“I get it. Parents suck sometimes.”
He chuckled and ran his thumb softly over my knuckles. “Yeah, and next year when I turn eighteen, I’m officially my own man. I’ll get to decide what goes into my contracts. But until then...my career kind of hinges on me being able to follow the rules.”
A year was forever away, and Zane would be long gone from Rock Valley by then. There was no chance for us. Not in a romantic way, at least. I stared at our hands for a moment, before adjusting my grip and shaking his hand in a business-like manner I’d seen my father do a hundred times with his fellow lawyers.
“Sounds like we’ll have to agree to just be coworkers,” I said firmly.
He shook my hand once more, nodding. “Agreed.”
“And forget that once-in-a-lifetime amazing kiss in the park.”
The left side of his mouth tilted up a little bit as he fought off a smile. “It’s completely forgotten.”
“Deal.”
We both dropped our hands to our sides, and I tried not to show on my face how disappointed our deal had made me feel on the inside. Coworkers were better than nothing, but no one had ever given me butterflies the way this boy had. It was going to be nearly impossible to see him every day and wonder what could’ve been.
Still, I was a realist—especially when it came to relationships. It was something I’d learned from my parents’ split two years ago. I knew when there was no chance of a future. Why stay together and be miserable? Life was way too short for that kind of drama.
It was my philosophy for love. And that was what made it so easy to cut and run. We both knew it wasn’t written in the stars for us. Zane had rules to follow and I had other things to focus on, like surviving Alanis Nori. I’d be strong. I’d move on.
Just like I had with all of those boys I’d dated...and just like my parents had during their divorce.
Zane smiled softly at me before moving aside so I could exit before him. “See you tomorrow on set, coworker?”
“Yes, tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Lexi.”
With his softly uttered goodbye lingering like the end of a sweet melody in my head, I hurried away from our hiding spot, swallowing down the last of my disappointment. And when I glanced over my shoulder one last time, I saw him standing in the grass, watching me with such a serious expression that my stomach did a little flip.
Everything I’d understood about Zane had been wrong. So wrong. He was the furthest thing from a jerk there was. There was no one else like him.
It really was going to be impossible to just be his coworker.
Chapter Seven
This secret wasn’t going to keep much longer. I tapped my fingers impatiently on the keyboard of my laptop as I waited for the online video chat to go through. Excitement and dread forced their way up my esophagus until I was practically ready to scream. I had to tell someone about what had just happened with Zane behind that bush. My own brain could hardly comprehend it.
Zane Rees liked me. He wanted me.
But he couldn't have me.
It was as romantic as it could be. Like Romeo and Juliet, except without all the horrible killing and depressive double-suicide stuff. I could just see myself standing on a beautiful stone balcony as Zane arrived below—wearing a tux, instead of tights, because we’d upgraded with the times. And as I fluttered around with the pale moonlight lighting up my perfect and fair skin, he would rave about my beauty. That was definitely us. If only we had a better ending planned...
"Earth to Lexi!"
I looked down at my computer screen and grinned guiltily. My bad. Charlotte and Beth had both popped up on the video chat when I hadn't been paying attention and were now watching me with amused expressions.
Beth tapped on her camera. "Are you there, Lexi? What's with this emergency meeting? I’ve got aliens to eliminate in Sector 8 and my team’s waiting on me."
"You guys are going to die when I tell you." I flopped on my bed and pushed the laptop in front of my face. "Zane loves me. He really loves me."
"Wa
it—what?" I could see from the blurry movements of the camera that Charlotte had rushed into her bedroom and closed the door before settling onto her own bed. She held up her phone and squinted at me. "What do you mean? I thought he had turned into a major jerk. I was about ready to send him a very nasty DM on his Twitter account for the way he treated you. I honestly can't believe I started following him."
"No, don't do that." I pushed to my rear and crossed my legs. Despite the fact that I didn’t want Charlotte going anywhere near Zane’s DMs, I couldn’t hold back the shot of pleasure coursing through me at the thought that she’d stick up for me like that. She really was the best. "He caught me after work today to explain. It's part of his contract. He can't date. It'll ruin his image. That's why he acted like such a jerk yesterday. It's all so clear now."