"Where have you been all night? I've been so worried about you." Zac's voice sounded full of anxiety as he stood up from the sofa and closed the distance between us.
I just stared at him in disbelief, why was he acting so nonchalant about this whole situation. Shouldn't he be acting bothered or feeling guilty that he got caught with that skank?
"I spent the night at a friend's." I answered simply, not wanting to tell him which friend. I kind of had a feeling he wouldn't appreciate it too much if I were to tell him I spent the night at a frat house full of guys.
"What friend, Kai? The only friends you have live either here or next door." He stated accusingly as his mint green eyes burned into mine.
Speaking of friends, I wondered where the hell Reese was? She should be getting up soon, we have class in an hour.
"Are you trying to say I don't have many friends Zac?" I asked in mock hurt trying to relieve some of the tension in the room. He didn't seem to think that was very funny.
Zac just stared down at me with anger in his eyes. "That's exactly what I'm saying so where were you? You wouldn't answer my calls or texts and you shut off your phone."
I know for a fact he didn't sleep all night, it was evident in the bags that were underneath his eyes. His hair was a ruffled mess.
Just who did he think he was grilling me like I was under some sort of investigation? I wasn't the one caught red handed!
"What does it matter to you where I spent the night at? You could've called Taylor, I'm sure she would've kept you busy..." I shouted angrily as I drifted off towards the end of it.
He inhaled deeply and blew out through his nose, "Kai, I just wanna know that you didn't spend the night sleeping in the car...can you just humor me and tell me where you were...please?"
Zac was giving me his sad wide-eyed puppy dog look. The look that always managed to make me melt inside and give in to whatever it was that he was asking of me.
"Fine..." I huffed, throwing my hands up angrily. "I spent the night at Phi Gamma Delta." My voice mumbled quietly, I'm surprised that he'd even be able to hear me.
"You WHAT?!?" Zac screamed his face turning beet red within seconds. There was only one other time I've seen him get this angry, the night he walked in on Ethan and I making out...the night that he found out Ethan was my boyfriend. "I'll kill him!"
"Calm down, it was strictly platonic!" I urged as I took a step towards the door blocking it so he wouldn't storm out and try to start something with Hunter.
There were over twenty guys in that fraternity, I'm sure they wouldn't just sit back and watch one of their fellow brothers getting beat up by an enraged boyfriend.
"I spent the night in Hunter's bed and he was on the sofa...nothing happened!" I was beginning to get angry at how he immediately assumed that something happened between me and Hunter.
The little voice in the back of my mind was telling me...much like the same way you assumed the worse with what you saw in the court room? Shush it! I said to myself mentally.
I had perfect reasoning to believe that something happened between the two of them. They were speaking in some sexy secret code language! Why else would she know so damn much about me working nights?
Zac stood in front of me breathing heavily, his jaw clenched down tightly, and his hands curled into tight fists.
"I don't want you around that Hunter guy anymore. I see the way he looks at you and I don't like it." Zac demanded through clenched teeth.
What? what the hell does this have to do with anything? Since when did Zachariah Sullivan ever get jealous to the point where he told me what to do?
"Who're you to say who I can and can't be around?!?" I yelled, furious at him trying to be the boss of me. "Last I checked, you're not my father nor my husband!" I spun around and walked to the kitchen.
In my eyes this discussion was over, no one tells me what to do! I'm a grown woman for goodness sakes, I pay my own damn bills I'm not some out of control teenager!
Zac cringed at my tone of voice and visibly gulped. He followed right behind me into the kitchen and watched my every move.
I could see that he was beginning to calm down a bit, not wanting to anger me any further. He didn't want a repeat of what happened between us four years ago.
"Listen Kai, I don't want this..." His voice was laced with disappointment as he waved his hand between the two of us. "I don't want us to fight over something stupid it's not worth it."
