My Masturbation Recording Was Listened To 146 Times By The Ice Hockey Hunk Chapter 07
He stared down at the misshapen melted cake.
“Auditions. And ‘see you tomorrow’…”
My whole body tensed with rage. “Just say whatever you need to say directly. Quit being passiveaggressive.”
Zach lifted his eyes toward me. The corners of his eyes were reddened, emotions teetering right on the edge of breaking.
“You shouldn’t let other men hear your voice.”
I stared at him in shock. “It was only an audition. Why shouldn’t other people listen to me talk?”
Cracks showed across his expression. He stepped forward. I stepped backward instinctively until my back hit the cold outer wall of the apartment building.
We stood far too close. His chest heaved, Adam’s apple rolling over and over. His selfcontrol was hanging by a thread.
“Is this normal to you?”
“Do you truly think this is normal?”
“Do you have any idea what goes through guys’ heads when they hear your voice?”
The air turned completely still.
My body stiffened bit by bit, hot stinging tears pricking my eyes. I held his gaze, my voice shaking.
“You think my voice is weird too, don’t you.”
Zach jolted as if struck. He rushed to deny it. “That’s not what I mean at all —”
“Then what are they imagining?” My eyes burned red but I refused to look away. “That I’m faking my voice? That I’m doing it for attention?”
In an instant, only panic and guilt remained on Zach’s face.
He set the cakebox down on the step and no longer tried to hide the champagnecolored lisianthus bouquet wrapped in soft white paper.
“Serena, that is not it.”
He lifted his hand like he wanted to touch me, but stopped halfway, too afraid to make contact.
“Your voice… it’s beautiful. Too beautiful. Precisely because it sounds like that, other people read into things. Me included.”
“It sounds too good.”
“That’s why I…”
He stopped again.
The only sound left was his uneven breathing.
I looked up at him.
“That’s why you what?”
Zach stared at me, eyes a little red.
After a long moment he said hoarsely:
“That’s why I don’t want anyone else to hear it.”
The night air moved between us, but my head felt hot.
My heart was pounding.
I glanced at the cake and the flowers in his hands and asked quietly, “Did you buy these to make up for ignoring me the past few days?”
Zach froze, then finally answered, “No.”
“Then what?”
He looked at my face, quickly dropped his gaze, the tips of his ears turning pink.
After a few seconds of silence he suddenly changed his answer. “Just… pretend that’s the reason.”
“You’re ridiculous,” I muttered.
Zach gave a low hum of agreement, then said softly:
“Serena, don’t let Liam walk you home again.”
“Why?”
He was quiet for a long time before he spoke.
“Because I’ll get jealous.”