Chad's POV
I'm a fucking idiot, but goddamn does she make me angry.
I stood in the train station parking lot like a lost puppy watching her drive away with god-knows-who.
I didn't move for a few minutes.
I was shocked as hell when she got up and left me sitting in the cafe. I should have gone after her right away, but I didn't. I thought she'd come back, or that when I did finally leave she would be sitting outside, still mad at me. Or crying.
God, I'm a dick.
I finally came to my senses and got back into my car and slammed the door shut. I wanted to follow her, but I couldn't. For one, I don't even know where she went. For all I know, she ran back to Dylan--even the thought made me want to punch something. I didn't want to go to her house though, her mom seems nosy as hell and I'm sure she probably doesn't approve of me anyway. Typical.
I took my phone out of my jacket pocket and called Mackenzie. She answered right away.
"Hey," she didn't reply, waiting for me to get on with it. "I'll be there in five minutes."
She didn't question me. She never does. I had no idea what I was going to do with her, but I sure as hell needed a disctraction.
Mackenzie was sitting on her front steps when I got there, cigarette in hand as usual. When I pulled up, she quickly got in the passenger seat, similing at me in a way that was seductive as hell.
"Give me one of those," I said, motioning to her cigarette. She reached into her jacket pocket, pulled out the white and gold package and handed me one along with a lighter.
I nodded in thanks and put the car in reverse, "Where are we going?" she asked, rolling down the window and ashing the cigarette.
"The guys are at some party on the west side," I told her, driving out of the small neighborhood. She nodded, rolling the window back up.
Being with her was nice. She didn't try to get to know me, she knew me well enough to know that I didn't want that and she was a damn good distraction from all the shit going on.
I weaved through dark neighborhoods making our way to the party, Kenzie's hand on my knee traveling up ever so slightly.
The party was in full swing by the time we got there, "I'll go get us drinks," Kenzie offered. I nodded and looked around for the guys.
Arabella's POV
"Where do you want to go?" Zac asked. He could tell I was upset, and I was thankful that he decided not to pry.
"Can we go to yours? I don't want to deal with my mom right now."
Zac nodded and took a left-hand turn. There were a few moments of silence and I wiped the few tears that had barely made it past my waterline.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked after a moment.
I did, actually. I just didn't know where to start.
"He's just so..." I didn't even know what Chad was. Something else entirely.
"All I did was try to get to know him and he blew up at me," I told him. It sounded so minor when I said it out loud. But the way Chad had flipped a switch and became so angry and cold was something I couldn't shake.
Zac nodded. I could tell he was trying really hard not to start with 'I told you so.'
"Well, I know I warned you about him. But maybe give it some time," he said. calculating my expression before continuing. "I mean, I know you guys have something, but he isn't that kind of guy, you know? It won't be like an instant fairy tale."
This wasn't what I expected at all. Was he right?
We were now in Zac's driveway and he killed the engine.
"I'm going to call my mom and let her know I'm here," I told him as we kicked off our shoes inside the front door. "Is it okay if I stay tonight?" I ask, my voice small.
"Of course. I'll go pick out a movie?" I nodded and pulled out my phone.
"Hi honey," my mom answered. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah," I told her. "Is it okay if I stay at Zac's tonight?" she hesitated. "He's got some boy drama, I don't want to leave him," I lied.
She finally agreed and made me promise to be home first thing in the morning.
"Since when are you good at lying?" Zac asked from behind me, a carton of ice cream in one hand and the remote in the other.
I shrugged and followed him to the family room.
My phone beeped again and I groaned, hoping it wasn't my mother changing her mind. But instead it was Macy. The message was a photo of a familiar dark-haired boy with his hands around some blonde's waist. The text along with the message said 'weren't you two on a date tonight???'
I thought my heart was going to stop as I dropped my phone onto my lap and looked over at Zac.
"What is it?" he asked, grabbing it from my legs. His eyes nearly popped out of his head as he looked at the message. "No. It can't..." he started.
"It is. God, this is who he is, isn't it?" I said, my voice raising and tears threatening again, "I should have known."
"Where's the party?" Zac asked me, standing up with his arms crossed.
"I.. I don't know," I said honestly.
"Well you better find out, because we're going."
I furiously shook my head, "No.. I can't see him right now."
Zac sat back down and put an arm around me, rubbing soothing circles into my shoulder.
"I know it sucks. But he's not getting away with this. Do you want him to think you're sitting around missing him or do you want him to see you out having fun? He needs to know he doesn't control you."
He was right. I took a deep breath and smiled in agreement.
This had potential to be a disaster, but I doubted tonight could get any worse.
