The Captain's Dirty Little Secret

"Because I don’t want to hide you anymore, Roxie."

The kitchen went quiet.

Her throat tightened. She looked down fast, but it was already too late. Her eyes burned.

Zac saw.

He didn’t reach for her this time.

That almost hurt more.

He stayed across from her with his hand near his plate, the scratch on his cheek fading, his mouth serious, his shoulders held too still. Like he wanted to touch her but had learned the hard way that touching her at the wrong time could turn into another fight.

Roxie stared at her plate. "You’re stupid," she said.

His voice came low. "Probably."

"They’re going to be mad."

"They already were."

"What happened?"

He paused.

"Roxie."

She looked up.

The stubborn look in his eyes was still there, but there was something tired under it. Something that said he had already paid for coming here and would probably pay for it again when he went back.

"I’m here," he said again.

Her chest hurt.

The TV kept murmuring in the living room.

Claire was still gone.

The thought came fast and ugly.

Her mother had already left her. Could she really sit there and let Zac pull away from his family too? Could she be the reason his father took things from him? His truck. His money. His future. Football. Everything he had been working hard to chase.

Roxie’s fork slipped from her fingers and hit the plate with a small clatter.

Zac looked at her hand.

Then he covered it with his.

The warmth almost ruined her.

"Let me ask you properly," he said.

Her throat tightened.

His thumb moved once over her knuckles. "When you asked me what we were, I was scared."

Roxie stopped breathing right.

Zac looked at her like the words cost him something. His jaw tightened after he said them, and his eyes dropped for half a second like he hated admitting it.

Then he looked back at her.

"I’m scared now too," he said. "But I’m not hiding us anymore."

Her eyes burned harder.

She had called him a coward so many times.

In the parking lot.

In the lab.

In every place he chose control instead of the answer she wanted.

Now he was sitting at her kitchen table after saying her name in his father’s house, and Roxie realized the coward in the room might be her.

She was scared of his family. Scared of his father’s face when he found out how serious this was. Scared of his mother’s quiet hate. Scared of Briarwick turning them into gossip. Scared of being the girl people blamed when Zac Prescott’s life got worse.

Zac stood.

Roxie looked up, confused, as he came around the table.

Then he lowered himself in front of her.

On one knee.

In her tiny kitchen.

With Thanksgiving leftovers cooling on the plates and the TV still mumbling in the living room.

Roxie stared at him. "What are you doing?"

His mouth curved, nervous and soft at the same time.

It was such a Zac smile. Stupid, brave, and a little too confident for someone kneeling beside a kitchen chair.

"Roxie Jones," he said.

Her heart slammed.

No.

No, no, no.

He looked up at her with a stupid, hopeful look, and Roxie felt panic rush through her so hard her fingers curled around the edge of the chair.

This was real.

This was big.

It felt bigger than her kitchen. Bigger than the house with Claire’s sweater still on the chair and unpaid things waiting in drawers and silence living in every room.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

"No."

His smile dropped.

The word left her mouth before she understood which fear had thrown it out.

Zac froze.

Then he stood slowly.

The movement was careful. Too careful. His face shut down piece by piece, like he was closing doors inside himself before she could see through them.

Roxie’s stomach fell.

The word sat between them, awful and wrong.

Her eyes widened. "Wait." She hadn’t meant no to that question.

Zac looked down, and the movement hurt more than if he had yelled.

"Okay," he said.

His voice was flat, but his face was going red.

Embarrassed.

Hurt.

Trying to swallow it fast enough that she wouldn’t notice.

He rubbed the back of his neck and let out a shallow breath. "I, uh. This is awkward."

"No." She stood so fast the chair scraped hard against the floor. "No, no. That’s not what I meant."

He turned half away from her.

That scared her more than the question had.

"What did you mean then?" he asked.

His voice was quiet.

Roxie grabbed his arm and pulled him around.

His whole face was red now. His jaw was tight. His eyes looked angry, but under it was something worse. He looked like he had let himself hope for one second and hated her for seeing it fall apart.

Roxie’s chest squeezed.

"Yes," she said fast. "Yes, I want to be your girlfriend."

Zac stared at her.

A shallow laugh left him. "You said no."

"I know."

"That was a pretty clear answer."

"I panicked."

"You panicked?"

"Yes." She pulled him closer by the sleeve because he looked ready to step back again. "When I said no, I meant no to everyone knowing. No to your father getting to destroy you over me. No to your mother looking at me like I’m trash while you lose everything at the table."

His face stayed closed.

Roxie hated that she couldn’t read him.

"I want to be your girlfriend," she said, quieter now. "I do."

Zac’s eyes moved over her face.

Careful.

Searching.

Still hurt.

"But secret," he said.

Her stomach twisted.

She nodded once.

His mouth tightened. "You mean you want to hide us."

The words hurt because they sounded too close to what she had accused him of doing.

Roxie swallowed. "I mean I have too much on my plate, Zac."

His eyes softened a little, but his face stayed guarded.

"I can’t handle your parents, my house, school, regionals, everyone talking, and whatever Briarwick does when they find out." Her voice dropped. "But I want you."

Zac was quiet.

Too quiet.

Roxie stepped closer. "I want you. I just need the world to stay out of it for a while."

He looked down at her hands on his sleeve.

Then back at her.

"For a while," he said.

Her throat tightened. "For a while."

