The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback (Astra and Zayne) novel Chapter 112

Chapter 112

Chapter 112

Zane

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The hot water pounded against my back, steam filling the bathroom as I stood under the spray, head bowed, hands braced against the tiled wall.

My body still felt heavy from the fever, but the worst of it had passed-thanks to her. The way she’d fed me like I was worth saving. It had done more than cool my temperature.

I closed my eyes, letting the water run over my face.

*Fuck.

I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

Not the tiny dress at the club, or the way she’d ground on my lap, or even how soft her lips felt when I kissed her.

It was the way she “stayed”.

Rubbing my back while I threw up like a pathetic mess. Blushing as she spooned broth into my mouth, even though she had every reason to hate me.

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

She was meant to be a toy. A pretty, curvy distraction I could ruin and discard when I got bored.

Instead, she was becoming something I didn’t know how to let go of.

I pressed my forehead to the cool tile, jaw tight.

*She has a boyfriend.

The thought made my fists clench. Jason. That weak nobody who thought he could claim her. He didn’t deserve her fire, or the way she carried the world on those soft shoulders without complaint.

I wanted him gone. I wanted her to have no one else.

Only me.

The water kept falling, but my mind was on her golden hair across my pillow, her shy whimpers, the way she looked at me like I was both nightmare and safe haven. A low groan escaped my throat. One hand slid down, wrapping around my aching

cock.

“Fuck, Astra…” I muttered, stroking slowly.

Every time I closed my eyes, she was there, those pretty blue eyes, the warmth of her body, the softness I’d buried my face against for hours. Pathetic. I knew it but it didn’t stop me.

Release tore through me hard, leaving me breathless.

“…Astra.”

The water washed everything else away.

Not her.

I shut off the shower and stepped out, towel slung low around my waist. When I walked back into the bedroom, dripping

Chapter 112

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wet, the space felt too empty. Only rumpled sheets remained where she’d been. The faint scent of strawberries still lingered.

She’d taken the twins back to bed, of course. That was Astra-always looking after everyone else.

I pulled on black sweatpants, no shirt, and headed into the hallway. My body still ached, but the need to find her/drowned it

out.

Then I heard it.

A woman’s sharp gasp from downstairs, followed by the unmistakable rhythm of flesh slapping flesh.

My jaw clenched. *Not again. Dad and another member of the staff. Same old story.

I moved fast, taking the stairs two at a time.

Astra was already ahead of me, walking toward the sound.

*Shit.”

She started to turn at my footsteps. I caught her by the waist and spun her into me before she could look. Her body collided with my bare chest. One arm locked around her back, the other cradling the back of her head, pressing her face gently against my skin.

She gasped. “Zane…”

“Shh,” I said quietly. “Don’t look.”

She shifted, trying to peek past my shoulder. “What happened? I heard..”

“You don’t need to see it.” My grip on her body tightened. “Just stay here. With me.”

The sounds continued for a few more seconds, then faded into silence.

Astra tried to pull back. I wouldn’t let her.

“Zane,” she whispered, “I’m not a child.”

“I know.” My voice softened. “But you don’t need this.”

For a long moment we stayed like that. Her hands rested lightly on my chest-uncertain whether to push me away or hold on. Mine stayed steady around her, protective.

I lowered my head, lips brushing the shell of her ear. “Just stay with me a minute, Trouble.”

She didn’t answer.

But she stopped trying to pull away.

For now… that was enough.

A minute later we stood outside her bedroom door. Neither of us had spoken since leaving the staircase. She hadn’t asked why I’d stopped her from heading to the kitchen. Smart girl.

She turned to face me, tucking a loose strand of golden hair behind her ear. “What?” she asked quietly, cheeks still faintly pink.

I looked at her for a long moment, taking in the way the hallway light caught in her golden hair and the faint blush still lingering on her cheeks.

12:11 Fri, Jul 3

Chapter 112

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