The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback (Astra and Zayne) novel Chapter 73

Chapter 73

Chapter 73

ASTRA

The smell of the nurse’s office turned my stomach.

I sat on the plastic chair beside the bed, hands twisted tightly in my lap, watching as the nurse cleaned the blood from Jason’s face. His left eye was already swelling shut, his lip split, nose bruised and possibly broken. Every time the nurse dabbed at a cut, he winced, but he still tried to give me a small, reassuring smile.

I felt sick.

This is my fault.”

Priya had come running as I left my secret spot, out of breath and wide-eyed.

“Astra! Zane and Jason are fighting in the hallway! Zane’s beating the shit out of him!”

I had run the entire way, heart in my throat, only to find chaos- students crowded around, teachers shouting, and Zane on top of Jason, fists raining down like he wanted to kill him.

Now Jason was here, hurt because of me.

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered for the tenth time, voice cracking. “This is all my fault.”

Jason reached out and gently took my hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing my knuckles despite the blood on his own.

“I’m fine, love,” he said softly, though his voice was hoarse. “But now you see it, don’t you? Zane is crazy. He doesn’t see you as a person – he sees you as something he owns. This isn’t normal. He attacked me just because I kissed you.”

I knew Zane was dangerous. I had been in the same school with him for years. I had seen him intimidate people, destroy anyone who crossed him. But I had never seen him like this, completely feral, eyes empty of everything except rage.

My stomach twisted with guilt.

The nurse finished bandaging Jason’s lip and gave him a stern look.

“You’ll need to go to the hospital for X-rays on that nose. I’ve called your family. They’re on the way.”

She left the room to get more supplies, leaving us alone.

Jason pulled me gently between his thighs, his hands resting on my waist as he looked up at me with those kind violet eyes.

“Astra… this wouldn’t have happened if you were officially mine,” he said quietly, voice thick with emotion. “If you were my girlfriend, Zane would have to back off. He wouldn’t dare touch you again. Say yes. Please. Let me protect you from him.”

My heart pounded.

I looked at his bruised, swollen face – all because of me. Because I couldn’t give him a straight answer. Because I was too weak, too confused, too tangled up in Zane’s darkness.

“Say yes. Just say yes. He’s good. He’s safe.

The words were on the tip of my tongue, but they wouldn’t come out. Not fully. Not yet.

Jason waited, patient as always, his thumbs stroking my waist gently.

Tears filled my eyes as I finally nodded, the guilt crushing my chest.

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12:00 Fri, Jul 3

Chapter 73

“Yes,” I whispered. “I’ll be your girlfriend.”

Jason’s eyes went wide with surprise and joy.

“Really?” he breathed.

1 forced a small smile through the guilt.

“Yes.”

He pulled me into a gentle hug, careful of his injuries, pressing a soft kiss to my temple.

“You won’t regret this,” he murmured. “I promise.”

But as I hugged him back, all I could feel was the heavy weight of what I had just done.

And deep down, a small, terrified voice whispered that Zane was never going to accept this.

Not in a million years.

The drive home on the bus felt endless. When I finally stepped through the front door of the Ashton mansion, the air felt different, heavier, and charged.

Then I heard Elira’s raised voice from the living room.

“Why would you get into another fight, Zane?! You know how your father gets! Why can’t you use your head sometimes?!”

Zane said nothing.

I walked toward the living room slowly, heart already sinking.

Elira stood near the fireplace, arms crossed tightly, eyes red and puffy. Zane sat on the couch, elbows on his knees, staring at the floor. His split lip was still bleeding, and his knuckles were raw and bruised.

They both looked up when I entered.

Elira’s expression softened a little.

“Hi Astra,” she said, trying to sound composed. “How was school?”

“Fine, ma’am,” I answered quietly. “How was your day?”

“Better until now,” she said, her gaze flicking sharply to Zane. Without another word, she turned and walked upstairs, leaving heavy silence behind her.

