Hell On the Heart
Ohhh, I can hear 'em playin.
I can hear the ringin of a beat up ol guitar.
Ohhh, I can hear 'em singin,
"Keep on dreamin, even if it breaks your heart."
-Eli Young Band
Part XII
With Zach at her house she was completely psyched out. It made her so uncomfortable, knowing he could be right around the corner, lurking in one of her rooms. The worst part was she had no control over what he did. She couldn't kick him out because he was Ashton's 'friend', and she couldn't be anything but over bubbly and pleasant to him because she didn't want Ashton or the rest of her family to suspect anything.
For the most part she tried to avoid him. And it wasn't too hard, because Cammie could tell he didn't want to be around her. He always seemed uncomfortable and upset when they were in the same room, and he ignored her, and it hurt more than she thought it would.
The day he came, though— that had to have been the worst.
"Cammie!" she heard her father call from the front foyer. Cammie felt an anxious feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Yeah?" she called back.
"Ashton friend is here, come greet him!"
She sighed and pushed herself off the bed. "Coming!" she yelled. She checked herself in the mirror quickly. She wasn't about to go and see Zach looking like a piece of shit.
She took a deep breath. "I can do this."
And then she proceeded to walk downstairs and then she saw him there. He was standing there, looking more gorgeous then she remembered. His hair was a bit longer, his cheeks filled with a little bit more stubble. She saw his adam's apple bob as he met her eyes. They were hooded, hiding things, like they were most of the time. But they seemed to have a sadistic edge to them, making her feel small.
". . . Cammie," she heard her brother say. "She's the one I was telling you about in Italy."
She nodded and smiled politely, the way she would if he were a stranger. He nodded and smiled himself, and she knew him well enough to know it was forced.
"Nice to meet you," he said and held out his hand. She took it, fighting the urge to cringe at the familiar warmth she felt.
"You too."
He pulled his hand back sooner than she wanted him to do. "You have the same eyes." He said, now speaking to both Ashton and Cammie.
Ashton laughed. "Of course we do, she's my little sis."
Zach smiled gently, and she saw the hurt masked in his eyes.
"Here let me help me with your bags." Ashton, Calvin, and her dad went out to the car, Ashton calling back, "Cammie show him to his room!"
She nodded and then turned away from him. "Follow me."
She gulped. The spare bedroom was across from hers.
He nodded and picked up his bag.
"You know," she said softly. "You could have told me you were coming."
"Before or after you broke up with me?" he wondered.
"We were never together," she hissed quietly.
He rolled his eyes at her back. "Of course we weren't."
"Zach," she hissed.
"What?"
"There's nothing between us. There never was."
"So you wouldn't care if I told Taylor—"
"Zach!"
He scowled. "Whether you want to admit it or not I know you felt it too."
"You're being ridiculous."
They were at the room by now.
"Am I?"
She closed her eyes, trying to scramble her thoughts together. "Zach," she said again, quietly.
"What?" he said. He sounded tried.
"Can we not do this now?"
"Yeah, sorry," he replied. "When's a good time for you?"
"I don't want you to hate me," she said. "Please can we talk about this another time."
"I don't hate you," he breathed. "And no—we can't."
And then Calvin walked in, ignoring the dense tension he felt between the two.
"Where do you want these?" he asked, directing to Zach's bags.
"Just throw 'em on the bed," he said.
"I'll see you later then," she said.
Zach nodded. "I guess."
She walked out, feeling his gaze on her, but also feeling Ashton as he came up the stairs. He looked at her as if he knew something and wanted to figure the rest of it out.
...Just how they're dealing.
Spoiler: Breakup in next chappie :P