Zac’s jaw worked. The hurt was still there, but now there was something else under it. Something stubborn. Something that made him look like the boy who had walked into his father’s house and said her name anyway.

"I can give you that," he said. "But I’m not going back to acting like you’re nothing to me."

Her eyes burned.

"I’m not asking you to."

"Because I can’t do that anymore."

"I know."

His voice lowered. "If someone asks me, I’m not lying."

Roxie’s breath caught.

"That’s different from announcing it to the whole school," he said. "But I’m done pretending you don’t matter."

Her chest hurt so badly she almost wanted to look away.

Instead, she nodded.

"Okay," she whispered.

Zac watched her for another second, like he needed to make sure she understood him.

Then he let out a slow breath.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Roxie nodded.

His eyes searched hers again. "But you’re my girlfriend?"

A smile pulled at her mouth before she could stop it.

She nodded again.

Zac let out another breath.

Then he pulled her into him.

His mouth touched hers carefully, like he still half expected her to pull away.

Roxie went still for half a second because the anger was gone. Their mouths had been sharp before. Full of dares. Full of hurt. This was different. His hand came to the side of her face, careful and warm, his thumb resting just under her jaw while his other arm wrapped around her waist.

He kissed her like he was asking again.

Like he needed her to answer better this time.

Her hands rested against his chest.

His heart was beating hard under her palms.

That broke something in her.

She kissed him back.

Zac breathed in through his nose, rough and quiet, and his arm tightened around her waist. The carefulness cracked a little. His mouth pressed deeper against hers, still gentle, but no longer unsure. Like he had been waiting for permission to believe her.

Roxie’s fingers curled into his shirt.

He felt it.

His hand slid from her cheek to the side of her neck, slow enough to give her room, firm enough to make her knees feel weak. His thumb brushed once below her ear, and Roxie tilted toward him before she could stop herself.

The kiss warmed slowly.

It didn’t burn like their angry kisses had. It settled into her chest, heavy and aching, until she had to grip his shirt harder just to stay standing.

Zac pulled back first, barely.

His mouth stayed close to hers. His eyes opened, searching her face like he was checking if she had changed her mind.

Roxie hated the doubt there.

So she lifted her chin and kissed him again.

A small sound left him. Almost a breath. Almost her name.

Then he held her closer.

The TV kept mumbling in the living room. The food stayed forgotten on the table. The whole house felt quiet around them, but for the first time in days, Roxie felt held without feeling cornered.

Her eyes burned again.

She slid her arms around his waist and stayed there.

She felt safe and warm, and the word loved came so fast it scared her.

So she pressed her face against his chest and refused to look at it too closely.

Zac rested his chin near the top of her head.

"You’re my girlfriend," he said quietly.

Her chest fluttered.

Boyfriend and girlfriend.

The words felt normal and huge at the same time. Like something girls said in hallways without choking on it. Like something she was allowed to have.

Roxie tilted her head back and looked at him.

"I like you, boyfriend."

Zac’s face changed.

The hurt was still there, but his smile came through it, slow and real.

"I like you more, girlfriend."

He kissed her again, and this time he smiled first.

Roxie felt it against her mouth and hated how fast it made her smile too. His hands stayed at her waist, warmer and more certain now, and when she rose on her toes, his fingers tightened like he liked that way too much.

The kiss was still soft, but it had a different edge now.

Relief.

Possession.

A little bit of Zac being Zac again.

He pulled back with his forehead almost touching hers, his mouth curved like he was trying to control himself and failing.

Roxie smiled before she could stop herself.

When they pulled apart, Zac’s arms stayed around her.

"So what am I allowed to do?" he asked.

Roxie blinked. "What?"

"Am I allowed to talk to you in school?"

She stared at him.

His face was serious.

Too serious.

That made something in her chest loosen because he was still hurt, still guarded, but he was also trying. He was standing there asking for rules instead of walking out.

Roxie’s mouth twitched. "Once a day."

Zac’s eyebrows lifted.

"I’ll give you once a day," she said.

His jaw worked like he was trying to stop a smile. "Generous."

"I know."

"Can I look at you?"

"Careful. That one causes problems."

His mouth finally curved.

Small.

Tired.

Real.

Roxie’s chest hurt again, but softer this time.

Zac reached for her hand.

This time, she let him take it.

"You’re my girlfriend," he said quietly.

Her pulse jumped.

She looked away. "Secret girlfriend."

"Roxie."

"What?"

He stepped closer until she had to tilt her head back.

His face was still flushed. His eyes were still a little hurt.

But he looked steadier now.

His voice dropped. "You’re still my girlfriend."

Her throat tightened.

She hated how much she liked that.

So she rolled her eyes. "You’re so annoying."

Zac smiled.

Then he leaned down and kissed her again.

This one was quick at first, like he only meant to steal it.

Then Roxie’s hand caught the front of his shirt.

Zac stopped breathing for a second.

His eyes flicked to her hand, then back to her face.

Roxie raised her brows, daring him to say something.

He didn’t.

He kissed her again, slower now, with his smile still there and his hand sliding back to her cheek. Roxie kissed him back until the smile faded from his mouth and his breath turned uneven.

When he pulled away, he looked a little dazed.

Roxie liked that.

She liked it too much.

So she shoved lightly at his chest. "Go eat your food before it gets disgusting."

Zac’s smile came back, wider this time.

"Yes, girlfriend."