when you sleep :: [malik]

"please be naked..."

"Wait, wait, wait..." Blake blinks. "Boyfriend?"

Zhuri's heart is hammering. She squints uncomfortably against the sun, her hand growing clammy against Zayn's. 

She pulls away from him to wipe her palms repeatedly against her jeans. 

"Yeah," she replies. "You heard me."

The cicadas are loud in her ears. She watches as this man, this man she used to love, this man she thought loved her, runs his tongue across his teeth and narrows his eyes and stares at her with the same hateful expression that always crossed his face each time she said something he didn't like; each time she tried to end things. 

And couldn't. 

Blake laughs. 

Zayn's squinting at him. "What the hell's so funny?"

Zayn is trying. He's really trying to be calm. 

But, the sight of this young man before him is making him reevaluate that decision; that decision to let Zhuri drive this conversation; that decision to let his girlfriend get closure. 

He was ready to get it for her. 

He was ready to end this for her. 

For them. 

"Funny?" Blake grins, eyes narrowed, fists clenched. "What's funny, is that I gotta find out my girl's been out messing around with somebody else."

"We've been broken up," Zhuri exclaims. "You just never listen!"

"Nah, you just stopped ignoring my calls," he retorts. "We ain't never broken up, baby. We've been together since eighth grade, Zhuri," he clicks his teeth, "unless you forgot that shit, too."

"You know I didn't forget, Blake--"

"Then, what the fuck's this? I thought I had a ride or die! I thought we were ride or die."

"Until you decided to fuck everything from here to Cali!"

"Wow," he grins, nodding. "Here we go, huh? Here we go with this again."

"I'm not gonna just let that go, Blake," Zhuri states. "You think you can just have other bitches? You thought you could just keep treating me like shit?"

"How you gone say that when you out here doing me the same way?"

Zhuri gasps, "You've got to be fucking kidding me--"

"You been ignoring me and shit, and now this? This is how I gotta find you gone off to California and datin' some white boy?"

"Don't..." Zhuri's hands are shaking. "Don't act like you care."

"Care?" Blake laughs, scoffing, the sound loud and echoing over the rolling plantation. "Girl, don't fucking do this. Don't do it, Zhuri."

"Do what?"

"I love you, girl! I've only ever been there for you! And now, you," he steps towards her, "you gon' go do some shit like this?" 

"Hey," Zayn steps protectively in front of her. He's trying to stay calm. He really is, so he carefully chooses his words, more for himself than this other man, "Calm down."

"Psh," Blake scowls, throwing a shoulder, "Who the fuck you think you are?"

"I told you who he is," Zhuri says, feeling more secure behind Zayn. "He's my boyfriend."

"That's what I was before you left, Zhuri."

She doesn't believe this. 

"I left four years ago!" She exclaims. "I've been gone!"

"And I been here!"

"Don't play that, Blake," she seethes, emotion bubbling to the surface. 

"Girl, what?" He purses his lips, "You really try'na tell me that I haven't been here? That I haven't come out to see you? That I haven't been changing my life up to fit yours?"

"You've been cheating on me!" She screams. "You haven't been faithful!"

"I was--I was young! You really holdin' that over my head, Zhuri?"

"Oh, please!" She laughs bitterly. "I'm not stupid and I'm not weak like I was then. You know I loved you?" She exclaims, stepping out from behind Zayn. "I even believed all the lies! And I kept taking you back 'cause I thought you loved me. I really did, Blake! I thought you loved me and it turns out neither of us knew what love was."

She shakes her head. "I don't think this is--"

"After," Blake blinks. "After all I did for you, you really about to--"

Zhuri throws up her hands. "You didn't hear  a word I just said!"

"Yeah I did!" He yells back. "You're really out here thinking I don't love you! Like, all those times in high school when I gave up my friends to be with your ass, like that wasn't love? Like all those times I got off work to come visit you, like none of that was love just 'cause you off sucking white dick!"

Her mouth falls open. 

She can't even believe this...

No. 

She can. 

This is just like every other argument they've ever had. This is just like the last fight, and the one before it. 

This is taking the same physical and emotional toil on her like each and every other one of the past arguments, and the ones before. 

Zayn is really trying to be calm. 

"You know what?" Blake throws his hands, "Take it. Have that shit. I don't give a fuck. I don't give a fuck about it, Zhuri."

"Blake--"

"Have it," he seethes. "If that's what you about, have it."

"Stop twisting my words around, Blake!"

She doesn't even hear Taj come outside.

"What? You gon' come back, anyway! You gon' come back just like you always do."

"I didn't--"

"Nah, she ain't!" Taj calls, leaning over the porch. "She's done with your shit, nigga!"

"I'm the best she ever had, Taj! I'm the best she'll ever have," he raises his arms in surrender, "But, it's cool. I'mma step back and let you do you, Zhuri. I'mma let you go out here and hoe around with that white boy. I'mma let you do me like this 'cause you know I'm always gonna be here, you little bitch--"

And Zayn loses it. 

All Zhuri sees is the blood splatter. 

And all she hears is Blake hit the ground.

And all she sees is that Taj has rushed to help him; to help Zayn. 

And she can't help but feel...

Happy. 

Happy, like...

She chose right. 

___

for some reason, i really like this chapter lol now y'all can see why zuzu's had emotional issues 

y'all i started a new story and it's called 'strippers' and if you've read 'cheap thrills' it's kind of like that but also not. please check it out because i love it.