I busied myself measuring out the scoops of coffee into the filter and switching on the coffee maker. When he noticed I was giving him the silent treatment, he decided to continue talking.
His voice sounded like it was filled with regret. Out the corner of my eye I could see him leaning comfortably against the refrigerator door. I can't tell you what his expression was, because I refused to look at his face.
"What you saw between Taylor and I was nothing..." His voice began sounding a little frustrated as I took out the clorox wipes and wiped down the kitchen, paying him no mind. "Dammit Kai, will you just look at me!" Zac grumbled grabbing a hold of my upper arms and spinning me to face him.
His right hand forcing my chin upwards so that I'd be forced to look him in the eyes. I jerked my head to the side forcing his hand to fall from under my chin. I was so angry I didn't want him touching me.
Fine, he wanted me to look at him...I'll look at him alright. I glared at him with the meanest look on my face narrowing my eyes in the process. How dare he tell me that what I saw was nothing? It sure as hell looked alot more than nothing!
"Ok, fine." He said defeated. "She's doing her internship at our parents law firm too. We've worked closely on alot of cases...and we've been out to eat together, but that's it I swear."
"How many times have the two of you gone out to eat, are we talking? Is eating your code word for having sex now?" I asked facetiously.
"Sex? What the hell are you talking about, Kai?" He asked full of anger. "We've gone out to lunch like four times and dinner maybe twice if that."
"Hmm...that just makes it all fine and dandy." I drawled as I took in a deep breath. "Well sure seems like she knew a whole lot about me working nights. She seemed extra comfortable touching all over you and calling you Zachy." I spat out.
"It's cuz you're all I ever talked about when we went out. I admit it she has a thing for me...but I never gave into any of her advances. You gotta believe me, Kai." Zac's voice was full of nervousness. "Nothing happened."
I wanted to believe him I really did...but it was bad enough that he went behind my back and took the bitch out to lunch and dinner. I get it...he didn't give into her advances, but wasn't that categorized as leading her on?
Still, going out with her and never once saying anything to me about it was betrayal enough. I mean sure he probably thought it was harmless, but I've never done anything like that to him before.
All those times Chad would show up at the bar without him telling me Zac was busy working late. Working late my ass! He was probably out to dinner with her.
I couldn't help but put my walls back up. The walls that I built up after walking in on Ethan. I never had walls around Zac...never felt the need to.
I didn't want to allow myself to get hurt again. Not knowing what else to say to him, I just stayed quiet. Glancing over at the stove I realized what time it was, "Listen, I need to shower and get ready for class." I told Zac as I took a step backwards away from him.
The look on his face was one full of hurt. He knew me better than anyone else in the entire world. I didn't have to say anything for him to realize I was closing myself off to him.
"I'll see you later, ok?" I said meaning it more as a statement than a question.
"Kai, wait..." His voice came out in barely a whisper.
I ignored him and kept walking down the hall where I went into the bathroom and closed the door leaning myself against it. My chest felt so heavy as I tried my best to breath deeply. I wanted to cry, but I wouldn't.
After my shower, Zac was no longer there and it was then I realized that Reese wasn't even home. I went into her room to find it empty...strange I thought...I spoke to her at two thirty last night where the hell did she go?
I checked my phone and realized that she texted me around three in the morning.
- Going over 2 AJ's, I didn't sleep a wink last night no thanks 2 Zac driving me nuts!! Won't be in class 2day, need beauty sleep....<3 ya call u later!
After getting out of my psych class, I was walking towards one of the food carts when I heard him calling me.
"Kaila...hey Kaila...wait up!" Hunte'rs voice called from across the courtyard.
I stopped walking and turned around with a smile. "Hey Hunt." I greeted cheerfully as he caught up to me.
"Hey. I woke up this morning and you were gone like a thief in the night." He smiled showing me his pearly whites. "You feeling any better?"
"Much better, thanks again for last night." I said appreciatively. He was nothing but a gentleman and a great friend.
