HIGH

Chapter 49. Exposed

Author’s Note: This chapter is going to be a bit short but I’m getting back into writing at least once (maybe twice) a week! I’m sorry it’s been so long :/

***AVA’S POV***

       I could hear Liam walking around downstairs. Every other noise was Liam’s unreasonably loud footsteps or him yelling at someone through the phone. It was nearly nine at night and I hadn’t had anything to eat for a while.

 Sitting in Zayn’s bed was starting to make me uncomfortable. This whole house was making me uncomfortable.  I had gotten up a few minutes ago to open the windows a crack but not even the cool air could sooth me. I needed to take a walk, have some time to myself. But while being in this house with Zayn, or whoever he assigns to babysit me, was not possible. I decided taking a bath might help. After all, Zayn wouldn’t come after me in there and his little posse certainly couldn’t either.

I threw the covers back and crawled out of bed. His clothes hung loosely on my body as I made my way to the bathroom. The lights turned on as soon as my foot crossed the threshold, illuminating the porcelain bathtub. I turned around and locked door just in case Liam came upstairs then began running water for the bath.

Normally, taking Zayn’s clothes off seemed to give me a breath of fresh air. Despite the baggy material, it felt constrictive and over bearing. There were some days when that wasn’t the case at all but more often than not I just wanted to be in my own sweat pants. This time was different. As I pulled his shirt off over my head I felt more exposed than I had in front of him naked. I lost all sense of security as each article of his clothing was taken off my body. However I disregarded it. I tossed those ridiculous feelings aside. Zayn wasn’t safe, nothing about him should make me feel safe. It was becoming a constant battle however to convince myself of that.

Being with him was driving me to the point of insanity. I felt like I was constantly walking on egg shells around him. I can’t say or do anything without somehow offending him. But I couldn’t put into words how I felt abouthim.

He was so fucking stubborn and irrational and arrogant- the list goes on and on. There probably was only one thing I could honestly admit to liking about him and that was how he held me while we slept. He was comforting, in a sense, to be next to after what happened at the previous house. Even though I enjoyed that part, I found it odd how he preferred to be so close to me. During the day he couldn’t stand me and then at night he was always pulling me closer. I won’t complain about it though. It helps make him a bit more tolerable.

Zayn as a whole confused me. My head hated him while my body craved him. I think the term fatal attraction explains it well. Either way, head or body, after what had happened with him before there needed to be distance between us. I was not something he could use whenever he wanted for his own pleasure. Regardless of what he said, how ‘sorry’ he was, he needed to realize I was a person too.

After throwing Zayn’s clothes to the opposite side of the bathroom, I sunk down into the warm water of the bath. The water was nearly close to being scalding hot yet it provided a feeling of relief as I let my body be fully submerged. I closed my eyes and let my head rest on the bottom of the tub.

I don’t even know how long I laid there in the tub. It felt only like seconds to me with my eyes closed. But the pounding fists on the door told me otherwise.

I didn’t bother moving from my spot. I could hear a muffled voice following each rap on the bathroom door. Liam wouldn’t bother me though. He’d go away eventually. Besides, I couldn’t go anywhere in the bathroom. The only way to escape was to jump out of the window. And I’d only do that if I had a death wish.

The pounding on the door started to lessen as I ignored it. The fists banging against it seemed to get to the idea that I was fine. I sat up from the water and began to wring the water out of my hair. As I started to lift myself out of the tub, the bathroom door slammed open.

I threw myself backwards into the tub, landing hard on my butt. I was too surprised to scream. Instead, I sat there with my hands struggling to cover myself.

Zayn stood in the doorway with a key pinched between his fingers. His face was flushed and his chest was heaving in quick breaths.

“Why” He said in a low breathy tone “The fuck did you not answer me.”

He walked further into the bathroom, stopping just next to the sink. His eyes were cold and narrowed while waiting for my answer. Part of me was scared of how calm his voice sounded.

“I was taking a bath. I couldn’t hear you.” I retorted.

“When I call your name I expect you to answer.” He yelled. Whatever self-control he had seconds ago was lost.

I stared at him with complete disbelief. He could not be serious.

“I am not a dog, Zayn.” My voice was quiet in response to his fucked up statement. “Please listen to yourself or at least put some sort of filter in your thick skull before you talk to me.” I snapped.

The newfound confidence was unexpected given my current position- naked in a bathtub.

Zayn’s narrowed eyes widened at my response. He looked both shocked and angered.

“Don’t talk to me like that.” He chided.

“Don’t talk to me like that. I’m person too and it’s time you realize that. I’m fucking sick of you thinking you can treat me shit. I’m not here for your pleasure nor am I here to be ordered around. And I am not here for you to fling yourself at me and expect that I’ll return the feeling. You don’t want to tell me why I’m here? Fine. But you will not treat me like I’m some worthless inanimate object.” I didn’t raise my voice at him.

With that, I stood up from the tub and drained the water. I didn’t care I was now very much exposed in front of him. As long as he knew where I stood, it didn’t matter. I grabbed a towel on my way out of the bathroom. Which left Zayn standing rigid wondering what the hell had just happened.