"Louis can I ask you something?"
He smiled, "That's part of the reason why I wanted to take this walk with you."
"What do you mean by territory?"
He stifled a snicker."I'm sorry if that offended you,I know owned or claimed offends people."
I shook my head. "No,that didn't bother me. I just want to know what it means,I mean...I know what it means but what does it mean?"
It sounded confusing which I'm aware of but Louis chuckled. "Um,well,it means your off the market and unavailable to anyone. No one can be with you or have any contact with you and vice versa,meaning you can't.. I probably worded that wrong but overall that's what it means."
"You mean I can't be with anyone else besides Zachary?"
He looked at me confused. "Your not thinking of leaving because of last night are you?"
I immediately shook my head. "No,I was only asking."
Louis' shoulders relaxed and he sighed in relief. "Good. I don't want to see upset Zachary." I pushed out a little laugh "and yeah,that's what it is. You can only be in one at a time...why are you asking this?"
Because in the far future I don't see myself with Zachary and at the same time I'm still with Zachary.
"It just popped in my head and I thought to ask,that's all."
Zachary's POV
People like to cross others. They think there is no limit and everyone is meant to be played with,well I'm not the one to do it to. I'm going to rain hell havoc on anyone who sees Aria as a ticket to get whatever revenge they have with me,they already technically took her from me even though she's still here. My skin has been burning and itching to kill someone ever since I shot that scum Koby,he spoke about Aria as though she was a disease and as soon as her name slipped out his mouth I wanted him dead. I'm going to make the world perfect for Aria,free from danger. And anyone who tries to change that,friend or not,only one of us is walking away. I have been burning holes in the ceiling and lying on my back since my argument with Aria and I was about to get my phone and dial Penelope and Brandon when someone knocked on the room door.
"Whoever you are I'm not doing anything with the papers or computer in your hand." I yelled to them.
They opened the door and walked in towards the bed and when I looked at who it was my brows shot up. "Naomi," I looked back up "what a unpleasant,unwelcomed surprise."
"I don't have anything for you to work on--"
"I can see that."
"I actually came to talk to you." She finished as she sat on the other side of the bed,at the bottom.
"I'm not giving you an explanation on why I shot Donoghue."
"It's about Aria."
At that I turned my full attention to her and frowned my brows. "What happened?" I sat up "What did you do?"
"Nothing and she's fine. .I came to ask you something about her. Not give you bad news."
We looked at each other when she still didn't continue,so I waved my hands around. "Go on spit it out."
"How is she with you after everything horrible you did?"
And there it is,every encounter I have with someone in this suite aside from Aria has something to say about my past. They fail to piece together that I wasn't with Aria back then when that happened but now in the present,I'm with her and I have yet to commit those 'crimes'.
"I haven't done anything to Aria except last night so I have not one idea of what your talking about."
"You've done the most fearful crimes,all the crimes that specifically go against the law. Killed,kidnapped,tortured etc. How is she still with you when she knows what you've done?"
Her face showed genuine curiosity and a bit sadness. Honestly I don't know how she has looked past everything I did,I was scared that she never would and I wouldn't have her completely like I've wanted but instead she has and gave me another chance unlike the world around me who wants to punish me for it. I know I don't deserve Aria for one reason;she's way to pure compared to the things I do with my life and I'm going to poison that with my business choice.
I answered her with the answer I wanted the real answer to be. "Because I cared for her and worried about her when I knew something was up. I showed her the side I hid away and erased all the things she's read and the ghost stories you hackers made up. Why do you even want to know,she's always safe with me regardless of threats. Remember that when you try to cook up another plan to take her from me."
What came next surprised me,she started to cry. Her face turned bright red and she started adding gaps in her breathing, "I've tr-ied apologizing to her for what I did to you b-but she seems to hate me more everytime she sees me. I don't know what else to do and I did everything."
I didn't know how I should react to her outburst of emotions but I know how I wanted to. It felt good to see her feel a fraction of what she made Aria feel by telling her I died. Unable to do anything. I had a invisible smirk on my face when I laid back, "Since we're being open,I was actually scared back at the HSS when you told me your plan to make me suffer and make her forget about everything good we had back at the mansion. Your the first to do that in a every long time. I had to keep telling myself in that cell that you failed and when I got out she still wanted to be with me,turns out you told her I left the face of the earth and not something more dramatic. Because trust me there's something else out there to say instead of I died. I don't know how to help you with your sister problems,I'm afraid that I am an only child."
