I Found You, Something Told Me To Stay - (Jason Berry/Zacky Vengeance)

Chapter Twenty.

“I might steal a couple of slices of pizza, but I’ll mostly stay out of your way.” I smiled.

“Alright, kiddo.” He chuckled, standing up. He proceeded to ruffle my hair and then left the room, leaving me to get out of bed and freshen up.

Realising that I still looked completely shit—seeing as I hadn’t exactly paid much attention to my appearance today—I showered and changed my clothes, then completely re-doing my hair and makeup. I kept telling myself that I was just doing it because I felt all groggy from my hangover, but a little voice inside me kept telling me I was doing it because a certain someone was coming round.

When Zacky arrived around an hour later, I stayed in my room. I was battling with myself, not wanting to seem eager but not wanting to seem ignorant either. I just knew it would look weird if I rushed down there as soon as he arrived, so I waited another hour, just lounging around in my room.

The smell of pizza coming from downstairs, and the sound of laughter, was becoming very appealing to me. I knew that neither my dad nor Zacky would mind if I went down there and stole a slice or two, but I wasn’t planning on sticking around. I was trying to pathetically think of a reason that I needed to go downstairs.

I was becoming ridiculous.

But I decided to go down there because I needed a drink, which wasn’t really a lie, because I was getting pretty thirsty.

Zacky was sat on his own on the sofa, watching something on TV. My dad wasn’t anywhere to be seen, but Zacky heard me coming downstairs, and turned around, glancing out of the living room door.

“Hey.” I quickly called to him, then continuing past the living room and into the kitchen, without even giving him a chance to reply.

I wanted to slap myself for being so pathetic and girly. I’d be turning eighteen in three weeks, and yet I couldn’t even be in the same room as the guy that called himself my uncle, because I’d gone and developed some feelings for him that were completely inappropriate.

I was startled out of my thoughts as I stood at the sink, sipping on a glass of water, by the sound of a voice.

“In a rush?” Zacky said, making me jump and turn to face him. He rested his elbows on the kitchen island and chuckled at my reaction. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Just thirsty.” I replied, holding my glass up as I tried to compose myself. “Where’s my dad?”

“Oh, he just went to the store to get some more beers.” He said. “We ran out. Somehow.”

I could tell, just by the way he was looking at me, that he thought it was down to me. I just raised my eyebrows, taking another sip of my water.

“Well don’t look at me...” I said. “I didn’t take them.”

“I’m just kidding.” He chuckled. “I did hear about your...drunkenness last night, though.”

“Yeah...it was a good night...” I looked away then.

He just laughed. I didn’t really know why, seeing as there wasn’t anything exactly funny about the situation—I’d gone out with my cousins, got drunk, gone back to Charlotte’s house and made a load of noise while cooking bacon at four o’clock in the morning. That’s what I could remember, anyway.

“You’re crazy.” He said, shaking his head.

“Why am I cra—‘’

“I got recognised in Walmart!” My dad suddenly wandered into the house, yelling at the top of his voice. He placed the crate of beers on the kitchen island, a huge grin on his face. “This girl came up to me all like “are you the Avenged Sevenfold roadie?” and I was like “yeah!” and then she asked for a picture with me.”

Zacky and I just stared at him with raised eyebrows, both of us slightly surprised by his outburst. My dad didn’t seem to notice.

“Right then...” I murmured. “I’ll be going back to my room now.”

I went to brush past my dad, but was stopped but Zacky’s voice.

“Are you not joining us, Midge?” He asked

I simply stood there for a moment, battling the choices. Did he want me to join them?

“Uh...I guess I can do...if you want?” I blinked.

“It’ll be great.” Zacky then said, his words slightly slurring as he wrapped his arm around my shoulder and my dad grinned and nodded. “You know...family time and all that.”

And then he playfully winked. I knew it was just in jest for him, but for me, it was a whole other something.

All I could think, while I was dragged to the living room, was maybe it was Zacky that had finished off the beers that had unexpectedly run out.