Break Your Little Heart

It took just over an hour for Chloe to make her way back to the house. By the time it came into view her nose and ears were bright red and her fingertips were slightly numb. Zack’s car was parked in the driveway and Chloe’s jaw tightened. A dark form was sitting on the front steps. At first Chloe thought it was her cousin but as she got closer she could see if it was her uncle. He looked up at the sound of her footsteps and walked to greet her, pulling her close as soon as she was within reach.

“Oh baby girl.” He sighed into the top of her head. “You’re freezing.”

“Did you know?” Chloe whispered, her voice hoarse from the crying and cold.

He didn’t respond, which was all Chloe needed to confirm that her uncle had influenced Zack in some way. She pushed her way out of his embrace, tears stinging the corner of her eyes again. He opened his mouth to speak but Chloe simply shook her head and pushed past him into the house. Her eyes burned as she ran past her aunt who was standing just inside the door and into her room. The door slammed shut behind her, the lock clicking into place. Chloe threw herself onto her bed, kicking off her shoes and wrapping the blankets around her. A soft knock came at the door a few minutes later which Chloe ignored. The door knob jiggled but the lock held fast. Chloe breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes. Not even five seconds later a something clicked softly. Chloe dismissed the noise, but when there was a sudden weight on the bed and arms wrapping around her waist her eyes flew open. She squirmed but the arms tightened and a face with facial scruff rubbed against the back of her head.

“I really missed you, Chlobo.” Jack whispered, pain lurking under the surface of his words.

Chloe didn’t speak. She pulled her knees up closer to her chest, dipping her head in an attempt to get away from Jack and his vice like grip around her. Jack threw his leg around her, pulling her closer. Liquid spilled from Chloe’s eyes, a shudder ripping threw her small frame.

“Stop trying to get away from me because I’m not letting you go. Where the hell have you been for the past five years, Chloe? You just disappeared on all of us. You changed your number, left the city, never tried to get in contact with us. Rian and I had a hard enough time getting anything out of your cousin. I still have no idea why you left like that. We don’t know where you went, who you spend your time with now. Until a few weeks ago we didn’t know that you were a model or that you had been living in England. We were supposed to be friends, Chloe. Best friends. Best friends don’t desert each other like that.”

Chloe stayed silent. They lay like that for a few minutes before more footsteps sounded. Another weight dipped her bed and Chloe opened her eyes only to have them connect with none other than Rian’s. He gave her a sad smile, reaching out a hand to brush a tear away. It was that simple action that sent her last fragile walls completely crumbling to the ground.

“Why are you here?” She cried, shutting her eyes again. “Why the hell are you here right now! I left you! I left all of you! You should hate me! You should be pissed off and yelling and ignoring me like Alex is! Why can’t you be like that!?”

“Because we love you.” Rian stated.

“Well stop it because I don’t love you!”

“That’s a lie.”

Chloe shot up so fast Jack had no option but to let her go. She snapped her head over to glare at her cousin standing in the doorway. He had his arms crossed across his chest defiantly but his eyes held remorse.

“Shut up, Zachary, it’s your fucking fault these two are here in the first place!” Chloe threw herself off of the bed and strode forward until she was toe to toe with her cousin. “God you and Oli are exactly the same, you think you can just order me around and mess with my life like it’s no big deal. Newsflash: you can’t! I’m not some plaything! There are reasons for what I do and the fact that you two can’t respect that is why I’m done with him and I’m done with you! I’m taking the next flight out of here back to Sheffield and then I’m moving somewhere neither one of you can find me!”

Zack reached out to grasp Chloe’s hands. She met his stare and her face dropped. He breathed deeply before responding.

“Jack and Rian deserve an explanation, Chlo. And stop blaming Oli for all of this. You set this into motion yourself when you left five years ago. I’ve been trying to support you and be there for you, but I don’t think that cutting yourself off from the rest of the guys was a good idea and I never did.” Zack’s voice dropped to a soft murmur, his eyes pleading with Chloe’s. “Alex was the one that saved you, Chlo. You may not want to admit to it, but he did. And you know I like Oli and you know I like the things he’s done for you. I want you with him because he makes you happy and he takes care of you, but Alex was a big part of your life and you owe him more than a broken heart.”

“Well I’m not going to be with Oli and I’m not going to stand here and listen to you tell me how to live my life.”

Chloe ripped her hands out of his grasp and stalked past him. She began making her way to the front door again but Zack caught up with her, placing his hand on her shoulder and spinning her around to face him. He looked extremely worried.

“Chloe, what do you mean you’re not going to be with Oli?”

“I mean I called him and told him I was done.” She spat.

Zack’s mouth dropped open the slightest bit and it was then that Chloe realized exactly what she had done. Her eyes widened and her body crumpled slightly. Zack caught her and she looked up at him, her fingers curling into his shirt for support.

“I called him and told him I was done, Mop.” She whispered. “I didn’t even speak to him; I just left him a message. Oh my God, oh my God. What have I done?” She moaned, burying her head into his chest and letting out a sob.

“Shhhh, Bo, its okay. Oli loves you, he’s not going to just let you go. Just call him back and talk to him. It’s going to be okay, I promise you. Oli loves you.”

Chloe nodded. A quiet cough came from the direction of Chloe’s room and she looked up to see Jack and Rian standing awkwardly just outside of her door.

“Talk to them, Bo.” Zack whispered in her ear. “They just want to know you again. I know what I did is wrong, but they miss you so much.”

Chloe shifted her gaze to the two boys standing a few feet away from her. They both looked so hopeful, begging her with their eyes. She let out a heavy sigh and slid to the floor. She dropped her head into her lap and took a deep breath.

“Okay.” She breathed. “What do you want to know?”