Chapter 418 - Zac Knew

Chapter 418: Chapter 418 - Zac Knew

"Hey." Zac’s expression changed almost immediately, and Roxie knew whatever Dylan was saying had wiped away the irritation from being interrupted.

He walked a few steps from the couch while listening. Roxie could only hear the low sound of Dylan’s voice through the phone, but Zac rubbing a hand over his face told her enough.

"What happened? Is she still there?"

Roxie closed her eyes.

That could only mean another problem.

Zac listened again, then looked toward her. "Your uncle too? Okay. Calm down. Just stay there. I’m coming."

He paused after saying it, his eyes meeting Roxie’s with a guilty expression.

Roxie leaned her head against the back of the couch as he ended the call. Her shirt was twisted around her waist, her hair was already messy from Zac’s hands, and her body was still very much stuck several minutes behind whatever had just happened.

"His mom?" she asked.

Zac rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah. She brought his uncle. They want him to go home and talk to his dad."

"Why does everybody have to physically show up at his apartment? Phones exist."

"I said the same thing."

"And Dylan wants you there."

Zac hesitated, and Roxie sighed before he could answer.

"Yeah."

He came back and sat beside her. "I can stay."

Roxie looked at him for several seconds because she really wanted to tell him yes.

She had spent the entire week waking him for practice, packing his food, feeding Dylan too and waiting for Zac to come home. Tonight she finally had him home, fed and beneath her on the couch with his hands all over her.

Now Dylan’s family had apparently decided this exact moment was perfect for another crisis.

Roxie dropped her forehead against Zac’s shoulder. "He seriously cock blocked me again."

Zac laughed and wrapped an arm around her. "I don’t think he planned it."

"That makes it worse. At least if he planned it, I could hate him properly."

"You don’t hate him."

"I could try."

"You packed him lunch this morning."

Roxie lifted her head and gave him a look. "That was before he ruined my sex life."

Zac laughed harder, which irritated her because she was actually serious.

She rested against him again and sighed. "I hate being understanding. Being a horrible girlfriend would make my life so much easier."

"You could tell me to stay."

Roxie looked up at him. "You’re trying to make me feel guilty all night."

"What? No."

"You literally just offered to stay when we both know you’ll spend the entire night wondering what’s happening over there."

"He’d understand. I’ve left you alone for nights now."

"Fuck you. You know we can’t do that."

Zac stayed quiet because they both knew she was right.

Dylan’s mother and uncle were inside his apartment trying to convince him to go back to a family that had spent the last several days treating his sexuality like some kind of disaster. Roxie could be pissed about the timing, but telling Zac to ignore him would make her feel like shit.

She looked at Zac again. "Go. I’m pissed, but go. His family is being insane and he obviously needs somebody there."

Zac squeezed her waist. "I’m sorry."

"You better come home tonight."

"I will."

"Before I’m asleep."

"I’ll come home."

Roxie nodded. "Good answer."

He kissed her, and Roxie caught the front of his shirt before he could pull away, keeping him there for another few seconds. Dylan was stealing him again, so she was taking at least one proper kiss first.

When she finally released him, Zac smiled against her mouth. "Tomorrow?"

Roxie stared at him.

"That word is starting to piss me off."

His smile weakened. "Fair."

"Go before I change my mind."

Zac grabbed his bag, told her he loved her and disappeared through the door.

The apartment became irritatingly quiet again.

Roxie stayed on the couch for a while before looking down at herself. She had deliberately worn Zac’s shirt because he liked seeing her in it, she had finally gotten him alone, and now she was sitting there sexually frustrated while he drove across town to deal with Dylan’s relatives.

"Well, fuck me, I guess."

She grabbed her phone from the coffee table. Sitting alone watching television sounded miserable, and she was far too awake to sleep.

Angela had sent several videos earlier, while Karen had sent a picture of her dinner from treatment with This shit should be illegal written underneath it.

Roxie smiled and started a video call.

Angela answered first with the camera pointed halfway toward the ceiling. She moved it around until her face finally appeared properly.

"Why are you calling?"

"Hello to you too."

"You randomly call when you’re bored or pissed."

"I can call because I miss you."

