Wrong Number • Zach Clayton

•16•

//possible trigger warnings in this chapter//

Heather's P.O.V.

The drive back home seemed unbearably long, and my mom, being the woman she is noticed my discomfort and just went on and on about her life to try and distract me but it did everything but so. Everything she said had some tie to Zach, whether it be what someone did or said at work or something happening while driving, it all reminded me of Zach.

The second I got home I ran upstairs to escape her presence and her dreading stories. I skipped dinner and took a long refreshing shower instead. Zach tried to call me and I wouldn't answer so he kept on. He eventually gave up and texted me.

Are you okay?

Yes, just can't talk right now

Okay, I'm here if you need anything

I was pushing him away and he didn't deserve that.

I couldn't sleep and just stared at the ceiling for what felt like forever. It wasn't until the early hours of the morning when I had stopped.

*knock knock*

"What the hell?" I muttered to myself, cautiously making my way downstairs, for they sounded angry the way they knocked. I unlocked the door and slowly opened it. And there he was, the man I was the most scared of.

"Dad?" I whispered in disbelief. He marched in, pushing me to the ground with a loud thud waking up my mom.

"Heather?! What are you doing?!" She yelled from upstairs. Yep. My arm is definitely broken now. I started crying and, not wanting to face him again, went back upstairs and locked myself in my room.

"I came to get my things." He stormed up the stairs towards their room.

"At 4 o'clock in the morning?!" My mom yelled.

I was going to call Tay but then I remembered I hadn't told her about the incident because I was too caught up with up Zach. That was not a good thing but I couldn't tell her right now.

"You could have done this earlier this week." I listened to the conversation while I called Zach.

Didn't answer.

"I was afraid if I did, I'd shoot that kid."

Cried harder.

Called again, didn't answer.

"He's just going to use her and throw her away."

Cried harder.

Called again, didn't answer.

"How many girls do you think he talks to? One he's famous, two he lives across the country, he could be dating some girl over there."

Cried harder, I left my room, the phone still ringing, certain he wasn't going to answer.

"When she kills herself, it will be your fault." I couldn't take it anymore.

"Can you stop?! I get it!" I opened my door and yelled at him.

"Really? Because I don't think you do?" He yelled back, his tone bitter.

"You act like I'm two and trying to drive a car! You act like I didn't go over the risks when he asked me to date him! Anddd I'm happy, oh my gosh, can you believe it? I'm not the same person I was, I highly doubt I'd try to kill myself for a fifth time!" I went off not caring what he would do to hurt me.

"Really? You must not know yourself then because from what I remember that's what you said after the second time, let's see, the first time you tried to hang yourself, then cut yourself, then cut yourself again, then an overdose, what is it going to be this time? Are you gonna throw yourself down the stairs? Drive your car into oncoming traffic? Throw yourself in front of a car? I guess we'll just have to wait and see until he hurts you and breaks up with you." He didn't yell but he knew what he was doing, he was going to chip me away piece by piece and leave them for Zach to put back together. If he could. Zach didn't know I had tried to take my life 3 other times than what I told him and I didn't want him to know, even Tay didn't know, I didn't know her at the time.

"I've changed," I said lowly with a broken voice, crying.

"Oh please, stop lying to yourself," He laughed. "I'm done giving you pity for your childish actions because you can't hold yourself together."

"I don't need or want your pity."

"Robert, you should go," My mom butted in, about time. Can't believe she didn't go downstairs and get any popcorn.

"Thank God," I muttered to myself, still crying, as they went downstairs and out of the house in silence. I walked back into my room, hearing Zach's familiar voice calling my name. I left my phone on the floor where I left it so he couldn't see me.

"Zach?" I questioned scared of the fact that he could've heard that whole conversation.

"Are you okay?" I ignored his question.

"What all did you hear?"

"Everything.." He was silent. Great. Now he's been dragged down into a very dark hole called my life. "Why didn't you tell me?" The hurt in his voice was clear, I didn't want to hurt him, just do the exact opposite. I wanted to be the only one getting hurt by myself so that Zach could be healthy enough to help me. But this, this brought his health down a solid 3 notches, and they weren't ever going to come back.

"I'm sorry, I just didn't want to tell anyone, not even Tay knows,"

"Still, it would have been nice to know."

"I'm just not ready yet, I'm sorry Zach." He was silent again. "I didn't mean to hurt you,"

"Don't worry about me, you called me for you, not me, can you tell me what happened?"

"He just showed up at the door and when I answered it he pushed me to the ground and I'm pretty sure my arm is actually broken," I trailed off.

"I'm sorry." He said blankly, no emotion in his voice.

"For what?"

"Not being there for you."

"What are you talking about?"

"I should have noticed earlier that you weren't okay, I should've pushed, but you pushed me away and I didn't even realize it."

"You didn't deserve that."

"That doesn't matter, I don't care about that, I care about you."

"I know, but I'm going to try and get some sleep." I got up to get my phone.

"Wait! Hold on! We can't just lea-" I hung up on him.

-//-

Edwin: What's up fellow humans

Weston: Someone stole my baby again😤 Zach what did you do with it

Zach❤️: It's dead Weston get over it

Nick: Gee looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning

Nick: Do you miss Heather :(

Go away Nick

Nick: Gosh both of them did

Nick: Who else?

Zach❤️: Shut up Nick nobody wants to hear your mess

Nick: ..

Nobody else said anything for awhile, sensing the tension.