Zailey (Sequel) ✔️

Part Thirty Four

I stashed Keegan's skateboard in the tray of Jace's Ute and scrambled my way through the sand dunes to find Zander.
Keegan wasn't too keen about me taking off again after being gone all day and us not having the chance to talk about what happened between us before I ran out.
But when I'd told him I'd spoken to Zander and had to go see him, he'd relented surprisingly easily.
Finally I spotted a figure that didn't quite match the scenery of silvery sand and beach shrubbery.
He was wearing a white t-shirt that stood out like a glow stick in the black of the night.
Zander twisted around as I hurried forward, stumbling along in the dense sand, obviously making enough noise for him to notice me.
"Took ya long enough."
He muttered.
"H-had to b-bribe Keegan t-to borrow h-his skateboard!"
I panted, falling to my knees in the silky, almost silver looking sand.
Zander looked at me in bewilderment.
"Umm... what?"
Still breathing heavily, I waved a dismissive hand.
Zander laughed.
He laughed!
"Zander I'm sorry!"
I crawled through the sand to get to him.
"Sorry for what?"
He muttered, turning back to face the ocean, looping his arms around his bent knees.
"C'mon Zan I'm trying."
I pled, clasping my hands together.
Zander pushed himself to his feet, almost as fluidly as the post shark attack Zander would move.
"We're always trying Bailey and it shouldn't be so damn hard!"
My heart felt like it literally stopped.
He's not serious?
My stomach seemed to drop as I sat in the cool sand and my boyfriend turned his back on me, lifting a hand and doing something with it that I couldn't see.
Was he wiping at tears?
Pressing his hand against his face?
Wiping his mouth?
No way.
I'm not giving up.
Not on Zander.
Not after everything we've battled through so far!
"Hey!"
I scrambled to my feet.
Zander spun around to face me and I stumbled to a stop, seeing his deep blue eyes shining with what I now realised was a sparkling of tears.
He was crying.
Or at least he was about to, with a flood of tears filling his eyes.
But was it about the thought of us breaking up?
Or was it about what happened today?
Though I was almost one hundred percent that Zander Hunter wouldn't be this worked up about a fist fight.
Now my own hot, prickling tears welled in my eyes.
"Don't you dare give up on me!"
I threw myself at him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
It was his turn to stumble, due to my added, unexpected weight.
To my surprise, Zander's hands came about my hips, but not to so much support me as to pry me off and move me back to arms' length.
He wanted distance between us.
"Zander I love you!"
I told him, reaching out for him.
There was no way I would give up on him, or let him give up on us.
"Then why the hell did you lie to me?!"
Zander yelled.
I froze.
Lie?
How did I lie to him?
I'd told him I was doing breakfast with my coworkers, because that was what I thought was happening up until Lane deceived me.
I shook my head.
"What-? What do you mean?"
I was going to need him to explain this one.
"You never told me this Lane who was texting you and picking you up is a dude!"
Zander all but yelled.
Lane-?
I blinked.
Okay well I knew what went down with Lane today was probably what Zander's problem was.
But he'd pieced together that 'Lane' wasn't-?
Mentally I face palmed.
I could say it wasn't my fault he'd mistaken something that was easily mistakable.
I'd been confused when I'd found out Lane's name.
I thought the name was for girl's up until I'd met him.
"Okay Zan I can-"
"Can what? Can explain?"
He laughed.
Mockingly.
He shook his head and once again turned away from me.
"Yes!"
I insisted, racing around to get in front of him again.
"You're always so damn mad at me for any chick that so much as talks to me! Yet it's okay for you to go and do this?!"
He ranted, practically yelling at me.
"What is it you think I did?!"
I pled with him to fill me in.
"I didn't do anything!"
Zander pointed a stabbing thumb at his own chest.
"You did just what you would be absolutely kicking my arse for!"
Kicking his-?
I shook my head and stepped quickly up to him.
"I didn't do anything Zan! He knew from practically straight away that I'm with you! I never denied it of course, but I didn't exactly introduce myself like 'hi I'm
Bailey and I have a boyfriend' either!"