"Don't be silly, there's no need to keep on thanking me." His hand reached out grabbing a hold of my shoulder. "That's what friends are for." He grinned.
"Ok then friend...the least you can do to let me thank you properly is let me buy you lunch." I offered cheesily looking up at him as we reached the chinese cart.
Standing there rubbing his belly in deep thought, Hunter replied. "Sure...that sounds like a great idea."
It was a little chilly out today, so we sat at the indoor food court talking. It was so easy to talk to Hunter, he reminded me alot of Chad. So down to earth almost like the guy next door.
"So, you still gonna text me when you get to work to let me know if you have off Saturday night?" He asked hopefully.
"Of course I'll text you...and even if I don't have off Saturday night, I'll get someone to switch shifts with me. I really wanna come to the party, I need it." I stated as I took a bite of my yummy sesame chicken.
"Good, cuz I really want you to go." Hunter said as his fork shot out and stabbed a piece of my chicken, he popped it into his mouth faster than I could smack his hand.
"Hey!" I called out in a pout. I was starving having missed breakfast and here he was stealing my food.
I couldn't help but laugh at the innocent look on his face as he just grinned at me and held out a piece of his boneless spare rib on his fork as a peace offering.
I bit off the rib and chewed it. "Not bad, I'll give you some chicken if you give me some rib." I negotiated with him as I caught him eyeing up more of my chicken.
"Ok...deal." He smirked.
I was walking outside next to Hunter after we finished eating, laughing uncontrollably at him telling me the story about the time they got so piss drunk at one of the frat parties, they ended up crazy glueing Rick's ass to the kitchen floor.
"Kai, can I talk to you for a minute?" Zac said approaching us, his voice filled with nothing but anger.
Looking over at Hunter apologetically, I said. "I'll text ya later ok, Hunt?"
He just nodded in understanding and walked off to give us some space. I took a few steps in Zac's direction.
He looked a little better than he did this morning, having on a new set of clothes and his hair was styled.
I looked up at him expectantly, waiting for him to say what he need to say so that I could head to my last class.
"I thought I asked you to stay away from him?" He asked glaring at me with hurt in his eyes. Wow...was he really going to play the betrayal card...as though I was the one who did something wrong?!?
Oh here we go...not again! "If my memory serves me right, you didn't ask me anything Zac. Demanded...more like it." I stated coldy.
"Why are you being like this Kai?" I could tell he was getting frustrated with me, but I was still angry with him and didn't know how else to act. You guys know I'm a stubborn mule! "I told you nothing happened."
"Being like what Zac? I'm not being like anything." Exhaling deeply I could see a little puff of white coming out from my breath. Told you it was chilly out here. "Listen I'm still really angry Zac, I just...I just need some space to figure things out." I said slowly pinching the bridge of my nose in aggravation.
"Are you..." Zac's voice broke off causing me to look up and see the painful expression on his face. The rim of his eyes were red as they filled with unshed tears. "Are you leaving me?"
I shook my head defiantly. "No, that's not what I said Zac. I just need some space."
"Space...for what? Do you want to see other people?" He said as though he was in the worst physical pain ever.
My goodness, what is going on with him? Assumptions, assumptions, and even more assumptions. It was starting to get me angry.
"Did I say I wanted to see other people? All I said was that I needed some space...to digest everything that was shoved down my throat since yesterday." I said running my fingers through my hair in frustration.
"Ok." Zac's voice came out hushed. I've never in all my life seen him this passive....this scared. "I'll give you all the space you need, Kai. I'll wait forever to be with you." He leaned in and pulled me to him hugging me tightly against his chest, pressing his warm lips to my forehead. "Just please come back to me. I'll never stop loving you, ever."
Just like that he pulled away from me and walked off. If space is what I wanted why the hell did I feel as though my entire world was turned upside down? With each step away from me that Zac took I felt my heart cracking just a bit more.