the table and take a bite of my salad. “Why now?”

He drops into the seat across from mine with a plate of his own. “Because now I can’t eat with you in the dining hall.”

I wave my fork at him. “It always goes fast anyway; so you’re not missing much. Speaking of the dining hall, though, your friend appeared at lunch today. Reid sat two tables away from us and didn’t say a word to us. And yet, when some guy wouldn’t leave us alone, he suddenly appeared. Know anything about that?”

His body stiffens. “Some guy wouldn’t leave you alone? Who? What did he do?”

“He was just a nobody, but mind telling me why your friend was at lunch with us, but not with us, exactly?” I ask with eyes locked on his.

“What did the guy do?”

“Enough with the guy. He was an idiot. Reid scared him off; there’s nothing to worry about. But why was Reid there at lunch?”

“He’s keeping an eye on you.”