AFTER THERE'S YOU // ZESSA

Chapter 12: Hold Me

Letting go of Zed's face, I lurch back, tumbling off the bed and landing on my back with my legs in the air.

"You okay?" I hear, looking up to see Zed leaning over the bed, trying to grab my hands.

I nod, rubbing my head with one hand, and reach for his with the other.

"Well, well, well," I hear, "what the fuck is going on in this room?"

Zed yanks me up and I manage to slide back onto the small twin bed.

"Steph," Zed huffs, "nothing is going on."

I see Tristan and Steph standing in the doorway, Tristan once again wrapping himself around Steph from behind her.

"It sure doesn't -" Steph hiccups "- look like nothing," she finishes, and giggles.

"Oh, leave 'em alone Steph," Tristan says, kissing the side of her cheek.

"Nope," she replies, unwrapping Tristan from her waist and making her way into the room.

I can't seem to respond or move. I just sit there on the bed next to Zed, while he cracks his knuckles and looks annoyed. This is both mortifying and embarrassing. I was supposed to be focusing on myself, not fooling around with Zed and getting caught in the act by Steph and Tristan. I hope Steph doesn't tell her other friends...

Steph stops about a foot in front of me, hands on her hips. "You sure do get around the old friend group... Tessa," Steph says, slowly sounding out each syllable in my name while smiling at down at me.

"Lay off," Zed says, pausing to look up at her angrily.

"I'm, we were just..." I say, trying not to focus on the spinning room or the throbbing in the back of my head.

Steph leans back, laughing to herself, then snaps back up, moving to stand even closer to me.

"No," she says, looking at me with wide eyes and an uneasy smirk, "you were just trying to fuck Zed and piss off Hardin - again,"

Instantly, Zed is on his feet, inches from me and Steph. "I said lay the fuck off Steph! You're drunk as hell anyway," he murmurs. Steph responds by laughing again.

"Calm down guys," Tristan says, placing a hand on their shoulders and moving them apart.

"I wasn't trying to do that," I say, my face serious but calm as I look up at Steph, then at Zed.

Steph turns and walks toward the door. "Yeah, yeah. Well, I'm not sticking around to see this shit show either way. Come on Tristan," she says over her shoulder, walking out of the room.

Tristan gives me and Zed an apologetic smile, before walking out the door after her.

Zed sits back down next to me, placing his elbows on his knees and head in his hands.

I turn to him and place my hand on his shoulder. "I really wasn't trying to do that. I swear Zed. I'm not seeing Harding. Ever."

He turns his head slightly, looking at me through his fingers.

"I'm not so sure I believe that Tessa," he says, eyes strained and red.

"I know you don't believe me, but all I can do is tell you my intentions and follow through with them. I'm just focusing on me and my career right now. Honestly."

He turns his head back to look at the floor, bringing a hand up to run through his long hair.

"And, if you'll let me, I'd like to focus on us being... friends," I say, apprehensively. It's true, I want to be Zed's friend. I know I feel something pulling me to more, but I must push that part of me down. My heart isn't ready to open to anyone, and honestly Zed deserves to be happy, maybe even with Rachel.