by Maegan Abel
She didn’t back down or waiver as I tried to clear my head. I finally nodded, slowly. “Roommate. Have it your way.” I backed away a step before turning toward my table again, still unable to leave her here alone.
I watched Zane until he was back at the table, swallowing down the sick feeling in my stomach. It wasn’t enough that he came to my job to babysit me, now he was staking claim on me like some kind of fucking caveman?
I snatched the hat off the floor, turning it backwards on my head as I gave Heaven a fake smile. “You can run along now.” She looked like she might cry as she grabbed her tray, scurrying back out to the floor.
“If I bought you another shot, would you give my hat back?” Taylor’s voice caught my attention and I rolled my head sideways to look at him.
“Probably not, but it’s worth a try,” I smirked, grabbing the vodka and pouring us both a shot, purposefully keeping my eyes away from Zane as I slammed it back. Taylor and his buddies had been tipping high since I got here and I was lucky. He must’ve just missed the argument between Zane and I, or he just didn’t care. Either way, I needed the money.
The hat was pulled from my head again and I turned, expecting to find Zane. Instead, Shannon’s dark eyes were narrowed as she tossed the hat across the bar toward Taylor. “I need to borrow her for a minute,” she said with a smile for Taylor before she led me to the backside of the bar. I tried to pretend I wasn’t worried as I winked at Taylor and followed.
“You need to get your shit taken care of before you come in to work,” Shannon said once we were out of earshot. “Take Zane and go home. I don’t want you back until whatever this is, is taken care of. I can’t have him going off on customers and I can’t have you traipsing around like you’re a shot away from taking your clothes off on my bar.”
I dropped my head, scowling at the ugly black rubber mat on the floor behind the bar. I could feel my face flushing as the anger built up and I knew it would look like I was blushing. “Sorry,” I muttered, lifting my eyes. “I promise to stop but I really need—”
“Not tonight. Go home, Lili. You two seriously need to talk about this before either of you come back here.” Shannon’s expression was firm but her eyes were understanding. “I know this is new territory for you two but it can’t affect my business. This is the only warning I’ll give you.”
“I know. Sorry.”
She patted my shoulder before heading out to take my spot at the bar. I took a deep breath to steady myself before snatching my purse from its spot under the bar and sliding out. I glanced toward Zane, who was watching me carefully, and narrowed my eyes before turning to the door. I was sure he would follow.
As I stepped past Donovan, he gave me a full smile. I tried my best to return it before stomping toward the street. I glanced at my phone. Fuck. It wasn’t even seven. I could feel someone following me and I wanted to turn around to scream at Zane but I wasn’t about to cause a scene on The Strip. God knows enough people did on a regular basis but I refused to be one of them.
When I flagged down a cab, I slid in and tried to slam the door but it wouldn’t budge. I looked up, rolling my eyes at Zane’s pissy expression before sliding over. It wasn’t worth arguing the fact that I really didn’t want to be trapped in a cab with him while I was this angry. The tension between us felt like a bomb, building with every minute that we fumed about what we would say first.
The ride home was silent except for the annoying music the driver had pounding from the speakers. I pulled the cash from my bra as we approached the house, making the anger radiating from Zane even more prominent. I tossed the fare to the driver before stomping up the driveway, fully aware that once we were inside, there would be no escaping the massive explosion that was coming. To top it off, we would have no privacy.
I childishly swung the door hard behind me, hearing Zane’s irritated huff as he caught it before it hit him but I kept walking. I ignored everyone in the living room, trying to put as much distance as possible between them and the blast about to happen.
“I swear to God, Lili!” Zane lost his hold on his temper as I heard the front door slam. I rounded the corner to the hallway. “Stay the fuck out of it, Tish!”
I didn’t bother to slam the bedroom door, knowing he was only steps behind me. Instead, I chucked my purse at the wall, releasing the first bit of anger in hopes of taking the edge off. But I could still feel it building. I heard the bedroom door slam and I spun on Zane.
“Were you trying to get me fired?” I seethed, trying to keep my voice low. Zane’s eyes narrowed but he stayed near the door, keeping the length of the room between us.
“Me? Are you seriously trying to blame this on me?” His voice was deceivingly soft but his eyes were harder than I’d ever seen them.
“Why the fuck wouldn’t I? I did nothing wrong! Nothing! I was doing my fucking job, Zane!”
“Your job!” He practically roared the words, closing the distance between us. I wasn’t scared and I refused to back down from his attempt to intimidate me. “It’s your job to stand over a guy’s face and give him a perfect view of your—” He scoffed rather than say the word.
“I told you she was a whore!” Paige’s voice came through the wall and both our heads snapped in that direction.
“Fuck off, Paige!” we yelled in unison. Then, his eyes were back on my face, burning into me. He opened his mouth to speak but the bedroom door flew open and Paige stormed in.
“Don’t tell me to fuck off! You want to start something then get your ass out here!” she yelled, looking past Zane to stare straight at me. I took the invitation gladly, heading forward with every intention of finally laying into her. I was stopped by an arm around my waist, lifting me off the floor.
“Put me down!” I screamed. If there was anything I hated more than Paige and her mouth, it was being carried. Zane moved quickly, shoving Paige none to gently into the hall before slamming the door and flipping the lock. He reached over, turning the iPod on his dresser on and cranking the volume to cover Paige’s voice. The sound of her banging on the door could still be heard, but only barely.
He dropped me to my feet and I took a step back as he leaned against the door, ensuring I wouldn’t have any way to get to Paige. I clenched my hands, my nails digging into my palms as we stared each other down.
Finally, he grabbed the front of my shirt in his fist and yanked me closer, putting his face near the side of my head. I immediately started to pull away until he spoke and I realized he was doing it so he could talk without yelling over the music. “You called me your roommate.”
I felt the stab of regret again, worse now than when I’d said it at the bar. I kept my head down while I tried to come up with a retort, but his argument was rock solid. I had called him my roommate.
“You—” he started but was stopped when his body jolted forward. I stumbled, his grip on my shirt and my heels throwing my balance off. I caught ahold of his hips as his free hand came behind me to keep me upright. We ignored Paige’s attempts, which must have changed to kicking the door, as he continued. “You have a choice in this, Lili, but it’s not the kind of choice you get to go back on with me. You’re either mine, or you’re not, but I have to know.”
His choice of words brought my anger back to the surface. Regardless of the way the heat from his body made me crazy and his wrist grazed my exposed stomach when we breathed, I pulled my hands from his hips and shoved away from him, breaking his grip on my shirt.
“I don’t belong to anyone! I’m not a possession!” I screamed in his face and his eyes narrowed. “You don’t get to claim me, Zane.” His eyes raked my body and I knew I was a mess now. My skirt was crooked from him carrying me and my tank top was stretched and hanging low, practically exposing my bra.
“You know that’s not how I meant it.” His voice was different when he spoke, deeper and just loud enough to be heard over the pounding bass of the heavy metal song still blaring. He stepped forward, away from the door and closer t
o me, lowering his face to mine. The blue of his eyes was darker than I’d ever seen it and the look in them made my stomach clench. I knew that look. Not from Zane, but I knew desire when I saw it.
I knew it when I felt it as well.
I licked my suddenly dry lips and his eyes followed the movement of my tongue. “You don’t get to own me,” I said weakly and his gaze lifted back to mine. He nodded slowly but I wasn’t sure if he was agreeing with me or not. Something in his eyes made me think he was telling me he already did.
He moved first, not breaking our stare as he reached out, grabbing my shirt in the same way he had earlier, only this time, he bent his face to mine. I didn’t hesitate.
I couldn’t.
When our lips met, it wasn’t the soft, sweet kisses I was used to from the last six weeks with him. It was hard and sloppy and urgent. When I felt we couldn’t get close enough, I stood on my toes, wrapping both arms around his head. He responded by lifting me again and before I knew it, my back was slammed into the door as his body pinned me in place.
