Even In Pieces [bxb]

Chapter 28

Zachary

“No.” I glare at Everett, shocked.

He gives me his devilish troublemaker smile that makes my knees buckle. “You lost the bet. Fair and square.”

“You want me to wear your Jersey to the game? Like actually wear the Jersey with your name and number on the back? You're shitting me, right?” I ask him, eyeing the jersey he is holding up as though it's a murder in the loose.

I can feel more than hear the rest of them laughing as Everett rolls his eyes at me.

“Dude, you lost the bet. Now you gotta do something he says. And he is telling you to wear his Jersey with his name written in bold, to his very important game, in a very public area with a lot of people. I really don't see the harm.” Finely snickers. I groan.

“It's a very boyfriend thing to do, you know? It would be really cute.” Pierce says between his outrageous laughter.

Fucking bastards. All of them. I am never going to live this down, if I did it. I look at the jersey again. And then at Everett who is smirking at me, trying to hold back his laugh. Damn him. Damn him to hell. I am never going to bet against him.

“It's just a Jersey. I could literally be making you walk naked around the soccer field.” Everett wiggles his eyebrows playfully. I have an intense urge to punch him.

“I'd rather do the naked thing than go with your ridiculous idea.” I say.

Everett tilts his head. “Technically, it was Vio's idea.”

The piece of shit just stands there like he didn't do anything. The fact that Vio and Everett were plotting this the whole time is a complete shock. I just sigh again.

“Who's Vio?” Alice asks, confused.

Everett turns to her, Dylan raises his head from her shoulder as he looks at us curiously. Everett smiles. “Vio's Zachary's sister.”

“You have a sister?” Sloane stops eating her ice-cream to gape at me.

I sigh and nod. “Before you ask why it's not in the public, I would like to say that she is my step-sister and that we keep her away from the media.”

“Jesus Zach, I feel like I have barely known you at all! Now that I think about it, you haven't told us anything about your family,” Alice says.

Family. I feel myself tense but Everett places a hand on my back, making me focus on the touch, because when he touches me there isn't anything else I'd rather think about. He knows it too. Probably why he does that so often. Touch me. I love that he can do that, that he knows his touch is always welcome. That I can understand that it's his touch with just feeling his skin. I am so gone for him, it's ridiculous.

“There wasn't a reason to talk about my family when it's all available to the public,” I shrug nonchalantly.

Just because I am okay with Everett knowing everything about my nasty past doesn't mean I am okay with everyone knowing. Everett knowing puts me at ease and makes me feel safe but the rest of them knowing makes me feel vulnerable and jittery.

Dylan shrugs. “You got a point.”

“More importantly,” Everett raises the jersey to me eye level. “You still lost the bet.”

I grab the damn Jersey from him. “I'll fucking wear it alright,” I grumble.

Everett smiles smugly. I stare at him, showing him just how annoyed I am with him.

“Guess it's time for us to leave then?” Finley looks at his phone.

“See you tomorrow.” Alice kisses Dylan before all of them pick up their travel bags and gets up to leave.

Everyone clears out the locker to go over to their cars, but Everett stays back.

I raise my eyebrows at him. “If you tell me some shit like you miss me I swear to fucking god I'll punch you.”

Everett grins. “No. I was going to say something more like— I want to look at your face and study it before I leave since I won't be seeing you for twelve hours.”

I groan. “Worse.”

“Yeah. That was. All I wanted was to kiss you.” Before I can reply, he crashes his lips to mine. I close my eyes and feel, smiling into the kiss. The smile vanishes as soon as it comes as the kiss gets heated. He pulls back and presses his forehead against mine.

“I can't wait to see you wearing my jersey.” He says and then he is gone.

Everett

The first half was over. We are down two goals. Looking up to the bleachers, I try to find Zachary. I can't make out anything since everything's so blurry from this far away. We make our way to the locker room allotted to us. The coach barks out orders at each of us. Telling us how we have to get those damn goals back. The break finishes, and we make our way back to the field and I could feel the determination rolling out of us in waves.

I look up at the bleachers one last time and I actually spot him. At the far end, leaning against the wall, wearing my jersey and looking right at me. I find myself grinning at him even though I know he can't see it. But I have a feeling that he is grinning right now too. Time to finish this game, so I can see him wearing my name on his back. Just the thought is enough to give me an adrenaline boost.

The game starts and every other thought vanishes from my head. Pierce scores first and then me, twice. The game sets and the bleachers burst out in cheers. I feel sweat dripping down my face and teammates clasping my back. Pierce literally jumps at me in a bro hug. Laughing, I scan the crowd, hoping to see Zachary. But he isn't there. Probably waiting for me near the locker room.

I rush through the crowd with the rest of the team. We make it to the locker room and there he is, leaning against the wall just like I had thought. My legs work on their own accord and take me to him. He doesn't give me a chance to say anything, just grabs my shirt and pulls me in for a very messy kiss. I pull back.

“I am really dirty,” I tell him.

He presses himself against me more. “Wouldn't have fallen for you otherwise.”

I laugh, pull him to me by his hips and kiss him again. A thought flashes in my brain, clear as a summer sky. I love him.

I am in love with him.

And all I feel is relief.

It didn't feel like anything amazing. It just feels real. Like reading a fact or knowing that the sky is blue.

I pull back again. “Wait. I want to see you in the jersey.”

Zachary smirks but whatever he would have said gets cut off by Dylan. “Get in the locker room and grab your shit fast. We are getting back to the hotel, getting a bit of rest and cleaning up and then hitting a club to celebrate.”

I nod at him, then turn to Zachary. “Drive the mustang back to the hotel. I'll be there soon.”

I had already given Zachary the spare key to the mustang. Since he needed a car to drive to catch our game. He had seemed so surprised when I had given him the key. I loved how he had looked at me then, and I knew that I would never forget that moment as long as I lived. God, I love him.

Zachary nods and walks away. I stare at him for a second before going inside the locker room.

I change as fast as I can. Pierce stares at me.

“What?” I ask.

“You are so head over heels. For Zachary. I just never thought it would be him, ya know?” Pierce shrugs. He gives me a sly smirk as he says that. I roll my eyes at him.

“Me neither.”

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