Storms {z.m.}

Chapter 43

(I had this chapter written already and I was so proud of it because it was so beautiful, then my computer crashed. I was absolutely gutted because sometimes words come to you once and they never come to you again. But I did what any writer does and rewrote the chapter. It's not the same chapter, I added a lot, and I actually love this one so much more. I would love to hear your thoughts on this chapter because it was very emotional for me to write and experience, not to mention I did this twice. sorry if there are many typos, I didn';t have any time to edit. Please keep sharing this story with anyone you think that would enjoy it, means the world. xx -F)

Chapter 43 – Christine

It’s as if everything around us has melted and the only thing that exists are me, Zayn, and the words that just came out of his mouth. My head doesn’t have a hard time understanding what this means; I’m strangely aware of what those words mean. Maybe because I’ve thought about this before, but thinking about it didn’t prepare me for the effect that hearing those words has on me. It feels as if my heart is dragging down my body and I don’t have the energy or the effort to pick myself up.

“Can I help you, dollface?” a gruff man’s voice says from the other side of the window. His rough voice brings me back to the reality that Zayn and I are parked in the most dangerous part of Bradford in front of a crackhouse/whorehouse. We have to get out of here immediately.

I look over at the guy outside my car and see that he has his hand halfway in his coat: he’s got a gun. I reach over and squeeze Zayn’s knee to warn him to be cool.

“Hi, I’m just waiting for my friend, thanks,” I say as sweetly as I can. I turn the car on and I see him pull his gun out of his coat quickly and prepare to use it. My blood runs cold as I try to come up with an excuse. I quickly roll the window down. “Sorry! I just couldn’t really hear you with the window up!”

He seems to buy my excuse and puts the gun back in his coat, but he keeps his hand close by in just in case. What did we get ourselves into? I want to look over at Zayn and see how he’s reacting to all this but I’m afraid it will make me look suspicious.

“You one of Andrew’s girls?” he asks me as he rakes my body up and down, pausing when looks at my breasts through my sweater. I can hear Zayn’s breathing hitch behind me. It slipped my mind that he has no idea the kind of lewd business that Liya’s little boyfriend is involved in. I can tell his mind is brewing tons of ideas, including Liya being a prostitute. I wish I could turn around and tell him that this isn’t true, but now that I think about this I’m not so sure myself. Maybe this is why Liya can’t leave…maybe Andrew is her pimp. My stomach begins to hurt sharply and I want to just double over in pain, but I need to get us out of here before I can react to anything.

“I wish,” I say as I push my foot against the brake and simultaneously tap Zayn’s hand. “I could really use the money, but I don’t have the sex drive,” I say, tapping the D on the gear stick.

I’m thankful that after years of friendship Zayn and I are still so in touch mentally, because he understood my hint perfectly. Within a second, Zayn’s hand flies to the gear stick and shifts it to Drive, then I quickly release the brake and floor the gas pedal. Out of the side of my eye, I spot the guy pull his gun out of his coat and point it at us. I turn the steering wheel sharply to avoid the car parked in front of us, but it’s not enough. I clip the car’s rear fender but still manage to get on the road and speed away.

“Yes!” Zayn says pumping his fist in the air. I smile at his little victory dance, but the smile fades when I see the guy with the gun pointing his gun at us through the rearview mirror.

“Duck!” I tell him as I dip my head just low enough to still be able to see the road. Just then, I hear gunshot after gunshot fire. Some of them miss the car, but I hear the sound of glass shattering behind me and I know that he got a couple of shots through the front and back windshield.