Runaways
1/1
*Lizzie*
People will do anything for the one’s they love. When you truly love someone, you’ll be willing to risk it all for them. You’re willing to do anything to be with them; willing to do whatever it takes to see them smile. Even if it means ruining your own life.
Even if it means losing all your friends, because you never listened to their warnings when they told you to stay away. When they told you that the person you loved was bad news. But you wouldn’t listen, what they told you was nonsense that you refused to believe was true. Because of love.
Even if it means getting disowned by your own family, because “someone as dumb and naïve as you can’t possibly come from the same gene pool.” You didn’t listen to your family. You went against all good judgment. Because of love.
Even if it means losing yourself in the worst way possible. Having to fake smiles, cry every night, and wish you were dead. It didn’t matter how I felt. It was all for him. Because of love.
What I had always failed to realize was the fact that love would end up destroying me inside and out.
Who knew that being in love meant losing all of your happiness?
I wish I knew before I got myself stuck here with him.
Today, I was on my way to the library. Call me nerdy, but I actually liked the library quite a lot. Not so much because I was a bookworm, but because it was more like a safe haven to me. A place to getaway..escape, if you will. It was so peaceful and calming, there’s no reason why I wouldn’t love this place.
It’s the exact opposite from the way things are at home with Jeremy.
I sighed at that thought, as I pulled up into the parking lot.C
I got out of the car and straightened my shirt out, before locking my doors and entering the library.
A wide smile spread across my face at the smell of book pages, and the sound of people typing away at computers.
It had been a good while since I’d last been here; it seemed like Jeremy always had something for me to do, lately. I was rather sick of it, but whatever. It’s love.
I slowly walked around, looking at all the wonderful stacks of books all over the shelves.
I didn’t really know exactly what I was looking for, but I guess I’d just take whatever appealed to my eye…
Or at least that’s what I was doing, until I heard someone clear their throat behind me.
I whipped my head around, and looked at the figure.
It was a man that looked around my age, with short, brunette hair, and a muscular build.
He’s hot.
Wait no, you have Jeremy. You aren’t allowed to think that way.
But I have to admit, he is pretty attractive.
The man smiled at me, and began speaking.
“Uh hey, I was wondering if I could help you find anything?”
He had such a nice voice.
“Oh um..not really, I-I dunno.” I mentally slapped myself for stumbling over my words.
Jeremy wouldn’t approve of that.
The guy just chuckled and tried again.
“Well, is there anything you’re looking for in particular?”
I thought it over for a second, before coming up with my answer.
“Uhm…something good?” I raised a brow.
“Very descriptive, I like it.” He chuckled, while shaking his head.
He had a nice laugh. One that was so genuine and sweet-sounding that you couldn’t help but to laugh along with him.
“So do you have anything that falls under that category?” I smirked.
He stopped to sarcastically look like he was thinking.
“Well, I could think of a couple. But actually, I think I might just have the perfect one. It’s in the back though, so just hold on, okay?”
I nodded in agreement and flashed him a smile, before he turned around to walk to the “back” of the library.
I had to catch myself and quickly avert my eyes when I realized I may have been staring at his ass. Oops.
After another minute or two, he came back out, holding a novel with a blue cover on it.
“Here ya go. It’s one of my favorites.” He smiled and handed it to me.
I took the book and read the title out loud.
“Runaways, by A.W.G.”
“One of my favorite authors.” He grinned.
“Well, what is it even about?”
“It’s about a girl with a troubled home life, and a boy who’s trying to find himself. They meet and decide to runaway together. Uh..the plot seems kinda lame, but it’s honestly one of the greatest things I’ve ever read!”
I watched in awe as he expressed his passion for the book. It wouldn’t take much to get me to read it in the first place, but now I definitely wanted to read it more than anything.
I’m also pretty sure I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket, but I didn’t even bother to check it. And that was so unlike me.
“It sounds good! I feel like I’m gonna love it!” I flashed him a huge smile.
“Wait, so you’ll actually read it? You aren’t shitting me right now??” He looked at me with such shock and hope in his eyes.
“No, I am not shitting you!” I laughed. “I’ll read it.”
“Really? You promise?”
This guy was being so dramatic, yet so cute.
“Really. I promise.” I repeated with a giggle.
“Okay, I believe you. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“Nope, I think that’ll do for now. Thanks for your help…” I trailed off as I noticed the name printed on the lanyard around his neck.
“…Zachary.” I finished.
“Oh uh, it’s Zack. I like to go by Zack.” He gave me a cute little shy smile.
“Alright well, thanks a lot, Zack!” I smiled a waved goodbye before turning around to leave.
I took a few steps, before I heard him call out behind me.
“Wait!!”
I turned back around to give him a questioning look.
“I didn’t catch your name.”
He was one adorable little shit, wasn’t he?
“My name is Liz.” I answered him with a grin.
“Liz…I’ll remember that.” He nodded, making a mental note to himself.
“Well, I come here as often as I can, so it’ll be kinda hard to forget me.” I smirked, as I began to turn back around.
“I could only imagine.” I heard him say from behind me.
I soon exited the library, and got back in my car.
I drove the whole way home, not thinking about anything other than Zack. Not even to check my cell phone.
And boy, was that a mistake.
I got home, returning to a furious-looking Jeremy, sitting on the couch.
I gulped, and silently braced myself.
“H-hey, babe.” I shakily greeted him, while shutting the front door behind me.
“Oh don’t you hey babe me!” He hissed, standing up from the couch.
“Jeremy…w-what’s wro-“
“I’LL TELL YOU WHAT’S WRONG!” He interrupted, while looking impossibly angrier.
At that moment, I just wanted to shrink.
“Did you not read the text I sent you?”
“T-text?? What text?”
“The text I sent you about TWENTY FUCKING MINUTES AGO!” He started walking closer and closer to me.
