Belonging to Lust

Heath woke up that next morning alone. He had blindly reached a hand out for her to selfishly shuffle her against him so he could spoon her before facing reality, but only felt the cold sheets beside him. Opening his eyes, he confirmed she wasn’t next to him. Sitting up, he surveyed his surroundings as he sluggishly called out. “Zaiyia?”

When he got no answer back, he became concerned and sat himself up fully. Checking the time on her bedside clock, he saw that it was 8 in the morning. His mind didn’t get further than that before the sound of dishes clinking downstairs nabbed his full attention. Assuming that Zaiyia would be there, he strode into her shower then redressed in yesterday’s clothes before bracing himself for the impending confrontation. He knew coming to her the way he did was wrong, and that he shouldn’t have given in to it, but it hadn’t been that challenging like it had before. The battle didn’t seem to be in him anymore, it had dulled over time and now...it was what it was. With that thought, he heads down the stairs to discover Zaiyia, swathed in a colorful robe with her braids spun into a heap on the top of her head, sitting in her small living room with a bowl of scrambled eggs sprinkled with bacon bits. She was staring out her window into space it seemed, chewing on her breakfast lazily in deep thought.

Glancing towards the kitchen island, Heath spotted a bowl that had been arranged for him as well. Taking it, he closed the distance between them to take a seat on the armchair near the end of her couch. “Good morning.”

Zaiyia didn’t respond to him, she couldn't when she hadn’t even heard him. Her eyes were on the superbly mowed lawn that held Heath’s splendid world steady outside. She wished she could stay here forever. She wished Yovela would encounter whatever she was looking for out there and keep her out of it. It was taxing moving from state to state or town or town all the time and becoming affiliated with so many people in passing amounts of time before you had to pack up and start a new life elsewhere. Her life wasn’t a life like everyone else, she had lived many lives already at such a tender age, and right now she wanted to withdraw from all of her mother’s craziness and settled down in one spot for the rest of her life. And right now, she found that very place in Heath’s world alongside him.

Heath frowned when Zaiyia didn’t acknowledge him. She must really have something deep on her mind, he suspected. Setting aside his depleted bowl, he leaned forward to brace his arms on his knees and tried again to gain her attention. “Zaiyia!”

“Hmm?” Zaiyia answered, turning her head rapidly to see him sitting there, his green eyes perusing her intently.

“What’s on your mind?” Heath inquired, his brows furrowed with worry. “You looked sad for a second there.”

Zaiyia arched a brow at him, wondering what he was up to. They had sex last night, a very blasphemous and illegal thing for him to partake in, and now he’s inquiring if she’s okay? Since when did this guy care what was going on with her after sex? “You mean other than our fucked up relationship we got going on here?”

Heath winced at the reminder of what they did last night and the sassy tone in her voice. She didn’t have to say anymore, he could tell where the attitude was coming from. Typically he’d be freaking out on her by now if he hadn’t already. She probably predicted that same performance to happen at any given moment, it was the day after, after all. But he didn’t have it in him. What happened between them happened. There was nothing either of them could do about it now. Not that he’d want to if he could. “Yes.”

Shrugging, Zaiyia returned her eyes to the charming yard outside her parted curtains. “Where do I begin?” Perhaps to the only matter in her life that she could talk to him about. “I...finally got around to talking to Alice White recently like you told me to.”

Both of Heath’s brows shot upward in surprise that she had taken his input. Adopting this change in subject, he leaned back in his armchair and relaxed. “And? How did it go this time?”

“It was the same bullshit at first. After going around and around in circles with her again, I finally got to her.” Zaiyia retold him, keeping her eyes averted. “She became remorseful over everything that went down between us, and is now determined to help me end this bullying crusade her friends got against me.”

Heath expelled the breath he hadn’t been holding and loosen his muscles up some more. “I’m glad to finally hear some good news.”

“Me too.” Zaiyia concurred, though her expression didn’t show it at all. “But I have no idea how that’s gonna happen. I don’t have any master plan. I’m all out of schemes.”

“You don’t need to do anything, Zai. You’ve done your part.” Heath delivered staunchly, not realizing he addressed her in the same nickname he gave her last night during sex. “Alice needs to be the one with a plan now, she needs to fix this.”

“I doubt she can.” Zaiyia sighed wearily. “The last time we spoke she had no idea where to begin herself.”

“Alice can assemble everyone that’s bullied you or knows her. With them all in one place and you by her side, she can explain to them that you two are cool now and that they can stop all this stupid violence once and for all.” Heath proposed with a shrug, seeing the solution being a simple one.

Finally glancing his way, Zaiyia’s eyes magnified on him with terror. “What!? That’s a stupid idea, man!”

“How the hell is that a stupid plan?” Heath demanded to know, slightly insulted by her rudeness. “You got anything better?”

“Do you really want me to die that badly?!” Zaiyia snapped in frustration before explaining further. “Those stupid dumbass idiot can all ambush me at once and murder me with their soft weak hands like a horde of avenging zombies!”

“Hey, they won’t lay a fucking hand on you cause they’ll have to get by me first.” Heath sat up, growling. “I’m going with you to watch your back. If anyone wants to risk a broken back all they have to do is step up to the plate.”

Zaiyia raised a skeptical brow at him, not believing that he could do something as abominable to the public eye as beating up a bunch of high schoolers to a boneless heap. “Really? You gonna fuck them all up for me?”

“If this meeting actually goes down then you bet your sweet ass I will.” Heath vowed with an ominous look in his fiery green eyes. “I’m not gonna leave you to defend yourself against an entire school.”

Shrugging the idea of him being her Superman off though she found it utterly endearing, Zaiyia said. “Well, I don’t have any other options in the wing so...I guess I’ll have to consider yours until then.”

Heath nodded. “If you come up with something better, then feel free and scrap mine. I just think I’m in the mood to pummel into a bunch of high schoolers right now. Don’t mind me.”

“You’re gonna need to work on that soon.” Zaiyia prompted him, averting her eyes all over again.

Frowning, Heath inquired. “Why is that?”

“Because I was going to ask you if I can have a sleepover tomorrow night with my friends.” Zaiyia introduced with a saintly smile.

“Are you kidding me? No, you can’t have a sleepover!” Heath disputed immediately. “Wednesday’s a school night!”

“Actually, it’s a three day of school kinda week.” Zaiyia notified him. “We’ll have Thursday and Friday off.”

Sighing heavily, Heath gave her a hard look before conceding to her request. “Fine, you may have a sleepover tomorrow then.”

“There’s also another thing…” Zaiyia added cautiously, knowing he was going to freak out. “I wanted to invite Alice White to the sleepover too.”