A Match Made in Hell

70

"It's not going to work like this, kid." He shakes his head, stressing. "We can't wait anymore, we don't have time. This needs to happen, and it's needs to happen as soon as possible, because I've had enough. We've all had enough."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you're not fucking ready!" He suddenly snaps, and stops his pacing around the room. "God, what was I thinking, anyway? You're just a stupid fucking kid, you don't know shit."

"Must I remind you that we've both killed more people than you and Nicholas have combined. The two of us, separately." Zak jumps into my defence.

"Just because you've come across one or two groups and killed them all at once with a rifle doesn't mean you can fight. You need skills. I mean, hell, look at you, fucking skin and bones. When was the last time you even ate?"

"When was the last time you even gave the both of us any proper food, august?!" A yell comes from Zak. He's mad and it's obvious, of course he is, who wouldn't be?

But he wasn't wrong. I'd lost a lot of weight, almost skin and bones like he said.

And I looked disgusting.

"Why don't you do it yourself, then?" I suddenly ask when I shouldn't have.

"Excuse me?"

"If I'm just a stupid kid, if I'm just skin and bones, why don't you try to do anything yourself?" I shrug my shoulders. Genuinely, I need to know. "Why don't you try being a prisoner here and having to train for 10 hours everyday without any food and barely any water?"

"Guess it's not my luxury." He chuckles. "I have guards for a reason."

"Great, congratulations, make your guards do it." I clap my hands together. "They're all twice my size, I mean, look at those damn muscles, man."

"I need them for other things, that isn't their job." He walks up to me, lifting my chin. "You're being paid for this, Armstrong. You're a kid who doesn't get shit, you will never understand. Stop being ungrateful and do what you're told before I change my mind about this deal and your prize."

I glance at Zachary who just glances around the room in confusion. Fuck, I never remembered to tell him.

"Go." August lets go of me. "Get out of here. You've got another week, maximum. Train harder."

I get up from my seat in an instant, running out of the room. God, fuck, I feel like I can't breathe right now.

The moment I'm in the hallways, I drop down onto my knees, my head spinning painfully.

I hear the door open and close once again after me, footsteps approaching me and running to me. Please, don't be anybody other than Zachary.

"Zachary." I mumble as a pair of arms grab me from the back, stopping me from collapsing right onto the cold marble floors.

"It's okay, Aiden." He wraps his arms around my shoulders from the back, hugging me tightly as he presses a million kisses onto my cheek over and over. "I'm here, I always will be."

A tear finds it way down my cheek as I take a deep breath, but fail when a choked sob comes out from the back of my throat.

"Come on, let's get you up." He smiles at me for a split second, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.

"Zachary." I whisper, again. "Zak, I'm so sorry."

"We'll talk about this later." He ignores me, wrapping my arm around his shoulder as he pulls me up. "Come on, we're taking you to bed."