Angela studied her face for a few seconds. "Pissed."

"Fuck you."

"I knew it."

Karen joined before Roxie could say anything else. Her screen appeared beside Angela’s, and she was lying against a pillow with her hair tied messily on top of her head.

Angela immediately smiled. "Karen, hurry up and finish that program already. I’m tired of being in New York without you."

Karen laughed. "Yeah, I’ll tell them Angela needs me back at school, so addiction treatment needs to move faster."

"I’m serious. Everybody here sucks."

"You said I sucked when we first met."

"You did."

"And now you’re crying because I’m gone."

"I’m not crying. I just need somebody here who actually understands me."

Roxie smiled while they argued. She missed seeing them together. Before everything happened with Karen, she and Angela had already started settling into their life in New York. Now Angela was there dealing with school without her, Karen was stuck finishing treatment and Roxie was several states away in Tennessee.

Somehow their trio had turned into three faces on a phone screen.

Karen eventually looked at Roxie’s side of the call and narrowed her eyes. "Why does your hair look like that?"

Roxie touched it automatically. "Like what?"

Angela looked closer, and her expression changed. "Oh my God. Did you just get fucked?"

Roxie’s face heated instantly. "Angela, your mouth."

Karen burst out laughing. "Angela’s mouth turned potty in New York, but you do look like you got some. Can you mute this for the singles?"

Roxie glared at both of them. "Shut up."

Angela grinned. "Where’s Zac?"

"Gone. We didn’t do anything. We didn’t get the chance."

Karen laughed even harder. "No fucking way."

"Dylan called."

Angela’s grin widened. "Again?"

"He cock blocked me."

Karen nearly choked.

Roxie pointed at the screen. "This is serious. I finally had Zac home. We ate, he gave me money for the rug, I was literally on his lap, things were finally getting good and then his fucking phone started ringing."

Angela covered her mouth, but she was clearly smiling. "That’s horrible."

"You’re laughing."

"I can feel bad for you and still think it’s funny."

Karen wiped at her eyes. "Poor Roxie. Tragic. No worries, you’ve got fingers of your own."

"Karen!" Roxie screeched, her face getting hotter. "Fuck both of you."

That only made them laugh harder.

Angela calmed down first. "Okay, seriously. What did Dylan want?"

Roxie’s irritation eased a little. "Family stuff again. His mom showed up at his apartment with his uncle, so Zac went over there."

Karen’s smile faded. "Family stuff?"

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

Roxie hesitated. Dylan had told her himself, and after seeing how careful Zac had been with his privacy, she wasn’t going to start passing the story around just because Karen and Angela were her best friends.

"I can’t really tell you. It’s personal."

Karen looked at her for a moment before asking casually, "Is it something about him being gay?"

Roxie’s eyebrows shot up.

Angela turned toward Karen’s screen too. "What?"

Karen blinked at both of them. "What?"

Roxie sat straighter. "How the hell do you know?"

Karen looked genuinely confused. "Know what?"

"He isn’t gay. He’s bi."

"Oh." Karen shrugged. "Okay. Bi."

Roxie stared at her. "Karen, how did you know he likes guys?"

Karen’s mouth opened, and then she started laughing.

"Oh shit. I forgot you didn’t know."

Angela leaned closer to her camera. "Know what?"

"Mason told me something before."

Roxie frowned. "Mason told you Dylan is bi?"

"No. He never said bi." Karen adjusted the pillow behind her and started smiling like she had just remembered embarrassing gossip. "He was drunk one night and running his mouth about everybody. Somehow Dylan came up, and Mason told me Dylan had this huge crush on Zac when they were younger."

Roxie went quiet.

Angela’s eyebrows rose. "Wait, what?"

Karen laughed at both of their faces. "Why are you acting like I just told you somebody committed murder?"

Roxie leaned closer to her phone. "Dylan had a crush on Zac?"

"Yeah. Apparently for years."

"For years?"

"I don’t know exactly how long. Mason was drunk as hell. He was telling me stories about all of them growing up, and apparently Dylan used to follow Zac around everywhere because he liked him."

Angela started laughing. "Oh my God. Imagine having a crush on Zac when he was thirteen."

"He probably already thought he was hot shit," Karen said.

