His Treasure

Zacky woke up and looked to his side. A slow smile spread on his face. Last night really did happen. He brushed away the dark curls from her face and continued grinning, feeling at ease with her hand wrapped around his waist and her leg thrown over between his thighs. He felt like a pervert for watching Cherise sleeping but he couldn’t help it just as much as he couldn’t help smiling. It’s what sex does.

No, he thought. It’s what Cherise does.

His cell phone rang loudly, making him jump. He cursed and turned to make sure Cherise was still asleep. She was.

“Hello?” he whispered.

“Zacky?”

His eyes widened as he heard the voice and quickly he snapped his phone shut.

“What did the phone do you?” he heard and he looked at Cherise.

Her hair was messy and her voice groggy but a smile was playing on her lips. She liked waking up to Zacky. It was nice and comforting. Her smile dropped as she saw Zacky, his eyes wide and his hand that clutched the cell phone was shaking. He seemed as if he wanted to throw the phone at the wall and watch as it crushed into little pieces.

“What’s wrong? Who called?” she asked.

Zacky stared at her and she could see rage and hurt dwelling in his eyes.

“Zacky, who called?” she repeated.

“My ex.” Ah. Well fuck.

“Okay,” she said slowly, “What did she want? Do you know why she wanted to talk to you?” Cherise paused and swallowed. “Do you want to talk to her?”

Zacky looked at Cherise, saw the worry that consumed her. Worry for him. Worry that maybe he still loves Gena. Worry. He saw it all and he wanted to laugh, cry and kiss her for actually giving a damn.

“If it’s possible I’d like to remove her very existence from my memory. I hung up before she could talk anymore and really, I don’t want to know why she called.”

Cherise smiled sadly and kissed him lightly and she hugged his waist as they both laid there. Her head was resting on his chest and she drew small circles on his shoulder.

“I think it’s about time you tell me about everything.”

“It all started when Jimmy died. Hell, I guess it began way before that. Jimmy and I, we were best friends. All five of us really; Jimmy, Matt, Johnny and Brian. We were pretty close. We didn’t grow up together, Jimmy and us, but somehow we ended up meeting and that was it. We formed the band, Avenged Sevenfold. I’m pretty surprised you didn’t say anything about the band to me considering that you have most of our songs.”

Cherise choked on her spit. “You’re from Avenged Sevenfold? You’re shitting me,” Zacky grinned.

“Ah you have such a beautiful way with words.” Cherise rolled her eyes.

“Whatever hotshot, stop stalling, it’s storytime!”

“Okay, okay,” he said laughing. It was pretty funny. The way she made him feel light and calm. You would’ve sworn Zacky was pissed. “Yeah, well not too long after Gena came along. I have no idea what I saw in her. She was good-looking but that was all there was to her really. Everything about her was fake and I fell for it, hell I was becoming as obnoxious as she was. It’s weird how my mind became warped about love. It was all wrong. I know that now.

“I liked the idea of her. Blonde, pretty, someone who hung on my every word. Mind you, years before her I would’ve never been so hell bent on someone like that.

“Anyways, when Jimmy died, everyone was devastated. Everyone. It was pretty messed up. We were pretty messed up. The night of his funeral everyone was in their house and I was comforting Leana, Jimmy’s wife. It wasn’t like I was shitting ‘round with Leana or anything, I was just there for her. I mean, everyone was around us, crying or saying something great about Jimmy. But I guess Gena didn’t really like me hugging Leana? I really don’t know. Up to now I still don’t get her. Her mind is pretty fucked up. So, Gena started to spill everything.” Zacky paused and looked at Cherise.

“What? Why’d you stop?”

“Dramatic effect?” he suggested with a small smile. Cherise glared at him. He smiled and continued. “Alright, so Gena told us all that Jimmy and she had been having an affair. I honestly didn’t think she was lying ‘cause we were all pretty pissed and I don’t think Gena has enough brain cells to make that up.

“I knew even then that I didn’t love her. I did. But I had liked knowing that someone was there for me, you know? I needed someone so I settled.

“Hearing what Gena said, I felt betrayed. Not just by her, by Jimmy too. He was my friend, how could he do that? And if he did shouldn’t he have told me? I was hurt and drunk.

“I started this shit argument and said crap about what a dick Jimmy was. It made Leana cry even more and before I knew it everyone else was calling me a douche. My friends, my best friends were throwing me out and they told me to never come back. It was so fucked up to me. I mean, wasn’t I wronged too? Did my feelings count in everything?

“I left there and went home. I was ranting about what happened to my parents and they too told me to get out. They were disgusted by how drunk I was and said I shouldn’t be disrespecting Jimmy like that.

“I was angry at everyone and behold, I came here, pissed you off then fell in love with you.”

Zacky felt Cherise stilled and he wished he hadn’t said those last few words. “You love me?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said and closed his eyes, waiting for her to leave.

He felt Cherise move and his heart ached. He really shouldn’t have said that. However, he felt her soft lips press lightly on his cheek and he his eyes opened, surprised. Cherise was straddling him. “I love you too,” she said. Zacky just stared at her. Cherise’s face contorted with anger. “Why is it that I have the feeling that you’re always expecting me to leave you? Is me wanting you, kissing you, loving you so incomprehensible? Face it hotshot, I love you and I’m not going to leave you.”

“Really?” he asked. He didn’t want to believe it. He didn’t want to get his hopes up. Not now. But when he looked at her, all he wanted to do is give in.

“Yes.”

“Even though you know just how much of a jackass I am?”

“You were but I understand. And…” she stopped.

“And?”

“I think you should call her back.”