I Hate My Brother (editing!)

39.

"About what?"

"Whatever that's making you all depressed and evasive for the past few weeks. Even people from Mexico can see the tornado hovering above your head. You think I wouldn't notice you've been feeling down?"

I shrug my shoulders, not knowing what to say.

"It's something to do with Zac, isn't it?"

That makes me lift my head up to meet his gaze. "Why do you say that?"

"Stupid question." He rolls his eyes and I frown, leaning back on his shoulder.

"In any case," he carries on. "If you want me to give Zacson a good beating, you only have to ask."

"You'll do that?" I gape at him. They've been friends for years, way longer than these six months that we've lived with each other. Plus he hasn't even hear what happened yet.

"You have my word." He smirks, patting my knee in a brotherly way.

"Boy, oh, boy." Drew abruptly exclaims from behind us, causing both our heads to whip around. He's seated at the dining table while his body is turned towards Zac who's leaning against the kitchen island.

"Run, brother. Run for your life while you still have the chance!"

———

"I swear to god. One more text and I'm blocking your number!" Cass yells into her phone, not caring that we are sitting in the pizzeria which happens to be full-house on a Saturday night.

I was feeling a lot better physically but I couldn't say the same for my emotions and my mental state. Coupled with the fact that Zac has been at the house all day with the guys, I decided to call up Cass for a supper date at Ally's workplace.

She lit up instantly when she saw us walk in and immediately came to serve us. As of now, we've been in here for an hour and forty minutes. The plan is to wait until she knocks off and kidnap her for a sleepover. It feels like it has been too long.

"Carson?" I chuckle. She has been angrily hanging up calls repeatedly but still ends up checking it every time whenever a notification dings.

"I don't know what in the bloody hell is wrong with that fellow!" She groans, chucking her phone deep in the bag which I know she'll get it out once a vibration comes anyway.

"Well, clearly he's getting attached." I tease.

"Clingy! Say it with me. C-L-I-N-G-Y. For god's sake!"

"And you don't want that?" I raise an eyebrow as I study her. Surely she wouldn't be responding to every of Carson's texts in seconds if she didn't cared.

"Like, duh? I literally told him from the beginning this isn't going to be anything serious. Yet look at him now! He can't even let me hang out without asking about my whereabouts every five minutes. Oh god!" She shoves her face in her hands and I reach out to pry them off.

"You're just not used to this. He literally sent you one text to ask whether you want a ride."

"Yeah. Followed by a 'what time?', 'where?' and 'who are you with?'!" Cass grimaces. "I can't deal with this shit."

"So, block him."

"That's your million dollar advice?" She scoffs, taking a sip of her iced tea.

"I think even a blind man can see he likes you." I laugh at her obliviousness. To think, she was the one who first predicted that I'll end up with Zac barely one week after knowing me.

"No? No! He doesn't. He doesn't, does he?" She starts to bite her straw, a tell-tale sign of her getting confused and/or nervous—which really rarely ever happens.