I stood there awkwardly, unable to look directly at Zane. Even from the corner of my eye, I could see the dried blood on his lip and the raw state of his knuckles. My stomach twisted with guilt, anger, and something I didn’t want to name.

I turned away and started heading for the stairs.

I didn’t even make it halfway.

A strong hand suddenly grabbed my wrist and yanked me back. I gasped as my feet left the ground for a second. The world spun, and then my back slammed down onto the couch.

Before I could catch my breath, Zane was on top of me.

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Chapter 73

His mouth crashed onto mine – hard, punishing, and starving

His hand fisted in my hair, tilting my head back as his tongue pushed past my lips. His body pressed me deep into the cushions, heavy and overwhelming. I could taste the metallic hint of blood from his split lip, but he didn’t seem to care

I whimpered against his mouth, hands pushing weakly at his chest.

“Get off me, Zane!” I gasped when he pulled back for air.

He didn’t. If anything, he pressed closer, one thick thigh shoving between my legs, making the jersey ride up my hips. His hardness ground against my core through our clothes, hot and insistent.

“Like hell I will,” he growled. His hand tightened in my hair, tugging my head back. “You think you can run to that prick after everything and I’ll just let it slide?”

My blood boiled. The guilt, fear, and confusion exploded into fury.

“You almost killed him!” I hissed, shoving at his shoulders. “I watched you beating him like an animal, Zane. For what? A kiss? You’re suspended because of your stupid, psychotic jealousy, and now you’re here manhandling me like I owe you something?”

He froze for a split second, surprise flashing across his face.

I twisted beneath him, trying to shove my knee up, but he caught my thigh easily, gripping the soft flesh hard enough to make me gasp.

“You let him kiss you,” he snarled, forehead dropping to mine. “While you were wearing “my” fucking jersey. The whole school saw you as mine, and you still went to him. Comforted him. Held his bloody face like he was the victim.”

“Because he was!” I snapped back, tears of anger stinging my eyes. “You attacked him unprovoked. He’s hurt because of me. because I’ve been too weak to tell you to leave me alone. And you know what? I’m done being your toy.”

Zane’s eyes darkened dangerously.

“Toy?”

“Yes,” I shot back, voice rising even as my body trembled under his. “That’s all I am to you. Something to bully, to mark, to control. You don’t care about me – you just hate that someone else might actually see me as a person instead of your property!”

I shoved again, harder this time, managing to wedge my hands between us. My palms pressed against his abs, feeling the ridges of muscle tighten under my touch.

For one heartbeat, I thought he might listen.

Instead, a savage smirk twisted his lips.

“You think that British fuck sees you?” he rasped, hand sliding under the jersey, rough palm gliding over my soft stomach, then higher to cup one heavy breast. He squeezed, thumb circling my nipple through my bra until it hardened traitorously.

“He sees a pretty face and a safe little fantasy. I see every fucking inch of you, Trouble.”

His eyes burned into mine.

“The curves you hide. The way you bite your lips when you’re nervous. The way you try to act like nothing gets to you… when you hate being invisible more than anything.”

A whimper escaped me despite my anger. I hated how my body responded – thighs clenching around his leg, core aching with unwanted need.

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12:00 Fri, Jul 3

Chapter 73

But I refused to give in.

“Stop it,” I hissed, grabbing his wrist. “I said yes to him. I’m Jason’s girlfriend now. So back off.”

The words hung between us like a bomb.

Zane went deathly still.

Then a low, dangerous laugh rumbled from his chest.

“You what?” he whispered, the sound sending chills down my spine. His grip on my thigh tightened, fingers kneading the flesh. “You agreed to be his girlfriend… out of guilt? Because I made him bleed?”

I turned my face away, cheeks burning.

“He cares about me. He wants to protect me from you. And after what you did today… I couldn’t say no.”

Zane gripped my chin roughly, forcing me to look at him again. His green eyes bored into mine, unblinking and intense.

“You’re not his,” he said, voice low and final. “You never will be.”

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