Bad Boy, All You Have To Do Is Ask

Chapter Five

Chapter Five:

*Flashback*

"Zach, don't go," tears rushed down my face.

"Pumpkin, you'll be okay. Hunter will be here for you. I have to go." My brother had a stony expression.

"But I don't want you to go." I looked over at Brad's lifeless body. "I'm still scared."

"I'll be back. I promise." He kissed my forehead. "Stay safe." I closed my eyes and stayed still. Long after he left, and the heat left my body, I stayed standing there.

Tears rushed down my face for hours. Brad was dead. Zach killed Brad. Zach left me. He left me. Why? Why did he leave me? Why couldn't he stay? Where did he go? When will he come back? Will he come back? How will he survive? How will I survive? Questions ran through my head. I stayed standing in the same spot for hours. The tears eventually stopped, but the pain didn't. The pain clung to my heart like a hand. It squeezed and squeezed.

Beca found me in the morning, practically frozen to death. She rushed me home. My mother was waiting for me. As soon as I walked through the door, she started yelling, not because she cared for me, but because she cared for Zach. She wanted to know where he was. I told her I didn't know. She stopped yelling and came towards me, her face deadly. I cowered, so used to being hit. Not by her, never by her, until then. Her hand cracked against my cheek. I didn't cry, no more crying. I never cried because of her.

That day, I closed my heart to anyone other than my father, Hunter, and Beca. That day, I tried to hate Zachary for leaving me. That day, I wanted to die. That day, I had to face Brad's mother.

*

"Did you miss me, Ali?"

"Zach," I threw my arms around his shoulders. "You came back."

I sobbed into his neck and he carried me to the couch, where he pulled me into his lap, like when I was four and he was ten. "I told you I would. Its okay, pumpkin, calm down. You're alright."

"I didn't think you would. You shouldn't have left. Mama blames me. I tried to tell her what happened, but she wouldn't listen. I missed you. You've been gone. For two years. I'm not in high school anymore, I'm in college. I've missed you for two years. I've missed you so much." I kept repeating and shaking my head. Tears continued to race down my face.

"It's okay..." Zach continued to try and calm me down. After a while, I could talk without tears. Zach asked me who Tyler was.

"Oh, that's my roommate, Tyler. He lives here, too. I needed a place to stay, and Hunter and Beca are together, so it would be weird." I babbled until I heard a knock on the door.

Beca walked in saying, "I told you I was..." she trailed off when she saw my brother. "Oh, my god, Zach!" She ran up to him.

Zach and Beca have the same brother/sister relationship that we have. Beca and I have been best friends forever, so it makes sense.

"What's up, Becky?" Zach laughed when Beca scowled at her nickname.

"You know what, that's not even right. Where are you gonna stay?"

Zach looked at me and I answered her. "With me. You're sleeping on my floor so I can make sure you don't leave again." Zach laughed at my remark.

So many thoughts were running through my head, but only one was clear. Zach was back!

"We have to tell Hunter," Beca blurted.

"No need. You're staying." Hunter and Zach bear hugged each other.