The Hardest Fall by Ella Maise

Chapter Nine

Dylan

“Zoe? Can I ask you a big favor?”

She was sitting on the small rug in front of the coffee table, her favorite spot to sit when she was working on her laptop, it seemed. If she was watching a movie, her preference was different: snuggling up on the big leather couch.

“How big is it?” she asked, her gaze still focused on the screen and the photo she was working on.

At her words, my lips stretched into a full grin.

When I didn’t answer quickly enough, she lifted her eyes to find mine. She must’ve understood the reason for my grin because her cheeks turned a rosy color and she huffed out a breath.

“How old are you again?” she mumbled.

I chuckled and opened the fridge to get some orange juice.

“It’s big, but not so big that you can’t handle it.”

She faced her laptop. “I already saw it, remember? It’s not that big. Sure, it looks impressive since you’re a shower, and if I remember correctly, I already congratulated you on that. I don’t think it’d get any bigger though, which takes me back to…not that big.”

I was watching her in shocked silence with the box of OJ still in my hand. She usually had that effect on me, so it wasn’t new, but it still got me every time.

“Not that I remember it vividly,” she muttered as an afterthought. “What?” she snapped when she saw the look on my face.

“Uh, Zoe, I was talking about the favor I wanted to ask—as in, it’s a big favor, but nothing you can’t handle.”

Her lips parted. “Oh.” She cleared her throat. “You’re going to ignore the word vomit. You didn’t hear any of that.”

“Of course. What are friends for?” I smiled and poured myself some juice. “Do you want some?”

“No, thanks. So what is this favor?”

In the days following her little earthquake freak-out, we’d gotten a little closer, a little more like actual friends—not buddies, exactly, but friends. She was still having trouble meeting my eyes, but the amount of time she spent looking at my chin or ear while talking to me had decreased. Plus, even though we only saw each other in passing, and some days not even for more than ten minutes, the more time passed, the more I learned about her.

It was great. I liked that she was opening up little by little every day—apart from the fact that I still wasn’t sure about her boyfriend situation, that is. I was having trouble getting a read on her. She had secret phone calls, whispering to make sure I couldn’t hear anything even when I wasn’t in the same room with her, but it could’ve easily been one of her friends. Still, I had my suspicions, but that was all they were—suspicions—and I hoped some of them really were just that.

Until I knew for sure, I wouldn’t get to steal the kiss she owed me, and from seeing how seriously she was taking our bet, I didn’t think she’d cave any time soon either.

“I’m swamped today. I need to meet with one of my trainers to discuss if he can help me get ready for the combine. If it’s a go, we need to make a schedule. After that, we have a team meeting, and then I have a class and another study group right after. I need to get a few things for the week, like pasta, chicken, and a few others, so if you have time, can you help me out with that? I’ll owe you one.”

“You want me to get you groceries?”

“If you have the time. I’m pretty much out of everything, and this week’s already going to be crazy as it is with the game, so I don’t think I’ll get a chance to do it myself. I’ll give you my debit card if you say you can do it.”

She twisted at her waist to look at me. “I have photography lab at two-thirty, but I’m free between four and eight. I was planning on texting Jared and Kayla to see if they were free to hang out, but I can get what you want after my class.”

“Are you sure? If you already made plans, I can ask one of the—”

“It’s fine. I love grocery shopping. I can do my weekly shopping a little early—two birds with one stone. I also happen to love grocery lists. Do you have a list for me?”

“I do.” I smiled at her and reached into my pocket so I could take out my debit card and the short list I’d made earlier. I placed them on the marble island right in front of me. “The pin is seven five three two.”

Her face lit up with a playful smile. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll steal all your money and run away?”

“I’m pretty much broke, and even if you did steal the hundred or so dollars, I’m afraid you wouldn’t get that far.” That reminded me that I needed to somehow handle my schedule better and get in a few hours of work at Jimmy’s bar. Not only was my money dwindling, I also needed to send some back home, too, just to help out a little.

Her eyes softened. “I won’t steal your money.”

I smiled at her and didn’t think before speaking. “I know you won’t, baby.”

I managed to hold her gaze a few seconds longer than our usual before she cleared her throat and turned back to her work.

Maybe baby hadn’t been the best word choice, but I couldn’t take it back now.

