He checked the time as the phone rang. His heart sank. Two-forty. Way past midnight and so much later than he had thought. Again her phone went to voice mail. Of course it did. Why in the world would she be awake at this hour? He pictured her, probably hopeful that he would call, keeping her phone nearby, maybe spending time with his parents and Grandpa Dan. But when one hour had led to another and his call had never come what was she supposed to do?
Zack sighed and slumped over his knees. He had to be more intentional about calling her, had to find time regardless of their schedule. Otherwise this strange feeling would continue to plague him. Already too much silence had passed between them.
He paced the length of his room. His whole body buzzed from the rush of the night. Like Zoey, he was hardly tired. Breakfast was set for ten tomorrow morning and then they were supposed to wear pajamas to a room with sofas and plush chairs, where they would watch last night’s show for the first time.
Zack’s new roommate was Hank, a married guy. But even he had stayed in the private lobby with most of the other contestants. The twenty of them had so much to talk about, so much that only the others in the competition could understand. They had become a family, a team whose existence pushed out everything and everyone who had been so important just a few months ago. Zack knew of a few marriages on the rocks, though not Hank’s, and two serious couples had broken up since the competition began.
Reese and Zack were the success story, the ones who would survive.
Sure, they were struggling to find time to talk. But when this was all over they would make their way back to good again. When Zoey was out of the picture. He stopped pacing and sat on the edge of the bed. And when there weren’t so many people scrutinizing him, when he wasn’t so busy, he would use all this for God. He definitely would.
His mind was spinning. Had he prayed at all tonight? Since his performance?
He stood and paced again. What were the other contestants doing? And why wasn’t he with them? If Reese were here, she’d tell him to have fun. He’d made it this far, so why hide in his room? This roller coaster wouldn’t last forever, so for now he needed to be downstairs in the private lobby. With his
He slipped into a white T-shirt and sweats and made his way back to the lobby. Zoey was gone, but a dozen of the others were still there. He joined the circle. The gospel singer grinned at him. “So what’s going on with Zoey? People wanna know.”
“Nothing.” He chuckled as he shook his head. “Really. It’s all made up. You know. TV can make it look a certain way.”
“Doesn’t look made up.” One of the older girls grinned. “You two have crazy chemistry.”
“Yeah, well, I love my girlfriend.”
“So . . . your girlfriend flying out for any of the live shows?” His roommate clearly felt it was okay to prod. They were all close now, too. Any conversation was fair game. The guy raised one brow. “That could be interesting.”
Fly Reese out to watch a live show? Zack hadn’t even thought about it. “I guess it depends how long I stay on.”
“Okay.” One of the teenage guys laughed. “Can you hear yourself when you sing?”
“Yeah, man.” Zack’s roommate laughed and the others joined in, the happy sound rising from around the circle. “Tell her to book her flight for the final.”
“Come on.” Zack didn’t want to talk about himself. “Let’s be honest. Anyone here could win.” He was about to go into detail, but something caught his attention at the back of the room. He turned and saw Zoey. She seemed to be in her own world, staring out the dark window, her expression distant.
Hank followed Zack’s gaze. Rather than joking, his face grew serious. “Hey, man. Maybe you should talk to her.”
“Yeah. Maybe.” Zack looked back at her. If she needed someone to talk to, he would go. He stood and crossed the room.
Her eyes met his and then she looked past him to the other contestants, all watching. “Hey.” She ran her fingers through her long blond hair.
“Hi.” He would’ve hugged her but he could feel the eyes of the group on them.
Zoey looked uncomfortable. She glanced at the others. “Can we go upstairs?” A nearby stairway led to a smaller private lounge one floor up.
“Sure.” He steeled himself against whatever was coming. He couldn’t let the moment become a repeat of what happened before. He followed her up the stairs where the lounge was dark except for the lights from the city. They walked to the far corner and sat on opposite ends of a leather sofa facing a floor-to-ceiling glass wall.
“After you went to your room . . . I felt so alone.”
“You weren’t.” Zack was struggling. Whatever this feeling was, it was stronger than the attraction he’d felt that night in the hallway. “You . . . could’ve sat with the group.”
“It’s not the same. I wanted to talk to you.” She ran one hand over her arm and looked his way. “But I think I get it.”
“Get what?”
“The reason you didn’t stay . . .” Tears filled her eyes. She leaned forward as if she was searching for a way to understand. “It’s because you . . . aren’t attracted to me.”
“Zoey . . .” She had to know how ridiculous she sounded. Half the young guys in America would line up to be in his place right now. “I love my girlfriend. You know that.”
“To be honest . . .” She looked out the window at the city. “Sometimes I think you’re in love with me.” Her eyes found his again. “The way you look at me and talk to me. How we laugh at the same things.”
A simmering desire stirred within him, frustrating him. She was right. Sometimes he actually did feel that way like he was falling for Zoey. But that was the whole
He stood and moved farther away, to the arm of the sofa. Distance. That’s what he needed. He sat there, his feet on the cushion, facing her. “I’m sorry . . . if I made it seem like that.”
“Don’t be sorry.” Adoration filled her eyes. “Whatever this is . . . Maybe we need time to figure it out.”
He wanted to explain himself again, but he couldn’t find the right words. She looked so pretty, watching him from her side of the couch.
After a long minute she faced him again. “Thank you, by the way.” Slowly she walked around behind him. “For coming here.”
Whatever she was up to, he had to be smarter. One step ahead of her. But before he had time to move away again he felt her fingers at the base of his neck. With great skill, she pressed her thumbs into his muscles and worked them in circles, easing the tension from his muscles. His body relaxed against the pressure. “Mmmm . . . man. That feels good.” The words slipped before he could stop himself.
“We’re all so uptight, so tense.” She moved her hands down a few inches, pushing her thumbs into his back muscles and working her fingers into the knots near his neck. “Sometimes I wonder . . . how things would be if you and I had met before Reese.”
He was still sitting on the arm of the sofa, and as her backrub continued, her body made contact with his shoulders. At first only here and there, and then in a way that felt very intentional. A subtle pressing against him.
The feeling consumed him and swept him away, a wonderful mix of physical release in his tense neck and a desire stronger than his resistance, one that was taking over his senses. “Zoey . . .”
She leaned in closer and whispered against his neck. “Relax.”
He had no response. The rhythm of the backrub filled his body and soul.
“You think because we’re on this show”—she straightened again, but her voice remained a whisper—“that
