Expensive Heartache.
Chapter 8
"Why?"
He averted his eyes to the floor and shrugged. This just frustrated her even more.
"Why Brian?!"
"Because I don't want you going to live with Zacky," he mumbled.
"Why?" she asked, though her voice was softer this time; he had, after all, saved her from a hell that would have gone on for God knows how long.
"Because I know, if you do, he'll try and get back with you at every opportunity."
She snorted. "Why do you care?"
Brian dragged his eyes up to meet hers for the first time during their conversation, looking deep within her soul, searching. She blinked; half wanting the connection to break, half wanting it to keep going, the new sensation being sent through her body feeling alien.
Seeming to have found his answer, he looked away.
"It meant nothing to you, then."
"What meant nothing?" she asked, though she had a feeling she knew.
"That night," he said, simply.
"'It didn't mean anything to me'. How the hell did you get that answer?"
He looked up at her sharply, a glimmer of hope clearly visible in his eyes.
"You mean...?"
She looked down and began fiddling with the long sleeves of her shirt, shifting her feet uncomfortably. She'd just remembered that their conversation wasn't private and that the other four pairs of ears listening weren't as confused as she'd hoped. It would have been clear to anyone listening that her and Brian had a thing going on.
"Alice?" asked a small voice from behind her.
She turned to Zacky to see him watching with wide eyes looking sad, bewildered, distraught, disappointed, broken.
His pitiful appearance was enough to bring tears to her eyes and it didn't take much more for them to fall.
"I'm so sorry, Zack," she sobbed, before turning on her heel and running away.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From him.
From Brian.
From his house.
From everything.
He averted his eyes to the floor and shrugged. This just frustrated her even more.
"Why Brian?!"
"Because I don't want you going to live with Zacky," he mumbled.
"Why?" she asked, though her voice was softer this time; he had, after all, saved her from a hell that would have gone on for God knows how long.
"Because I know, if you do, he'll try and get back with you at every opportunity."
She snorted. "Why do you care?"
Brian dragged his eyes up to meet hers for the first time during their conversation, looking deep within her soul, searching. She blinked; half wanting the connection to break, half wanting it to keep going, the new sensation being sent through her body feeling alien.
Seeming to have found his answer, he looked away.
"It meant nothing to you, then."
"What meant nothing?" she asked, though she had a feeling she knew.
"That night," he said, simply.
"'It didn't mean anything to me'. How the hell did you get that answer?"
He looked up at her sharply, a glimmer of hope clearly visible in his eyes.
"You mean...?"
She looked down and began fiddling with the long sleeves of her shirt, shifting her feet uncomfortably. She'd just remembered that their conversation wasn't private and that the other four pairs of ears listening weren't as confused as she'd hoped. It would have been clear to anyone listening that her and Brian had a thing going on.
"Alice?" asked a small voice from behind her.
She turned to Zacky to see him watching with wide eyes looking sad, bewildered, distraught, disappointed, broken.
His pitiful appearance was enough to bring tears to her eyes and it didn't take much more for them to fall.
"I'm so sorry, Zack," she sobbed, before turning on her heel and running away.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From him.
From Brian.
From his house.
From everything.