“You said you’re free between four and eight, right? Do you have a study group at eight?” Maybe I could thank her with a small surprise.

I watched her shoulders stiffen. “Not exactly. Why?”

“I’ll think I’ll make it back around nine, thought maybe we could watch a movie together or something. I haven’t seen you much this week.”

I put my palms down on the counter and waited for her answer. It took a while.

“I’m not sure when I’ll get back. I…uh…I have a date tonight.”

Well then.

“You have a date.”

Our eyes met for just a second when she looked at me over her shoulder, but she was quick to glance away.

“Yeah. I don’t think I’ll be too late, but you go to bed pretty early on weekdays, so I’m not sure if you’ll still be up when I get back.” Her eyes flicked up and then down again. “We can do it another time? This weekend, maybe?”

“I won’t be around this weekend. We have an away game.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Okay?“I guess I’ll see you later then. Have fun on your date.” Or not, I thought, but didn’t repeat it to her. “Thank you for helping me out today. I owe you one.”

Her lips pressed together and she nodded.

“I have ten minutes before I’m supposed to meet up with my trainer so I’m gonna have to run.” Gulping down my orange juice, I started to look around in the drawers for my last protein bar.

I sighed. “Zoe, have you seen my protein bar? I left it on the counter this morning.”

“Yeah, I put it in the cupboard next to the bowls, the one next to the fridge.”

It’d been weeks since I’d moved in, yet I still didn’t know where everything was in the kitchen. I knew where the pots and pans lived, the mugs and glasses, and the spoons and forks, but that was where my knowledge ended, even though I’d already cooked dinner in there once or twice. I usually ate with the team, since we had our own chefs, but if I was home early, I didn’t go back out just so I could have dinner with everyone else.

One other thing I’d learned about Zoe was that she hated having things lying around. I wouldn’t call her organized, exactly, because I’d seen the state of some of the drawers, but it seemed like as long as the counters were empty and clean, she was fine, which meant if I left something out, she stashed it away as soon as she could get her hands on it.

I opened the cupboard in question and just stared.

“Uh…Zoe?”

“Yeah? It’s right there on the first shelf—did you find it?”

I reached up and grabbed my protein bar. Like she’d said, it was right there…among other things.

“I distinctly remember you saying you didn’t buy peanut butter M&Ms because you had trouble not eating them all at once.” I heard her get up from the floor with a sigh. In a few seconds she was standing next to me, staring at what I was staring at.

“You found them, huh.”

“Uh, yeah. They’re right there. If you were trying to hide them, you did a pretty shitty job.”

“I wasn’t exactly trying to hide them, but I can’t even see them if I’m not standing on my toes—it’s not my fault you’re freakishly tall.”

“I’m not freakishly tall, Flash,” I mumbled and looked down at her then back at the countless reddish-orange bags of candy on the shelf. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

“Surprise?” she blurted out like it was a question, drawing my gaze back to her. “I got them for you…as a present…a few presents.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Zoe, give it up. There have to be at least twenty-five, thirty bags of peanut butter M&Ms here.”

She groaned. “Fine, I lied. I bought them all for me, and if you want to be exact, there are only twenty-three, but I can’t eat them.”

“Right, twenty-three. And why exactly can you not eat them?”

“I told you: I can’t stop.”

“Then why the hell did you buy them?”

She sighed again and closed the cupboard as if she couldn’t bear to look at them any longer. “Because I can’t stop myself from buying them either. I just like to have them around, you know. If I know they’re there, it makes it easier to stay away, like if I had a craving I could reach up and get one and everything would be okay, but if I don’t have them in the house and it’s too late to go out and buy some, then what am I supposed to do? Or what if they’re out of peanut butter M&Ms, then what? Does that make sense?”

I just shook my head. “Not really.”

“It’s like this: it’s better to know I have them than not have them, and if I have them, I won’t eat them because then they’ll all be gone. I like that they’re there. Oh, let’s look at it like this.”

“Let’s.”

“I bet you eat your favorite food on the plate last, right? Let’s say you have meatballs, broccoli, and…rosemary and garlic roasted potatoes. Which one would you leave for last?”

I just blankly stared at her.

