His Revenge, Her Freedom

Chapter 23- 'Do your worst'

"I bet you start loving me soon as I start loving someone else

Somebody better than you."

Zayn POV

"Most people would find it weird that we're best friends even after dating the same girl."

Louis and I were laid out in my backyard, discussing the only thing that he ever wanted to talk about – Reagan. Normally I wouldn't care, but their problems were exhausting and I had my own to worry about.

"Yeah, most people don't even have half the problems that you and I have." Lou closed his eyes and rested his hands on his bare chest. "That doesn't mean anything."

"What do you want me to do about it, Lou? You married her. You deal with it and leave the ex-boyfriend alone."

"I wish you were the only ex-boyfriend that I had to deal with." Not this again. "You were never a threat in my opinion."

"Yeah right. You and I both know that there was a strong possibility that Keating would've ended up with me."

"There is no part of me that knows that." Louis laughed, and I tried my best to hide my smile. "You don't either."

"What is your point here anyway? You got the girl. Why are you always doing something to mess it up?"

"I'm not," Louis defended. "And I don't have her actually. Not all of her at least."

"Let me take a guess and say that you are referring to Josh."

"Yes."

"It's getting really old, Lou." I stood up and sat on the edge of the pool, my back to Louis. "Keating doesn't want him. They're just friends."

"Then, why has she been visiting him at the hospital so much?"

Even though I had been terrified of Josh's condition, once I went to the hospital, he told me that he was just fine. He didn't look it in my opinion, but I assumed that he would feel back to his old self really soon. If I'm not mistaken, he was already released from the hospital.

"Because she's a decent person, Lou unlike some people that I know of. She doesn't have to be in love with him to hope he doesn't die. And, you need to cut him some slack. I love you and the boys, but Josh has been my friend for much longer than you lads have. I know him, and I know that he doesn't have any ulterior motives."

"Just because you're friends with someone doesn't mean you know what they're capable of." I heard him stand up behind me and walk over to the cooler to grab a beer. "You didn't know that I was pining after Reagan when you were still with her, and I was still your friend. People are capable of anything."

"I'm starting to realize this, unfortunately. Josh actually likes you and considers you a friend. You're just too caught up in your jealousy to realize this."

He remained quiet, and I turned around to get a better look at him. Normally, I wouldn't entertain his mistrustfulness when it came to Keating because it was unnecessary.

But, the expression on his face looked different.

"What did you do?"

He glanced up from where he was staring at the bottom of the pool and put his beer down. "Excuse me?"

"You look guilty. What did you do?"

"I didn't do-."

"Don't insult my intelligence, Lou. You look guilty."

"Technically, I have nothing to be guilty for considering the fact that I did nothing wrong. But, there is something I feel like Reagan has a right to know."