"Bothering me?" Zack repeats incredulously, reaching across the console to cup her chin gently. "Anna, you are not bothering me. You are driving me absolutely crazy in the best possible way." His thumb strokes along her jawline, his green eyes intense and sincere. "Excited? Yeah, I am fucking thrilled. So excited I can barely focus on driving straight." He leans closer, their faces inches apart in the confined space of the car. "The problem isn't that I am not excited. The problem is that you are making it impossible for me to think about anything except getting you alone this weekend." His other hand comes up to tangle in the brown hair at the nape of her neck, tilting her head slightly.
"I know," Anna said softly, her voice laced with childlike guilt. "But it is just so sexy when you get all worked up. I just can't help myself sometimes." Zack's breath hitches at her admission, the combination of her innocence and deliberate seduction completely undoing the last thread of his self-control. "Then don't stop," he whispers roughly, closing the final distance between them. His lips crash against hers in a kiss that is equal parts frustration and longing, all the pent-up energy from their conversation channelling into this single point of contact. One hand tangles tightly in her brown hair while the other slides down to grip her hip possessively. The kiss is messy and demanding. When they break apart for air, Zack's forehead rests against hers. "Keep saying shit like that," he pants against her mouth. "See how worked up you get me."
Anna smiles happily. "God, I love you," she says looking deep into his green eyes. Zack's entire world stops at those three words. The kiss, the teasing, the tension– everything fades into background noise compared to hearing Anna say that she loves him. His heart pounds against his ribs so hard he thinks she might feel it through their clothes. For a moment, he is completely silent, processing the weight of that confession. "Say it again," he demands quietly, his voice cracking with emotion. Both hands move to frame her face now. "I need to hear you say it again," he insists softly. "Tell me you love me when I am kissing you stupid and making plans to spend the weekend making you mine completely.
"I love you," Anna repeated sweetly. "You are amazing." The words hit Zack with the force of a physical impact, leaving him momentarily breathless. His green eyes search her face frantically, as if memorizing every detail of this perfect moment– the way her lips are slightly parted from speaking, the happiness shining in her brown eyes. "You have no idea," he whispers back intensely, his voice thick with emotion. "You have no idea what you do to me." His thumbs trace gentle patterns on her cheeks while his forehead rests against hers. The car's interior has become their own private universe where nothing exists beyond this confession. "Amazing?" a short laugh escapes him. "You are the amazing one. You are the one who sees past my bullshit and actually gives a damn about me." He kisses her again but this time it is slower, deeper– a promise rather than a demand. When he pulls back just enough to speak again, his breath is warm against her mouth.
Zack's breath ghosts across Anna's lips as he speaks, each word carefully measured. "I have been falling to you since kindergarten," he confesses quietly, his voice raw with years of suppressed feeling. "Every time you stood up for me when I was being an asshole. Every time you brought me extra snacks because you knew I wasn't eating properly." The heat between them is palpable despite layers of clothing. "You are the only reason I showed up to school most days," he admits grudgingly. "Because deep down I knew you would be there waiting for me. Even when I was being a complete jerk." Outside the car windows, students were heading toward the high school building while teachers park farther down the parking low. Inside their bubble of stolen intimacy none of that matters.
"Well, I am glad you kept coming to school and that you finally showed me how you feel," Anna said softly. "And I am happy for every minute we spend together." Zack's face breaks into a genuine relieved smile, the tension melting from his shoulders as her words sink in. the happiness radiating from her is infectious, chasing away years of uncertainty and fear. "Happy is an understatement," he murmurs, pressing his lips to hers again in a quick, affectionate kiss. "Ecstatic might be closer. Possibly manic." He rests his forehead against hers again, their breaths mingling in the warm space between them. "I was terrified you would think I was creepy or pathetic for carrying this crush all these years. Especially after how badly I treated you sometimes." His hands move to adjust the collar of the jersey she was wearing, smoothing it nervously. "God, Anna. I have wanted to tell you forever. Wanted to hold you like this without pretending it was just friendly comfort." Pulling back slightly, he checks his watch with a sigh.
"Hey, I had a crush on you too. Even after the bullying," Anna admitted quietly. "And you don't think I am desperate or pathetic for forgiving you." Despite having heard her say something similar before, hearing it again still shocked him. A part of him couldn't belief it no matter what happens between them. "All those times I pushed you away or embarrassed you in front of people, and you still liked me?" Despite the clocking ticking closer to 7:30 AM, neither of them cared about the time because the world outside their bubble has ceased to exist. "How could you possibly forgive someone who was such an idiot?" he asked earnestly, searching her face for any sign of jest. "I called you names, tripped you in hallways, made you cry a few times…" his voice grows softer as realization dawns on him. "I don't know," Anna said softly. "For a long time, I thought I was so stupid for holding onto hope."