The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback (Astra and Zayne) novel Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Chapter 51

ASTRA

Zane Ashton kissed me.

The words wouldn’t leave my head. They followed me all the way from the bus stop to The Gridiron, looping/like a broken

record.

My first kiss.

Stolen in the dark foyer by the same boy who’d spent years tormenting me. The same boy who used to call me Trash-tr and made my life hell.

And I’d kissed him back.

I still couldn’t believe it.

I hadn’t slept at all last night. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt it again, his rough, demanding mouth, the way he pinned my wrists above my head, the way his body pressed me against the wall like he wanted to claim every inch of me. The low growl against my lips: “You’re mine.”

My cheeks burned at the memory.

It felt like a fever dream, terrifying, shameful and Confusing.

I adjusted the strap of my bag and kept walking, legs heavy with exhaustion. Saturday meant another long shift at the bar. I needed the money. I needed to focus. I needed to pretend last night never happened.

But pretending was impossible when my lips still felt tender and my skin still remembered the heat of his hand on my neck.

The Gridiron came into view. I took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

Jade spotted me immediately.

“Damn, girl. You look like hell,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “Rough night?”

“Something like that,” I muttered. “Long game yesterday.”

She didn’t look convinced, but she let it drop. “Table 7’s already seated. Family of five. You got this.”

I nodded and got to work.

The shift started like any other Saturday, loud, chaotic, and packed. I took orders, carried trays, smiled at customers, and wiped down tables. But my mind kept slipping back to the foyer. To Zane’s dark green eyes in the moonlight. To the way he’d bitten my lip like he meant it.

Every time the front door opened, my head snapped up.

And every single time, disappointment twisted in my stomach.

Not him.

By two o’clock, I was annoyed with myself. I didn’t even want him to show up. If Zane walked in right now, my life would only get more complicated.

So why did my chest sink every time it wasn’t him?

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Chapter 51

“Earth to Astra.”

I blinked. Jade was standing beside me, tray balanced on her hip.

“You’ve been staring at that door for the last ten minutes.”

“I have not.”

“You absolutely have.” She narrowed her eyes, then broke into a slow, knowing grin. “Oh my God.”

“No.”

“Oh my God.”

“There is no boy, Jade.”

She pointed at me dramatically. “There is a boy.”

Before I could argue, the front door opened again.

My head turned on instinct.

This time, it was him.

El 58 voucha

Zane stepped inside with Tyler laughing beside him, Jax and a few other football players trailing behind. Just like they always did after games.

But nothing felt normal anymore.

His eyes found me almost instantly, like he already knew exactly where I was. Like he’d been looking for me.

The noise of the restaurant faded. For a second, neither of us moved.

Then Tyler said something, and Zane glanced away.

The spell broke.

I spun around so fast I nearly walked straight into a chair.

“Oh,” Jade breathed beside me, clearly enjoying this way too much. “Oh no.”

“Oh yes,” I whispered, grabbing a menu like a shield. “I’m quitting.”

Jade burst out laughing.

I risked one glance toward their usual booth.

Zane was already sitting down.

And he was still watching me.

My stomach flipped hard.

Yeah… I was definitely in trouble.

“Damn, if these weren’t high school boys, I’d be climbing that one like a tree,” Philemon said with a low whistle as he wiped down the bar, eyes locked on Jax laughing loudly at their usual booth. “Blond hair, blue eyes, that boy-next-door smile…

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Chapter 51

objectively very fuckable.”

1 almost dropped the tray I was holding.

“Philemon!” I hissed, cheeks burning.

He just grinned. “What? I have eyes. He’s hot.”

Objectively?

Yes. Jax was handsome. Classic golden-boy looks, easy smile, athletic build. The kind of guy girls wrote about in their diges

But my eyes kept drifting back to the one person they shouldn’t.

Zane.

He was lounging in the booth like he owned the entire restaurant, black hoodie pushed up to his elbows, showing those strong forearms.

And when our gazes locked…

He smirked.

Like he could read every filthy, confused thought running through my head since last night.

My stomach flipped violently.

I quickly looked away, heart racing, and adjusted the tiny black pleated skirt that suddenly felt way too short. It kept riding up my thick thighs no matter how much I tugged it down.The fitted white polo stretched across my chest, and I felt exposed and vulnerable.

Especially with Zane’s eyes burning into me.

“Table 12 wants another round of wings and a pitcher of Coke,” Jade called as she passed me.

Of course it was their table.

I swallowed hard, grabbed a fresh pitcher, and forced my legs to move.

Every step toward their booth felt like walking into a lion’s den.

Tyler spotted me first and grinned. “There she is! Our favorite president-slash-server.”

Jax leaned back with an easy smile. “Looking good in the uniform, Hawthorne.”

I forced a polite smile, cheeks warm. “Thanks. What can I get you guys?”

But my eyes kept flicking to Zane.

He was staring openly now, elbow on the table, chin resting on his fist. That smirk still played on his lips like he was enjoying how nervous I was.

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