She seemed to breathe harder but she wiped her cheeks. "When she comes out of the bathroom can you just please talk to her. Try to at least make her see a reason to forgive me?"
When I heard 'forgive me' I instantly scoffed before I frowned lightly. I pointed to the bathroom door in the room and looked at her. "This bathroom? Aria's not in there."
"She's not? I checked the other rooms and didn't see her,so I thought she was in there."
My fist immediately began to sweat as I shot up.
"You checked everywhere?"
"I look in all the rooms and the balconies. She's not out there,are you sure she's not in the bathroom?"
I stood off the bed. "I'm sure I would have seen her walk in, in her heels and into the tiled bathroom."
I didn't run nor fast walk but I was quick on my feet to go in their room and stomped over to Niall's bed. "Where is she?"
Cause he was writing down something he didn't look up but the smirk slowly showing through made me angrier. "Where is who Zachary?"
"Don't play with me Niall or I'll make you taste the lead of that pencil."
"Okay," Zayn stood up from his bed and stepped in between me and Niall "I'm going to guess that your talking about Aria,have you looked for her?"
I looked at him. "I shouldn't have to. She should be in the hotel suite but she isn't."
"Well she's not an object,you couldn't have misplaced her. Where did you talk to her last?"
"We had an argument in the room this morning then she went to the kitchen where he was." I looked back at him.
"Well that's your problem." He said,nonchalantly.
"My problem?" My fists clenched at my sides then his eyes trailed up from the paper and made a dignified smirk when he saw my hands.
Zayn turned to Niall and asked, "Niall, do you know where she is?"
". . . I know where she says she is but you know Aria,she doesn't work well with rules."
Zayn looked behind me at the doorway when Harry asked what was happening. Zayn looked at me after answering,"Louis isn't here so he's probably with her."
"Did anyone try calling her?" Liam asked.
"Her phone is still in the room." I answered without taking my eyes off of Niall.
"Tell me where she is." I demanded.
"I'm sorry,she specifically told me not to do that and unlike you," he stood up with his smirk gone "I listen to her."
My jaw clenched as I moved away from Zayn and threw my punch at Niall's jaw. He inhaled sharply through his nose but throwing a right hook with his elbow at me.
ARIA'S POV
Me and Louis were running out of path to walk on but didn't mind because that was our second time. Being in fresh,free air made me full of laughs. I didn't know Louis had a sense of humor next to his sass,jokes,the memories he told about his parents and little of the guys' were all good ones and I tried to hold my laughter for most of them. He made me promise that when we reached the end of the path that we would head back which I sort of didn't have a problem with because the sky started turning yellowish orange and Zach,if he knows that I'm gone, is probably freaking out.
If Niall broke his promise then Zachary would already be here so I'm gonna guess that he kept it to himself. We were heading back now and I was stifling my humor side when there was a small group of maybe teenage girls walking ahead of us heading our way with many shopping bags on their arms,we've so far just walked past the others but this group glanced at us before scrunching up their faces looking at me.
Then they started hopping on their feet and scurried over to us,Louis sighed and cursed under his breath because the hat and shades he was wearing failed their purpose. The girls came to a halt in front of us and had a mad hatter smile plastered on full display. And instead of looking at him they looked at me, "Your Aria,right?"
Me and Lou frowned but I slowly started nodding my head. "Yes?"
"Ee! Can we have a picture,please?"
That's a first."Um sure but can I ask,how exactly do you know me?"
They took out their phones. "Your Niall Horan's BFF. We saw you two a while back attending a party then recently a pizza parlor,you two are the cutest together. You both blend so well together I cried."
I was shocked that they made an accusation like that. I looked at Louis and saw him trying to hide a smirk as he shrugged his shoulders,I took the pictures with them and a few signatures when I pointed to him. "None of you know him?"
They looked at Louis,Louis Tomlinson, narrowed their eyes before shaking their heads. "Noo,but nice to meet you."
