Zailey (Sequel) ✔️

Part Four

Monday morning, when I was propped up in my bed at 10:42AM, my throat as dry as the desert, my eyes bleary and my head pounding with a relentless headache, I stared at my phone that I clutched between my hands.
I don't even know what time I'd eventually fallen asleep, but I guess I'd needed it.
However, i was staring at my phone screen, where it told me my goodnight message had delivered to Zander, but he hadn't read it.
Hurt twinged at my heart.
Is he really just going to try and wipe me off?
After everything we've been through and how we feel about each other?
But Arian's words about him having many demon's to try and battle right now, rang in my head.
Swallowing my pride, I let my finger's drift across the keyboard to type a good morning message.
They're the simple thing's that can make the world of difference, right?
Not wanting to sit around and stare at the screen to see if it changed from 'delivered', I set my phone aside, climbed out of bed and headed up to the kitchen to make a coffee.
Coffee was definitely in order today.
How many cup's would it take to make me feel remotely human?
I guess I was about to find out the answer.

When I was done with a breakfast of a few slices of Vegemite toast and a couple of coffee's, there was no change to my phone screen, so I grabbed my towel, some clean underwear and clothes and headed to the shower.
I was rubbing conditioner into the length's of my hair, when I heard a voice outside the bathroom door.
"Amara?!"
I asked, needing to check over the sounds of the water hitting the floor.
It sounded like my home town best friend though...
"Yes! Hurry up!"
My friend yelled in a muffled voice from the outside.
Shit!
I pushed the shower door open and leaned out.
"What's happened?!"
I all but yelled toward the bathroom door.
Surely that would be the only reason she's arrived unannounced and wound up outside the bathroom, right?
"I want to spend some time with my best friend, that's what!"
Amara's muffled voice yelled back.
Oh.
So it's nothing to do with Zander then.
Feeling equal part's relieved but strangely sad, I prepared to get back in the shower.
I have body wash I have to wash off and conditioner that I have to rinse from my hair.
"I'll be out soon! Make yourself comfy!"
I told Amara, then closed the shower cubicle door.
"Okay!"
I faintly heard Amara's muffled reply.
I leaned down to grab my face scrub lotion and squirted some of the gel into my hand.

"So what's up?"
I asked, plopping down onto the lounge to join Amara who was flicking through channel's on the large flat screen TV.
She tossed the remote control aside and turned to face me, dressed to perfection as always, with her hair pulled off her face, her makeup lightly done and wearing a light blue short summer dress with spaghetti straps over the shoulders.
"You look like shit."
She bluntly informed me.
I rolled my eyes and flopped back into the comfortable and well used lounge cushions, folding my arms across my chest.
Typical Amara, she doesn't sugarcoat anything.
"Gee thanks!"
I told her sarcastically.
She shrugged.
"Well I'm not gonna lie."
But sympathy soon flashed on her face.
"Your eye is umm..."
Internally I flinched.
"It looks hideous, I know."
I assured her, looking toward the TV that had some lame talk show on.
I had no makeup on, because I couldn't stand to look at my face in the mirror today.
The bruise was ugly, being purple and even having some green tinges.
Gross.
At least it was beginning to not hurt so much.

Amara decided to 'drag me out of the house'.
I felt a little under dressed, walking beside her in a form fitting blue tank top and a pair of ripped denim short's.
But as if I had the energy right now to worry about my wardrobe.
We'd tried some light makeup again and this time we managed to make the bruise not look quite so gruesome.
We each held a milkshake from the Diner in our hand as we made our way down one of the many boardwalks, to the silky and glistening expanse of the beach.
"So...I guess you and Heath didn't need all this to happen."
I commented as we descended the wooden planks that were the rustic looking esplanade steps.
"More like you didn't."
Amara said with a shake of her head.
"We're only just working out what it is we're doing. But it's good to see he cares so much."
"About Zander?"
I questioned.
Amara nodded.
"Yeah. All the boy's have always been really close. My brother's see all of Zander's family like family."
I explained.
Amara grinned.
"Doesn't that make it weird for you? Now that you're dating the guy?"
"No. Because I wasn't around all the time, I don't really have the same opinion. Of course I like all the Hunter boy's. And I love Zander."
"It must be so hard to watch this happen to him."
Amara all but whispered as we stepped onto the warm, silky and slightly grainy sand.
"I think what makes it even worse is that he wanted me out of there."
I admitted, my voice cracking as I forced myself to tell my best friend the truth.
"Are you gonna go back today?"
Was I?
I couldn't get my mind off the guy.
But was I an idiot to think he'd change his mind after a day?
"I don't know what to do."
I whispered, as we approached the damp, compact sand near the water's edge.
"Why did he tell you to leave?"
Amara gently asked.
I suppose everybody was probably wondering that.
Or maybe it was just Amara because she doesn't know Zander?
Nobody else has yet asked me that question...
I sucked in a deep breath, preparing myself to try and explain it.
"Arian think's it's because he's scared about what happened, worried about the recovery and riddled with guilt that he hit me."
Silence answered me, in the form of the waves crashing several feet out and rippling in toward our feet.
Children squealed and laughed, playing with one another in the sand and the water, while their parent's lounged back supervising.
Would that be me one day?
My kid's running amuck on the beach while I sat back wearing a big brim hat, sunglasses and reading a magazine?
"And what do you think?"
Amara questioned, dragging me out of my thought's.
"I one hundred percent agree with the last part."
I explained.
"His face was devastated when he saw me."
As if on cue, my brain gave me flashback's of the heartbreaking image of his tortured expression.
"Well as your best friend I take that as a good sign. If he was impassive about it, it would send off alarm's that he doesn't mind hitting you."
Amara reasoned.
"That's not Zander."
I insisted, shaking my head.
"We didn't know it was Lachlan either."
Amara pointed out.
For once in my life (or at least since shit went downhill with Lachlan), I didn't flinch physically or emotionally at the mention of his name or the hunting reminder at what he'd done to me.
Was everything I was going through with Zander finally giving me closure over Lachlan?
"If he's battling emotional demon's then you're not going to be able to force him before he's ready."
Amara suddenly broke through our silence.
I shot her a quick, weak smile.
"When did you become so wise?"
She laughed.
"I'm taking a psychology course this year remember?"
Oh yeah!
"Well hey, you'll always have somebody to practice on."
I joked, nudging her side lightly with my elbow.
She laughed loudly!
"You're not that bad!"
"I meant Heath."
I said, feigning seriousness.
Amara stopped walking.
I shook with the laughter I tried to hold in.
"Idiot!"
Amara reached out to push my shoulder.