Just Stay With Me Awhile

When Zacky got back to the hotel room he had been supposed to be sharing with Jimmy, all of the guys were sitting in the room, all eyes staring straight at him as he walked through the door. All of them looked pissed off to some degree.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Z?” Matt asked him, his arms folded across his chest.

“What are you talking about?” Zack asked his friend. Matt’s eyes narrowed, and then Brian interjected.

“You’re having sex with Lili again. Or at least, you did last night. Why the fuck would you do that to her, man?” Brian asked, his voice extremely angry.

Zack sighed. Jimmy had ratted. Right as he thought the words, Jimmy spoke.

“And before you think that I’m the snitch, maybe you should look at yourself first. I had absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the guys finding out.”

“How else would they know, Jimmy?” Zack enquired of his friend.

“Because the whole goddamn hotel could hear you screaming last night, dipshit.” Johnny told him. “I’m surprised Vince didn’t bust in there and kill you himself.”

“So what? I had sex with her. What’s it to you?” He asked. “Why’s it any of your business? I never go asking why you’re having sex with girls.”

“Lili’s our friend, Zack.” Brian said. “And you already hurt her once. Have you even broken up with Gena again yet? Or did that slip your mind?”

Zack didn’t bother to tell them that he had not, in fact, broken up with Gena yet. He hadn’t talked to her in three days, since she’d left the tour and gone back to Huntington Beach, but they were still technically ‘together,’ as one might put it.

When Zack didn’t reply, the room filled with groans. “Jesus Christ, Zack! What’s it going to take for you? Huh? She’s Vince Neil’s daughter! And our friend, above all that!” Matt said.

“I couldn’t care a rat’s ass less about who her father is.” Zack told them. “And as for Gena, just because I haven’t broken up with her doesn’t mean we’re still ‘together.’ You know as well as I do that she cheats on me just as much as I’ve cheated on her.”

“So that makes it all okay? Go fuck some chick, go back to Gena, fuck her, and then go and cheat again? Man, that’s messed up. Even for you.” Brian said. “I’m half tempted to go and tell Vince myself. At least then he can’t blame us for covering your sorry ass.”

“I’m taking care of it, okay?” Zack told them. “But I don’t see why you have to butt in.”

“Because Lili is our friend!” Jimmy said. “And you already hurt her once! She doesn’t need to go through that again!”

“Just...Fuck!” Zack yelled, storming over to the door and slamming the door shut. As he was walking down the hall, he saw Tommy walking out of his hotel room. He groaned inside, but didn’t say anything or do anything suspicious.

When Tommy saw him, he put his hand up and stopped Zack from moving.

“Lili might not be saying shit to me, but I’m not stupid.” He told Zack in a quiet voice. “See, I’ve known that girl since she was a baby in Lea’s womb. So I know her just as well as her father does. And I know when something’s wrong. Just know that if you hurt her, Vince is going to be the least of your problems. I’ll fuckin’ kill your ass. You don’t mess with my niece twice and get away with it.”

Zack didn’t say anything, and Tommy stopped jabbing his finger into Zack’s chest. He stepped back, and then nodded his head.

“Just so we’re clear on that issue,” Tommy told him as he began walking further down the hall again. As Zacky walked the opposite way, he couldn’t help but feel confused.