She shook the eerie feeling away. It made sense for Zach to walk out the door with Scott, to keep up appearances, but that didn’t stop her from missing him. Maybe it was time they talked about telling their friends.
Or maybe she didn’t want to be the one to bring it up. Part of her was still terrified he was going to get bored with her. With them. She rubbed her eyes again. She needed a hot shower and then a good movie she’d seen a million times and could fall asleep to.
Fifteen minutes later, she emerged from the shower. She probably shouldn’t be wearing one of his T-shirts over her knit shorts, but it wasn’t as if anyone was going to see.
A knock startled her. Her racing heart switched gears but not speed when she answered and saw Zach standing there.
He rubbed the back of his head, his mouth crooked sheepishly. “I got halfway home and realized I forgot something.”
“Oh?” His laptop had left with him. Unless he meant the clothes she was wearing. She wasn’t going to think about what it meant if he wanted those back. His gaze traveled her frame from head to toe, and back again. “You wear that better than I do.”
Heat flooded her cheeks, not just from his attention, but also from the images of how the shirt looked on him, just tight enough to show his wiry muscle, shifting with his every move. “That’s really a matter of opinion.”
“Are you busy right now?”
“Also a matter of opinion. I was thinking about watching TV and falling asleep. I have work in the morning.”
“Can I kidnap you for a little while?”
She shook her head.
“Why not?”
She tangled her fingers in his. “Because I’ll go willingly. Let me change first.”
“You look great like you are.”
“I can’t go out in public like this.”
“Technically where we’re going isn’t public.” He grabbed her keys from their stand near the door, and nudged her sandals toward her. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise. Though, probably not much of one once we get close. You’ll see.”
Curiosity piqued, she followed him to his car, and slid into the passenger seat when he held the door open. “Do I get a hint?”
He settled in, started the engine, and pulled onto the almost empty road. “I think you’ll like it.”
“That’s my hint?” What meant to sound like a flat retort came out with a hint of laughter. “I could have guessed that.”
He pointed the car west and navigated toward the freeway. “How so?”
“I assume—maybe not rightly so, but I do anyway—that you’re not going to do it if you think I won’t like it.”
He rested a hand on her knee, the heat from his palm sinking into her skin, soothing her. He glanced sideways at her. “No, you’re right. I’d do an awful lot to see you happy.”
The words warmed her more than his touch, though the combination of both sent flutters through her chest.
The conversation drifted from one random work thing to the next. How it was nice to be pulling this project together. The success they had so far. A tiny voice in the back of her head pointed out they stayed away from Scott’s name and anything to do with him.
She argued with herself. It wasn’t as if they were making decisions without him or keeping him out of the loop.
Except, you know, this whole hooking up with Zach thing.
They’d get around to telling him. Soon, of course. Of course. Great. Her own thoughts didn’t believe her reasoning.
She snapped herself from the internal debate when the car slowed, and Zach pulled into an exit lane. Rae knew exactly where they were, because her parents still lived out here. Almost as far west as one could drive before hitting the mountains. They’d all grown up on this side of the valley.
Which still didn’t tell her what they were doing out here. She didn’t have to wait much longer. Less than five minutes later, they pulled into the student parking lot of their old high school. She still didn’t understand the significance. The sight brought back a rush of powerful memories—good and bad—she thought she’d dealt with long ago. Her chest tightened, and she drew in a shaky breath.
Zach studied her. “You okay?”
Another breath and then a third, and she managed to tuck most of the potent wash of emotion away. “I’m fine.”
They climbed from the car. He met her in front of the car and tangled his fingers with hers. “Come on.” He tugged her toward the science building and then past it.
Her heart clenched, and another unexpected surge almost made her stumble. Their lunch tree. “What are we…?” She didn’t know what she was trying to ask or why this was hitting her so hard. It was ages ago. Something she’d walked away from and never looked back. Not really, anyway.