I wrapped my legs around his waist, locking my ankles as my skirt rode up to my hips. I could feel him against me, everywhere, and my fingers gripped at his hair, my nails scraping along his scalp.
“Fuck, Pix,” he growled against my lips as he pressed his body harder against mine. I shifted my hips, desperately needing friction as his hands tugged at my tank top. He broke our kiss just long enough for me to help him pull it over my head before he tossed it behind us. Without a second breath, his lips moved to my neck. Some part of my brain registered that the pounding on the door had stopped but it was a fleeting thought as Zane bit down on my collarbone. I squirmed again, moaning embarrassingly loud.
Reaching between us, I frantically tugged at the button on his jeans as he moved us from the door, carrying me effortlessly to the bed. I was struggling with the zipper when his weight landed on top of me, his body moving, and I realized he was kicking off his shoes. His teeth grazed my nipple through the fabric of my bra and I lost focus on what I was doing, my back arching toward his mouth as his hands slid behind me. He took advantage of my position, making quick work of unhooking my bra and practically yanking me off the bed when he removed it. His mouth immediately returned to my chest, engulfing my nipple. I gasped at the feel of his teeth.
I grabbed the shoulders of his t-shirt in both fists, yanking hard, the urgent need to feel his bare skin on mine making any other thought impossible. He reached back with one hand and tugged the shirt over his head, his lips moving to mine again as he pressed his body fully against me. I couldn’t control my reaction, my body grinding against his as we kissed. I had forgotten completely about my shoes until the heel of one caught in his back pocket. I tried to use it to my advantage, still attempting to free him from his jeans as I pushed to remove them from my position. I was so close.
The sound of wood cracking and the doorknob slamming against the drywall drew both of our attention back to the door. Kas stood in the doorway, clearly furious, and it took a second before I came back to reality. I crossed my arms over my chest, realizing I was completely exposed. Zane immediately dropped his weight onto his forearms, using his body to cover mine as he looked over his shoulder.
“What the fuck, Kas?” he yelled over the music, still as breathless as I was. I stared, shocked as my mind tried to process how the hell Kas had managed to kick the door in. And why?
“Get the fuck out here! Now!” Kas barked before storming back down the hall.
Zane dropped his forehead to my shoulder as we both tried to catch our breath. When the realization of how close we’d been and the position we were currently in hit me, I felt tears burning my eyes. I blinked them away before he looked up. He cupped my cheek with one hand and stared at me, those blue eyes piercing straight into my soul. It didn’t matter if I blinked the tears away, he knew me better than I knew myself most of the time.
I didn’t break our gaze, worried about what he would say when he spoke. I didn’t want him to apologize. It wasn’t what either of us meant to happen but the last thing I wanted from him was any sign that he regretted what we almost did. His thumb moved against my cheek and all I could think was, please don’t apologize. Please don’t regret it.
“I love you,” he finally said and my eyes, which had drifted closed during my silent pleading, flashed to his face. He kissed one corner of my lips before lifting his face to look into my eyes again. Then, he repeated the motion, kissing the other corner and meeting my gaze, this time waiting for my response.
“I love you, too.” My voice sounded stronger than it had any right to in the moment but it was enough. He touched his lips softly to mine, suddenly much more the Zane I’d become accustom to in our short time together.
He sat up, grabbed my shirt off the floor, and handed it to me. He kept his eyes politely downcast as I pulled it on and straightened my skirt. He grabbed his own shirt from the bed and tugged it over his head while I ran my fingers through my mussed up hair. I kicked off my heels, delaying the embarrassing walk of shame out to our family. We were inconsiderate with the yelling and the music. There was no doubt that they were going to let us have it.
I followed Zane toward the door but he stopped before we got there and turned to me. He cupped my face in both of his hands and bent down, putting his forehead against mine. His features were drawn, the pain starting to show through, and I was flooded with guilt. I hadn’t stopped for even a second to think about how much he must have been hurting.
