Sweeter
1/1
Zach didn’t bother to knock on her door before entering; he was in too much of a rage to be patient.
He stormed through the unusually clean apartment as he looked in the bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom for his best friend, but she was nowhere to be found. He grunted as he opened the glass doors that led out to the balcony and finally targeted the agitator. She was lying on a striped towel in a matching blue and white strapless bikini, her dirty blonde hair was fanned out on the towel and her shimmering blue eyes were covered by a pair of red ray-bans. She had a grin on her face that would put the chesire cat’s smug grin to shame. Zach felt like a pervert as he gazed down at her, and her grin turned into a smirk.
“Like what you see Mr. Zach?”
Her heavy Italian accent sent shivers down his spine and he bit back a smile, did she just call him Mr. Zach? He shook it off though, now was not the time to be smiling.
He was here on a mission.
“What did you say to Alisha? She was pissed after you talked to her at the party last night.”
She yawned and rested her arms above her head before answering him nonchalantly, “I have no clue what you are talking about.”
“Bullshit!” He growled, “You know exactly what I’m talking about Marzia.”
“Hey! No need to get all defensive, I was protecting your honour so you should probably thank me instead of yelling me.”
Zach froze and his anger slowly dissipated and was replaced with curiosity, “What was she was saying about me?”
Marzia sighed heavily, “She was saying that it was a stupid idea for you to sign with Minnesota and that you were doing it for the money, and then she called you selfish and said she was going to burn all of the jerseys you gave her… She’s kind of a bitch; I don’t know why you still talk to her.”
Zach ran his hands over his face and through his hair, resting them on the back of his head for a moment. He should have expected a reaction like that from his ex-girlfriend, but it still hurt nonetheless. Zach didn’t expect Marzia to understand about his and Alisha’s former and current relationship, he didn’t even know if Marzia ever had a stable relationship in the first place. She had always been too stubborn to believe in love, and it seemed as though the only men that could handle Marzia was her dad, and Zach himself.
“What did you say to her?” Zach asked and braced himself for whatever insult she was about to say. She could be such a stereotypical Italian at moments, it was actually painful for Zach to watch.
“I told her that she needed to shut the fuck up because it’s your career and she has no say in the decisions you make. I also told her how excited you are to be playing in the same place you grew up and that she shouldn’t ruin that for you.” She gazed at him and even though she was wearing sunglasses, Zach knew she was being sincere. Honesty was something he never had to worry about with Marzia, she always told the truth no matter how harsh it could be.
“Thank you for telling me the truth.” He murmured and sat down next to her on the ground. She tugged at the back of his shirt and he chuckled before lying down on his back, they were so close that their arms were touching and Zach relished in the warmth of her sunkissed skin.
“Is this what you do all day?” Zach questions and turns his head so the sun isn’t shining in his eyes.
“Only when the sun is actually out,” Her smirk turns into a playful pout, “Did you know the weather here sucks? If I knew that it would be raining in the summer I never would have moved here.”
“You would have moved here no matter what the weather was like and you know it.” Zach mumbled and they both knew he was right. It’s not that Marzia hated Italy, she actually loved the beautiful country, but she couldn’t tolerate the people there.
Especially her family.
She didn’t respond to Zach, instead she turned over onto her stomach and rested her head on her folded arms. Zach’s eyes wandered down her back, he couldn’t help himself and he knew any straight male would have done the same thing if they were in the same position. When Zach glanced back up at her face her signature smirk had returned and he felt his cheeks heat up. It was obvious she had seen him staring, but that didn’t seem to upset her in the slightest bit, he had probably just fed her ego even more.
He laughed it off though, “You’re really arrogant, you know that right?”
“Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful Zachary.”
“You really are beautiful.” Zach said before he could stop himself and he mentally slapped himself.
Instead of replying with something sarcastic or witty, she merely smiled and murmured a small thank you. They lied together in silence for a few moments and Zach wondered if he had just said something that he shouldn’t have said. He usually wasn’t so straightforward like that, he usually thought about things before he said them out loud. That’s where him and Marzia were complete opposites, she doesn’t care about how offensive her thoughts might be to others, she’ll say them anyways.