Shit.
Shit shit shit.
“Oh? I-I’m sorry, I didn’t r-“
“WHAT THE FUCK DID I TELL YOU ABOUT CHECKING YOUR PHONE, LIZ?”
“I’m so sorry baby, I’m really sorry!!”
At this point, we were standing face to face, and I was shaking with fear.
“I don’t want your damn apologies, bitch. I just wanted you to stop at the store and get me some fucking cigarettes!”
Why couldn’t he get his own damn cigarettes..
Just as I opened my mouth to say something, he roughly grabbed my face with his hand, and yanked my face closer to his.
“You go out there and buy me what I want, you hear me?” He snarled in my face.
“Yiss..” I could hardly speak right with my lips squishing together like that.
“You better. And why don’t you go out and get me a new girlfriend while you’re at it; I need one that’s actually useful.” He growled, shoving me backwards by my face, causing me to take a few steps backwards to catch my balance.
His words were harsh enough to make tears flood my eyes, as he turned around and stomped upstairs.
I know, I know. You don’t need to give me the lecture.
I know he seems more like an authority figure than a boyfriend, but he wasn’t always like this.
I fell in love with him, and somehow he changed. But Jeremy is just angry with himself for whatever reason. Some people have a short temper, it’s no big deal. He can take it out on me because I love him and I’m supposed to help him with his problems. Just like a stress ball helps your anger when you squeeze your frustrations out. It’s okay.
Right??
I quickly blinked my tears away, and walked back out to go buy him his cigarettes.
*Zack*
I met a girl yesterday. A very beautiful girl.
She was short, and had straightened, dark hair and big, beautiful blue eyes. I found myself getting lost in them. It was like standing in the sand while you just stare at the marvelous waves of the ocean, admiring its beauty.
Yeah, that’s what they were like.
I was quite intrigued by this girl. She came into the library and I saw her walk in; I just had to talk to her.
So I walked up and asked her if she needed help finding a book, even though I never usually do that to anyone. I gave her one of my favorite books ever, to read. I hope she doesn’t think I’m a dork or anything, but yeah.
She seemed to like it, though. She told me her name was Liz. I really hope I see her again. But she did say that I’d be seeing her around a lot in the library. I guess she likes it as much as I do?
I walked into work this afternoon, and sat down at one of the computers, checking for overdue books and such.
I was honestly just excited to see her today.
It was a while before she actually came in; I was just relaxing at the desk, reading a book, before I heard someone clear their throat.
I looked up from the pages to see Liz standing in front of me with a smile on her face.
“Uh, hey!” She greeted me with a small wave of her hand.
“Hey.” I smiled, and stood up to walk around the computer desk.
“So guess what I did last night?” She started, with excitement in her voice.
“I don’t know..what?”
“I read the first chapter of Runaways!” She beamed.
“Really? How do you like it so far?” I crossed my arms and leaned back on the counter, completely interested in her opinion of the book.
“I really like Jenna’s character so far. Her life seems pretty sad, but she’s really witty and hilarious!”
I chuckled and nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, she’s a fan favorite! Very powerful character, and really relatable to some.”
God, I was a nerd.
“Well I sure can relate to it..” She said quietly, trailing off and looking down at her feet.
I wasn’t exactly sure what she meant by that, but I knew then that the events of the book would have a deeper meaning to her.
I didn’t want her to be sad, so I decided to speak again.
“So..I can go on break now, and we can sit and uh..talk more about the book if you want?”
Great, Zack. Why don’t you just start a fucking book club?
She looked back up at me in surprise.
“Oh! Uh..I-I haven’t really read much of the book yet..” She ducked her head and tucked a dark strand of her hair behind her ear.
And I don’t know if my eyes were playing tricks on me or not, but I could’ve sworn I saw her blushing.
“Oh right, well..we could um..talk about something else?”
God, I was bad at this.
She looked up at me once again, and shrugged with a small smile.
“Sure.”
So we walked over to the sitting area with magazines and coffee tables, and sat down next to each other.
There was a bit of awkward silence, both of us seeming to be the “shy-type” in that moment.
I decided to break the ice.
“So…what do you wanna talk about?”
Lame. So lame.
“I dunno..we could about ourselves. Like…how old are you?” She perked up and stared at me with interest.
“I’m 23. How about you?”
“I’ll actually be 23 in three months.” She grinned dramatically, causing me to laugh.
“Well, happy early birthday!” I chuckled.
“Why thank you good sir!” She teased.
“So have you got any hobbies besides reading books and flirting with girls at libraries?” She asked, raising a brow at me and smirking.
“Ouucchh, okay!” I burst out into laughter at that.
She started laughing too.
“But answer the question though!” She demanded in between giggles.
“Alright, alright um…I like..photography. And working out, pretty much, if you couldn’t tell.” I teased, flexing one of my biceps.
“Oh wow, so macho. What a panty dropper!” She rolled her eyes, succeeding in making me laugh once again.
“So since you’re obviously living life on the edge, how come you’re a librarian?” She sat back in her seat and gave me an amused look.
“Ugh, please don’t call me a librarian..” I gave her a grossed out look that only seemed to amuse her even more.
“I’m only doing this as a summer job to pay rent at my friend’s place. Eventually, I’m gonna get a better job and get my own place.” I explained to her.
“So why the library?” She asked, with a thoughtful look on her face.
“I dunno. I really like books, I guess.” I shrugged with a smile.
“So how about you?”
“What about me?” She raised a brow in question.
“Why do you seem to like the library so much?”
She seemed to be a little lost in thought for a moment, before she finally answered.
“It gives me a sense of peace and comfort. It’s quiet and judgment free.” She seemed to be off in her own little world, now.
“Yeah, I can understand that.” I nodded in agreement.