“I would leave the roasted potatoes. I’d want to savor them, so I’d leave them to eat last. Get it now?”

“Please tell me you don’t have a bag of roasted potatoes tucked away somewhere—and also, for the love of God, don’t tell me you occasionally like to take these M&Ms down, line them up on the counter, and just stare at them.”

“Of course not! I’m not a weirdo, I just have…some quirks. It’s cute to have quirks.”

“Well, excuse me for asking. If you did that, I was gonna start worrying about you.”

“Don’t you have that one—or, okay, a few food items you’re afraid to eat too quickly because then that will be the end of it and you won’t have more? I like fries, too. I can never share fries, and I always get extra even if I don’t eat all of them. I just want the option of eating more. Do you get it? If you still don’t get it, I’m pretty sure you’re the problem here, buddy, not me.”

As she looked up at me with hope-filled eyes, I could do nothing but just stare at her.

She bit her lip then started laughing, and two seconds in, a small snort escaped her. She slapped her hand over her face, but it was too late.

The grin I gave her was a little filthy, a little lazy. “You’re so fucking fascinating, Zoe Clarke.”

What did I get for my compliment? A smack on the arm and an impressive growl.

* * *

It wasaround ten when I heard a key turn in the lock and the apartment door slammed open, hitting the column right behind it.

I leaned back in my seat and watched Zoe struggle with taking her bag off her shoulder.

“I’ve gotta pee! I’ve gotta pee! I’ve gotta pee!”

Each time she repeated it, her voice rose higher.

My eyes dropped to the dress she was wearing: black and tight on her upper body, leaving nothing to the imagination as far as the size of her boobs, and looser on her hips—not by much, but still. It ended a few inches above her knees. Date, right—she was coming back from her date.

“Miss Clarke!” another voice chimed in. “Miss Clarke, I need you to—”

Holding on to the door and squirming in place, Zoe replied, “I’m sorry, Ms. Hilda, I’ve gotta pee. I can’t. I really really can’t. I have to pee.”

With that she slammed the door, finally managed to untangle the strap of her bag from her hair, threw it right over her head, and ran straight to the bathroom.

Like I said, I found her fascinating.

A few minutes later she came out of the bathroom, and just when I thought she was heading to her room, she stopped in her tracks. I could’ve sworn I saw her tilt her chin up and smell the air.

“I smell pizza. Is it pizza? Did you have pizza?”

This time she was running toward me, or more like the pizza box right in front of me, and the expression on her face—priceless. When she finally made it, she didn’t waste a second before she tore into the box…only, I’d already eaten pretty much all of it and there was only one slice left.

Again, her face when she realized it was all gone—priceless, and cute as fuck. Turned out she could pull off a mean face better than I expected.

“You ate it all? This is all you left me?” she asked slowly, big eyes staring down at the empty box.

I raised an eyebrow. “I was really hungry. Didn’t you eat on your date, anyway?” I hadn’t meant to mention her date at all, but apparently I was still stuck on that.

She scrunched up her nose and the appalled look on her face disappeared, leaving sad, sad eyes. “He couldn’t make it.”

My brows drawing together, I checked my watch, just to make sure. “It’s a little past ten, Zoe—don’t tell me you waited for him for two hours.”

She blew out her cheeks and dropped down on the couch behind her.

“He said he might be late but would try to make it.” She gave me a half-hearted shrug as if to say it was okay, but her facial expressions were so easy to read. Anyone could see that it wasn’t okay.

Worthless son of a bitch.

“You didn’t have anything to eat while waiting for him?”

She rubbed her temple. “The restaurant wasn’t anywhere near campus, and it was a fancy place. I didn’t feel like having anything on their menu—didn’t wanna spend over fifty dollars for a few spoonfuls of pasta. Also, I’m not good at eating by myself at restaurants, or anywhere really. It feels like everyone is looking at me and collectively thinking, Oh, poor girl. So, short answer to your question: nope, I didn’t have anything to eat.”

There were a few things I could’ve gone after in her speech, but I chose to focus on one thing and one thing only while fishing for more. “Your boyfriend is a college student and he can afford fancy restaurants, huh? I guess I can see why you would have trouble ending it.”

Just like that, I’d screwed up. I didn’t know what had pushed my buttons exactly, but as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I knew I had fucked up—big time.

