Your Cheating Heart Will Tell On You

I fiddled with my neon pink cast as we walked to the car, coming back from the emergency room. To think that this was the second time I've been to an emergency room in less than 48 hours was crazy.

"Why'd you pick such an obnoxious pink?" Sidney asked as he walked in stride with me. Alex looked dazed, walking a few feet in front of us.

I rolled my eyes. I rolled my eyes. "It was either this or white. White gets dirty easily." I explained to him, feeling like I was talking to a child. He just gave me a smirk, pulling me close to him as he put his arm around my shoulders.

"Sidney..." I spoke quietly, trying to pull away as discreetly as possible. I didn't want Alex noticing, even though I'm pretty sure he was too far off to notice anything right now.

He kept his arm around me and gave me an innocent look. "Zaria, it's chilly out here. Wouldn't want you catching a cold, now would we?" His hazel eyes melted into mine and I had to look away. I couldn't continue this.

So what if Evgeni and I fought? Couples fight all the time. I cheated on him; which was almost unforgivable but in a way, I feel less guilty about it now.

He had physically hurt me, causing me to break my wrist. I've heard too many stories about that being the warning sign to get out but he was intoxicated. He couldn't of meant what he did. My Zhenya wasn't like that.

But here I was, trusting his teammate more than I had trusted him in weeks. This man was driving me crazy and I couldn't even complain.

We got in the car and I took the passenger seat, while Alex took the drivers and Sidney took the back. I heard Alex sigh and I glanced over, seeing that he had his head resting on the steering wheel.

"Alex?" I spoke softly, like I was speaking to a wounded animal whom I didn't want to run away from me. He looked over and I could see he looked defeated and sleep deprived. I gave him a soft smile, fighting off the tears. I hated the look in his eyes.

"Sidney, could you drive?" Alex asked before I could and I heard the back door open and they switched places. Sidney turned the keys, starting the old car up. He looked at me and winked.

We drove down the highway towards the airport, to pick up my father. I was surprised that Sidney remembered how to get there.

"Have you checked your phone?" He asked me, glancing at me as I realized I was staring at him. I felt my cheeks heat up but quickly felt stupid. I pulled the damaged phone out of my pocket and noticed that I had 48 missed calls and 22 text messages. I gulped.

20 of the calls were from Vero and 28 of them were from Evgeni. I felt my hands begin to shake as I opened the first message.

New Text Message:
Vero: Where ru? I'm sorry about what I said. You know I love you, Zaria. Geno is over and he looks really messed up but won't talk. Plz call me so I know you're safe. Please.

New Text Message:
Evgeni: are u ok? im sorry. i love you. call me.

I didn't bother looking at the rest of the messages and I decided I wasn't going to call back. I wasn't happy with either of them at the moment and knew talking to either of them would upset me even more. Was it selfish and unfair to make them worry? Yeah, yeah it was but I just couldn't find it within myself to give a shit right now.

"I'm guessing," Sidney began as he pulled into the pick-up/drop-off terminal. "That he's acting all caring and shit now." He put the car into park and turned to look at me. I nodded.

Sidney snorted. "I didn't think I could dislike someone as much as I hate Evgeni Malkin right now." He shook his head, and I got a feeling that he wasn't really talking to me anymore.

"So what's your dad like?" He questioned, sliding his eyes over to look at me. His voice interrupted the silence in the car and I was glad.

"Uh, well his name is Lazlo Czar. He was born in Russia, moved to America for college and met my..." I swallowed hard and blinked a few times. "mother. I was born their senior year of college. My brother was born 6 years later." I didn't want him to know about the events that took place in the years after my brother was born.

"He lives in Moscow now and I'm not entirely sure what he does for work." He smirked, amused by the last part. "He's fluent in English, but has an accent that isn't too bad but--" I was interrupted by a chuckle to my right.

My eyes snapped over to the open car window and Lazlo stood there, looking at me with his dark brown eyes. "My accent isn't that bad is it?" He questioned me, his eyes searching my face.

"Hi, Lazlo." He cringed a little when I called him by his first name, and I just shook his reaction off.

He gave me a sad smile and then quickly looked over at Sidney, who was staring at my father curiously. The only thing I got from my father was his dark hair.

"Hello." He nodded at Sidney, while giving him a wary glance. Sidney. Sidney gave him a polite nod and then turned away.

Lazlo moved to the trunk and threw his suitcase in it. He took a seat in the back, next to a barely awake Alex.

"Hello, Alexander." He greeted him, as I watched him in the mirror. Alex sat up and looked at our father with one eye open.

"Hey, dad." He mumbled and then dozed off. I smiled at his sleepy face. I saw my dad smile at him before he met my eyes in the mirror. I quickly looked away.

Sidney pulled away and I gave him the simple directions to the house.

The silence in the car was deafening. I didn't touch the radio, for fear of waking Alex up. I could feel my father staring at me throughout the short ride. His eyebrows were creased in worry and I had a burning desire to look at him but I couldn't. I'd just be giving him another chance to hurt me.

We finally got to the house and I got out of the car as soon as Sid parked the car. I walked up to the house without looking back. Nausea took over all of my senses.

The nice red house on the beach was still in great shape; a beautiful garden out front and the house newly painted. I knew that was Tommy's doing and not my mothers.

I pulled my old keys out of my purse and jiggled it in the lock to no avail. I looked at the door; same door, different locks. That was the first red flag.

"We had to change the locks." Alex was next to me, looking at me as if he couldn't believe I was really here. "Drug dealers having keys to your house isn't always the best." He tried to say it indifferently but I saw the anger and pain behind those eyes.

We entered the dark house with Sidney and my father on our tail, carrying the luggage. Alex led us into the kitchen, where I could see the faint glow of a light from the dark hallway.

We entered and Tommy was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at a picture in his hands.

The man looked like hell. His eyes were red rimmed and his frown lines very prominent, despite his younger age. I felt my heart break even more at the sight of him.

His bloodshot eyes snapped up when he heard us come in the room. He looked relieved when he saw Alex here. Then his gaze slid to me.

He quickly stood up and took 2 steps across the small kitchen and engulfed me in a hug. I was surprised, to say the least but hugged him back.

He released me and looked a little embarrassed. "You look so much like her. Zaria." Tears were swimming in his big brown eyes and he looked as helpless as a child. He loved her.

Sudden anger flooded through me. She was still destroying people, even though her heart is no longer beating.

My throat constricted and I turned, feeling suffocated by his defeated look and my brothers pain-filled eyes.

I walked out the closest door and found myself walking down the hallway to my mothers bedroom. The door was closed and I felt my breathing get heavier. It was just too much.

I ran back into the kitchen and the 4 men looked startled when they saw me. I bit my lip to keep from crying out.

"Zaria?" Sidney was the only one brave enough to take a step towards me. I instinctively backed away until I hit the glass door leading to the beach.

"When is she going to stop?" I whispered but they all heard me. Sidney stayed where he was. My father, along with Tommy and Alex looked utterly confused.

"When is she going to stop hurting us!?" My voice was getting louder and I felt myself beginning to shake. No one said anything.

"Even though she's dead, she'll never stop causing pain and suffering." Sidney slowly started walking towards me, knowing I was about to flee.

I turned and opened the door, dropping my phone in the sand as I ran along the dark beach.