“No, not how I can. Sure there’s books and all, but this is more of a place for me to..get away.”
I focused deeply on her words, trying to make sense of them.
“Oh?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t even know why I’m telling you all this.” Shhe shook her head and tried to laugh it off.
“No no, now I’m intrigued. What exactly is it you’re getting away from?” I urged her to go on.
“Um..n-nothing. It’s not important.” She waved it off.
“It’s okay, I won’t judge you. You can trust me, ya know?”
“What you don’t know won’t hurt you, Zack.” She smirked.
“But I wanna know you. Is that so bad?” I raised my brows at her.
“Now you wanna kknow my whole life story, great!” She teased.
“Nah, I guess we could save all that for another time.” I half smiled, deciding to let it go.
But I did want to find out.
Liz was so interesting and mysterious to me. Intriguing even. I just wanted to know everything about her, but I knew she wouldn’t trust me that much yet.
I just had to get to know her better.
Suddenly, I heard a buzz, and Liz was pulling her phone out of her pocket, soon after.
“On that note, I’ve gotta go now.” She announced with a bit of a frightened look on her face, while looking down at the text she received.
“Y-you do? Is everything alright? Can’t you stay a bit longer?” I questioned, hoping that she wouldn’t leave.
“No, I really gotta go now, or else J-“ She stopped herself and shut her mouth.
“Or else what??” I looked at her in confusion.
“Nothing! It’s nothing, okay? I just gotta go.” She rushed, scrambling to her feet.
I quickly stood to my feet, also.
“Wait!” I stopped her, causing her to turn around.
“What, Zack?” She gave me an exasperated look.
“Uh..could I at least have your number? You know..to talk about the book and stuff?” I nervously looked down at the floor and scratched the back of my head.
She blinked at me in surprise, then handed me her phone, as her cheeks were turning red.
“Uh, sure. Here.”
I smiled and keyed in my number. I handed it back to her after sending a text to myself.
“Alright.”
“Okay, bye Zack!”
“See you tomorrow?”
“Same place, same time!” She laughed, before heading out of the library.
Damn…she sure was something.
I couldn’t wait to see her again.
*Liz*
To say I got massive butterflies when I left the library would be an understatement.
Zack was definitely something. I just couldn’t put my finger on it…okay, maybe I could put my finger on a lot of things.
Like how he’s super sweet, and kind of dorky but in a cute way, and how smart he is, and his goofy smile, not to mention he’s pretty hot..
Okay, stop.
You have a boyfriend, Lizzie. Don’t get too carried away.
Speaking of, he was sleeping on the couch in the living room when I came up to my bedroom.
I decided to read some more of Runaways; I happened to be on chapter four, now. If there was one thing Zack was right about, it was that this book was most definitely a must read.
I decided to stop reading at the end of the chapter, and picked up my phone to text Zack.
Me: Hey, guess who’s hooked on Runaways?
I bit my lip to hide my smile as I saw the little dots appear to show that he was typing.
Zack: Haha! Didn’t I tell ya it was good?
Me: You did, didn’t you? ;P
Zack: So which chapter are you on?
Me: Just finished 4.
Zack: Wow, you’re really goin places, eh? x)
Me: Haha, fuck you!
Zack: When and where baby? ;)
I raised an eyebrow at that one. That was a bit bold of him; it didn’t sound like something he would say.
He texted again, about ten seconds later.
Zack: Whoa sorry! That wasn’t me, my roommate took my phone! I’m so sorry it wasn’t me I swear!
I started laughing at that one.
Me: Haha it’s okay, I knew it didn’t sound like you!
Zack: Phew!
We kept texting for a while after that; we soon moved on from book talk, to just random things like music and funny high school memories.
He was so easy to talk to, and so funny and sweet. He had me covering my mouth and giggling like a schoolgirl every time he sent a text.
I was in a state of joy and giddiness, which was short lived, when I heard the bedroom door open.
I immediately locked my phone, and whipped my head around to see Jeremy standing there, with a surprisingly calm look on his face.
Once his eyes made contact with mine, he instantly smiled.
I felt myself smiling back at him.
Jeremy wasn’t always bad, he could be really sweet sometimes. This was the sweet Jeremy I remembered.
He walked over to the bed, before hovering over me and attaching his lips to mine.
“Hey baby.” He looked at me with the same adoration I felt when I first met him.
“Hey.” I grinned, before leaning up to kiss him again.
I guess it was just the rare moments like these that I held on to. It was just the fact that there was still some love for me left in his heart somewhere, that kept me holding on. My boyfriend is still in there somewhere, and that’s really all I need to stay.
“Whatcha doin’?”
“Oh nothing, just read-“
Ding!
“Who is this?” He picked up my phone and glared down at the screen when I received a text.
“Oh, it’s just-“
“Zack?? Who the fuck is Zack?!” He sat up, and looked at me with anger.
And now he’s back. Dammit, why couldn’t I have just turned my ringer off??
“Baby, Zack is just a friend!”
“A friend? Last I checked, you didn’t have friends.”
Ouch, that stung.
“Well, now I do! He’s really just a friend, baby, I swear!!” I pleaded for him to just listen to me, but I knew he couldn’t possibly be rational when he’s angry.
The next thing I knew, he roughly grabbed the collar of my shirt, and pulled me up to his face.
“Don’t you text this motherfucker, you hear me?? If I EVER catch you cheating on me, there’s gonna be fucking hell to pay, bitch!” He ended on that note, with a small shove to make me fall backwards on the bed.
He got up and walked back downstairs, while I curled up into a ball and begged my tears to stop coming.
I honestly just wished he didn’t have to be this way.
I stopped my crying when I heard another Ding! sound.
I picked up my phone, and smiled at the message I received.
Zack: Goodnight, beautiful (:
I’ve been going to the library to see Zack for about three weeks now. Although it feels like I’ve known him for years. We text just about everyday, even though Jeremy said not to. I just have to be careful to make sure he never finds out again.
Talking to Zack is like the greatest thing ever. Our conversations are so intellectual, yet so funny and enjoyable at the same time. He’s such a good person. So sweet and respectful and funny and caring. Not being able to speak to him would probably break me. He’s the highlight of my day, everyday. And I guess that’s sad because I have a boyfriend.
But Jeremy doesn’t even make me feel the way that Zack does. It’s mind blowing and a little scary to think about. I’m not supposed to think of Zack in that way. I’m not supposed to enjoy being around him more than my own boyfriend. I see the clear problem here, but I have no idea what to do about it.
I’ll just go with the flow I guess??
Right now, I was walking into the library, heading to the sitting area where I knew Zack would be waiting for me.
“Liz!!”
I smiled at the call of my name, and accepted the big bear hug from Zack.
I didn’t pull out of the hug for a few seconds; I enjoyed being in his embrace more than I’d like to admit.
When I eventually did pull away, he gave me a big smile.
“Well someone’s happy to see me.” I rolled my eyes sarcastically, with a smile.
“Yeah, of course. I’m always happy to see you.”
I blushed at his words and looked down at my shoes.
He sure did have a way with words.
He just laughed at my flustered state, and sat down in one of the seats. I followed soon after and smiled at him.
“So how’s that book coming along?” He smirked.
“It’s going pretty well. Only like six chapters left now!”
I answered with a look of pride on my face.
“Are you serious? It’s been three weeks; you’re literally taking forever to finish it!” He laughed.
“I know, I know. I’m a slow reader, I’m sorry!” I laughed along with him.
What he didn’t know, was that I’ve been reading slow on purpose, just because I enjoy texting him about it everyday. If one day, we somehow run out of things to talk about, that book will always be a topic.
We talked about the book for a little while longer, until Zack cleared his throat and started getting all nervous.
His sudden change in mood was a little strange. I gave him a questioning look.
“Got something you wanna say?” I teased.
He looked up at me and gave me a small, nervous smile.
“Actually uh yeah…I do. I um..actually wanted to ask you something.”
I felt butterflies filling my stomach as I nodded, urging him to go on.
“Okay, shoot.”
He sat up and cleared his throat.
“Okay…so I know we meet up here everyday and all..”
“Yeah? Go on..”
“Well, maybe next time we could go somewhere else? You know..like out to get ice cream or something like that. Just the two of us. It’ll be fun..you know?”,,
I felt my cheeks heat up at his offer.
“T-that’s like a..a date!” I still looked at him with shock.
“Well um..yeah, I guess so..” He looked at just about anything but me.
“But I can’t, Zack. I have a-“ I stopped myself. I realized that I had never told him about Jeremy before.
Was I forgetting he even existed whenever I was with Zack? Maybe. But all I know is, it was hard to bring him up. I didn’t want to face that reality. Zack was my getaway.
“You have a what?” He furrowed his brows and looked at me.
“A um..” I trailed off with a sigh, hoping he would get the message.
“Oh. I see.” He cleared his throat and looked down at his hands.
I just stayed quiet and shamefully bit my lip.
“You never told me you had a boyfriend.”
I looked back up at him and shrugged.
“Yeah, well.”
“You lied.”
I gave him a bewildered look at his accusation.
“How did I lie??”
“You told me that what I didn’t know wouldn’t hurt me.” He sighed and averted his sad, gorgeous eyes from mine.
The hurt expression on his face was a sad sight to see. I hated that I had to pain him with rejection and make him upset. I just couldn’t stand it.
“Okay!”
He looked back up at me with a confused expression.
“Okay?”
“Yes, okay! I’ll go out with you!”
I’m not sure what I was doing, but it felt right.
“Really? I-It doesn’t have to be a date or anything if you’re not comfortable..” He started getting all nervous again, but in a cute way.
“Yes, really.” I giggled at how adorable he was.
He smiled back at me, and in that moment, I didn’t regret my decision or feel bad about it at all.
I just knew that if Jeremy found out, I’d be dead.
*Zack*
Okay, so maybe I’m head over heels for Lizzie. But I mean, why wouldn’t I be? She’s beautiful, funny, smart..she’s basically the most perfect girl I could think of. Perfect for me, at least.
Which is why I can’t stand the fact that she can’t be mine.
Why does she have to be taken??
I was discussing the issue with my roommate, Jack.
“I mean, I don’t get it, dude. She never talks about having a boyfriend for almost a month, and then all of a sudden, she springs it on me!” I complained to my skunk-haired best friend.
He crossed his arms and nodded in agreement.
“Hm. That is pretty weird.”
“Do you think she lied to let me off easy?” I was thinking up all the worst case scenarios.
“Do you really think she would lie about having a boyfriend?” Jack raised a brow at me.
“Well..no. I don’t think she would, but still. What the hell?”
“Listen, I actually think she likes you.”
It was my turn to raise a brow.
“What makes you think that? She has a boyfriend.”
“Yeah, but probably not a very good one, if she was basically planning on keeping him a secret from you forever. It’s either that, or she’s just a cheating whore.” He shrugged.
“Whoa! She is not a whore!” I exclaimed, taking offense.
“Well then. I think we know our answer.”
“So…what you’re saying is..she kept him a secret because she likes me??” I was still trying to process Jack’s theory.
“Yeah, man! Plus, why would she take it back and agree to go on the date with you if she didn’t?” Jack stood up from the bar stool and started heading to his bedroom.
“Wow, you might be right, man.” I thought it over in my head and decided it made perfect sense.
“It’s the things to think about!” Jack called back, before entering the room and closing the door.
All I could do was sit there and smile at my thoughts.
Liz likes me.
I needed to figure out a way to make her mine.
*Liz*
“You like those??” I asked Zack, referring to the power smoothie in his hand.
I met him at the library today, and from there, we walked over to a nearby smoothie shop. Zack told me he came here all the time.
He shrugged in response to my question.
“Gotta stay fit and all!” He smirked.
“Yeah, come to think of it, you actually do seem like a Gatorade and raw eggs for breakfast kind of guy.” I joked, causing him to laugh.
“Whatever, just hush and drink your basic smoothie.”
“It’s not basic, it’s strawberry banana and it’s better than whatever shit you’re drinking!!” I dramatically defended my drink.
“Ha, you’re cute.” Zack had calmed down from his laughter, and was now just smiling softly at me.
The way he was looking at me with such adoration was enough to make me weak at the knees.
Luckily, I was sitting down.
I blushed and looked down at the table.
“Hey, you know what? Come on, there’s somewhere else I wanna take you.” Zack offered, getting up from his seat.
“What? Where??” I asked in curiosity as I stood up.
“I’ll show you. Just walk with me.”
So I did.
We walked through a park and up some hill in the clearing of the woods.
I looked around in confusion.
“Well! Here we are at the top of the hill!” Zack grinned at me with excitement.
“Yeah…why? What’s so great about this hill?”
What was so great about it?
It was just a hill near the woods. There wasn’t a perfect view of the city or anything, just a landscape of trees.
He just smiled with content and plopped down on the grass.
“I like to come here sometimes to clear my thoughts. Not to sound like a weirdo or anything.” He chuckled and messed with the laces on his shoes.
I sat down next to him (mighty close, may I add), and shook my head.
“I don’t think you’re a weirdo. You just like peace. I’m the same way. I take shelter in the library, and you come here.” I nodded in understanding.
“Shelter, huh?” He chuckled a bit, still staring down at his shoes.
I tilted my head at him in confusion.
“What?”
“So tell me about this boyfriend of yours. Who is he? What’s he like?” He looked up at me, and I averted my eyes at the thought of my boyfriend.
“Umm..his name is Jeremy. He’s um..sweet. We’ve been together for three years.” I gulped, looking down at my hands.
Zack just stared at me for a moment, as if he were analyzing me. Trying to figure something out.
“Maybe you’ve been together for a while, but you aren’t really that happy with him…are you?”
I looked up at him in shock.
Is he really asking me that??
“What do you mean? I love my boyfriend very much!”
“But does he love you?”
I stared at him with a loss for words.
What was his problem??
“Uhm..y-yes! Of course my boyfriend loves me! What the hell, Zachary??”
“Do you really feel like it’s right?? Does he do his best to make you smile everyday? Does he tell you you’re beautiful every morning and every night? Does he treat you like the princess that you are?” He stared at me with a loving glint in his eye.
His words were hurting me so bad, because I knew that Jeremy stopped doing these things two years ago.
“Zack..please just st-“
“Does he hold your hand every chance he gets??” Zack reached out and took my hand in his, lacing our fingers together.
I didn’t pull away. The tingles that shot up my arm was a feeling I didn’t want to go away. My hand just fit so perfectly in his, and I never wanted him to let go.
I looked back up into his eyes.
“Does he kiss you like he means it, every single time?”
“Zack…” My voice trailed off into a whisper.
I went speechless at the feeling of his fingers tucking a strand of hair out of my face.
His fingertips moved to tip my chin up, as he slowly leaned in. I closed my eyes, and felt the butterflies unleash their wrath inside my stomach, as I felt his lips softly press to mine.
I fell in love with his lips so quickly; they were addictive and perfect, and full of love.
Our lips moved slowly in sync with each other. Jeremy had never kissed me like this before. Or spoke to me like this. He’s never treated me like I was the only girl in the world. I loved it. I loved every second of it.
He broke off the kiss after another moment, and we just stared at each other in admiration.
The kiss was just breathtaking. It left me speechless, and it made me never want to think about Jeremy ever again. So I didn’t.
“You’re so beautiful.” He whispered, running his fingers through my dark strands.
I smiled, and leaned in for another kiss, which he gladly gave to me.
That night, I didn’t want to go home. I didn’t wanna have to leave Zack and once again face reality. And the second we entered his house, his lips didn’t want to leave mine.
Soon our clothes were off, and we were entangled in the sheets. He kissed every inch of skin on my body that he could, and told me I was beautiful. In that moment, I felt beautiful.
I let out small whimpers and gasps as his lips grazed my neck, leaving evidence I’d most likely have to cover up later.
My fingers hid in his short, brown strands of hair as I moaned, feeling him move inside of me.
The room was loud, full of moans and grunts and screams. Yet the pace was slower than I was used to. It was passionate, but sweet and romantic. It was beautiful. In that moment, we were beautiful. Together.
When the high ended, he collapsed next to me, and I cuddled into him, wishing that every night I could fall asleep in his arms like this.
I told him good night, and he smiled and kissed my cheek. But then he said something I would never expect he’d say.
“I love you, Lizzie.”
And that’s when reality set in. That’s when the guilt crowded my lungs and suffocated me. That’s when I knew I screwed up.
Because I loved him back.
I decided to leave early in the morning, leaving a note on his bedside table saying that I was sorry and that I loved him. I hoped it wouldn’t worry him too much.
I just needed to get back home early so that if Jeremy was drunk enough last night, he wouldn’t even remember I wasn’t here.
I didn’t like the thought of lying to and cheating on my boyfriend, and I felt like shit for doing so.
But he just can’t find out.
I walked into the house, and hoped to just creep up the stairs, and go to bed. But I was stopped by a voice coming from the living room as I walked by.
“Well look who’s back.”
I quickly spun around to see Jeremy, sitting on the armchair in the dark.
I cleared my throat and tried to fight back against my nervousness.
“U-um..baby..hey!” My voice was shaking.
“Where have you been?” His voice sounded sick and creepy.
“Uhm..it was just a late night and umm-“
“Don’t lie to me, bitch. I can see right through your bullshit.” He stood up from his seat, and began to slowly walk towards me.
“I thought I said to be here at a certain time.”
“Why do I need a curfew anyway..” I muttered under my breath without thinking.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” He gave me the most scariest warning glare.
“N-nothing baby..let’s just go back to sleep..” I begged, but he stopped me.
“Where were you?”
“Just..out.”
His eyes narrowed at me.
“Out with who??”
“A um..friend.” I was really starting to crack under pressure.
“Friend?? The only friend you had was that Zack prick who was texting you. But I made you get rid of him, correct?”
He was so onto me.
I couldn’t lie.
I couldn’t lie to him anymore.
He was my boyfriend and I went against his wishes and I betrayed his trust. It was only right to fess up.
“Okay, it was Zack! I’m really sorry baby, I-“
“Why were you out with that prick until 3 a.m?” His voice increased his volume, and he stepped closer to me.
I was scared for my life.
“Um..we um..”
“DID YOU OR DID YOU NOT FUCK HIM?” He yelled in my face.
I backed up and he followed me until I was cornered against the wall.
“Jeremy, I am so so so sorry I-“
“YOU’RE A WHORE, THAT’S WHAT YOU ARE! I BET THAT’S ALL YOU EVER HAVE BEEN!”
I wished and hoped and prayed that I could somehow disappear from this situation.
My boyfriend hated me and now he was the angriest I had ever seen him in the three years we’ve been together. I was frightened, to say the least. But I knew I deserved whatever was coming for me.
“Jeremy, I had never done this before, I swear!!” Tears were collecting in my eyes.
“I DON’T CARE! YOU’RE A DIRTY LITTLE CHEATER AND YOU WILL FUCKING PAY FOR THIS!”
“Jeremy please!”
My eyes widened as I saw his fist cock back.
When it connected with my eye, the rest was history.
I woke up on the floor with a killer headache, and my eye was in so much pain. I remembered instantly what Jeremy had done. He knocked me out.
He had only hit me on one other occasion before, but it was only a slap, and it was a long time ago. He promised to never ever hit me again.
He broke that promise. And now he’s no where to be found.
Jeremy was livid; his eyes were filled with nothing but hatred. As if he wanted to tear me limb from limb.
I’m still afraid. I needed to get out of there as soon as possible before he came back. And there was only one place for me to go.
I ran to my car and started to drive to Zack’s house.
I needed my escape, but I didn’t mean the library this time. It was Zack. He was my getaway. My escape. My paradise. And I just wanted to be his.
I got to his house and I knocked on the door as if my life depended on it.
He opened it after a moment, with a look of confusion. Then he met eyes with me, and his facial expression turned to pure shock.
“Liz!!” He hugged me tight and pulled me into the house.
I instantly started sobbing into his chest.
He gently pulled my face back and looked at me in concern.
“What happened to your eye, baby??” He tried to wipe my tears away with the pads of his thumbs.
I probably have a black eye. Great.
“He- he…J-Jeremy..” I choked out with my sobs.
“Wait..he hit you??” His face instantly turned from concern to anger, and it scared me.
I quickly took a step back.
“Zack please..”
His eyes softened a bit.
“No Lizzie..you’re not the one I’m mad at.. Where is he? I’m gonna kill him!”
“Zack baby no..please no..” I walked back into his embrace and tried to calm him down.
“But he put his hands on you! That isn’t okay! You’re too beautiful and valuable to be treated like a punching bag! Does he do this often?!”
“No..only one other time, but-“
“But? But?? But nothing! He hit you! You should’ve left him the first time!!”
“But I couldn’t, Zack!! I fucking couldn’t, okay?!” I screamed in frustration, pulling my hair.
Zack watched me in silence for a moment.
“Why couldn’t you?” He asked in the tone of a whisper.
“Because….because love. That’s why.”
He scoffed at my answer.
“Love? No no no..that’s a lot of things, but it isn’t love, I can tell you that!”
A whole new set of tears flooded my eyes, and I collapsed in a heap on the floor.
“I’M SO FUCKING STUPID! I LOST EVERYTHING, ZACK!! I GAVE UP EVERYTHING FOR HIM!!” I screamed and sobbed.
I soon felt Zack’s arms around me, as he pulled me into his lap and rocked me back and forth.
He didn’t say a word; he just let me cry to my broken heart’s content. When I finally calmed down enough, he kissed my cheek.
“I love you..ya know? I would never ever do this to you. I hope you always feel that you can trust me at all times.” He said softly into my ear.
I nodded against his neck.
“I know, Zacky. I love you so much..I just feel..I don’t know. I feel awful and used and just..heartbroken.” I sighed, deciding to get my thoughts out.
“I know. But you’ll get through this. I’ll be right here with you.” He kissed my forehead.
“I’m so scared. What if he comes back for me? What if he comes for you? I’m so afraid, Zack!” I whimpered, burying my face into his chest.
“Well..maybe we should call the cops.” He suggested, causing me to look up at him with wide eyes and shake my head.
“No no no..I know I shouldn’t care about him, but I do. And I can’t do that to him..I just can’t.”
“Okay.” He nodded, allowing me to sigh in relief.
We just sat there for a moment in silence, thinking about how we’re gonna get out of this mess.
After a while, Zack spoke up.
“Did you ever finish the book?”
It was off topic, but I guess he was trying to help me get my mind off of it a little.
“Well..I actually have a chapter left to read. I don’t know how it ends.” I shrugged.
“Well maybe we can make our own final chapter.”
I looked up at him with confusion, urging him to continue.
“You’ll be Jenna and I’ll be Vic. We’ve just realized how much everything sucks. You leave your abusive household, and I search out to find my true purpose in life. We fall in love along the way. Where will we end up now?”
I blinked up at him, taking it all in.
“So..what are you suggesting, Zack?”
He smirked, and gave me a peck on the lips.
“Let’s run away.”
People will do anything for the one’s they love. When you truly love someone, you’ll be willing to risk it all for them. You’re willing to do anything to be with them; willing to do whatever it takes to see them smile. Even if it means ruining your own life.
Even if it means losing all your friends, because you never listened to their warnings when they told you to stay away. When they told you that the person you loved was bad news. But you wouldn’t listen, what they told you was nonsense that you refused to believe was true. Because of love.
Even if it means getting disowned by your own family, because “someone as dumb and naïve as you can’t possibly come from the same gene pool.” You didn’t listen to your family. You went against all good judgment. Because of love.
Even if it means losing yourself in the worst way possible. Having to fake smiles, cry every night, and wish you were dead. It didn’t matter how I felt. It was all for him. Because of love.
What I had always failed to realize was the fact that love would end up destroying me inside and out.
Who knew that being in love meant losing all of your happiness?
I wish I knew before I got myself stuck here with him.
Today, I was on my way to the library. Call me nerdy, but I actually liked the library quite a lot. Not so much because I was a bookworm, but because it was more like a safe haven to me. A place to getaway..escape, if you will. It was so peaceful and calming, there’s no reason why I wouldn’t love this place.
It’s the exact opposite from the way things are at home with Jeremy.
I sighed at that thought, as I pulled up into the parking lot.C
I got out of the car and straightened my shirt out, before locking my doors and entering the library.
A wide smile spread across my face at the smell of book pages, and the sound of people typing away at computers.
It had been a good while since I’d last been here; it seemed like Jeremy always had something for me to do, lately. I was rather sick of it, but whatever. It’s love.
I slowly walked around, looking at all the wonderful stacks of books all over the shelves.
I didn’t really know exactly what I was looking for, but I guess I’d just take whatever appealed to my eye…
Or at least that’s what I was doing, until I heard someone clear their throat behind me.
I whipped my head around, and looked at the figure.
It was a man that looked around my age, with short, brunette hair, and a muscular build.
He’s hot.
Wait no, you have Jeremy. You aren’t allowed to think that way.
But I have to admit, he is pretty attractive.
The man smiled at me, and began speaking.
“Uh hey, I was wondering if I could help you find anything?”
He had such a nice voice.
“Oh um..not really, I-I dunno.” I mentally slapped myself for stumbling over my words.
Jeremy wouldn’t approve of that.
The guy just chuckled and tried again.
“Well, is there anything you’re looking for in particular?”
I thought it over for a second, before coming up with my answer.
“Uhm…something good?” I raised a brow.
“Very descriptive, I like it.” He chuckled, while shaking his head.
He had a nice laugh. One that was so genuine and sweet-sounding that you couldn’t help but to laugh along with him.
“So do you have anything that falls under that category?” I smirked.
He stopped to sarcastically look like he was thinking.
“Well, I could think of a couple. But actually, I think I might just have the perfect one. It’s in the back though, so just hold on, okay?”
I nodded in agreement and flashed him a smile, before he turned around to walk to the “back” of the library.
I had to catch myself and quickly avert my eyes when I realized I may have been staring at his ass. Oops.
After another minute or two, he came back out, holding a novel with a blue cover on it.
“Here ya go. It’s one of my favorites.” He smiled and handed it to me.
I took the book and read the title out loud.
“Runaways, by A.W.G.”
“One of my favorite authors.” He grinned.
“Well, what is it even about?”
“It’s about a girl with a troubled home life, and a boy who’s trying to find himself. They meet and decide to runaway together. Uh..the plot seems kinda lame, but it’s honestly one of the greatest things I’ve ever read!”
I watched in awe as he expressed his passion for the book. It wouldn’t take much to get me to read it in the first place, but now I definitely wanted to read it more than anything.
I’m also pretty sure I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket, but I didn’t even bother to check it. And that was so unlike me.
“It sounds good! I feel like I’m gonna love it!” I flashed him a huge smile.
“Wait, so you’ll actually read it? You aren’t shitting me right now??” He looked at me with such shock and hope in his eyes.
“No, I am not shitting you!” I laughed. “I’ll read it.”
“Really? You promise?”
This guy was being so dramatic, yet so cute.
“Really. I promise.” I repeated with a giggle.
“Okay, I believe you. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
“Nope, I think that’ll do for now. Thanks for your help…” I trailed off as I noticed the name printed on the lanyard around his neck.
“…Zachary.” I finished.
“Oh uh, it’s Zack. I like to go by Zack.” He gave me a cute little shy smile.
“Alright well, thanks a lot, Zack!” I smiled a waved goodbye before turning around to leave.
I took a few steps, before I heard him call out behind me.
“Wait!!”
I turned back around to give him a questioning look.
“I didn’t catch your name.”
He was one adorable little shit, wasn’t he?
“My name is Liz.” I answered him with a grin.
“Liz…I’ll remember that.” He nodded, making a mental note to himself.
“Well, I come here as often as I can, so it’ll be kinda hard to forget me.” I smirked, as I began to turn back around.
“I could only imagine.” I heard him say from behind me.
I soon exited the library, and got back in my car.
I drove the whole way home, not thinking about anything other than Zack. Not even to check my cell phone.
And boy, was that a mistake.
I got home, returning to a furious-looking Jeremy, sitting on the couch.
I gulped, and silently braced myself.
“H-hey, babe.” I shakily greeted him, while shutting the front door behind me.
“Oh don’t you hey babe me!” He hissed, standing up from the couch.
