Elliot's POV
"Come on, Zay. Don't do this." I try to tell the man again as we walk past each other during our circuit but he ignores me as he continues walking. When I had come in today and hadn't seen any signs of Zay, I got worried that he didn't make it home last night and I started kicking myself to think that something may have happened to him.
I was just leaving to go and see if I could find him, just now realizing that I don't have his number when he came walking through the door. And he looked him shit.
Almost worse than when he was hiding who I was to him. His face is a bit thinner, his skin an ashy gray and his breathing is a bit labored though all we've been doing is walking through exhibits and answering any questions that people have.
It's a bit worrying but I also feel like shit for thinking he was just being dramatic.
He's never once lied to me but it made it a whole lot easier to think he was than to admit that I might have caused him pain. Now that the evidence is in my face, I feel like shit.
I want to apologize and maybe even try again tonight, but he won't talk to me at all. Hell, he won't even look at me.
I know I fucked up yesterday, but I can't make it better and fix it if he's not talking to me. So I have to just take measures into my own hands. I pass by a small hallway to my left, not paying attention but before I can finish passing it, I feel a hand on my arm and I'm snatched into the small stairwell.
I turn my head, hoping that it's Zay that changed his mind about talking to me, but all I find is the man, Ares who wanted me away from his friend at the end of last week.
This time there is no bat in his hand, but something tells me that I should still be wary of him without it. His gray gaze is piercing me as he corners me in the small hallway. "Do you remember what I told you would happen if you rejected my little brother?" He asks and I nod my head, recalling the way he promised to have my legs out of commission for the next few weeks if not longer.
He takes a step back, and the next thing I know, a pocket knife is wizzing through his his fingers as he stares me down making me gulp with nerves.
"See, I thought the dumbest thing you could do was get Zay to reject you. But you humans always pass the fucking bar when it comes to showing your incompetence. If you don't plan on giving into the bond or treating Zay with some fucking respectable like the princeling he is, then you need to reject him now and live with the fucking pain. Go fuck twenty girls and lie about them in public for all I care, but you won't continue fucking with my kid." He tells me but before I can respond, he shoves me from the small hallway making me stumble into someone who looks at me like I'm fucking crazy.
I turn my head to look at Ares hut when I do, the hallway is empty and the man is gone.
I hesitantly walk away from the spot and continue going about my way, knowing that I'm going to be late for our next stop point and not expecting for Zay to wait on me. But to my surprise when I get to the meeting point he's waiting there with his hands on his hips and an angry expression on his face.
I hurry to him, hoping to say something but as soon as he sees me coming, he's on his way again making me curse.
A the rest of the circuit goes like that until the next two people come to relieve us of our positions. The next one we go to fa te r lunch is greetings and if I want to catch that man before he leaves for the day, the best spot would be lunch.
I hurry towards the employee part of the building, opening up the door with my badge as I continue down the hall. I pass by Ms. Wendy with only a wave before I keep going.
I stop by the locker room only to find it mostly empty so I hurriedly close it and walk down to the break room.
I go to the line and grab a plate, ready to fix my food and look around for Zayvion in the crowd. And when I find him, I curse. He's sitting between Ares and Beth, picking at a salad. I think about going over there and braving the sharks but Ares is using his knife to get food out of his teeth and he looks up, his eyes falling directly to mine as he points at me with his knife.
Taking the hint and the threat, I make my way outside, cursing myself all over again for fucking up so big yesterday.
As I eat my food, I try to think of way I could make it up to him without hating myself or making him upset. Which means that date idea is out of the question. Maybe I can ask to come over and cook him dinner.
Something.
Anything.
As much as I try to act like this isn't what I want, as time goes on and the more I'm around him, I can feel that bond getting stronger, basically pulling me towards him. Even today I found myself drifting towards him when I wasn't paying enough attention to where I was going.
It's like this slight ache in my ribs that only goes away when I'm with him.
And it's so fucking scary.
It's like my mind and body are fighting against each other, warring over what J should do. On the one hand, I know that I'm not ready for this and might never be. I know I should just reject him and let him go. But that bond that pulling me towards him and my body thats starting to learn him have different ideas.
And Zay seems to be caught isn't he cross fire if my mind and body trying to figure out how the hell we figure out this situation.
And honestly, I don't know who I want to win.
Which only makes the era in my head worse.
I shake my head as I try to eat my food, my mind spinning in what I should do.
✨✨✨
The rest of the day drags slowly as I try to wait until the day is over so say something to Zay. Maybe I should just show up at his house and try from there.
Maybe I should just give up and walk away now before one or both of us get hurt for this and we can't bounce back.
Or maybe I should just let Zay come to me on his win and say that he wants to try again. Though I know that's the least likeliest option ti happen.
There's too many variables and possibilities one hoe this could go. It's like painting, sometimes you don't know what the picture will look like and you just let the stroke of your brush fall to the paper and make it's own path.
But so far, I don't know how that's working for me. And as the day comes to a close, I finally decide on what I'm going to do.
✨✨✨
It's about eight now after work and of spent the rest of my time cooking these two plates in my hand. Luckily Bambi has been out of town to see family and she won't come back until the end of next week. I still have time.
Even if it's only a little.
Mike isn't talking to me at the moment but he did give a small smile when I told him where I was going.
When I pull into the parking lot, I open my door and grab my food before closing and locking up my car. I carry the food carefully in my hand as I walk up the stairs to Zay's apartment. I'm glad he told me which it was when I picked him up from just in case he was running late that morning. As I make my way up the stairs I can feel nerves wracking my body at all the possibilities that could happen tonight.
I raise my fist and knock on the door, holing my breath as step approach the door. When it's opened I come face to afec with a shirtless Zay that sends tiny sparks down my spine.
He leans against the frame and raising his brows at me, not saying anything but letting me stand there like an idiot.
"I wanted to come talk about yesterday. I thought maybe we can have dinner. Inside this time. Until I'm ready." I tell him nervously, tasing the food in my hand in offering. He stares at me for a moment before he sighs and opens the door to let me in.
Maybe things will turn out better today than they did yesterday.
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I'm going to write one chapter for letting go because one of my favorite people ever was having a and day yesterday and I promised at least one chapter. What do you guys think is going to happen?
Thoughts?
Comments?
QOTD: Ares or Mike? 🔫😠