“I can’t apologize for wanting to protect you. I will always risk pissing you off to keep you safe. If I had stayed here, I would have driven myself crazy worrying about you all night.” He spoke just loud enough that I could hear his words over the music. “I am apologizing for the way I went about things. I just wish you would stop trying to prove to everyone how damn independent you are and try to see this from my side. I need you, Pixie. And, I need you safe.” He touched his lips softly to mine and turned toward the door again without giving me a chance to respond.
I sighed as I followed him, taking his hand as I passed through the doorway behind him. He was right, of course. All of this was new to me and although I got defensive in reaction to his demands earlier, he was only trying to protect me. I looked up at him and smiled, reaching up to straighten his hair in the back where it was mussed from my earlier grip. He laughed and it was only then that the yelling in the living room registered.
His smile dropped immediately and he moved faster toward the sound, not releasing my hand. I could see Paige and Kas standing in the living room but neither of them were paying any attention to us.
“How long has he known about this?” Tish’s voice was hard and I wondered who he was talking to. Zane’s grip on my hand tightened as he saw something I obviously couldn’t just yet. I stepped out from behind him and caught sight of Tish standing across from Lizzie.
“Known about what?” Zane asked, his voice just as cold as Tish’s. Tish turned and Zane stepped away from me to take the paper he was holding out. I kept my distance, my jaw clenched as I watched Lizzie. She wasn’t paying attention to Zane, her eyes were on me. The self-satisfied smirk she wore made me nervous but there was no way I’d let her see that.
“Bullshit!” Zane stepped in front of Lizzie, getting in her face and holding up the paper. “This is fucking bullshit.”
“Stop acting like you didn’t know. I’m not lying to them anymore. I told you if you didn’t say something I was going to,” Lizzie replied, her voice calm.
I felt eyes on me and I glanced sideways at Kas. The expression on her face didn’t help the unease building in the pit of my stomach. Something was wrong. Very wrong. And Kas was watching for my reaction.
“This is fucking low. Even for you.” Zane’s voice was hard, distracted as he stared down at the paper in his hand.
“What? Just because you’re playing house with Tish’s little pet doesn’t mean—”
“What the fuck did you�
�” I started forward, only to be caught halfway by Tish, who wrapped his hands around my arms to restrain me. Zane didn’t look back but being this close made the paper in his hand visible. I couldn’t read the name but the second the grainy grey and black picture became clear, the pieces clicked into place.
I heard Lili’s gasp behind me but by the time I turned, her face was completely void of all expression. My Lili was hidden away behind the emotionless mask she wore when she was in pain and didn’t know how to handle it. Tish’s eyes were cold as he held her arms but she didn’t seem to be struggling against his grip. She wasn’t looking at me, her eyes were trained on the picture in my hand.
“We should give them a minute to talk,” Kas said, stepping forward and touching Tish’s arm. Her eyes when she looked at me were almost nervous. This was a fucking nightmare. I stared at Lili but she didn’t glance up as Tish turned her, directing her toward his bedroom at the back of the house.
“Paige,” Kas said from the doorway and I looked back again, seeing Paige’s dark eyes locked on Lizzie.
“You nearly ruined my brother once with your bullshit. None of us will believe it’s his until you have proof this time. Fucking manipulative twat waffle.” Paige’s voice dripped venom as she turned and followed Kas from the room. I heard Tish’s bedroom door slam and I could only imagine the words being said about me right now. Actually, my main concern was Lili and Paige being stuck in that room together. It probably wasn’t a good idea, given the volatile situation, but there was nothing I could do about it now.
Lili.
Fuck.
I stared down at the picture in my hand as my mind worked, trying to add weeks as the date in the corner caught my eye.
“I brought that picture for you,” Lizzie’s said, pulling me from my counting and I looked up at her, trying to keep my anger in check.
“I’ll tell you what, I’ll keep the picture when you tell me exactly why I should believe that this is even mine.”