Housemates (boyxboy)

Chapter 8

Zion's cold glare seemingly paralyzed Amber and caused shivers to run down my arms as if he'd caused the room to freeze over.

"I'm sorry," Amber said to him, her eyes seeking refuge in the floor as Alec watched her discomfort.

Zion released a deep sigh and turned his back to the group of us standing in the doorway.

"It's not your fault," Zion said. "I only hope you're not as rotten as your brother was."

And with that, Zion left the room with an uncomfortable stigma in the air.

There was another side to Zion that I rarely saw. You see, he was intense and serious which made it difficult to talk to him sometimes.

Alec raised an eyebrow at the girl beside him who shook her head.

"I take it things didn't end well between those two," Alec said, looking at Amber.

"I don't know the details," she said. "But it looks like Zion took it harder than my brother did."

"When did they break up?" Vincent asked. "I haven't heard Zion mention being in a relationship."

My mind wandered back to the conversation I shared with Zion in my bedroom where he told me he'd been in a few relationships, unbeknownst to the rest of us.

"He said they weren't worth mentioning," I spoke up, surprising myself.

"He told you that?" Vincent questioned me and I mentally cursed myself for speaking about it.

"Uh," I started.

"He never tells us anything," Vincent said, pursing his lips as he seemingly began to pout like a child.

"To answer your question," Amber said. "I think they broke up about a year ago."

"Interesting," Alec said. "To think he showed no signs of the breakup until he saw your face."

"He must've tried to completely push it out of his thoughts until he was reminded of it again," I said.

I didn't need eyes in the back of my head to know Zion had returned into the living room because the air in the room froze over once more as Alec and Amber stiffened, still standing in the doorway.

"I can hear you guys, you know," Zion said, tugging at the bun in his hair as he remained nonchalant. He pulled the hair tie out and his blond hair cascaded down to his neck as he leaned against the wall.

"You can ask me instead of theorizing behind my back," he said with a harsh tone.

But when he spoke like that, it was impossible to ask him anything. So, when none of us made an effort to speak our minds, Zion sighed again and pushed off of the wall.

"Well, if you have nothing to say, I'll be finishing up my ramen in the kitchen," he said, dismissing himself once more.

"Shit," Vincent hissed. "I really wanted to know but I thought I was going to piss myself."

Alec snickered. "Scaredy-cat."

"As if you didn't stay silent as well," I said, staring at Alec. "Scaredy-cat."

Alec narrowed his eyes at me as Vincent laughed.

"Cade," Vincent said. "You didn't say anything either. Scaredy-cat."

"Children," Amber huffed as I decided it was time to retire to my bedroom.

I didn't want to see Amber any more than Zion did, but for a different reason. Jealousy, that was it. Taking one glance back at Alec and Amber, I pursed my lips and headed up to my bedroom where I collapsed on my bed.

My thoughts were clouded by Alec and the new girl he'd brought home as the pit of my stomach ached. I couldn't understand why I still harbored feelings for him even when he constantly fooled around with other women. He never spared a second thought for me and I knew I should move on. But moving on was hard when there was no one else to turn to.

Breathing out, I stretched my arms above my head and stared up at the ceiling. My attention was snatched and immediately redirected at my door as it was pushed open.

"I appreciate how you knock before you come in," I said, pushing myself up in bed.

It was rare to find Zion in my room but it'd happened before so I wasn't too surprised. But after the events that just happened, I wasn't sure if I wanted him in here. He was still quite angry.

He silently closed the door behind him and leaned against it, staring at me from across the room. His hair was still flowing down his neck which was also an unusual sight and I returned back a stare of my own.

"What is it?" I asked when he didn't speak up.

"Does it hurt to see Alec with that girl?" he inquired, the direct question surprising me.

"It doesn't matter," I said. "Nothing is going to change if I'm hurt by it."

Zion ran his hand through his blond hair. "Hmm."

I narrowed my eyes at the puzzling fellow. "You're undoubtedly hurt by it."

One side of Zion's lips curved up in a small smirk as I raised an eyebrow.

"Good observation," he replied vaguely, a grin still plastered on his face.

"Why?" I asked.

"Amber's brother," he started. "Cheated on me."

My eyes widened.

"And he's stripped the trust I have for people," he continued when I didn't say anything. "Which is why I haven't been in a relationship since."

I wasn't sure what to say. "I had no idea you were going through that. You never tell us anything."

"I'm trying to change that," Zion said, his gaze piercing through me.

"I see," I replied.

Silence soon consumed the air as I looked down at my hands in discomfort. Why wasn't Zion leaving?

"Cade," he finally spoke, his voice deep.

"Yeah?" I asked, looking over at him.

"You still owe me for that ramen you ate," he said.

"Oh, I forgot," I said. "I'll go buy some in the morning."

"No," he said. "Pay me back a different way."

I squished my eyebrows together. "How?"

Another sly grin surfaced on his face before he replied.

"Help me with something."

———
thx for reading (: