Lawless Love

Chapter 4: A Wall Between Us

***Hello! Hopefully you didn't kill me for the cliffhanger last time. Anyway, I had quite a few different ideas for the song for this chapter. Some I considered were, "Bad Blood," "Lips Are Movin," and "10,000 Hours," but I eventually decided on this one, because even though the context doesn't really fit, it's an underrated country song and it encapsulates Pixal's emotions at the beginning very well. So, hope you enjoy! See you at the end!***

Zane's POV

How is Pixal here? Did she somehow know that I would be at this particular cafe on a date that I was too selfless to cancel?

Or has my life just become a soap opera?

She stares at me for a moment, appalled, before continuing: "You, insolent scoundrel! You devious rat!"

"Uh," I speak at the highest decibel I can muster, which is barely a squeak, "what exactly did I do, again?"

She grunts: "You say all of these fake, sweet things, and then you go on a date with someone else! You completely played me!"

I grasp for the words: "Ah, I did not mean to-"

Melanie stands up: "Is this your ex?"

"No," I say. "Pixal is my, uh, colleague."

"Sure," Pixal snaps. "You flirt with your colleagues."

A blond man who looks a bit younger than Jay with the same police uniform except that instead of saying "Pixal," the pocket reads, "Garmadon," walks up next to Pixal. He puts his hand on her shoulder: "I don't think you're 'fine,' Pixal. What's going on?"

"Nothing," she hisses. "Zane and I were just having a friendly chat."

His unnaturally green eyes fall on me: "Oh. So that's why I heard a rabid animal."

"Lloyd-" she spits like venom. It must be the man's name. "-I have this handled. I was just informing Zane that he is a lying, immeasurable bas-"

The blond man's eyes soften: "Pix, have you even let him speak? You were kinda rash in going about this, I-"

"Yes," she responds, cutting him off. "He has nothing to say for himself."

Melanie slings her purse over her shoulder and starts to step back: "I think I should leave you alone. This isn't my place. Zane, I hope we can still be friends."

I make the mistake of waving her goodbye.

"You dare to be polite right now?" Pixal barks, crossing her arms.

Jay tries to mediate, stepping in the middle of us: "I'm sure this all a big misunderstanding!" He laughs nervously: "We're all friends here."

Lloyd touches Pixal's arm: "Pix, I told you, you need to stop bottling up your emotions. It only leads to disaster."

She jumps back like a provoked wolverine: "And I told you that I hate him! You are not listening to me!"

And then a waitress chimes in, "I'm sorry, but you're making a ruckus. Quiet down, or you'll have to leave."

"Pix, you're volatile right now," Lloyd says. "We should go home."

Her green eyes glow with fury: "I am not volatile! We are leaving, but it is not because of my attitude. It is because I desperately want to get away from him."

I exhale. This is an utter disaster. "I am sorry, Pixal," I plead. "I did not mean to hurt you."

"Too late," she retorts coldly. "We are leaving."