“You left your team?” I balk, confused, and Zane starts laughing.
“Are you really going to pretend you don’t have the complete schedule memorized? I bet you knew exactly where my team was today, even if you never gave me a second thought.”
My cheeks heat because he’s right. I know that the Storm was playing Phoenix and I know they won. Easily I might add. But I didn’t make the connection until just now. My mind’s moving slower than usual. Maybe because from the moment Cade told me he was coming, I kind of lost it.
“Okay.” I nod, buying myself some time to gather my thoughts. “That makes sense. And Ididneed a friend, but I have Jenna.”
“Nope.” Zane shakes his head, still perched on the bed beside me. “It’s not the same. You need a friend that knows you.”
“You knew the old me, Zane. Jenna knows the me I am today.”
“Ouch. That hurts. But while it may be true, does she know how you deal with breakups?”
My eyes widen as a smile graces his lips. He nods his head slowly, clearly impressed with himself, and it makes me want to take him down a peg or two.
“I’ve only hadtworelationships, Zane. And one ‘exclusively seeing each other.’” I put on a voice as I use quote fingers, since he used to refer to us that way.
“Yeah, and—”
“You were barely around for the first guy. I was fifteen.”
“Barely around, huh? I seem to remember you said you’d never move on unless you had enough chocolate to numb the pain and a moment of madness.”
“God, I’m starting to hate this ‘I remember everything’ bullshit.”
“I’ll bet.” Zane’s delicious chuckle makes my insides warm.
“Fine. Replace chocolate with alcohol,” I say, making a show of getting another drink, this one without the Sprite, knocking it back faster than I should. It burns worse than before, and my head spins as though the shots I did before he arrived are finally catching up with me. I smile, ignoring the dizzy feeling taking over me. “I’ve grown out of the moment of madness stuff.”
“Really?”
“Well, I didn’t do anythingcrazywhen you left…so I must have.”
“Are you sure about that?” He raises an eyebrow and stares at me pointedly. But I don’t get it. “You dated Jerkface forfouryears. That seems pretty damn crazy to me.”
“Ugh.” I fold my arms over my chest. “That’s different. The first time I did something crazy, I went surfing in waves I couldn’t handle.”
“And I saved you then too. I mean…protected you in a non-damsel-like manner.”
As much as I try to fight it, a stupid giddiness bubbles in my chest, and my lips pull into a smile of their own accord. “I thought this was going to be a serious conversation. Should I get Cade in here to provide a therapy session for us?”
“Hell, no. If he walks in, I walk out. Plus, I definitely prefer this more intimate setting.”
He leans in a little closer and my heart jolts, making me sit back, creating some space between us. “Sorry. You make me incredibly uncomfortable,” I say honestly, blinking a few times to clear my head. “And I think the alcohol is getting to me.”
Zane frowns, the humor in his expression gone. “You only just started drinking.”
“Actually, I started before you came over.” I shrug and Zane’s eyes widen in alarm.
“You said you weren’t drunk?”
“I wasn’t then. You never asked if I’d beendrinking, only if I was drunk.”
Zane’s frown deepens and I bury my face in my hands, groaning when random images swirl through my mind. “Wow. That last drink really sent me over the edge.” I fall back onto the pillows as my eyes drift shut. “The room’s moving.”
I groan again until the faint sound of a growl draws my attention and my eyes flash open.
“Did you just growl at me?” I sit up, my head spinning until I grab Zane’s leg to steady myself.
