(Picture of Ally Edison)
A/n: Happy Mothers' Day! ☺️
• • •
The moment I step into the house where I haven't been at for two nights, I let out a breath I didn't even know I was holding. Somehow, it have become uneasy and slightly suffocating being in a room or a car with Zac.
As much as I thought I'd be able to move on from this, I struggle to comprehend the fact that I no longer feel secured with him. My mind simply couldn't stop replaying those several times I watched him leave me behind for someone else. When he pecked me on the lips, all I felt was reluctance and apprehension.
For the first time ever, I feel relieved seeing my brother sitting on the couch in the living room. I was worried to be home alone with Zac; whether I'll be able to avoid him without being too obvious, or whether he'll sneak into my walls again when I'm vulnerable.
After removing my shoes, I make my way to the couch and plop myself down next to Wayne. Keeping Up With The Kardashians is playing on the TV but he's half-heartedly scrolling through his phone in his hands. He hasn't even acknowledged me more than just a glance since the front door opened.
Wanting to annoy him and at the same time yearning for some comfort; I snatch his left arm away and hug it like a koala bear—leaning my head on his shoulder at the same time. He's startled at first as I feel him almost wanting to shrug me off, but slowly relaxes and goes back to scrolling his phone with his right hand.
Drew emerges from the room upstairs, passing by Zac who is wordlessly bringing my bag up to my room. "Eh bro." I watch as he claps Zac's back and they exchange their usual brotherly handshake.
He comes on down and spots me in this weird position with my brother but tries not to make a big deal out of it. "Hey babe. Feels like I haven't seen you in a looooong time." Drew sneaks up behind the couch and ruffles up my hair.
Normally I'll mess up his hair back, but this time I let him do it, not even lifting my head up to glare at him. As if sensing something's different, he leans over and peers at my facial expression. I feel Wayne lift his head up and probably mouth something to him before he goes to the kitchen instead, Zac following behind shortly after.
Now left alone, Wayne shuts his phone off and clears his throat.
"What?" I say without looking at him, sticking my cheek on his shoulder.
"What are you doing?" He swings his left arm to make a point.
"I don't know. Kidnapping your arm?"
"What have my arm done to you?"
"Nothing. I'm just using it. Surely you wouldn't mind having one less arm for awhile." I mutter.
"If you aren't my sister, I'll think you have a crush on me considering how you have a thing for wearing my clothes." He says, referring to the hoodie of his that I'm still wearing from yesterday. Jeez.
I shift my body to make myself comfortable but continue to keep his arm hostage. "It's called borrowing." I inform him.
"Is this really Kelsey or are you possessing my sister's body?" He teases.
I don't even bother responding to him, simply snuggling up to him as if it's not weird at all. I don't even know why I'm doing this. Maybe after trying to run from everything, I merely got tired and wanted something to remind me of home.
Wayne just happens to be the nearest and most convenient one to fit the bill.
I hear him sigh after a minute of silence. "You know you can talk to me right, Kel?"
"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.
"Well," I shrug my shoulders. "This is what I said about feelings isn't it? It complicates shit."
"Ahh!" Ally saunters to our table, finally changed out of her waitress uniform into her regularly tshirt and shorts. "I'm so goddamn tired." Then she catches a glimpse of Cass being stressed out and turns to me. "What's up? What are we talking about?"
"Churros? Are there any leftover churros you can take home?"
———
"Ooooh yeah, food!" Drew immediately dashes towards the front door and flings it open as soon as he hears us hopping down my car.
I ended up ordering a bunch of food after trying to subtlely extort my brother for some supper money. The pizzeria didn't have leftover churros, and the only way was if I ordered and they start making it fresh. But then it quickly became adding mains, appetizers and desserts too since Cass and Ally clearly aren't the kind to just watch me eat without wanting to steal my food.
After calling Wayne, he and the guys showed interest in supper too. So I decided to place one each of everything on the menu; too lazy to ask them to tell me what they want. Wayne then wired me $300 for the bill, which I still had to top-up $50 myself because of the 3 extra servings of churros.
I knew they were going to snatch it with me if there was just one set. I wasn't exactly planning to share.
I hand over three bags to Drew before heading to the backseat to retrieve more. There's at least fifteen last we counted when we left, and it was an amusing sight to watch us three girls carry so much food that could probably feed a whole class out the eatery.
"What the-" my brother widens his eyes when he sees us walking in. "You seriously bought out the place."
"Mm-hmm."
"It's 12 in the night, Kel! How the hell are we going to finish all these?" Wayne paces over to the dining table watching in awe at the plethora of dishes. "You're fucking crazy. The fridge isn't even going to fit!"
"I have faith in y'all." I chuckle. "Churros are mine though!" I declare in advance.
"That's not fair!" Carson gapes at me. "You know I want their signature churros!"
"Relax! There's two other boxes of it. I'm only claiming one." I take them out from the bag for him.
Ally laughs and shakes her head at us who're salivating. She can never seem to understand why we're always such fans of the food from the place she works at. Perhaps she's gotten sick of eating them since staffs get free meals taken care of.
But I had to say, they really have the best churros I've ever eaten.
"Woah," I hear a familiar deep voice. Zac appears from somewhere to crowd around the table too with damp hair and streaks of water droplets dripping down his bare torso from his shower.
I barely meet his gaze. Neither do I know if he's actually looking at me or not. Instead of making things tense between all of us, I decide it's best if I simply act normal for now.
"Yeah, woah is right." Wayne sighs, but already grabbing some wings to fill his plate.
"Oh, don't you worry child. I feel like I can eat for eight right now." Drew grins, digging in.
Carson tugs at Cass, making her sit next to him on the bench. She makes a face at him but still sits down regardless.
I feel Zac's hand at the small of back, getting me to sit. I wanted to ask him to wear a shirt so bad, but my stubborn mouth refuses to say a word.
"Feeling better?" He whispers into my ear.
I put up a faint smile; shoving churros in my mouth is much easier than having to say something.
He lets out a sigh at my cold demeanor but still passes food to me like he usually does.
God, he's making this so difficult.
———
"He's like a sad, little puppy."
"Will you girls just drop it?" I roll my eyes.
"Well, no. That's the point."
"Cassandra."
"Owens."
"I'm better off alone."
"That's a lie." Ally chimes in.
"You're scared. But you can't just stay away from everything that scares you. Fear will ruin you, Kelsey."
"Is this an intervention?" I sigh. "I don't want to put myself in a situation where my happiness lies partially in someone else anymore, okay?"
"Kelsey..."
"I'm just..."
"Y'know he didn't cheat."
"I know."
"And he makes you happy. Way happier than I've witnessed you."
"But it's not worth to be so afraid of being cheated on."