Her brows inched up to her hairline and she met my eyes—a rare occurrence—then tilted her head.

“Wow.”

Placing both her palms on the couch, she pushed herself up. The pizza forgotten, she continued to hold my eyes as she stared down at me.

“Wow, Dylan. I don’t expect you to know me in a month, or however many weeks you’ve been here—hell, we barely see each other some days—but…actually, you know what? Maybe I did. Maybe I did think you’d figure out at least that much. I’m the last person who’d date someone for the amount in his bank account.”

Having trouble taking my eyes off of her, I flinched at her words. When she moved to storm past me, I caught her wrist and got up.

She stopped, but she didn’t look at me. She didn’t even tell me to let go of her.

Her complicated situation had officially started to fuck with my head. If only I knew for sure that it wasn’t…

“I’m sorry, Zoe. You’re right, and I’m an asshole. Of course I know you’re not like that. Of course I do.” I softened my grip on her wrist and snaked my fingers around hers. “I’m sorry. If it’ll make you feel any better, you can insult me too.”

She hesitated before sending a quick glance at me. “You really ate the whole thing?” Of all the things she could’ve said, she went with that.

“You’re not gonna bust my balls?”

She slipped her hand out of mine and rubbed her palm on the side of her dress.

“What am I supposed to insult you with? Gee, your body is so ugly, you’re ruining my view every damn morning? How pathetic does that sound? I don’t have anything on you—at least not yet—but I’m pretty sure I’ll remember this and say something when the time is right, when you’re least expecting it, of course.”

I smiled at her. She liked watching me work out in the mornings. I already knew that since she came out and found things to do while I was busy with my sit-ups and push-ups, but hearing it from her confirmed what I’d already guessed. My smile slowly morphed into the biggest grin.

“What now?” she snapped.

“I hope you won’t break my heart too much, Zoe Clarke.”

“Only as much as you broke mine, thinking I’d be interested in someone because of their bank account.”

That wiped the smile clear off my face.

In a rough voice, I said, “I’m an asshole. I deserved that.”

Her teeth scraped her bottom lip. Helpless to do anything, I just watched.

Averting her gaze, she took a step away from me. When she looked up, her eyes only made it to my lips. “Look, I’m cranky, a little tired, and maybe just a little hangry thrown in there, too. I’m just gonna go to bed. I have an early class tomorrow, anyway.”

“Don’t you want the pizza? If nothing else, we can fix the hangry part.” Just because that sick bastard had stood her up and hadn’t fed her didn’t mean I was gonna let her go to bed unhappy.

“The pizza?” She sighed and looked back at the almost empty box. “That doesn’t count as the pizza, Dylan. It’s just a slice of pizza. So, I rather not. It’ll only make me hungrier for more. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Another step away from me.

“I guess that means you’re not up to watching a movie with me either.”

She only managed half a smile when she looked my way. “Maybe another night. Good night.”

“You might wanna check the oven before you leave.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“It was supposed to be a thank you for helping me out with the groceries today, but I’m thinking I owe you an apology now.” Finally her eyes met mine, and I tilted my chin toward the kitchen. “Just see if you want it. If you don’t, you can get away from me.”

A small smile formed on her lips. “Is it pizza? Please say it’s pizza. I want it to be pizza so badly. Please say pizza.”

I laughed. “I don’t know, see for yourself.”

Moving toward the kitchen, she threw over her shoulder, “If it’s not pizza, I’m gonna be doubly pissed at you, just so you know.” She opened the oven and bent down to check inside.

There was a small gasp then she came up with the pizza box in her hand and the biggest smile plastered on her face. “Dylan, it’s a whole pizza…just for me?”

I chuckled. “Yeah, you don’t have to share.”

“It’s from that Neapolitan place, and it’s still warm, too.”

“I just got in about ten minutes before you. I wanted to wait, but I wasn’t sure what time you’d be back, and the smell got to me.” I tried not to think where she’d been or who she’d been waiting for.

Giving me another one of her sweet-as-fuck smiles, she set the box on the island and opened it. Holding back her wavy dark brown hair with both hands, she leaned down until her nose was almost touching the pizza and inhaled.

The loud groan she let out made my dick surge to life in my pants.

