Fire and Silk

Chapter One

I shrug not sure how to answer him, "Just stressed about collage."

He sighs bringing his hand up to my face, "You'll be fine honey, it will be a great experience for you."

"I know but still doesn't stop me from overthinking," I tell him.

"You could always not go this year and start next year," he says, "come move in with me."

My eyes widen and I remove his hand from my face, "I think that's moving a bit quick isn't it?"

He shakes his head, "I don't think so, I love you and I want to spend every day with you. It's hard enough that you are leaving me tomorrow, no offence babe but you are a horrible texter I feel like I'm not going to speak to you much when you're gone."

"I uh-."

"Hey my favourite love birds," Penny interrupts unknowingly saving me from the conversation; we had decided to choose the day before we go to collage to shop for our things. All I have left is a suitcase and some new pens, I did most of my shopping online and was well-over prepared for tomorrow, "Here Zo, I had to get you orange juice they ran out of orange mango."

I frown as she places the drink in front of me, "That's fine thank you."

"So Pen," Micheal says bringing the attention on him, I look over at Penny as he asks, "Do you think it's too soon for Zoe to live with me?"

I pull a 'say yes' face at her, my eyes stung from keeping them open for so long; she glances at me with a shocked face and her eyebrows raise as she notices mine. I put on a fake smile and say, "I think it is."

Penny pretends to think on it for a second, "You've been together for three months, I don't think that matters per-say. I think what matters if both parties are prepared for that, its a huge leap and can affect relationships."

"We are a strong couple," Micheal says with a grin, "I think we can survive anything."

My fake smile wipes from my face when the next distraction approaches our table, "Oh hey girls!"

"Delilah," Penny greets her, "Hi."

"Are you still upset?" She says crossing her arms and looking down at me, "You have a new boyfriend now, I think its immature for you both to be upset for what I did months ago."

"Immature?" I snap, "You slept with my boyfriend."

Delilah rolls her eyes, "It was an accident."

"Honestly I can believe that just because of how loose your fucking vagina is," Penny says standing up scraping the chair against the food court floor, "We have shopping to do, see you around."

"How dare you!" Delilah explains, we all stand up and follow Penny leaving Delilah at the table alone, "Zoe!"

I look over my shoulder to see her arms crossed as she takes a defensive stance, "What?"

"Don't even bother," Penny says stopping me from turning around.

"My brother! That you are so in love with! Thinks you're fucking ugly!" She yells out like a child, no word of a lie though it hit me right in the heart, "And Matt only slept with you because he knew about your virginity and felt bad for you!"

"SHUT UP DELILAH!" Penny screams causing shoppers to jump, tears sting at my eyes but I quickly blink them away keeping my head forward and we walk into target.

"You're in love with her brother?" Micheal questions, I shake my head and grab his hand to reassure him.

"It was a crush years ago," I chuckle -inside I was dying- "she's being dramatic for attention."

"Oh okay," he laughs; surely what she said wasn't true.

I mean I suspect Randy to stay away from us now being that we are no longer friends with his sister and I haven't seen him in so long that my 'crush' on him wasn't as intense as it used to be. If Matt slept with me for the reasons she has said then I don't really care because I slept with him to lose it, I have no feeling towards Matt I used him and he got sex out of it. It was a win either way, I knew Delilah was just low-key jealous of the fact I had slept with him.

"You, you Zoe slept with Matt?" Her face twisted into a disgusted look, "I'm honestly surprised he would."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I snap, was I that horrible looking that someone as gorgeous as Matt wouldn't even sleep with me?

She looks me up and down before turning her head back towards her food, "he likes sleeping with girls who have a little more experience."

I laugh at her jealousy, "he didn't seem to mind."

I had figured she was jealous considering her reaction from when I told her whom I had slept with. Penny was whooping with support of it, she always made me feel accomplished even for the smallest things. I should of pulled the plug then on Delilah when I realised how she treated me; but things changed after she slept with my ex-boyfriend David. I saw the darkest shade of red when I walked into her place for our annual movie night and she was taking it from behind from David.

"You okay?" Penny asks grabbing my hand and smiling softly, "Don't listen to anything that rat says, she's just trying to get a rise out of you."

We split apart once we made it into Target, Penny went to find a new handbag and Micheal ducked out to use the toilet so I stood staring at the suitcases wondering which size I needed. I zone in on to someones conversation behind me, I glance over my shoulder to see their back and a hand pressed to their ear.

"Just do it Robert," they snap; the voice sent tingles down my spine with how deep and raspy it was. I look back at the suitcases and decide on a large purple one that was sadly on the top shelf, I stand on my tip toes my finger tips hitting the bottom of the suitcase.

"Watch out," the person who was previously down the aisle behind me now towered over the top of me, the smell of sandal wood meeting my nostrils as he leans over me.

His hand brushing against my extended arm, his presence weirdly made me feel safe as his chest brushes against my back. His hand grabs the suitcase with ease as he lowers it to the floor next to me, before I could thank him he begins to walk away. I turn around and watch as he disappears around the corner of the aisle. The scent of that man was so familiar, I grab the suitcase handle and tow is behind me as I try to get another glimpse of the man but he was gone. The only person with that scent that I have ever been around was Matt but there's no way it was him.

"Babe," Michael voice makes me jump he laughs grabbing my shoulders, "It's just me."

I chuckle not realising how out of it I was, "I know sorry was in my own world."

"You've been doing that a lot today."

I nod, "Just nerves, we should find Penny I found a suitcase."

"No worries," he smiles grabbing my free hand and taking the suitcase in his other, "you sure you are okay?"

"I'm great," I grin; it was sad how easy it was for me to lie to him. But i didn't want to have a conversation about my feelings because he always took it as a way to try and make me happy in odd ways.

THE shopping was done four hours after the little arguments in the food court, safe to say I had no interest in speaking or looking at Delilah ever again. There was a chance in the future for me to gain any type of trust and forgiveness but now she's blown it. She fought so hard after I caught them and I assume now she just has no interest; the saddest thing was she was the longest friend I have ever had.

Ignoring her texts and calls became to easy but after today I decided to just block her. I didn't need that type of shit in my life anymore i certainly wasn't interested in being friends with someone who would do that to another female or just anyone in general. Micheal dropped me off at home a little over an hour ago; I finished up my packing and met my parents downstairs to eat diner. I was grateful to have parents like mine, even during the time they were separated they co-parented so well it felt like nothing had changed. My nerves were settled now that I was home in my comfort place. I went to sleep tonight thinking about what tomorrow could be like.