Zach watched as she finally stood up and stretched before throwing on a Minnesota Twins t-shirt that was two sizes too big for her frame. She grabbed his hand and helped him off the ground, staying hand in hand as they enter the apartment, instantly being greeted by the cool air. Holding hands always seemed like a normal thing for both of them, Marzia always thought of it to be a comforting gesture that doesn’t necessarily need to be shared only between a significant other. Even though she was terrible when it came to dating, being with Zach definitely made up for being single. If she had to have a choice of having a boyfriend or having Zach as a best friend, she already knew she would pick Zach.
She could hear Zach talking on his cell phone in the main room, and she tried not to eavesdrop, but it was impossible.
“Yeah… I’ll be there in a few minutes Alisha… No… I’m just at a friend’s house… Alright bye.”
Marzia tried to rid herself of the anger and hatred that ran through her veins, she thought about the argument she had with Alisha the night before. What right did she have to call Zach selfish? How is wanting to be with your family and friends while playing the sport you’re passionate about considered being selfish? Maybe Alisha was the selfish one for wanting to stay in New Jersey with all of the WAGs she had become so well acquainted with.
“Hey Marzia, I have to leave a little early… Alisha is taking me out to dinner.” He gave her a sad smile.
“I understand.” She muttered, but she didn’t understand why he still had feelings for Alisha after everything she had put him through. It just didn’t make sense to her at all and Marzia wanted desperately to know what he saw in his ex girlfriend. The only thing Marzia saw in her was a manipulating bitch who thinks she knows what’s best for Zach.
“No, you don’t understand.” He whispered and kissed her forehead before opening the door, “Maybe someday you’ll know what it feels like to love someone like I love Alisha.”
He exited her apartment without another word.
“I already do.” She whispered.
Then she realized this wasn’t a love story; she wouldn’t have a happy ending.
You're like an angel
Got me feeling like a devil
I wanna give you something
If you promise that you won't tell
He stormed through the unusually clean apartment as he looked in the bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom for his best friend, but she was nowhere to be found. He grunted as he opened the glass doors that led out to the balcony and finally targeted the agitator. She was lying on a striped towel in a matching blue and white strapless bikini, her dirty blonde hair was fanned out on the towel and her shimmering blue eyes were covered by a pair of red ray-bans. She had a grin on her face that would put the chesire cat’s smug grin to shame. Zach felt like a pervert as he gazed down at her, and her grin turned into a smirk.
“Like what you see Mr. Zach?”
Her heavy Italian accent sent shivers down his spine and he bit back a smile, did she just call him Mr. Zach? He shook it off though, now was not the time to be smiling.
He was here on a mission.
“What did you say to Alisha? She was pissed after you talked to her at the party last night.”
She yawned and rested her arms above her head before answering him nonchalantly, “I have no clue what you are talking about.”
“Bullshit!” He growled, “You know exactly what I’m talking about Marzia.”
“Hey! No need to get all defensive, I was protecting your honour so you should probably thank me instead of yelling me.”
Zach froze and his anger slowly dissipated and was replaced with curiosity, “What was she was saying about me?”
Marzia sighed heavily, “She was saying that it was a stupid idea for you to sign with Minnesota and that you were doing it for the money, and then she called you selfish and said she was going to burn all of the jerseys you gave her… She’s kind of a bitch; I don’t know why you still talk to her.”
Zach ran his hands over his face and through his hair, resting them on the back of his head for a moment. He should have expected a reaction like that from his ex-girlfriend, but it still hurt nonetheless. Zach didn’t expect Marzia to understand about his and Alisha’s former and current relationship, he didn’t even know if Marzia ever had a stable relationship in the first place. She had always been too stubborn to believe in love, and it seemed as though the only men that could handle Marzia was her dad, and Zach himself.
“What did you say to her?” Zach asked and braced himself for whatever insult she was about to say. She could be such a stereotypical Italian at moments, it was actually painful for Zach to watch.
