Free How to Date a Nerd by Cassie Mae

conversation again. I try to bring it back. “How was the documentary?”
    “You really want to know? You did dive out my window to avoid it.”
    Crap. Why do I fall so easily into Geek Zoe around him?
    “No. Just trying small talk,” I lie.
    He takes a deep breath, and starts picking at a hole in his jeans. “I’d much rather hear about you.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “You know that thing I walked in on? Did it contribute to your bad week?”
    Yes, but I’m so not talking about it. “No.”
    Yikes! I didn’t mean to sound so rude. Like, we were totally having a good time and I snap at him.
    He leans back, his eyes a bit wide. “S-sorry. It’s none of my business.”
    What the heck? It’s totally his business! I mean, he stopped Cody from… going further. I barked down his throat afterward. And he doesn’t look down on me because of it. He worries about me.
    Why does he worry about me? It doesn’t make any sense! I ditched him. Kicked him right out of my life and kept him far from me so I wouldn’t have to endure High School Emotional Hell.
    And it’s worked, for the most part.
    Then Cody attacked me, and I’ve tried all my mightiest to forget about it.
    But I haven’t forgotten.
    At all.
    And I haven’t talked to anyone either.
    Tears prick the edges of my eyes, and I blink them back. No, no, no. I’m not going to cry, dang it. I will get through this without crying. That will make it seem like I’ve made a mistake by being Popular Zoe. Which I haven’t.
    Right?
    Taking a large gulp to rid my mouth of the building saliva, I huff out a barely audible response. “What you saw with Cody… it’s not usually like that.”
    His neck turns toward me so fast I think his head may spin off. “What do you mean?” His tone is soft, soothing, full of concern. You know, all those emotions I don’t deserve.
    “If you hadn’t come over, he would have… I’m pretty sure he was gonna…” Something in my voice box shuts down and I can’t keep going.
    He leans forward, face inches away from mine. If he wants me to talk, this won’t help. I can barely concentrate with him so close.
    “Why did you lie to me?”
    I shrug.
    “Zoe.” He puts his hands on mine. His skin feels so good and my inhibitions about everything, all of it, disappear. I want to talk to him . One-hundred percent as myself.
    A shaky breath escapes my lips before I answer. “I was scared.” Oh gosh. Here comes the flood. I turn my face from him so he doesn’t see it starting. How can I explain what’s going through my mind? How can I tell him without crying? How…? Just… how?
    “And I-I deserved it.”
    His mouth pops open. “What did you say?”
    “I said I was scared.” I know what he means, but I don’t want to repeat myself.
    He leans back, letting go of my hands and kneading his forehead. “Tell me why you think you deserve to be sexually harassed.”
    Honesty, Zoe.
    “Because I’m a slut.” Because I let people believe I’m a slut. Cody probably thought I’d lead him straight to the vault, and when I didn’t—
    “No you’re not.” His face flushes, like he shot off a comment without thinking. I raise my eyebrows. “I mean… I don’t think…”
    My heart flutters as he tries to find the words. I let him off the hook because really, he’s giving me a lot more than he knows. And I’m being stupid anyway.
    “Thank you.”
    “For?”
    I blink like crazy, trying to keep those cursed tears back, but I’m not successful. I’m crying, dang it. And I can’t stop. “For thinking more of me than I’m worth.”
    Zak wipes my cheeks, which isn’t helping because I don’t freaking deserve his concern right now. So I cry harder.
    “I’m sorry this happened to you,” he says, shaking as he goes to tuck a piece of my hair behind my ear, but can’t seem to get it right. I chuckle and he moves his hand to wipe the tears from my face again. I’m glad the shifter is between us. I think I’m about to lose it