The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback (Astra and Zayne) novel Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Chapter 59

ASTRA

The silence in Jason’s car was thick and tense.

I sat with my hands wringing together in my lap, staring down at them like they held all the answers. The bouquet of flowers he’d given me rested on my thighs, their sweet scent filling the car, but it only made my stomach twist harder.

I kept replaying Zane’s cruel words in the parking lot.

“I had my tongue down her throat last night…”

Humiliation burned through me all over again.

Finally, I couldn’t take the silence anymore. I turned my head slightly to look at Jason.

His jaw was tight, eyes focused on the road, but his grip on the steering wheel wasn’t angry, just… tense.

“A… are you angry with me?” I whispered, voice small.

Jason sighed softly and glanced at me, his violet eyes gentle despite everything.

“I’m not angry with you, Astra,” he said quietly. “I’m just… trying to understand.”

He paused for a moment, then asked carefully, “Did you kiss him?”

I looked away quickly, turning toward the window. The city lights blurred past as shame crawled up my throat.

“… Yes,” I admitted, barely audible.

Jason exhaled slowly. “Astra…”

“I know, I know,” I rushed out, voice cracking. “I’m stupid. I know I’m stupid. He kissed me and I… I just stood there. I didn’t push him away. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“Hey,” Jason said gently. He reached over and lightly touched my arm. “Look at me.”

I slowly turned my head.

His expression was soft, patient, and full of quiet concern.

“You’re not stupid,” he said firmly. “You’re human. And Zane Ashton… he’s intense. That doesn’t make you stupid for freezing up. It makes you human.”

Tears stung the corners of my eyes.

Jason gave me a small, kind smile.

“I’m not going to pretend I’m happy about it,” he continued, voice warm with that lovely accent. “But I’m not angry at you. I’m angry at him for putting you in that position.”

He squeezed my arm gently before returning his hand to the wheel.

“You don’t owe me anything, Astra. But if you ever want to talk about it… I’m here. No judgment.”

I nodded, biting my lip as a single tear slipped down my cheek.

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Jason noticed and reached over again, brushing it away with his thumb.

“You’re safe with me,” Jason murmured softly. “Always.”

For the first time in hours, I felt like I could actually breathe a little.

Jason glanced at me again, his expression softening. He reached over and gently squeezed my hand.

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“Okay, smile, love,” he said, voice warm and teasing. “I don’t want to ruin this for us. Let’s forget about everything else tonight, yeah?”

I managed a small, genuine smile and nodded.

“Okay,” I whispered. “Tell me… where are we going?”

Jason’s lips curved into that charming, boyish grin that always made my stomach flutter.

“I found this lovely rooftop café not too far from here,” he said, accent smooth like melted chocolate. “It has fairy lights, a beautiful view of the city, and they serve the best strawberry lemonade. Thought it would be perfect for us. Nothing too fancy… just quiet, good food, and time to talk. If you’d like something else, we can go wherever you want.”

My cheeks warmed.

“That sounds really nice,” I admitted softly.

Jason gave my hand one last gentle squeeze before returning it to the wheel.

“Good. Then it’s settled.”

The rest of the drive was much more peaceful. Jason played soft music and told me funny little stories about his life back in London to make me laugh. For a while, I let myself relax.

Jason parked and quickly came around to open my door for me. As I stepped out, he placed his hand gently at the small of my back, guiding me toward the entrance.

I shivered at the contact.

His touch was warm, respectful… completely different from the way Zane grabbed me like he owned me.

“You look really pretty tonight,” Jason said softly, smiling down at me.

I blushed hard, looking down at my baggy grey shirt and trousers.

“I’m not even dressed properly.” I mumbled, embarrassed. “I came straight from work.”

Jason chuckled, his thumb lightly brushing my back.

“Astra,” he said, voice warm and sincere, “you always look pretty. It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing.”

My heart fluttered.

We were led to a quiet corner table right by the railing. The city lights sparkled below us, and a gentle breeze made the fairy lights dance. It felt magical.

We ordered and I got the strawberry lemonade he mentioned and a chicken pasta, while Jason chose grilled salmon and a mocktail. While waiting for the food, we talked about everything and nothing.

He told me more funny stories about his life in England, about almost getting lost on the Tube and how he once tried to cook a traditional Sunday roast and nearly burned down the kitchen. I laughed so much my cheeks hurt.

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I told him more about life with my mom before her illness really hit the fan and how happy we were even though we were really poor.

“You’re really talented,” he said, eyes soft. “I’d love to see more of your drawing… if you’re comfortable showing me

I smiled shyly. “Maybe.”

The food came and it was delicious. We kept talking, about school, our favorite movies, dreams for after graduation Jason listened like everything I said mattered. He made me feel seen.

For a few hours, I almost forgot about the storm waiting for me at home.

Almost.

But every now and then, when the breeze brushed my neck, I remembered the feeling of Zane’s hand there… and a guilt shiver ran through me.

Jason noticed me spacing out once and tilted his head.

“You okay, love?”

I forced a smile and nodded.

“Yeah… I’m really glad I came tonight.”

And I meant it.

Even if my heart was still tangled in chaos.

The drive back was quiet but comfortable. Jason played soft music and occasionally glanced over at me with that gentle smile. When we finally reached the massive gates of the Ashton estate, he parked the car and quickly got out to open my door for me.

He walked me all the way to the gate, his hand lightly resting on my lower back.

“I really enjoyed my time with you,” he said softly, stopping in front of the tall iron gates.

I blushed even harder, looking down at my shoes.

“I did too,” I whispered honestly.

Jason stepped forward, towering over me. My heart started racing as he gently cupped my cheeks with both hands, tilting my face up to meet his violet eyes.

“Astra…” he murmured, voice warm and sincere. “I like you. I really like you. I adore you, actually. And I would love to date you… properly.”

My eyes went wide in shock.

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