“God, the smell. This is not fair, you know,” she said quietly, her face still practically in the pizza. “I’m kind of angry at you, and you got me my absolute favorite thing.”

I wouldn’t tell her I’d spent the last bit of cash I had on me so I could get us this treat. Whatever was left on my debit card after the grocery shopping she’d done for me was all the money I had until I could pick up some shifts at the bar, which was probably thirty dollars or less. “I told you, I’m an asshole.”

“I didn’t think you were, actually, but yeah, apparently you are.” Closing the box, she picked it up and made her way back to me. “Still, thank you. I was trying to play it cool, but I was really pissed at you for eating an entire large all by yourself.”

I laughed. “I’m afraid you weren’t that good at playing it cool, Zoe.”

“Whatever,” she mumbled under her breath as she climbed on the couch. Sitting cross-legged, she carefully placed the box on her lap and opened it. Breathing in deeply, she let it all out, picked up a slice, and looked at me intently. “I’m not good at sharing.”

I never would’ve guessed.“It’s okay,” I said, chuckling. “I already ate more than I should.” I sat my ass back down, right across from her.

One hand curled around the box possessively, she took her first bite and released another groan, this one longer and somehow more erotic than the one before.

“So good. So so good,” she mumbled in between chewing.

I couldn’t take my eyes off of her. Swallowing, she took another bite, closed her eyes, and chewed as slowly as possible, her lips curling up in the process. It felt wrong to watch her eat. If I’d known her entire face would light up just for pizza, I’d have somehow bought ten more. My eyes drifted down to her throat where I could see the exact moment she swallowed. Then my gaze dipped lower and I watched the swell of her breasts rising and falling with each breath. I was in so much trouble.

“You okay?”

When I looked up, she was looking at me. I shook my head and cleared my throat. “Yeah.”

“So are we gonna watch something or not?”

I checked my watch: it was almost eleven.

“I’m sorry,” Zoe muttered, putting her slice down. “I know you get up early. You don’t have to sit and watch me eat.”

“I can watch a movie with you,” I told her. How could I leave her? “No doomsday movies, though. Anything but that.”

Her smile back in place, she picked up her slice and took another damn bite. “I actually wanted to watch Geostorm, but didn’t wanna do it alone.”

“Yeah, I don’t think so. Pick something else.”

“I still get to pick?”

“Sure, why not? I’m an asshole, remember? You get to pick the movie.” And I get to know you better, I thought to myself.

“How about an old-ish movie, like The Fifth Element or…Speed? Or how about Lord of the Rings? Both Kayla and Jared refuse to binge-watch them with me, and that’s a movie I’d rather watch with a friend. Definitely one of my favorites.” One more bite and she had me licking my lips. Before I could manage to respond, she’d already swallowed and was starting again. “I know we can’t binge them tonight, but maybe another time? The only other person who loves it as much as me is in Phoenix, and it’s been so long since I watched it.”

I cleared my throat. “I thought for sure you’d force Titanic or The Notebook on me as a punishment.”

Licking her fingers, she shook her head. “I like romantic movies, but sometimes they’re too sweet. I have to be in the mood for that.”

Great. I was her buddy, her friend—nothing romantic about that.

“How about we go for Fifth Element then. It’s been a while since I watched a Bruce Willis movie. How are we gonna do this? Your laptop or mine?”

“Mine. I think I have that on my account already.” She sprang up from the couch, barely keeping her balance as she thrust the pizza box into my hands. “Don’t steal,” she warned, her expression serious.

Holding back my smile, I gave her a nod.

Just as she took off in a jog, the doorbell rang, stopping her forward movement.

Slowly she turned to me and whispered, “Ms. Hilda? I don’t wanna open it. If she wants me to do something, by the time I get back, my pizza will be cold.”

Just as quietly, I whispered back, “I already helped her with some heavy boxes today. Let’s ignore it—I’ll check on her tomorrow.” I wouldn’t exactly call the old lady sweet, but she was definitely treating me better than she treated Zoe; I’d witnessed that on more than a few occasions.

She bit her lip and glanced at the door.

Before I could get up and nudge her toward her room, someone knocked loud enough to wake the whole damn building.

The noise made Zoe jump, and she looked at me in confusion. Frowning, I got up from my seat.