Dalliance - Z.M. (An Exquisites Original Story)

82; Love Song

"I don't care," I seer honestly. "Just go to Ana, Zayn. Leave me alone."

"No," he argues, narrowing his eyes at me. There is something different about him, something that makes a chill crawl down my spine. His grip is harsh, his eyes are cold and his words are cruel with intent. He doesn't look like the man I loved, but then again, he hasn't been that man for a long time now.

"I am not going to let you walk away from this, not after everything we've been through," he tries again, placing his hands on my cheeks. I try to push him off of me but he doesn't care to leave. "I love you, Raine. I have loved you for a long time and I'm sorry that I hurt you, but I just... I don't know anymore! It's all too hard."

"Just stop, Zayn," I whisper, locking my hands around his wrist before I pull him away. "This isn't worth it."

"It is," he persists, clenching his fists tightly. "It's worth it, Raine."

"It's not."

"Raine-"

"Everything okay here?"

I push Zayn away from me just as soon as Apollo's voice sounds in my ears. Apollo's presence is threatening, so intimidating that I have to look away because I know if even catches a glimpse of the tears that are threatening to spill out of my eyes then he will beat Zayn to a pulp. But the tragic downfall that lies within Zayn is that he has never learned from his mistakes, and I don't know that he ever will.

"She's fine," Zayn hisses, shooting Apollo a glare that could've killed him had it been charged with bullets.

"Yeah?" Apollo cranes his neck in his signature threatening way before he turns his attention back to me. "Let me hear it from you, Raine."

"You need to leave us the fuck alone, alright?" Zayn instigates further, clenching his fists to the side as the attempts to withhold his anger. If any of them choose to break out into a war right now, then it will give our enemies the wrong impression that I just cannot afford so close to the finish line.

"I don't think so," Apollo warns, pushing past Zayn to walk over to me. He takes my chin in his hand and tilts it upwards so that I'm making the eye contact with him that tells him everything he needs to know. I blink away the glistening hurt in my eyes but it's too late, he's already seen it. Just as he brings his fingers to a fist, I clutch his arm right before he swings a blow at Zayn.

"Not here," I tell him quietly, wrapping both of my hands around his fist. "Let's just go."

"What did he do?" He asks me once, assertive enough to let me know he's not going to ask me again. I open my mouth to tell him when it hits me that I'm trapped yet again between the two of them.

When I glance over at Zayn, his eyes are furrowed with worry. The truth I have just learned about him is not only a deceit to me, but it is a betrayal to Ramone which means it's a betrayal to Apollo. If anyone hears about this then Zayn is as good as dead, and I highly doubt that Ana will be there for him the same way he was for her. Once again, he's forcing me to choose his broken infliction of pain over the strength of a man who will never fail to protect me. I debate just telling Apollo to hurt Zayn, but no matter how much I hate him right now, I can't watch him die. Not because of me, at least.

"Can we go?" I ask instead of answering his question. "I just, I need to take something."

"You don't need shit," Zayn spits out in frustration. "I already took Heroin from you tonight, don't think I won't be taking away whatever the fuck else you wanna put up your n-"

Apollo doesn't give Zayn a chance to finish his sentence, not before he grips his collar between his fists and shoves him against the wall. Right before Zayn has a chance to fight back, Apollo wraps his hand around Zayn's throat tightly and glares at him with the impatience that cuts loose by the second.