HEART FOR HIRE ✓

Forty Six

This time, Zion takes me to a fancy restaurant. We eat steak and drink some fancy wine, laugh, have so much fun. I can't believe I almost let my childishness ruin this for me.

"So," Zion stops mid bite and stares at me. "I got an offer."

"What kind?"

"I met a former classmate," Zion nods and continues eating. "She told me about design school and I think I want to give it a shot."

Zion chocks on his food and covers it up with a cough. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"I'm so proud of you," he smiles warmly at me. "I can't even begin to explain how happy for you I am."

"Yeah yeah-"

We talk about the basics, when I should apply, when Zion should take me shopping for stuff I may need while there. Thankfully, the course takes eighteen months according to the documents Juliana sent with a three weeks break after the ninth week.

We finish our meal and Zion offers to buy ice cream for dessert. We talk together, hand in hand through a small park as we head to the ice cream parlour. It feels so good to hold his hand. It's so warm, big and rough.

"Hey!" a man's voice calls - in fact yells - from behind us.

Without separating our hands, Zion turns and addresses the man behind us. I haven't seen the man yet, not that I need to.
"Hey man, what's with the yelling?"

"I'm not talking to you," the man yells again. "I'm talking to the bitch that's holding your hand."

Me?

"Excuse me?" Zion looks taken back. "I won't let you insult my girlfriend like that."

I turn to look at the man and my eyes widen. Holy mother of Christ! I did not expect this.

"I said I ain't talking to you," he spits at Zion. He still looks as scary as I remember. This time though, he looks murderous. "Your bitch ruined my life."

Zion turns to me. "Do you know him?"

I nod. Of course I remember him, he is the bastard that abandoned Jeanette and her baby. How dare he say that I ruined his life?

"I knew you looked familiar," he goes on. "You saw Ariana and I at the store, didn't you? You also had to run and empty your mouth to my girlfriend, is it your business? It's your fault that Jeanette threw me out! It's your fault that she will have to bear this child on her own. I hate you fucking bitch!"

"Alright, that's enough-" Zion starts

"I'll make you pay for ruining our lives," Brandon starts walking towards me.

Surprisingly though, I don't run. I'm still shocked that he has the nerve to pin his mistakes on me. How did Jeanette manage to stay with this psycho for a whole year?

He doesn't get to me though. One minute, he is walking towards me. The next minute, the my hand is empty and Zion is pinning Brandon on the ground, almost chocking him.
"Didn't I fucking tell you that you have said enough? Nobody and I repeat, nobody gets to walk away after calling my girlfriend a bitch. Do you understand, you fucking waste of space?"

Brandon mutters some words and nods weakly. Zion removes his hand from Brandon's neck and gives him one hell of a punch. I won't be surprised if Brandon's jaw is dislocated later on.
"Go find a life or a therapist, I don't care. If I dream that you are breathing in the same space as my girlfriend, I'll fucking end you. You get that?"

Brandon stands up and tries to rearrange his face in vain.
"Yeah, I got it man. Just tell your bi- girlfriend to stop with the verbal diarrhoea-"

Zion charges at him but I'm quick to stop him. "You don't get to tell my girlfriend what she should do or not. One more word and you won't be recognizable."

Brandon probably figures out that he's fighting a losing battle and walks away, his arms raised in surrender.

*****

"What the hell happened to him?" Jeanette looks at Zion who's almost crying like a child as I try to clean his bruised fist that hit Brandon.

Zion drove straight to the theater because it's the closest from where we had lunch such that I can give him some first aid.

"Well-"

"We ran into your ex," Zion drawls out. "You have a bad taste in men. I'm so disappointed in you Jeanette - ouch! What was that for?"

"Do you really have to say that?" I harshly scrub his wound and he lets out another pained sound.

"Nah," Jeanette shakes her head. "He's right, I have terrible taste in men. So, what did the idiot do?"

"Well, your idiot wanted to beat me up for telling you about him and Ariana. Then, my idiot decided to play hero and punched your idiot's jaw. Now, here he is whining like a little baby."

"Your idiot, huh?" Zion teases and I intentionally add so much iodine to his wound making him scream in pain. "You gotta stop doing that!"

"I'm sorry," Jeanette offers to Zion

"Nah, it's okay. I don't think he'll be disturbing you any time soon," Zion waves her off

"I doubt that."

"What do you mean, is he stalking you?" I wouldn't be surprised if he is. He looks like a psycho anyway.

"Kinda," Jeanette nods. "He's been showing up at my brother's, sometimes my sister's. They've warned him but he still shows up anyway."

"You have to file a restraining order, Jeanette," Zion tells her. "Such people don't usually go away on their own. You can't let him hurt you."

"I know," Jeanette nods sadly. "I just can't seem to wrap this whole thing around my head. I can't believe that a man I once loved is a psychopath. I guess, a part of me feels some sympathy for him."

"But does he deserve the sympathy?" I inquire slowly, such that I don't upset Jeanette's mood swings.

She takes a deep breath and answers.
"No, he doesn't."