"He definitely did," Roxie muttered.

Angela giggled suddenly. "Oh my God, Roxie. You’ve been getting jealous of girls around him when you should’ve been watching his best friend."

Roxie looked at her.

Karen immediately pointed at Angela’s screen. "Hey, stop. You’re going to put shit in her head."

"I’m joking."

"Well, look at her."

Roxie wanted to act unaffected. She should have been unaffected.

It was old.

Dylan had dated other people. He had literally told her about the guy from the picture only a few days ago.

So why was her heart suddenly beating harder?

"I’m fine."

Karen narrowed her eyes. "That didn’t sound fine."

Roxie ignored her. "Why did nobody ever tell me this?"

Karen gave her a look. "Why would anybody randomly tell you?"

"I don’t know. Maybe because he’s Zac’s best friend?"

"So? It was an old crush. Mason told me like it was funny childhood gossip. He wasn’t warning me about anything."

Angela nodded. "Yeah. If everybody had to announce every old crush before getting into a relationship, nobody would ever shut up."

Karen pointed at Angela’s screen. "Exactly."

Roxie leaned back against the couch. "It’s still weird."

"Only because you just found out," Karen said.

Angela looked thoughtful for a moment. "Did Dylan ever tell Zac?"

Karen shrugged. "I think Zac knew."

Roxie’s eyes immediately returned to her.

"What?"

Karen looked confused by the reaction. "What?"

"You think Zac knew Dylan liked him?"

"Mason said everybody figured it out eventually. I don’t remember exactly how he explained it. He was drunk and spent half the night talking shit."

Angela laughed. "Imagine knowing your best friend has a crush on you and still hanging around him every day."

"Zac probably loved having another person obsessed with him," Karen said.

"Fuck off," Roxie replied automatically, although a small smile pulled at her mouth.

Karen laughed. "See? You’re already getting weird."

"I’m not getting weird. I’m thinking."

"That’s worse."

Angela smiled. "Roxie thinking is dangerous."

"Both of you can go to hell."

They laughed, and Roxie laughed with them, but her mind stayed caught on what Karen had said.

Zac knew.

Her thoughts went back to Ethan sleeping on her couch when Karen was in trouble. Zac had gotten pissed because he believed Ethan liked her, even though Ethan had never actually flirted with Roxie or crossed a line.

Then she had returned to Tennessee and found Dylan sitting in their apartment.

She had asked Zac how that was different.

Because Dylan’s my best friend.

At the time, she had been comparing Ethan and Dylan as friends. Zac thought Ethan liked her while Dylan was simply his best friend.

Except Dylan had apparently spent years crushing on Zac.

Maybe it still wasn’t comparable.

Dylan’s crush was old. Ethan’s feelings, according to Zac, were current.

Still, the difference between them suddenly felt a little smaller than it had before.

Karen was saying something when Roxie realized both of them were looking at her.

"What?"

Angela laughed. "You weren’t listening."

"I was."

"What did I say?"

Roxie stared at her.

Karen snorted. "Exactly."

Roxie rolled her eyes and adjusted herself against the couch. "I’m just surprised."

"Then ask Zac when he gets home," Karen said casually. "He’ll probably tell you the same thing Mason did. Dylan liked him when they were younger, Zac didn’t like him back and everybody survived."

Angela nodded. "There. Mystery solved."

"Maybe."

Karen narrowed her eyes. "Roxie."

"What?"

"Don’t turn drunk Mason gossip into some giant relationship investigation."

"I’m not planning an investigation. I just want to ask my boyfriend something."

"Good. Ask him, then call me because I want to know if Mason remembered it correctly."

Angela laughed. "So now you want the investigation."

"I’m stuck in treatment. I need entertainment."

Roxie smiled despite herself and shook her head.

Karen clearly thought the whole thing was funny. Angela did too. Neither of them seemed remotely concerned about Dylan, and Roxie knew there really wasn’t anything concrete for her to be concerned about.

The crush was old.

Dylan had moved on.

Zac had never been interested in him.

Still, while Karen and Angela continued talking, one detail refused to leave Roxie alone.

Zac knew.

And Roxie wanted to know why he had never mentioned it.