The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback (Astra and Zayne) novel Chapter 127

Chapter 127

Chapter 127

ZANE

I slouched in the passenger seat of the black sedan, jaw locked so tight my teeth ached. The leather creaked under my grip as I fought the urge to rip the door open and roll out onto the road. Every mile closer to the Whitmore Estate made my blood burn hotter.

I’d rather be anywhere else. On the field getting tackled. In detention or getting my face punched.

Hell, I’d scrub toilets with a fucking toothbrush before I’d willingly crawl to Catherine Whitmore to apologize.

The woman who had slapped “my* girl across the face.

My fingers drummed a restless rhythm against my thigh, the motion doing nothing to ease the anger raging under my skin.

This wasn’t where I was supposed to be.

The second the final bell rang, I’d headed straight for the student council room, expecting to find her finishing up whatever committee nonsense she always buried herself in.

But she wasn’t there.

Then I’d checked the library.

Nothing.

The athletics office.

Nothing.

She’d vanished again, the same way she had at lunch. When I finally cornered Chloe and Priya outside the cafeteria, their nervous glances had tightened something ugly in my gut.

“Where’s Trouble?”

Chloe had shifted on her feet. “She already left.”

“Didn’t even stay for the committee meeting,” Priya added quietly. “She practically ran.”

*Ran.”

The word had hit like a punch. I’d turned on my heel without another word, heading for my SUV with one destination in mind: the hospital. Because where else would my girl go when the world was crushing her?

I’d barely reached my car when the sleek black sedan rolled up beside me. The rear window glided down.

“Get in.”

Dad’s voice left no room for argument.

“No.” I kept walking.

“It wasn’t a suggestion.”

“I’ve got somewhere to be.”

“So do I.” His tone stayed calm. The same tone he’d used when I was twelve and broke a kid’s nose for insulting my mother.

Chapter 127

“Five seconds, Zane.”

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I stopped, turning slowly. He sat in the back like a king on a throne, one hand resting on the leather armrest, eyes locked on me.

“You’ve got five seconds to tell me why.”

“We’re going to the Whitmores,” he replied.

A harsh laugh scraped out of my throat. “The hell we are.”

“You will apologize to Mrs. Whitmore.”

“Not happening.”

“You embarrassed this family.”

“I protected what’s mine.” My voice dropped, low and venomous. “She put her hands on Astra. I put her in her place.”

“You responded like a street thug instead of an Ashton.”

“I responded like a man who doesn’t let anyone touch his girl.”

Silence stretched between us, thick and heavy. Dad studied me the way he studied business rivals-calculating, and cold.

“You’ve confused protection with losing control,” he finally said.

“And you’ve confused manners with weakness.”

Something flickered in his eyes before it vanished. “You may despise Catherine Whitmore. But you will not destroy relationships generations in the making because you cannot control your temper.”

I scoffed. “So that’s what this is. Business.”

“This is family.”

“No,” I bit out. “It’s politics.”

He opened the door himself and stepped onto the pavement. Every lingering student in the parking lot suddenly found somewhere else to look. He stopped inches from me, voice low enough that only I could hear.

“I am not negotiating. Get in the car.” His eyes bored into mine. “Now.”

Five minutes later, I was here-trapped in leather and resentment, the Whitmore gates rising ahead like a fucking prison.

Landon kept his eyes on the road, but I caught the slight twitch of his mouth in the mirror. He knew better than to say anything.

My chest tightened with something sharper than anger. “Where the hell are you, Trouble?

The car slowed and my gaze snapped to the figure curled on the ground just outside the estate-shoulders shaking violently, face buried in her hands as raw, guttural sobs tore through her small frame.

My trouble.

“What the fuck?”

I didn’t wait for the car to stop. The second the tires slowed, I shoved the door open and bolted out, gravel biting into my shoes as I sprinted toward her.

Chapter 127

“Trouble!”

She didn’t react.

I dropped to my knees beside her, hands gripping her icy arms. “Hey..hey, look at me.”

Nothing. Just more violent trembling.

I slid an arm around her waist and pulled her up against me. Her knees buckled instantly, all her weight collapsing into my chest. I caught her, holding her tight, one hand buried in her hair, the other pressed against her back like I could fuse her broken pieces back together by sheer force.

Slowly, her tear-streaked face lifted.

My heart slammed to a brutal stop.

Swollen eyes. Cheeks raw from crying. That expression-something I’d never seen on her before. She looked shattered. Completely fucking shattered.

“What the fuck happened?” I rasped, thumb frantically brushing fresh tears from her skin. “Talk to me, Princess.”

Her lips parted, voice cracking. “M-my… my mom..”

Another car door shut behind me.

Astra flinched at the sound.

Dad stopped a few feet away, voice firm but controlled. “Astra.”

She looked up at him then something inside her seemed to snap.

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