Night Changes (Soon To Be EDITED)

I Hate That I Love You

Zane Dryer was furious when I slowed his car to a stop outside the Dryer manor. From where I sat inside the purring vehicle, I was positive I could see smoke escaping his dark red ears, his face not much lighter. He had every right to be pissed, I had taken his car and hadn't called and given him the explanation I had promised. There wasn't any way I could force out the words; tell him that the baby that had been in the carrier was his brothers.

My parents were gone when I came down stairs this morning, no more than a note and a pancake as an indication they had been there at all. I knew exactly where they had went; the police station. Dad had wanted to all night, had even peeked his head into my room to check on the baby boy in the carrier on the bed beside me. When my mom had finally convinced him it was better that he didn't keep opening the door and waking the baby up, he had stopped coming in. They had snuck in and taken the baby early this morning without my knowledge and I wasn't exactly thrilled about it.

The sticky note attached to the handle of the carrier had been insistent that Marcus didn't know of the baby, but it had also said to take care of him. The innocent infant naive to the world and why it had thrown so many obstacles his way before he got the chance to live. My parents had taken that chance away, even if they had thought it would be for the better.

"You are so dead, Banner!" Zane began to pound his fist against the tinted passengers side window. "Open the God Damn door!"

Hesitating, my fingers hovered over the lock button for a moment before pressing down on it. "Hey, Zai."

"Don't hey Zai me." he huffed, falling into the passengers seat.

"Look, I'm really sorry and-"

"And you're just as much of a lying bitch as you were five years ago." he snided bitterly. "Shut the engine off and give me my car keys."

I recoiled into the seat as I listened to the engine die out. "I'll have to walk home in the rain."

"Oh well." his eyes lingered for a moment. "See you around."

As hurt as I was by his words and irritated by the fact I'd have to walk home, the relief of not having to explain everything that happened last night overcame any of my other emotions.

Fiddling with the lock on my door, I forced it open and climbed out, throwing my purse over my left shoulder and heading down the side of the road to avoid the cracks in the sidewalk. I had planned on finding my parents and going to dinner to try and discuss last nights events as soon as I returned Zane's car and superseded him to drop me off at home so I could drive my own to the station.

Of all the scenarios revolving around Zane finding out, this had been one of the few that had never crossed my mind.

I watched the tip of my heel clack repeatedly against the wet asphalt, the sound of rain hitting the ground heavily played like a soft lullaby in my ears and helped me clear most of the thoughts that had been bouncing around in my head all night.

"Paige!" a loud voice rang through the long, empty street. I paused, angered that someone had broke through my peaceful meditation.

I found Zane rushing toward me, only a few feet away by the time I came to the conclusion I may have just jixed myself.

"I have to get home before the storm hits hard, Zane." I continued on walking, pushing the urge to turn and listen to him deep into the pit of my stomach.

"You're wearing heels and don't have a jacket." he stated the obvious. "I may be a dick, but I'm not inhumane, Paige. We can head up to the house and-"