The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback (Astra and Zayne) novel Chapter 79

Chapter 79

Chapter 79

ASTRA

“Wow, it looks exactly like I imagined it would on you,” Elira said softly from behind me.

I stood in front of the full-length mirror in her elegant dressing room, staring at my reflection. The dress was beautiful a soft sapphire blue that somehow made my golden blonde hair look brighter and my big blue eyes stand out even more It wasn’t flashy or overly dramatic. The fabric was lightweight and flowing, with delicate off-shoulder straps, a fitted bodice that gently hugged my curves without feeling tight, and a skirt that fell gracefully to just above my knees. Simple, elegant and pretty.

I actually liked it. A lot.

But standing here in something so expensive made my chest feel tight.

Elira stepped closer, her hands gentle as she brushed my long golden hair over one shoulder. Then she tilted my chin up with her fingers, meeting my eyes in the mirror with a warm, almost maternal smile.

“You should walk with your head held high, sweetheart,” she said softly. “You’re very pretty, Astra. This color was made for you.”

Her words hit me harder than I expected.

*You’re very pretty.*

My mom used to say almost the exact same thing whenever she found something nice for me, back when she was still strong enough to take me shopping at thrift stores or fix up old dresses. “Hold your head high, baby girl. The world needs to see those eyes.”

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. I blinked them back quickly, but Elira noticed. She always noticed.

“I… I really like it,” I whispered, voice thick. “But I shouldn’t be taking this, ma’am. I can never afford something like this. It’s

too much.”

Elira’s expression softened even more. She turned me gently to face her instead of the mirror, cupping my cheeks like a mother would.

“Oh, Astra,” she said with a small, sad smile. “This isn’t about money. You’ve been working so hard, taking care of my boys, helping Zane even when he doesn’t deserve it, carrying so much on your shoulders. Let me do this for you. Consider it a gift. You deserve to feel beautiful tomorrow night at Homecoming.”

I swallowed hard, emotions swirling in my chest, gratitude, guilt, longing for my own mom, and that deep ache of missing the simpler times.

“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice cracking slightly. “It means more than you know.”

Elira pulled me into a gentle hug, rubbing my back the way moms do. For a moment, I let myself lean into it.

But in the back of my mind, the weight of everything else still pressed down, the debt, Zane’s smirk earlier, the ruined panties I’d thrown away, and the terrifying thought of what I might have to do if I couldn’t find the money in time.

Still… for tonight, in this pretty blue dress and Elira’s kind words, I felt just a little less alone.

Half an hour later, I was back in my room, carefully hanging the dress on the back of my closet door so it wouldn’t wrinkle. I stepped back and just stared at it for a moment. It really was beautiful and somehow it made me feel… seen.

I pulled out the pair of black heels my mom had bought me almost three years ago. They were a little tight now, my feet had

Chapter 79

grown and I’d gained some weight since then but I slipped them on anyway. These were the last nice thing Mom had gotten me before everything got really bad. I wanted to wear them tomorrow.

I stroked the soft fabric of the dress one more time, sighing deeply.

No matter how pretty it looked, the weight in my chest refused to leave. I still had to face Zane for tutoring today. There was no way I was skipping it, not when I needed every single cent of that money.

I grabbed a couple of textbooks and my notebook, took a deep breath, and walked to his room.

i knocked.

“Come in,” his deep voice called from inside.

I pushed the door open and…

“Oh my God.

Zane had just stepped out of his bathroom. A white towel hung dangerously low on his hips, water still dripping from his silky black hair down his broad, rippled chest and carved abs, trailing into that deep V-line that disappeared under the towel.

My brain short-circuited.

I spun around so fast I nearly dropped my books.

“W-why are you half naked?!” I squeaked, face burning.

He snorted, sounding way too amused. “Take a seat, Trouble.”

I hurried to his desk and sat down, keeping my back to him, but the image was already burned into my eyes. How could someone our age look like “that”? It wasn’t fair.

Behind me, I heard the rustle of clothes as he got dressed.

A few moments later, he came over and dropped into the chair right beside me. Before I could react, his large hand grabbed my jaw, forcing me to turn and look at his stupidly handsome face.

His green eyes sparkled with mischief.

“So… how did you find my present, Trouble?”

I blinked, confused for a second.

Then it hit me.

The pink panties and the white crusty mess.

My eyes widened in horror and I slapped his hand away hard. “What is wrong with you?!”

Zane leaned back in his chair, smirking like he hadn’t just admitted to the most psychotic thing ever.

“Nothing’s wrong with me,” he said, looking entirely too pleased with himself. “They smelled like you. That’s the problem. Everything about you drives me insane, Astra. Your scent. Your attitude. The way you glare at me like you hate me. I can’t seem to leave any of it alone, I’d ruin every pair you own if it meant marking what’s mine.”

My mouth fell open. “You’re actually insane. You broke into my room and.. and… on my underwear! That’s disgusting!”

He shrugged, completely unrepentant, eyes dragging slowly down my body.

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Chapter 79

“Disgusting?” He leaned closer, his gaze never leaving mine. “You kept the jersey I gave you. You wear it to school You let me kiss you. Touch you. Your body doesn’t think I’m disgusting, Trouble. Neither do you.”

I stood up so fast my chair scraped loudly against the floor.

“We are not doing this. We have tutoring. That’s it.”

Zane looked entirely unconcerned by my outburst.

“For now.”

I gritted my teeth and sat back down, determined to get through the next hour and a half without killing him.

But it was torture.

He sat so close that every time he leaned over to look at the textbook, his cedarwood scent drifted into my nose and wrapped around my brain like smoke. My body kept reacting even though I was still furious with him. My cheeks stayed warm, my thighs pressed together under the desk, and my thoughts kept scattering like startled birds.

His green eyes were sharp the entire time, intense, watchful, like two polished emeralds fixed entirely on me. They didn’t just look at me. They cut into me.

When the time was finally up, I slammed my notebook shut and stood quickly, eager to escape.

“Done. I’m leaving.”

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