“I told her that she needed to shut the fuck up because it’s your career and she has no say in the decisions you make. I also told her how excited you are to be playing in the same place you grew up and that she shouldn’t ruin that for you.” She gazed at him and even though she was wearing sunglasses, Zach knew she was being sincere. Honesty was something he never had to worry about with Marzia, she always told the truth no matter how harsh it could be.
“Thank you for telling me the truth.” He murmured and sat down next to her on the ground. She tugged at the back of his shirt and he chuckled before lying down on his back, they were so close that their arms were touching and Zach relished in the warmth of her sunkissed skin.
“Is this what you do all day?” Zach questions and turns his head so the sun isn’t shining in his eyes.
“Only when the sun is actually out,” Her smirk turns into a playful pout, “Did you know the weather here sucks? If I knew that it would be raining in the summer I never would have moved here.”
“You would have moved here no matter what the weather was like and you know it.” Zach mumbled and they both knew he was right. It’s not that Marzia hated Italy, she actually loved the beautiful country, but she couldn’t tolerate the people there.
Especially her family.
She didn’t respond to Zach, instead she turned over onto her stomach and rested her head on her folded arms. Zach’s eyes wandered down her back, he couldn’t help himself and he knew any straight male would have done the same thing if they were in the same position. When Zach glanced back up at her face her signature smirk had returned and he felt his cheeks heat up. It was obvious she had seen him staring, but that didn’t seem to upset her in the slightest bit, he had probably just fed her ego even more.
He laughed it off though, “You’re really arrogant, you know that right?”
“Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful Zachary.”
“You really are beautiful.” Zach said before he could stop himself and he mentally slapped himself.
Instead of replying with something sarcastic or witty, she merely smiled and murmured a small thank you. They lied together in silence for a few moments and Zach wondered if he had just said something that he shouldn’t have said. He usually wasn’t so straightforward like that, he usually thought about things before he said them out loud. That’s where him and Marzia were complete opposites, she doesn’t care about how offensive her thoughts might be to others, she’ll say them anyways.
Zach watched as she finally stood up and stretched before throwing on a Minnesota Twins t-shirt that was two sizes too big for her frame. She grabbed his hand and helped him off the ground, staying hand in hand as they enter the apartment, instantly being greeted by the cool air. Holding hands always seemed like a normal thing for both of them, Marzia always thought of it to be a comforting gesture that doesn’t necessarily need to be shared only between a significant other. Even though she was terrible when it came to dating, being with Zach definitely made up for being single. If she had to have a choice of having a boyfriend or having Zach as a best friend, she already knew she would pick Zach.
She could hear Zach talking on his cell phone in the main room, and she tried not to eavesdrop, but it was impossible.
“Yeah… I’ll be there in a few minutes Alisha… No… I’m just at a friend’s house… Alright bye.”
Marzia tried to rid herself of the anger and hatred that ran through her veins, she thought about the argument she had with Alisha the night before. What right did she have to call Zach selfish? How is wanting to be with your family and friends while playing the sport you’re passionate about considered being selfish? Maybe Alisha was the selfish one for wanting to stay in New Jersey with all of the WAGs she had become so well acquainted with.
“Hey Marzia, I have to leave a little early… Alisha is taking me out to dinner.” He gave her a sad smile.
“I understand.” She muttered, but she didn’t understand why he still had feelings for Alisha after everything she had put him through. It just didn’t make sense to her at all and Marzia wanted desperately to know what he saw in his ex girlfriend. The only thing Marzia saw in her was a manipulating bitch who thinks she knows what’s best for Zach.
“No, you don’t understand.” He whispered and kissed her forehead before opening the door, “Maybe someday you’ll know what it feels like to love someone like I love Alisha.”
He exited her apartment without another word.
“I already do.” She whispered.
Then she realized this wasn’t a love story; she wouldn’t have a happy ending.
You're like an angel
Got me feeling like a devil
I wanna give you something
If you promise that you won't tell