He snickered silently before nodding his head in acknowledgment at them. Guess the shades and hat did work.
"Well I guess you gotta get going,we'll let you go."
Louis smiled and started slowly walking the way we were going before and I made him think I was too until I stopped and quickly asked, "Did..Niall ever tell you about our relationship in a interview or anything?"
"Ellen asked if the boys' had anyone in their hearts and when it was Niall's turn he could never stop smiling..and his cheeks had a pinkish shade. It only clarified what we thought. Despite of his answer in trying to cover it up we also saw him on the phone in every picture the paps got of him,he was calling you wasn't he?"
Unfortunately I tried to cover the blood rushing to my cheeks again when I smiled at them, "I can't say without going against what Niall's trying to do."
They just looked at me like lost puppies before almost knocking me down in a group hug. "You're just the perfect someone we hoped for."
My heart beated faster and I giggled. "You all are dedicated fans aren't you?"
"The best."
Then they left and I turned to catch up with the waiting Louis. My stomach fluttered like crazy as I imagined Niall stumbling to answer his lovelife question and that's such a boy crush thing to do and the Niall I'm thinking of is not the kind hearted and isn't the boy crush type.
And who was he blushing about? I know that his frequent phone calls was to call Naomi but in order for you to blush,you have to be thinking about someone. Who was he thinking about? I lifted my head when I reached Louis and saw him smiling, "Whatcha thinking about?"
I moved the hair from my face and pulled my lips into my mouth to stop my smile from growing. "Why are you asking like that?"
"I'm just curious on why your cheeks have more color than usual." He poked my cheeks when the elevator door closed,then he pressed in the button when I asked.
"Was Niall..s-seeing someone in those three years?"
Louis straight out laughed and shook his head," There is so much serial tension in this small place,no Aria. Niall wasn't seeing anyone."
The elevator had to stop many times but it didn't stop the conversation. "I meant to tell you this before but unlike majority of the people upstairs I no longer mind you and Zachary being together."
I quirked a eyebrow. "You don't?"
"No,yeah he has done awful things that makes him unworthy of someone like you and I really did believe that he was just using you but he helped everyone by helping you when you were depressed. If someone was only using another then when that person was useless then he should of just continued his life and forgot about you but instead he helped you back into society,helped you take a reliking to food and returned the original Aria to us. And for that,he's okay in my book."
I smiled lightly nudged him."Thanks Lou."
He looked at my smile and eyes then smiled. "Your gonna be a real heartbreaker,I can tell. Once this is all over and you travel the world I can tell that your going to leave a trail of broken hearts behind you." He said as we stepped on our floor.
"Why do you say that?"
We reached the door and he slipped in the card and cracked the door before looking at me. "Because you already left one behind."
I frowned and was ready to confront him about that sentence he so effortlessly said but hr quickly entered the room before I got the chance. And when I stepped in, shouting is all I heard.
Me and Louis walked into the Zayn and Niall's room where it came from and everyone was there and didn't even know me and Louis came back,Zayn was doing the shouting and Zachary voice along with Niall had an equal share.
Liam moved and I saw Niall. His brows were angrily pulled down and Harry was behind him with his arm hooked around Niall's elbows,what made my jaw slack as well as my hands in my pockets was the purple bruise peppered on Niall's jawline and the two gashes at the corner of his bottom lip and on the curve of his brow.
He had a darkening bruise on his cheek and his eye shade kept dilating to a darker and darker color (which I knew about all to well).
"What happened to Niall?!" I yelled over them.
His and everyone heads turned to me,and Zachary fought from Liam and jumped to me but I was to busy looking at Niall. He thankfully calmed down and the ocean returned to his pupils. How Liam was on to Zach like Harry was on Niall, I immediately got the thought that he had something to do with it.
"What happened to Niall?" I repeated and looked up at Zachary and soon after my eyes widened. "And what the hell happened to you?"
"Aria you can't just leave like that without telling me,you know your a target."
I pointed to him and Niall. "Did you two do that to each other?...Did you two get in a fight?"
"Aria where did you go?" Zachary touched my arm but I jerked and took a step back.
***********
Till the next episode!?
I feel awful a