Save Me #1

20| Disclosure

The next days pass without further happenings. Despite my growing hatred for my boring job at the Diner, I embrace the return of my daily routine. After all the action I went through the past weeks, it's quite relaxing to have a normal life again.

It's Friday night and I'm sitting on my sofa between Abbey and Sadie. I invited the girls over to have a relaxed lady's night. Nora has to work until closing time and Hailey is occupied with some guy, she's met last weekend which leaves only Abbey, Sadie, and me.

"So, Livie. Where's your hot boyfriend?" Abbey teases me and sips on her wine.

I giggle and playfully swat her arm.

"He's with an old friend of him tonight," I reply. Jake invited Zach to spend the evening with him and his sister. I'm happy for him to get back in touch with Jake. He seems to be a nice guy and Zach could really use a good friend at times on which he can rely.

"Too bad. I was hoping he would join us tonight, so we could get to know him better," Sadie states and I laugh with a shake of my head.

"So, I'm not enough anymore?" I ask her in a played hurt tone and take a nip of my gin and tonic. I can't blame them. Zach can be extremely charming, and I remember him being on his best behavior when I introduced him to the clique for the first time.

"I'm just kidding, love," Sadie banters back and reassuringly squeezes my hand. "It's just nice to see you being madly in love!" she adds with a wink, and I instantly feel myself blushing.

"Yea, he's amazing," I reply and sigh deeply. "I just wish he would stop thinking he's blamable for all the shit I've went through since I met him."

Abbey and Sadie exchange some meaningful looks before they both shoot me a sympathetically smile.

"Well. I know you don't want to hear that, but I think he's right... somehow at least. Not that he did anything bad to you, but without meeting him all those things never would have happened." Abbey's words leave her mouth very cautiously, but it's clear that she and the other girls did talk about Zach and me. I somehow knew they did, but I didn't expect them to think that way about Zach.

For a moment I'm dumbfounded, but I regain my voice quickly and face Abbey with a deep frown.

"Uh, I didn't know you think about him that way. I mean, of course Terrence wouldn't have used me for his revenge against his stepbrother, but you can't blame somebody for falling in love. Without him I wouldn't even be alive, since he saved me from T's claws," I bark. My voice actually comes out louder and harsher than I wanted it.

Abbey raises her eyebrows and slightly backs away.

"Well, we, as your best friends, are just worried for you. We love you and don't want you to get hurt." I can tell by the sound of her voice that she's hurt by my reaction, but I'm hurt as well.

"Yea, I get that, but I expect my friends to be honest with me. It's been more than two weeks since I got discharged from the hospital and you're telling me only now what you think about the whole thing," I retort. I hate to fight with my friends, but I can't help it right now. Hearing Abbey talking that way about Zach and my relationship really caught me off guard.

Abbey huffs and rolls her green eyes at me.

"Well, maybe we would have, if you weren't that occupied with your perfect Zach and would spend some time with your friends now and then," she snarls with narrowed eyes.

I cringe at her harsh accusation. I know I haven't seen my friends very often lately, but I thought they understood my situation. I just needed the time to recover from what happened with Terrence.