Dare You to Chase the Soccer Player (Rock Valley High 5)

I

took a step, but Zane moved into my path with a pained expression on his face. He held his hands up in surrender and I sighed heavily, wondering how much longer he was going to hold me hostage. It wasn’t easy forgetting someone when they were always around.

“Lexi, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry.” His gaze rose to mine and he bared his perfectly straight teeth in a grimace. “I’m sorry for the other day, I’m sorry for yesterday, and I’m sorry for today. I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve any of that.”

Cocking my hip, I placed my hand on it. Now, we were getting somewhere.

“What exactly are you sorry for?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. His apologies meant nothing to me without a little explanation. Was he sorry he’d met me? Or, sorry he’d kissed me in the first place? I needed a little bit more than that.

“I’m sorry for being so cold to you. I didn’t want anyone to know...” He winced and turned his head away.

It was exactly what I’d suspected. He was ashamed of kissing me—a mere commoner. I’d prepared myself for this reality once I’d learned he was Hollywood royalty, but it didn’t make it any easier to hear. With a sinking feeling in my chest, I tried to smile at him.

“Thanks for letting me know that I’m not good enough for you. I’ll be sure to remember that next time. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to go home.”

His alarmed gaze shot straight to mine and he took a step closer. “No, that’s not what I meant. Not even close.”

Nervous energy shot through me. I ran my fingers through my waves and brushed them over my shoulder to give my hands something to do. “What are you trying to say, Zane? Because I’m confused. I thought we got along great this weekend. I was pretty sure you liked me. I mean, you did kiss me. And then you acted like you forgot all about me when we ran into each other yesterday. FYI, that’s not how you treat a girl you have an epic moment with in the rain.”

“I know.” He took yet another step toward me, until there was hardly any room left between us. The scent of his tangy cologne mixed with the evergreen scent of the bushes around us. I couldn’t help but inhale it all in. “I did like you, Lexi. I do like you. Believe me, you’re impossible to forget.”

Once again, he said all the right words. It was as if he were reading off a script. A flicker of hope lit inside my chest cavity, but I couldn’t let him off that easily. Not after yesterday. “Okay, then. If that’s true, why did you act like a total jerk when we ran into each other at the makeup trailer?”

He winced slightly, as if I’d injured him by bringing it up. “Because...because it’s in my contract.”

Silence fell between us as I cocked my head to one side and stared blankly at him. I was pretty sure I’d heard most of the excuses in the High School Player’s Handbook for guys, but that was a new one. The confusion must’ve shown on my face because Zane exhaled and shook his head sadly.

“It’s a clause in my contract. My dad’s my agent. He made me agree to this whole bachelor persona thing while doing the film. No dating. No showing favoritism to any girl. It was the only way he’d agree to let me take the part. It’s supposed to help build me an audience. Make me the newest Hollywood heartthrob.”

He said those last two words with disgust rolling over his face. I stood silent, letting his words sink into me. He’d said he wasn’t allowed to date, but I had no idea how serious that rule was until now. It was in his contract? What kind of dad agreed to that for his son?

“You’re...you’re joking, right?” I huffed softly, stepping away from him. The sudden urge to burst into uncontrollable laughter bubbled up inside me and I had to force it down.

“I wish I was.” He put his hands up behind his head and groaned, his biceps flexing. “Honestly, I thought it would be no big deal. That I could just skate through it. It’s not like I date a lot anyway. I’m usually so focused on work. But then...” He bit his bottom lip as he looked at me in a way that made heat burst in my gut.

“Then...me?” I reclaimed a step toward him, all at once taking back everything nasty I’d ever said about him in my mind. He was winning me over, once again.

“Yeah.” He nodded, his chest inflating. “Then...you. What was I supposed to do?”

The way his heated stare took me in had me flushing from head to toe. I had to tear away my gaze or I was going to melt into a molten pool of lava right there.

What a drastic change of events.

“I guess I understand now,” I said, wrapping my arms back around my torso. “You’re contractually obligated to be a jerk to me.”

He stepped toward me and took my hand in his. The touch of his skin against mine had the nerves in my arm buzzing. He held it tight, leaning down to look in my eyes.

“Not a jerk, but I can’t treat you the way you deserve. I couldn’t buy you the gorgeous bouquet of pink and purple flowers I saw in the store this morning that made me think of you. I couldn’t laugh at the cute way you wrinkled your nose when you put Janelle in her place. I couldn’t growl at Alanis to back off when she upset you. Believe me, I wanted to, but I couldn’t. I figured the least I could do was explain it to you so you didn’t completely hate me. I couldn’t go on like that.”

I took a shaky breath and peered up at him. Zane knew just how to disarm me in every way. I’d never met a guy like him. And I’d definitely never had someone look at me in such an honest way and spill his guts like that. It was as refreshing as it was scary. Looking into his eyes, I knew he was serious about every single word.

“I...I don’t hate you.” My mouth had gone dry. I tried to moisten my lips with my tongue. “I just wish things were different.”

“Me, too.” His grip on my hand tightened. “But we’re only on set for three more weeks. After that, I head back home to LA, which might as well be on the other side of the world.”

I nodded. He was right. Even without the contract standing in our way, there was no way any spark between us would survive that distance. We were doomed from the start.

His eyes darkened as his nostrils flared. “And even after all of that, I’d say screw it and still go after you, but my dad...”