Sleet Sugar by S.J. Tilly
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX
IZZY
“S
o, what’s good here?” Zach asks after Darcy leaves us with menus.
“Well…” I trail off.
Zach sets his menu down and looks at me. “You have eaten here, right?”
“Duh.”
“And...”
I huff. “And... I’ve only ever eaten their ice cream sundaes.”
Zach tips his head back and laughs. It’s a beautiful sound, rich and full of life, but I still fold my arms over my chest and do my best to scowl at him. But Zach’s not one to be deterred by my glares. Instead, he gets up from his side of the booth and shoves himself onto my bench seat, pushing me towards the wall.
“What are you doing, you weirdo? Go back to your seat!”
“No.”
“What do you mean, no?”
“Exactly that. I’m sitting here now.”
“Why?”
Zach’s eyes turn serious. “Because I thought I lost you. And now that I have you, I intend to keep you as close as possible.”
A sigh crawls out of my chest. If I wasn’t already in love with this man, that would have done it.
“You kids know what you want?”
Zach doesn’t take his eyes off me as he replies to Darcy, “Yes.”
My cheeks warm under his intense stare.
“Bring us a round of those famous PB Burgers," says a familiar voice next to our table.
I look up and blink a few times. “Daddy?”
“Hey, Peanut.” He’s smiling at me, like this is all totally normal. “How you feelin?”
I glance at Zach and feel my cheeks go even redder. He just grins and wraps his arm around my shoulders.
“Oh, um, I’m good.”
Dad laughs as he slides onto the bench across from us.
Zach gives me a gentle squeeze. “You can relax, Sugar. He knows about us.”
I’m shocked speechless for a heartbeat, before I turn wide eyes on Zach. “You told him?”
“Didn’t have to,” Dad replies. “You weren’t very good at hiding your feelings for him.”
I sputter. “Me?! But… I…”
“Don’t feel bad,” Zach shrugs. “Coach knew I was in love with you before I was even ready to admit it to myself.”
My mouth opens, but my brain grinds to a screeching halt.
Did Zach just say what I think he said?!
I watch his eyes for any signs of hesitation, any sign that he said that accidently. But I find none.
Zach uses his free hand to caress my bruised cheek. “I’m sorry I didn’t say it sooner. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how to define what I was feeling for you until I talked to Coach last night. And when you said it earlier. I was in too much shock to say it back. I wasn’t sure I could believe that it was true. That you could really feel that way about me. But I believe it, now. I know you’d never lie about something as important as love. And I want your dad to know, your family to know, just how much I love you. I’ll do whatever I can to make you happy, for as long as you’ll have me.”
Tears prick at the corner of my eyes. And my turtledove is flapping her wings so hard I’m afraid my heart might beat right out of my chest.
“Say it again,” I whisper.
“I love you, Sugar.”
I let the words soak into my soul. And every inch of it feels right.
“Have pity on the man and give him a kiss,” Dad chuckles and I look over to find him grinning. “But have pity on me and make it brief.”
“Yeah,” Zach pulls me in closer. “Give me a kiss.”
So I do.
