Chapter 9: Meet My Ex?
AN: So as of right now I am the worst author of all time when it comes to updating stories. I'm so sorry! School's been hectic and I came back from my trip to Mexico reeeally early a few mornings ago (like two am) and well ideas were rushing through my head the whole entire time down there so I just had to start typing when I got home to cure my itch. Anyway, I'm gonna really try to update more frequently now but I don't know how long this story should be, or if there should be a sequel or prequel as well, what do you guys think? Leave a review or send me a message if you have any helpful input! So enough blabbering because I know that a majority of you will not end up reading this anyway and just skip to the story so there you go. The next chapter coming to you right NOW!
I sat there dumbfounded, at a loss of words but my mouth was too dry to say them anyway. Zach, of all people, just asked me to be his girlfriend! During my silence, he had taken my hand and was lightly brushing my knuckles with his thumb. He could have had any girl in the school, hell, even the world, to be his and he choose me! It almost seemed to be too good to be true, after everything I've told him about my past. Maybe that was it, maybe he's just doing this because he feels sorry for me and thinks that this is gonna make me feel better. Or was it because of something else? Bex was telling me about how he's been a player, but I have yet to see him with any other girl romantically. Hell, people already thought that were were together. So using me as another notch in his belt was out, but he definitely felt sorry for me.
"Cam," Zach said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "You're scaring me, say something"
"I don't want to be your charity case, Zach" I mumbled, afraid to meet his gaze.
Zach's hand tightened in mine as he waited for me to look into his eyes. When I did, they were a blazing green. "You've never been nor will you ever be a charity case to me." He spat out, as if the thought of it disgusted him. "I've fallen for you, Cam, head over heels. From the way your eyes light up when you're happy, your smile is just so-" He cut off with a smile of his own, then continued. "wow. The was your head sits perfectly above my heart, and how we fit together like puzzle pieces. Not because you have a past, but because you have a bright future in front of you, and I want to be a part of it, as your boyfriend." His eyes turned from blazing to pleading as he was talking, while his voice was raw with emotion. Zach really meant what he said, and I believed it.
"Yes" I said simply, smiling slightly at the thought of me being his girlfriend.
"Yes, as in you'll be my girlfriend?" He asked cautiously, his eyes now filled with hope.
"Of course, dummy." I said with a chuckle, messing up his perfectly styled hair.
It would've been a very cute moment if my sleeve decided not to ride up at that very moment, exposing the sterile white gauze covering my arm.
Zach snatched my wrist out of the air before I could pull it back and pushed up the sleeve until he could start seeing the red slowly seeping through the gauze. I thought he was going to yell or leave me alone at the table, but what he did next completely shocked me. He gingerly stroked his fingers over the red marks, then placed a feather light kiss there and mouthed "Tina?" to me. I nodded.
Wordlessly, he threw down two twenties on the table and lead me out of the restaurant by hand. Once outside, he intertwined his fingers with mine and started walking at more of a leisurely pace.
Our silence was broken only when Zach mentioned the elephant that was seeming to take up the space between and around us. "Why, Cammie? I thought you said you were doing better." His voice cracked with all of the emotion he was currently feeling as he scuffed his foot against the pavement.
I sighed and raked my free ha d through my hair before responding. "It was just one relapse, okay? I don't know how or why but what Tina said really got me down deep. So I did the only thing that I knew could take away the emotional pain, by letting the physical pain in."
Zach opened his mouth the respond, but didn't respond because we had just entered the pharmacy. There was something vaguely familiar, but couldn't put my finger on it. We walked straight over to the first aid aisle and started to search for something more effective then the gauze currently wrapped around my arm.
"I'll be right back, gotta grab something else real quick too." Zach said and kissed my forehead and took off into another area of the store. If he had been there for a few mere seconds later then he was, it could have saved me a whole lot of unneeded stress.
"Cam?" I heard a voice say in disbelief. Turning towards the noise, I cringed internally at who I saw standing there starting at me. Josh. "I can't believe it's you!" He rushed up to me and wrapped me tightly into his arms while I just stood there awkwardly waiting for him to let go. "What are you doing here?" He asked after releasing me, only to run both of his hands down my arms until they met my hands, then grabbing them.
"It's a town day for Gallagher, and Zach and I needed to pick up a few things before we head back to school." I took my hands out of his and crossed them across my chest.
"Zach?" Josh's face crumpled up with confusion. "Who's Zach?"
I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around me from behind and a head rest on my shoulder. I didn't even have to look to conclude that it was Zach, I knew those arms anywhere. His arms seemed so strong and safe to me, unlike Josh's which no seemed weak and foreign.
"Her boyfriend, and you are?" Zach said cooly, trying to keep his calm. "Are you the infamous Jimmy?"
Josh's eyes bugged out of his head as he responded, "It's actually Josh, and I didn't know that Cam had a boyfriend since we're supposed to together. Did you forget that when you left?" He now gave me his full attention, waiting for me to give him his answer. I knew what he wanted me to say too, that I was sorry for leaving him and transferring from Roseville and finding someone that wasn't him. But I wasn't at all.
"It's kind of obvious how you felt about me when my parents died and you didn't even bother to send me a text to see how I was doing!" I snapped, and Zach held me tighter to his chest. "And I know that you and DeeDee have been sneaking around with each other even before the accident. Nobody starts studying for hours on end every single day with the same girl and expect for nothing to happen. So guess what Josh, you're an ass who I don't need in my life anymore."
Josh's mouth opened and closed like a fish, looking for words to say, but Zach beat him to it. "You don't just do that to someone, Jimmy. She needed someone and the first person that she would've turned to is with some other girl! How low do you need to go to do that? She's done with you, so move on already."
"Cammie, I'm so sorry. I know I messed up but please give me a second chance. I can make it up to you I promise." Josh pleaded, but I wasn't caving into him no matter what.
I grabbed Zach's hand and practically dragged him out of the aisle, saying over my shoulder, "Save it Josh, we're done. Have fun with DeeDee."
Zach bought whatever he needed to, he wouldn't let me see what it was, then we walked out of the store, never looking back.
"I hate him." I murmured as we walked towards the gazebo in the town park.
"He's an ass." Zach murmured, matching my thoughts.
As we walked into the gazebo, I hopped up on the railing and Zach stood in between my legs.
"I'm proud of you for standing up to him. It's a good feeling that my girl isn't afraid to back down from someone." Zach smiled and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.
I smirked before responding. "Oh, so now I'm your girl?"
Zach's hand creeped behind my neck as the other one snaked around my back and he moved closer so we were chest to chest. "You've always been my girl, it just took you a while to realize it." He whispered before pressing his lips to mine.
In that moment, everything was perfect.
So there you have it, the next chapter! I am really going to make a conscious effort to update more often then I have before, which was literally never. Anyway, I hope that everyone had a great new year and holiday season. But as always, until next time,
Stay Classy
