Protection, Zack Merrick, All Time Low

24

Kimberly

"I need a room for a night?" I ask the lady at the check in desk at the hotel.

She didn't question the tears running down my face, or my phone buzzing in my pocket like crazy. I made a scene, and now I have to lay in the bed I made. The bed Zack and I made.

"Yes ma'am, I need your credit card on file."

"Here you go." I hand her my card and give her a small smile.

"Have a nice night." She hands me the card and keys, and I'm just glad I had my phone charger and my credit card.

I get another call, and it's Alex, I decided to take it, "Hey." I say, as strong as I can.

"Thank you for finally answering, are you okay? Where are you?"

"I'm just straight in town, I'm in a hotel. I'm fine. Is he okay?"

"Why are you in a hotel?"

"Because Alex I didn't want to be forced into talking about it, and I just needed space." I'm scared he might hit me, too, even though he isn't like that.

"I understand," He sighs. "Jack drove him home, they just left, even though he nearly broke his nose."

"Well, I'll thank Jack later. Thank you for checking up on me."

"Is there anything Lisa and I can do for you?"

"No, I'll be okay. I'll order a pizza or something and I'll go back home tomorrow, maybe."

"Call us, okay? And if you don't go home on time, we need you to do paperwork tomorrow for us to record another album."

"Alright, Alex. I've got to go, bye." I jump onto the bed.

"Wait, call Jack and he can grab you some clothes."

"Alright."

I hang up, and hesitate calling Jack, "Jack?" I ask, when he answers.

"Hey dad!"

"Jack I'm no-"

"Shh dad, what do you need?"

"Jack I saw the caller ID," I hear Zack say.

"Alright, fine." He pauses, "Hey girl, do you need anything?"

"I know it's a lot to ask, but can you bring me a change of clothes and a hoodie from my closet? I have to go sign papers for your record tomorrow."

"That isn't a lot to ask, and yes. I'll make Zack get your clothes and put it in a bag. I'll be over there in an hour or so."

"Thank you so much Jack. Text me when you're on your way. What kind of pizza do you want? I'm buying."

"Anything is fine."

Jack

Zack has a sour looking face, and I pat his leg, "She will forgive you, don't worry."

"What I did was stupid." He frowns. "I was drunk when that happened Jack."

"I know, we all heard you tell her how mad you were at her." I look at the road.

"It was impulse to say it."

"But was it impulse that made you think she cheated on you, with me?" I pause, one of my rare serious moments. "I wouldn't do that to you, and she wouldn't either. Why would you even think that?"

"Mom put ideas in my head, she told me about how you two were so close before she left to move back, and she wasn't wrong, I just figured there were feelings hidden or something."

"No dude, I was her best friend. The only person she would talk to about Alexs' breakdowns or when he yelled at her. The day we went to your moms, Isobel told her that she shouldn't stay in her room all the time, and that she was worried or something, and then we came over and you saw Alex snap at her for 'intruding,' he was such an ass to her, but she knew he didn't mean it, she knew he was just grieving." I explained.

"Yeah, she was hurt, and I comforted her, you had a girlfriend, and she didn't want to be around the girl that bullied her, because she was around that night too, don't you remember?"

Sudden realization came across his face, probably from when Kim just snapped and slapped Anna, his girlfriend and Anna pretended like she didn't provoke her.

"If I write her a note, will you give it to her?" He asks.

"I can't promise that she will read it, but yes. Now, can you grab her underwear and put it in a bag for her? I don't want her to think I'm a pervert, or for you to hit me again." I meant it as a joke, but he moved to apologize.

"I'm really sorry, I just--"

"I won't hold it against you, my nose isn't broken, I'm fine. Just don't do that again."

He goes in, me trailing behind him, and he grabs her clothes, I told him she needed something serious but casual and he laughed at me, telling me to pick it out for her. I grabbed her a black tshirt and a flannel, and a pair of her favorite blue jeans, I also grabbed her makeup, hair shit, and bathroom things.

Zack was writing her a note, and I'm not even going to lie, I was curious as hell why he would break her heart, even if it was on accident.

Kimberly

I was laying on my bed, bawling my eyes out, when Jack finally knocked.

"Shh," he says, pulling me into his lap, "It's okay, he didn't mean to hurt you."

"I hate to admit it, but I thought he was going to hit me." She whimpers.

"I should have told you guys I was going. I shouldn't have gone in general." He rubbed my back as I sobbed.

"I brought ice cream." He says, "Your favorite kind."

"Vanilla?"

"Mmhm, now, come on, wipe your face and we can eat pizza and I'll connect your phone to the tv, and we can watch Netflix."

"Here's your bag, by the way. And a note he wanted you to read."

"Okay." I let out a choked whisper, and he gets up, grabbing my phone. "Is he okay?"

"He's so angry at himself."

"I didn't mean to make him upset, but he thought we were doing something bad behind his back, Jack, what the fuck?"

I pick up the letter and sigh

Kimmy,

Baby girl, please come back to me, I know I messed up. Let me explain, my mother made me feel insecure, she said you always seemed to have a thing for Jack, and I see now how stupid that was of me to think, but seeing you cuddled up to him and not me, really upset me.

Kim, I know you're mad, you have every right to be, I missed you okay? You left me. Without a word. You left us all. You texted Alex, and that's it. I didn't know you went there to dump him in person, I would've stopped you. I realize now that Alex didn't know you were going to either, I'm so sorry I practically cheated on you, please come home at some point, you're my forever, babe.

I love you, so much.

-Zack

"You've got to trust him when he says he's sorry, he cried over you."

"Everyone cries over me." I joke, "I'm a heartbreaker."

He gives me a stern look, and I nod. "I know, Jack. I've got to go there tomorrow anyway, I forgive him, I really do. You know I can't be mad at people long."

"I know, just don't think too much about it. He didn't mean to hurt you."

"Thanks Jack." I hand him some pizza and cuddle up next to him on the bed.

He leaves after a little while, and I decide to text Zack.

Kimberly// We can talk tomorrow. I can't stay mad at you.