The Covington Boys (Slow Updates)

Come Home

Nine Years Later

"Zack I'm home." I called out, tossing my keys into the basket on the kitchen counter of the two-bedroom apartment I shared with my boyfriend of a little over a year and a half, Zack Davis.

We had just moved in together and still had quite a few boxes scattered around the apartment waiting to be unpack. Blowing out an anxious breath my gaze flitted around the small living room/kitchen as my stomach did its horrible flip flop of regret. I was still struggling to convince myself that moving one floor up and two doors over from Uncle Mick's apartment was a good thing, it was what happened naturally in a normal, healthy relationship, right?

Shaking my head, hoping to shake away this sense of dread from my brain, I shuffle toward the dark brown leather couch, kicked off my shoes, shoving them under the coffee table as I flopped down onto the couch that Zack had insisted on getting once we signed the rental agreement for this place and I like always reluctantly agreed to it, wanting to make him happy, forcing myself to be a happy and normal girlfriend.

"Hey baby." Zack greeted casually as he walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, chest still glistening with water from his shower. I smiled up at him as I tried to make myself feel excited, lustful or at the very least comfortable with his nakedness, but it was pointless, I just felt guilty being here with him.

Don't get me wrong he's wonderful, incredibly handsome with dirty blonde hair that always sported a messy look, blue eyes, square jaw with a slight stubble, muscular chest with tight abs, the true body of an athlete. It's wasn't him, it was never him, it was me. I just couldn't shake off the feeling that being with him was wrong. That he was wrong, as much as I tried my heart wasn't in this relationship with us.

But he was normal, the regular all-American guy that every girl swooned over, everything I should want and desire, but didn't. I knew that I did in fact care deeply for him and that he cared for me, so I did my best to be a normal girlfriend for him or as best as possible anyway. Which is how I found myself going against my instincts and moving in with him after months of him dropping hints and then finally pleading with me.

"How was practice?" I asked as he sat next to me draping a massive arm of muscle over my shoulders and pulling me against his side, I leaned into him snuggling into his bare chest even as every part of screamed me that this was wrong, he was wrong.

Gulping passed my body's natural reaction, I forced the all too familiar feeling aside as I pressed closer to him. He squeezed me for a moment before dropping a quick kiss to my forehead. He had just been signed on to play football for a minor league team, with a good chance to go Pro.

"It was good, their working us pretty hard but it's worth it." he smiled before leaning down to press his lips against mine and as always, an image of Dante and Dimitri flashed behind my eye lids, the feeling of betrayal washed over me. I bit back on my bottom lip, smiling at him as soon as he pulled back. "I love you." He whispered, gazing down at me so tenderly with his blue eyes twinkling.

"Me too." I automatically answered reluctantly. I watched as he winced slightly at the fact that I once again didn't actually say the words back and my heart broke knowing that I may never be able to.

How could I tell him that I gave my heart with all of its love away a long time ago and I never got it back. Honestly, I may never get it back and deep down I knew that being here with Zack wasn't fair to him, placating him with halfhearted attempts at affection was so messed up of me, yet he was the one from the very beginning who said he would take whatever I could give as long as I would give him a chance. Still I knew instead of moving in together, I should be letting him go, freeing him from this loveless relationship.