The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback (Astra and Zayne) novel Chapter 71

Chapter 71

Chapter 71

ASTRA

I lost my appetite completely.

After Jason walked away, the noisy cafeteria was the last place I wanted to be. My stomach was in knots, guilt and confusion twisting inside me. I needed air.

I slipped behind the science building to the old rooftop access stairs, my secret spot when everything felt too heavy Almekt no one came up here.

I sat on the top step, hugging my knees to my chest, staring at the empty sky.

Jason kissed me.*

He was kind. Safe. Everything I thought I should want. So why couldn’t I give him a straight answer? Why did my heart feel so tangled?

A deep voice cut through the silence behind me.

“What are you doing up here?”

I stiffened and whirled around, nearly losing my balance.

Zane stood a few steps below, hands in his pockets, green eyes fixed on me.

My heart slammed against my ribs. How did he always know where to find me?

I quickly looked away, wiping at the corners of my eyes. “Nothing. I’m fine.”

Zane didn’t move. He just watched me. “You’ve been crying.”

I hugged my knees tighter, refusing to meet his gaze.

He climbed another step, his presence heavy even from a distance. “Did that British kid do something?”

Silence stretched between us. Zane moved closer and crouched so we were almost eye level. His gaze sharpened as he studied my face.

He reached out and gently gripped my chin, tilting it toward him. His thumb brushed across my bottom lip. His eyes narrowed.

“Who kissed you?” he asked, voice low and dangerously calm.

My breath caught. He already knew.

I pulled away from his grip. “No one. It’s nothing.”

Zane’s expression hardened. He grabbed my jaw again, firmer this time, forcing me to look at him. “Don’t lie to me. Astra Your mouth is still swollen.”

Tears pricked my eyes. I couldn’t keep it in. “I… I let him kiss me,” I whispered. “Jason kissed me.”

Zane went completely still. For a second, raw anger flashed across his face before it settled into something colder. He let out a short, bitter laugh.

“You let him?” he repeated, thumb pressing against my lip. “You let that guy put his mouth on you?”

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Chapter 71

He stood, pulling me up with him. He backed me against the wall, one hand braced beside my head, caging me in without fully trapping me.

“You’re really pushing it today. Trouble,” he said, voice tight. His forehead nearly touched mine “First you wear my jersey so the whole school sees, then you let him kiss you?”

I trembled, but I didn’t push him away. Part of me hated how my body reacted to his closeness – the same flutter I’d been trying to ignore for weeks.

Zane’s gaze dropped to my lips again. He looked conflicted, like he wanted to punish me and protect me at the same time His hand slid down to rest lightly against the side of my neck, thumb brushing my pulse.

“I should make sure everyone knows exactly who you belong with,” he muttered, more to himself than to me. But there was something else in his voice – not just anger.

He leaned in slowly, giving me a moment to pull away. When I didn’t, he kissed me. Not rough like usual, but deep and deliberate, like he was trying to erase Jason’s touch and replace it with his own.

My knees weakened. It wasn’t sweet like Jason’s kiss. It was intense, consuming… and it terrified me how much I didn’t want it to stop.

When he finally pulled back, we were both breathing harder. Zane rested his forehead against mine for a second, eyes

closed.

“You drive me fucking crazy,” he whispered. “I hate how much I think about you.”

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