Chills - Z.M (Book 2, Cold Trilogy) -Editing

Chapter 25- Changing tides.

Chapter 25

"What I'd like to know is that whole thing that just happened out there?!" My eyes widen as I point back at the door. "What is going on?!"

"He's not to be trusted."

"Why?!"

"Because he was the guy who upgraded Emma's alarm system. He's working with Devon."

"How do you know that?!"

"His real name is Matthew Faires. Not Matthew whatever he said."

"It's Matthew Harvey."

"Look, fuck him. I don't fucking care about him right now. I want to talk this through!"

I shrug as if I'm confused in what he's talking about. "I don't know what we're suppose to be talking about. My head is messed up. " I'm going to end up crying before I finish my first sentence. I'm trying to avoid it. I can't 'talk this through' yet. I'm too emotional to even be talking to him.

"Us, Victoria. We're talking about us and what we were before you left."

I shrug again, forcing him to continue on.

"I want this to work, I hate feeling empty and so robotic without you." The air from my lungs evaporates and my heart, pounds vigorously in my chest as he cups my face. His touch sends liberating chills throughout my body and just staring directly in his hypnotising eyes and taking in his words causes me to combust and blush bright red. Slightly pulling away, I sit myself down on the set that's facing the desk and Zayn soon leans on it so he's in front of me.

"Before I left?" I pause as if in confusion. "Zayn you were so cold towards me before I left."

Zayn sighs and slightly relaxes. He's got what he wanted, we're talking this through and i didn't even realise how easy it was to manipulate me with so few words. "I didn't know it at the time, but I have been thinking about it and I'm sorry for treating you the way I did. I was stressed Victoria." He grabs my hand and clasps the seat next to me to sit on.

"Yes, I know you were, but I'm not your punching bag. I can take a few hits but there's only so much I can take till I retaliate."

Zayn nods, solemnly focusing on my hand as he runs the pad of his thumb over my knuckles. His unbelievably long eyelashes fan out on his cheeks and he bites on his bottom lip. "And Emma-"

"She's not the only reason why I left." I murmur.

"I know, I also want to apologise for seeing her, but I don't exactly regret seeing her." Zayn finally catches my eye, gauging my reaction and I inhale a sharp intake of breath. I don't know how I'm suppose to take that. Am I suppose to feel offended?

"She could be dead if I wasn't there." Zayn continues. I look down this time at my fiddling fingers. That's true. "I care about her and if I never went that night, I would have lived today with a knowing fact that I could have stopped him even though I couldn't because I'd be at home with you, while she's getting a beating of her life."

I swallow. "I understand where you're coming from." Just stop talking about it. He doesn't realise how guilty it makes me feel. I'm the reason why he wouldn't have gone in the first place, but what made him go through with seeing her? "But instead, you're living today without me." I shrug.

His face becomes blank. He obviously didn't think of that.

"The same day before you left to go to Bradford, you were so, happy. I loved that Zayn, and to find you come home with such a completely different aura." I pause, searching for the right wordings.