The One Night Stand That Stayed

Chapter Seven: Zack And I

“How was work today, Zack?” Mason asked as soon as he walked through the door.

“Shitty,” Zack huffed walking away quickly. Mason glared at me, as soon as we heard the door to his bedroom slam shut.

“What’s his problem?” Daniel scoffed.

“He’s always like that,” I replied folding my arms across my chest.

Mason cleared his throat, plopping down onto the couch beside me. Here we go. I know what this meant. Throat clear, sit down, raise of eyebrow and stern eyes – He was going to give me a lecture. I might as well get comfortable.

“Didn’t we establish rules about fooling around with roommates?” Mason asked.

“Yeah and we both broke that rule remember?” I retorted. “And in my defense, both times I was intoxicated and the other night I was under the influence of drugs as well. So, you can spare the lecture.”

“I knew you almost hooked up with Zack,” Mason huffed. “I knew it! I knew it!”

“Keyword almost,” I replied. “We just made out. It didn’t go any further than that. It was because of Daniel that I stopped actually. Thanks to him or I would have made a huge mistake. I mean a part of me was super-duper horny and wanted nothing more than to screw Zack but another part of me didn’t want to use him like that as if he was some sort of rebound for Noah.”

“Speaking of Noah, we talked again last night,” Mason said awkwardly. I rolled my eyes.

“I don’t want to know,” I said folding my arms. “Don’t tell me what he said.”

“Jayson,” Mason sighed. “Why won’t you just talk to him?”

“Because I don’t want to,” I huffed. “If I talk to him, then I’ll probably take him back and I don’t want to do that. He needs to suffer. He cheated. I didn’t. You better not tell him I said any of this either, Mason. I don’t want you talking about me to Noah.”

“Fine,” Mason replied. “I won’t.”

“I mean it, Mason,” I glared at him. “Nothing about me. You can just tell him that I’m fine. That’s it.”

“Fine,” Mason shrugged. “If that’s what you want.”

“Good,” I said pulling a carton of cigarettes out of my pocket. “I need a smoke.”

 “I thought you stopped,” Mason protested.

“Well I started again,” I retorted walking out of my apartment and down the steps. I started a lot of bad habits over thanks to this break-up with Noah. I started drinking more, smoking more, hell I even did drugs the other night. Those are things that I haven’t done in a while. It was like I was back to my old self – the self before Noah came into my life.

Noah had really changed me and I never realized up until now. I can barely even look at another guy – let alone sleep around like I used to. I was just about finished with my cigarette when the door to my apartment slammed behind me. I turned around to see Zack standing there.

“Zack,” I said curiously. “Where are you headed?”

“Out,” he smirked. “I’m going to see your boyfriend, Neil.”

I laughed at the fact that he even mentioned his name – Neil. Neil came on a little too strong for my taste even if he was completely my type.

“Boyfriend? I thought you were my boyfriend,” I flirted, giving him a wink.

“I don’t do boyfriends,” Zack replied, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. “I fuck other people’s boyfriends.”

“Oh – Well excuse me,” I retorted, as he walked towards the parking lot. I followed him to his car, my eyes following him. Zack was acting a little bitchier than normal or maybe he was being normal? I could never tell with him. He was hard to read.