It was the third night I had waited at the Owl Tree. I waited an hour each night. It was 11:45 pm when I heard leaves crunch. My heart started racing. I stood up from the swing and waited. Zach. I watched as he came through the bushes. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. He gave me a little smile, and I saw tears in his eyes.

“You’re here,” he said quietly.

“Of course I am,” I said, but it sounded strained because I was on the verge of crying. I was so happy to see him. “And you’re here.” My lips broke into a smile.

He nodded. “I saw your note. I just got back.” He put his hands in his pockets and looked at me.

“I saw your note too. Obviously.” I chewed on the inside of my cheek.

He chuckled nervously. “I don’t know what to say or do right now.”

He was so adorably nervous.

“Well not acting like an asshole is a really good start.”

I took a few steps forward. He was still too far away, but I wasn’t going to get any closer just yet.

“Getting off the booze again is helping that. I’m trying to be a better guy. Like Elliot.” He looked down at his shoes when he said that.

“I don’t want you to be like him.”

“But he’s a better guy than I am, Hales. He’s the type of guy you deserve.”

I shook my head. “No, Zach. I deserve a guy like you. I like you just the way you are. Your imperfections make you real, and I don’t want you to be anyone but Zachary Shaw. Make better choices, but don’t change a damn thing.”

His eyes focused on mine. “Really?”

I laughed, and tears spilled over my eyelids and down my cheeks. “Yes.” I wiped my cheeks and smiled. “These are happy tears by the way. I’m just so happy you’re standing here with me right now.”

He moved a little closer to me. “I didn’t mean what I said.” He swallowed hard. “The night of Dane’s party. I counted what we did as dating, and I loved every moment of it.”

I took another step forward. “I didn’t mean what I said either. When I told you to live a lonely life. I was just pissed that you were acting like an asshole.”

“Yeah. Alcohol and I don’t go well together.”

“Zach?”

“Yeah?” he asked as he took another step closer to me.

“Are you as sick of this short distance between us as I am right now?”

He grinned, showing me his dimple, and then he moved so that he was right in front of me. “Yes, I am.” He brushed a piece of hair out of my face. He went to touch my cheek, but he stopped. “What about Dane, Hales?”

“What about him?”

“Aren’t you two a thing?”

“Best friends, and that’s it. We broke things off three days ago when I went to your cabin to get my things.”

He nodded and touched my cheek gently. “I missed you, Hales.”

“Then do what I added to your to-do list. Get me back.” I closed my eyes to his touch. I missed his skin so much.

“I don’t know how to do that. What do I have to do?”

“Well, what do you want to do right now?” I opened my eyes and looked at him.

“I want to kiss you right now, but I don’t know if you want that yet or not. I’m kind of questioning everything I’m doing right now.”

“Zach?” I laughed.

“Yeah?”

“Be the assertive, take-charge Zach you normally are. Don’t question a damn thing with me. Just go for it.”

He did just that. He cupped one of my cheeks in his hand and kissed me. There was still too much distance between us so I grabbed his shirt and pulled his body against mine. My arms wrapped around him, and my hands slid into his back pockets. I laughed when he smiled against my mouth.

His hands held me close to him. “I don’t ever want to let you go.”

“Then don’t.” I moved my hands up his back until they rested on the back of his neck. I kissed his jaw and neck. “Can we go somewhere?”

“The cabin?” he asked as his fingers moved across the skin right under my shirt.

“If we can make it that far,” I laughed.

He laughed then grabbed my hand and led me to the front of the house to his truck. He helped me in and then started up the truck to head toward the cabin. I crawled over to him. I couldn’t keep my hands or lips to myself. My hands went under his shirt, and I continued to kiss his neck as he drove.

He pulled down a dirt road and parked. “I can’t wait until the cabin.”

I straddled his lap and lifted his shirt over his head. I threw it in the back seat and cupped his face in my hands as I brought my lips to his. His hands were on my ass, holding me tightly to him. I gently bit his bottom lip, knowing it’d drive him crazy. He growled a little then moved back to pull my shirt off. He kissed my bare shoulder, biting down a little then soothed it with his lips.

“You’re so beautiful.”

I kissed him before moving off his lap to unbutton his jeans. If I could have ripped his clothes off, I would have. He moved the seat back so it was easier to get his jeans and boxers off. Zach gently grabbed my arm and pulled me back on top of him. As he unhooked my bra, I worked on taking off my shorts and panties. He tossed the bra behind him and then did the same with my shorts and panties. He tried to say something, but his lips were urgently on mine again.

“What were you going to say?” I asked against his mouth.

His fingers knotted in my hair. “Fuck it,” he breathed out.

His lips moved down my neck, and it didn’t matter what he was trying to say because I damn sure wasn’t listening.

I MOVED MY hair to the side, and Zach hooked my bra back for me.

He handed me my shirt. “I guess I have to take you home now, huh?” he asked with a pout.

I slipped it over my head. “I’m eighteen so technically no. But seeing that my parents and I are on good terms right now, yes. But you can’t drive me there. I need to go through the woods.”

He grabbed his shirt and pulled it on. “Alright.” He kissed me when I turned to look at him. “I will be handling practice tomorrow and the game. I guess I’ll see you then.”

He started the truck and drove back to Coach’s house. I sat as close to him as I could get. I wrapped my arms around his free arm and rested my chin on his shoulder.

“Dane told me you’re back in college.”

He made a face. “Yeah. I’m trying to get my business degree. I’m expanding Quinn’s, and I thought people would be more inclined to get in business with me if I had a business degree.”

“I’m really proud of you.” I kissed his cheek and then put my chin back on his shoulder. “I know this is probably a really weird time to bring this up, but you should know that Dane and I never had sex. I just don’t want you to feel like you have to be weird about us.”

“I wasn’t going to ask. You never asked about my past. You said my past was in the past. That’s what I was going to do with you.” He smiled a little. “Accept your past isn’t like mine.” His smile faded.

I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know. I don’t want you to feel like I’m hiding anything from you.”

He pulled into Coach’s driveway and parked. He looked at me. “If I think of something, I’ll ask.” He played with my hair. “Do you still have the phone I gave you?”

“Yeah, it’s dead. I need to charge it.”

“I’ll text you on that one. I don’t want anything to mess up things with your parents.” He kissed me again and then put his forehead to mine. “You should go.”

“I don’t want to.”

“I don’t want you to either, but you have to.”

“Can’t I just stay with you?”

“What about your parents?”

“I’m eighteen.” He was right, but I wasn’t ready to say goodnight to him. We were away from each other for too long.

He rubbed my cheek gently with his thumb. “I want you to stay with me so badly, but I don’t want to be the reason things get messed up with your family. You mean too much to me to do that.” He kissed me. “I can come stay in your room with you until you fall asleep. I’ve climbed down that place before. I can climb up it.”

“Really?”

He smiled. “Really.”

We got out of his truck and walked through the woods to my house. He helped me climb to my window then followed behind me. When we got in my room, he took his shoes off and crawled in bed.

I went to my dresser and pulled out one of his t-shirts. “I may have stolen one of your shirts while I was at the cabin.” I undressed and slipped it over my head.

He smiled when I crawled into bed with him. “I’ll stay ‘til you fall asleep.” He kissed the top of my head.

I sighed in content. “I’m crazy about you, Zachary Shaw.”

He held me close. “I’m crazy about you too, Hales.” He kissed my neck and buried his face against it. “Get some sleep, baby,” he whispered against my skin, sending shivers down my spine.

“You too.” I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep.