The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback (Astra and Zayne) novel Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Chapter 81

ZANE

Friday – Homecoming

I woke up hard and pissed off.

The first thing I thought about was her. Astra in a pretty dress at Homecoming dance, dancing with that hypocrite she called a boyfriend

And I wasn’t even allowed to be there to push him off the window.

That would be so satisfying.

I could play in the game because the school couldn’t afford to bench their star quarterback on Homecoming night, but the dance? Off limits. Principal Mollins had made that very clear.

I dragged myself out of bed, jaw tight. My phone lit up with a message from one of the tech guys at Ashton Global.

Tech Contact: All I need is access to her phone.

I typed back.

Me: I’ll be with it, meet me at the park close to Harrington.

I tossed the phone aside and got dressed. Black and gold team gear for later. But first….

The door to my room opened without a knock.

Landon stood there, already in one of his expensive suits, looking at me like I was a disappointment he couldn’t quite shake.

“You’re coming with me,” he said flatly. “Since you clearly can’t stay out of trouble at school, you’ll start learning what actually matters in this family.”

I didn’t argue. Not today. Fighting him would only waste time.

We drove in silence. At the office he shoved me into meetings about quarterly projections, cybersecurity contracts, and surveillance tech, the kind of boring corporate shit that made my skin crawl.

But I sat there, barely listening.

My mind on Astra.

On how she’d looked on my lap last night, stubborn and flushed and so fucking pretty it hurt.

By early afternoon, Landon finally let me go.

“Be at the stadium on time,” he warned. “Don’t embarrass this family tonight.”

I didn’t bother replying. I just grabbed my gear and left.

The team walkthrough was light, mostly strategy review and getting hyped for the game. Coach Benson pulled me aside, reminding me I was still captain even if I was suspended from regular classes.

I played along, but my eyes kept scanning the stands and sidelines during warm-ups, looking for one person.

Astra.

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12:01 Fri, Jul 3

Chapter 81

She was there somewhere as Sports Committee President she had to be. Probably running around making sure everything was perfect for the biggest night of the year.

I spotted her eventually, wearing my jersey again, golden ponytail swinging as she directed some freshmen with balloons and banners. Even from across the field she made my blood run hot.

She hadn’t seen me yet.

Good.

I was going to win this game tonight.

And then I was going to find her after.

Whether she was with Jason or not.

The game was war.

And I was fucking starving for it.

From the first snap, I was locked in.

Every throw was a bullet. Every read was perfect. I shredded Riverton’s defense, launching deep balls that had the home crowd roaring. Their quarterback tried to talk shit, but I shut his mouth with a 45-yard touchdown pass that left their secondary looking stupid.

We won 38-17.

The stadium exploded when the final whistle blew. Students in black and gold poured onto the field. My teammates swarmed me, helmets banging, yelling my name like I was a god.

“Captain! That’s how you do it!”

“Fuck Riverton!”

Tyler slapped my back hard. “You were on fire tonight, bro!”

I pulled my helmet off, sweat dripping down my face, breathing hard. The high felt good but it wasn’t enough.

In the locker room, Coach Benson gave us a rare proud speech.

“Men, that’s the kind of performance I want to see every week. Ashton, you led this team like a captain tonight. Rest up. Celebrate responsibly. The rest of you… enjoy the dance, but don’t be idiots.”

The guys laughed and started changing. A few of them shot me looks.

“Too bad you’re suspended, Ashton,” Jax grinned. “You’re missing the best part”

Tyler smirked. “Yeah, man. No dance for you. Sucks.”

I just shrugged, a little smile tugging at my lips as I pulled on a black hoodie.

They had no idea.

I slipped out while they were still hyped and showering. I knew where the committee girls would be, near the gym, finishing last-minute setup before the dance kicked off fully.

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Chapter 81

I waited in the shadows outside the gym, watching. Students were already streaming in, music starting to thump. Lights, balloons, photo booths. The whole place looked like a fucking fairy tale.

Then I saw her.

Astra.

She looked… unreal.

That blue dress her hugged every curve. Her golden hair was down in soft waves, and even from here I could see how the color made her big blue eyes pop. She was smiling at something Jason said, but her eyes kept scanning the crowd like she was looking for someone.

My chest tightened like someone punched me.

Jason stepped closer, offering his hand. She hesitated for half a second… then took it.

They started dancing.

Something ugly twisted inside me.

I moved before I could think, slipping into the gym through a side entrance the committee used. The lights were low, bodies everywhere. I spotted her bag near the committee table, a simple black one I had seen her carry before dropping it.

I grabbed it fast, heart pounding with a twisted thrill, and slipped back out before anyone noticed.

Tyler was waiting outside, leaning against the wall with a raised eyebrow.

“What the hell are you doing, man?”

“Shut up,” I muttered, already walking away.”None of your business.”

He fell into step beside me anyway. “Whose bag is that?”

I didn’t answer, and he took the hint, shut the hell up, and went back to the dance.

I walked straight to the small park near the school. Grant was already waiting by a bench, looking nervous as he paced about.

He sighed when he saw me. “You sure about this? I won’t get in trouble?”

I handed him the phone with a grin. “I’m sure. Put in a good word for you with my dad if you make this quick and clean.”

Grant’s eyes lit up. He took the phone and started working his magic, installing discreet spyware from Ashton Global’s toolkit. The kind that let me see everything: messages, calls, location, photos, bank apps from my own phone. Silent and undetectable.

I watched over his shoulder, arms crossed.

“You look really interested,” Grant muttered. “Wanna learn?”

My brow arched. “You’d teach me?”

“Yeah… as long as you really put in a word for me with your old man.”

I put a heavy hand on his shoulder, squeezing just enough to remind him who I was.

“Of course.”

Grant swallowed and got back to work.

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Chapter 81

I leaned back against the car, staring toward the distant lights of the school gym, already imagining what I’d see when I opened the app later.

Grant finally closed the laptop and handed Astra’s phone back to me.

“It’s done,” he said, wiping sweat from his forehead. “Full spyware package. You’ll see everything on your phone, messages. calls, photos, location, search history, even deleted stuff if you dig deep enough. It runs silent so she’ll never know.”

I took the phone, a slow, savage grin spreading across my face. The rush that hit me was better than any touchdown tonight.

I could see everything now.

Every text to Jason and every secret little thought she tried to hide from me.

Perfect.

“Thanks, Grant,” I said, clapping him on the shoulder hard enough to make him flinch. “Twice a week at your place. Teach me everything. This shit… it’s useful.”

Grant nodded quickly. “Yeah, man. Whatever you need.”

I watched him drive off, then slipped the phone into her purse and mine into my pocket and made my way back toward the school gym. The music was thumping louder now, the dance in full swing. I stayed in the shadows near one of the side entrances, hidden behind some decorative banners.

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