Nobody does that.
"My problem isn't the fact that your coworker is a guy!"
Zander yelled.
"The fact is you were texting and getting lifts and shit and you didn't even tell me!"
I stomped a foot in frustration, clenching my fists at my sides, my tears threatening to fall.
"I did tell you!"
He knew every time Lane took me to work.
I guess he just didn't know at the time that 'Lane' is actually a guy.
Chewing on my lower lip, I slowly dragged my gaze up to his face.
"Okay I'm sorry I didn't clarify."
I sighed, my shoulders slumping.
Zander shook his head.
He wasn't going to listen to me?
"Zander come on!"
I stepped right up in front of him, close enough that I could feel his body heat, but our bodies weren't quite touching.
I tipped my head back so that I could look up at his face, searching for any hint of what he was thinking.
"You know I keep telling myself I'm gonna be someone different. For you."
Zander stepped back from me, clearly wanting space between us though I wanted us to be close.
Different for me?
Since when?
What's he even talking about?
"Zan I don't want you to be somebody you're not!"
I insisted.
I'd never want that.
That would make him somebody fake!
"Then why do I feel so shit about dealing with your stalking motherfucker!"
He retorted heatedly.
Stalking-?
I threw my hands in the air.
"Okay Lane was out of line yes, but I don't want to fight with you about it!"
Couldn't we just talk about this calmly and rationally?
Mentally I snorted at my own stupidity.
Calmly?
Rationally?
I'm always trying to talk Zander into talking instead of him using his fists to sort things out.
Guess once again it didn't work, except now we're suffering for it.
"Oh you don't?"
He asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"No!"
Why the heck would I?
He's always taken care of me.
Always been by my side whenever I've been here in Reef Bay.
"Zander please fight for us with me!"
I eliminated the space between us once again and lifted my hands to grasp his face.
Finally he didn't pull away from me.
"C'mon Babe..."
I pled.
Swallowing so hard that his throat moved and I saw it, Zander shifted his gaze over my head, staring out towards the glistening, dark ocean.
"I was so fucking mad. And scared. And jealous."
He confessed, his voice strained.
Mad?
Scared?
Jealous?
"Umm scared...why?"
I asked, sliding my hands around to play with the ends of his hair.
He swallowed thickly.
"Because Brogan rang me saying you were crying and desperate for help."
My heart thudded.
"See!"
I slipped my arms around his back and hugged him.
"That's because you care."
"I was jealous because when we got there, I saw some motherfucking guy with you!"
He gritted through a clenched jaw, his eyes stormy.
"Babe it's okay."
I whispered, sliding my hands up and down his back, attempting to soothe him.
"And mad because when I realised he was 'Lane' I..."
Clenching his jaw, he stopped talking.
"You what?"
I whispered, pulling back enough to get a good look at his face.
"Well I thought you'd traded me in."
He finally admitted.
"Never."
I reached up to clasp his face between my hands, urging him to look at me.
Finally he turned his gaze down to look into my eyes.
He swallowed visibly.
"Babe, I love you with all my heart."
I whispered, gazing directly into his eyes, pleading that he would believe me.
"Always have."
My voice barely worked.
Finally he wound his arms around my back.
Slowly it felt like my heart was finally beginning to piece itself back together.
"But is love seriously enough Bails?"
Zander's voice was nothing more than a whisper.
No.
No!
He can't do this!
My heart was cracking again before it was even sealed.
"Of course it is!"
I insisted, clutching him tighter.
But he still felt tense in my arms.
"We keep finding ourselves in this position."
His voice was strained.
"And we always pull through."
I insisted, giving him a shake.
He had to see reason.
His expression wavered.
Stretching up onto my toes, I slipped my arms from around his back and pulled his face down for a kiss.
I hovered with my lips just above his, testing the waters.
He didn't pull back, so I pressed my mouth against his, going for an all out, make out kiss immediately, sliding my tongue into his mouth.
With a groan, he kissed me back, his arms tightening around my waist.
I slid my hands around to the back of his head and raked my fingers into his inky hair, the strands soft against my fingers.