I Know It's Hurting You, But It's Killing Me (A7X Fan Fiction)

Chapter Ten: Hooking Up

            Lyric’s heart stopped for a moment. For a second, she had thought he found out about Brian being at her house earlier that day, but then after thinking about it, she knew there was no way he could have known. After all, Zacky did say Brian was probably busy, she thought to herself.

            “And I also know that I overreacted on Monday and Tuesday over at Brian’s house,” he continued, then paused to thank the bartender for handing him another glass and Lyric, another bottle of Corona.

            “But I know him better than most people. I’ve been friends with him since elementary school and we’ve spend so many hours together these past few years, between taking any gig we could get just to make a buck, to making it big and touring the world.

            “He may seem like he’s good boyfriend material. He acts all sweet and caring. He’ll wanna go take walks on the beach, go out for coffee, buy you gifts,” Zacky said, naming various activities that girls love to do with their boyfriends.

            “The truth is, and I really do hate saying this, but all he wants to do is get in your pants. That’s all he’s interested in.”

            And as soon as those words came out of his mouth, Lyric had heard enough. She knew it wasn’t true. Brian wouldn’t have been that nice to her. He wouldn’t have paid for a new laptop if all he wanted was to have sex with her. Zack is just lying because he doesn’t want me to be with Brian.

            “You know what, Zackary? I thought that letting you back into my life would help me. I thought it would fix my alcohol problems. I thought we could finally be a family again… Just like you fucking promised right before you left,” Lyric spat angrily before finishing her drink and slamming the bottle hard onto the bar top.

            “I guess I was wrong,” she spoke, a little softer this time, and he could see the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.

            And before she could let any of those tears fall, Lyric hightailed out of there, leaving Zack alone at the bar and without a ride home.

            When Lyric climbed into her car, she wasn’t necessarily drunk, but if she got pulled over by the cops, she’d probably get charged with a DUI and that’s the last thing she needed. News of that would be all over the internet real quick. Popular Children’s Author, Evelynn Baker, Charged with DUI.

            But she had no other option, right? It’s not like she could sleep in her car until the morning when she would be able to legally drive home. And she had no one to call to come pick her up. Unless…

            Since Zack no longer had a ride home, he figured he might as well say for a while longer and continue drinking. No need for Lyric’s sour mood to ruin my night.

            He usually had to worry about people noticing him everywhere that he went, having to sign autographs or take pictures with crazy fan girls, but he knew that at Johnny’s Bar, everyone already knew him. And if they didn’t, they didn’t care. More times than not, the guys were there to drink and the girls were there to hook up.

            So he stayed at the bar, drinking Jack Daniel’s and lightly bobbing his head to the music that was playing from the speakers.

            A few minutes later, he felt a hand on his shoulder and someone’s hot breath on his neck. “Hey there handsome,” a voice from behind cooed.

            Zacky slowly turned around, now looking up at the same attractive blonde that Lyric had seen checking Zack out earlier when they first arrived at the bar.