Ties and Spies

Chapter 41

HALE'S POV

"Kat really please let me explain," I took a few steps toward her as she backed away.  

I had followed her into a small empty room away from the others.  

"Hale. There is nothing left to explain I get it okay?" 

"No I keep messing up Kat, I mean that." 

"You know I haven't been myself lately Kat," I continued, "I've been drinking and stressing and honestly I can't really think clearly or focus." 

"Well clearly you can focus on Macey," She spat angrily.  

"Just leave me alone." She pleaded, her voice carrying a lighter tone.  

"Kat." I looked at her with sad eyes.  

"Leave her alone." I turned to see Zach walk into the room his hands shoved into his pockets.  

"What?" I looked at him confusedly.  

"Leave. Her. Alone."  

I was intoxicated, tired, and pissed off and now really was not the time for him to be bossing me around.  

"I'll do whatever I want." I glowered at him.  

"Hale you're drunk just get away from her." 

"Don't tell me what to do." I took a step closer without truly realizing it.  

"Hale please just--," Kat started.  

Zach's low voice caught Kat's attention when he interrupted her, "Take one more step towards her and regret it later, or let it go." 

I scoffed, the liquor making it's way to my brain. "When did you start caring about her so much Zach? Last I checked you had a girlfriend." 

A sad and amused look crossed his face. "One who dresses more like Macey than herself and kisses my old best friend? You tell me, Hale." 

"You're avoiding the question spy. What's it with Kat?"  

"I'll answer the question when you're sober and when the question applies to your situation. Because last time I checked, thief, Kat wasn't your girlfriend either. You broke her heart." 

"Just because she's not mine doesn't mean you can have her," I growled.  

"SHE is right here," Kat managed to point out from where she was standing across the room. 

Zach straightened up from where he was leaning against the door frame, let out half a laugh, and said, "I think you need to stop thinking that you own the world. You don't have anything with substance, anything that matters except for her, and you're losing her. Hell, she's gone, and she can be mine." 

That was it.  

I couldn't take it anymore.  

Before I know what I was doing I felt my fist connect with his jaw and I heard Kat let out a loud gasp.  

Anger and fury pounded in my veins as my fist aimed for Zach's jaw. He wasn't prepared, it hit clear and square, and I swear I had never seen him with such drive for a fight. Immediately he recovered, and sent a kick to my stomach, squaring it off with a hit to the side of my face. Distantly I could hear Kat's helpless pleading for us to stop. I wasn't seeing stars yet, so I stumbled over with what was still sober in me and tried a hit to his gut. He blocked it so easily I doubt he felt it. He swore in a language I didn't know. Zach's fist came flying for my eye, at which point I was sure I was down. My back went slack, but instead of finding the floor, something in my peripheral vision moved, and I was suddenly in Macey McHenry's arms. 

She hissed at Zach, "You really don't understand the point of leaving, do you?" She looked like she was ready to turn around and haul me with her, but she sighed in exasperation, "Zach, I'm tired of you acting like this. This isn't you, this isn't us....we aren't a team. We both know we aren't a team without Bex and Cammie. You had a chance to fix it there for a second, you know? But no. You had to tell Cammie she looked like a prostitute. Don't expect me to have your back if one of us is in trouble. You broke her heart, you broke our trust." 

"I broke her heart?" Zach looked disgusted.  

"She was the one making out with Grant up against a wall!" 

Just then Bex appeared with a now very conscious Dempsey in the doorway.  

"Just in case you missed it Zach, Grant kissed her and she made it a point to slap him for it," Bex explained. 

Zach's eyes widened as he slowly began to understand.  

"Dammit!" Zach yelled, slamming his fist in a wall causing Kat to jump a little.  

"Oh my god there is too much testosterone in here I cannot handle this," Macey said as she pushed past Dempsey out of the room.  

"I'm really confused," Dempsey said quietly. 

"I think we all need to re-evaluate this because clearly it's not working out," Kat sighed.  

"I'm not going to sit around and talk about my feelings if that's what you're hoping for." I mumbled angrily.  

My lip was bleeding and I could feel my eye swelling up.  

"Let's get out of here safely, I'll get Liz and Simon, and then we'll get you guys cleaned up. Bex you're welcome to come," Kat sounded calm and composed.  

"Sorry love, I have to take care of the Duchess. But, I do know where that necklace is."

note: thanks for over 400 reads! & are you on Hale's side or Zach's side right now?I'm on Zach's side. xx