Behind The Lights

Jason Zac and Me

Zac's POV

We just finished a long meeting or I should say postmortem of the tour we just ended. Yes, Mark gave in and allowed me to continue the tour after much convincing and promising to go to therapy and get some mental help. The truth is I didn't need mental help, I needed help with fixing my heart. I always laughed at people who were stupid enough to fall in love and get their hearts broken. I thought of them as wimps and weak and here I am, in the exact same situation. Gosh, I'm such an idiot.

I park my car in front of Starbucks and get out to go get myself some coffee. I could really use an iced Americano right now and as I step out of the coffee shop with my coffee in one hand and car keys in another, out of nowhere someone slams so hard into me crashing my coffee down to the ground and the person falls hard on the ground as well.

"Shit!" The first thing that comes out of my mouth.

"I'm so sorry." She says sniffling and picking up my plastic cup that's now empty. The voice... I recognized it immediately.

"Jess?" I say, squatting down and I catch her teary eye, my heart starts beating so fast against my chest.

"Zac." She says, looking up at me. She suddenly composes herself and wipes her tears as if trying to hide any shade of emotion. Something's clearly wrong here.

"I'm so sorry I spilled your coffee. I would buy you another one but I have to go." She quickly stands up and rushes her words as she turns around to go back to where she had run from. I was not going to just let her go like that. Something is up and I need to know what.

"Jess, wait," I say, gripping her forearm.

"Zac please don't. I have to go." She says looking around nervously as if she's afraid of something or someone. Is it Jason? What if Jason had hurt her? Oh my God, is that why she's crying?

"No. Talk to me, why are you crying? Did something happen? Did somebody hurt you?" I persist, gripping her forearm hard so she doesn't just run off.

"Zac please." She's now begging as she tries to get out of my grip. What is going on?

"Jess.."

"JESSICA!" I hear his voice scream. The man I hated the most, the man who got the one person I so desperately wanted and the man who I think is responsible for her crying.

"You again." He spits as he looks at me with disgust in his eyes. The way he shouted out her name affirmed me that something wasn't right.

"Did he hurt you?" I ask her, trying to get her attention but he eyes are still fixed on him and she's shaking right now.

"Get your hands off her." He says with a threatening tone but I ignore him as I continue to get a response from her.

"Zac, let me go." She pleads and it's clear she's now afraid he'd hurt me. But I don't care, he's hurt her.

"Then answer me, Jess, did he hurt you." I insist.

"You have 5 seconds to let go before I smash your Justin Bieber face into that car window." He threatens again and I'm not surprised if he does it.

"Zac I'm fine, please stay out of this. This is none of your business!" She yells at me, still struggling to break free.

"If he hurt you then it is my business dammit!" Now I'm yelling.

"That's it!" Before I can register what happens next, Jason is on top of me for the second time.

Jessica's POV