“Jeremy…w-what’s wro-“
“I’LL TELL YOU WHAT’S WRONG!” He interrupted, while looking impossibly angrier.
At that moment, I just wanted to shrink.
“Did you not read the text I sent you?”
“T-text?? What text?”
“The text I sent you about TWENTY FUCKING MINUTES AGO!” He started walking closer and closer to me.
Shit.
Shit shit shit.
“Oh? I-I’m sorry, I didn’t r-“
“WHAT THE FUCK DID I TELL YOU ABOUT CHECKING YOUR PHONE, LIZ?”
“I’m so sorry baby, I’m really sorry!!”
At this point, we were standing face to face, and I was shaking with fear.
“I don’t want your damn apologies, bitch. I just wanted you to stop at the store and get me some fucking cigarettes!”
Why couldn’t he get his own damn cigarettes..
Just as I opened my mouth to say something, he roughly grabbed my face with his hand, and yanked my face closer to his.
“You go out there and buy me what I want, you hear me?” He snarled in my face.
“Yiss..” I could hardly speak right with my lips squishing together like that.
“You better. And why don’t you go out and get me a new girlfriend while you’re at it; I need one that’s actually useful.” He growled, shoving me backwards by my face, causing me to take a few steps backwards to catch my balance.
His words were harsh enough to make tears flood my eyes, as he turned around and stomped upstairs.
I know, I know. You don’t need to give me the lecture.
I know he seems more like an authority figure than a boyfriend, but he wasn’t always like this.
I fell in love with him, and somehow he changed. But Jeremy is just angry with himself for whatever reason. Some people have a short temper, it’s no big deal. He can take it out on me because I love him and I’m supposed to help him with his problems. Just like a stress ball helps your anger when you squeeze your frustrations out. It’s okay.
Right??
I quickly blinked my tears away, and walked back out to go buy him his cigarettes.
*Zack*
I met a girl yesterday. A very beautiful girl.
She was short, and had straightened, dark hair and big, beautiful blue eyes. I found myself getting lost in them. It was like standing in the sand while you just stare at the marvelous waves of the ocean, admiring its beauty.
Yeah, that’s what they were like.
I was quite intrigued by this girl. She came into the library and I saw her walk in; I just had to talk to her.
So I walked up and asked her if she needed help finding a book, even though I never usually do that to anyone. I gave her one of my favorite books ever, to read. I hope she doesn’t think I’m a dork or anything, but yeah.
She seemed to like it, though. She told me her name was Liz. I really hope I see her again. But she did say that I’d be seeing her around a lot in the library. I guess she likes it as much as I do?
I walked into work this afternoon, and sat down at one of the computers, checking for overdue books and such.
I was honestly just excited to see her today.
It was a while before she actually came in; I was just relaxing at the desk, reading a book, before I heard someone clear their throat.
I looked up from the pages to see Liz standing in front of me with a smile on her face.
“Uh, hey!” She greeted me with a small wave of her hand.
“Hey.” I smiled, and stood up to walk around the computer desk.
“So guess what I did last night?” She started, with excitement in her voice.
“I don’t know..what?”
“I read the first chapter of Runaways!” She beamed.
“Really? How do you like it so far?” I crossed my arms and leaned back on the counter, completely interested in her opinion of the book.
“I really like Jenna’s character so far. Her life seems pretty sad, but she’s really witty and hilarious!”
I chuckled and nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, she’s a fan favorite! Very powerful character, and really relatable to some.”
God, I was a nerd.
“Well I sure can relate to it..” She said quietly, trailing off and looking down at her feet.
I wasn’t exactly sure what she meant by that, but I knew then that the events of the book would have a deeper meaning to her.
I didn’t want her to be sad, so I decided to speak again.
“So..I can go on break now, and we can sit and uh..talk more about the book if you want?”
Great, Zack. Why don’t you just start a fucking book club?
She looked back up at me in surprise.
“Oh! Uh..I-I haven’t really read much of the book yet..” She ducked her head and tucked a dark strand of her hair behind her ear.
And I don’t know if my eyes were playing tricks on me or not, but I could’ve sworn I saw her blushing.
“Oh right, well..we could um..talk about something else?”
God, I was bad at this.
She looked up at me once again, and shrugged with a small smile.
“Sure.”
So we walked over to the sitting area with magazines and coffee tables, and sat down next to each other.
There was a bit of awkward silence, both of us seeming to be the “shy-type” in that moment.
I decided to break the ice.
“So…what do you wanna talk about?”
Lame. So lame.
“I dunno..we could about ourselves. Like…how old are you?” She perked up and stared at me with interest.
“I’m 23. How about you?”
“I’ll actually be 23 in three months.” She grinned dramatically, causing me to laugh.
“Well, happy early birthday!” I chuckled.
“Why thank you good sir!” She teased.
“So have you got any hobbies besides reading books and flirting with girls at libraries?” She asked, raising a brow at me and smirking.
“Ouucchh, okay!” I burst out into laughter at that.
She started laughing too.
“But answer the question though!” She demanded in between giggles.
“Alright, alright um…I like..photography. And working out, pretty much, if you couldn’t tell.” I teased, flexing one of my biceps.
“Oh wow, so macho. What a panty dropper!” She rolled her eyes, succeeding in making me laugh once again.
“So since you’re obviously living life on the edge, how come you’re a librarian?” She sat back in her seat and gave me an amused look.
“Ugh, please don’t call me a librarian..” I gave her a grossed out look that only seemed to amuse her even more.
“I’m only doing this as a summer job to pay rent at my friend’s place. Eventually, I’m gonna get a better job and get my own place.” I explained to her.
“So why the library?” She asked, with a thoughtful look on her face.
“I dunno. I really like books, I guess.” I shrugged with a smile.
“So how about you?”
“What about me?” She raised a brow in question.
“Why do you seem to like the library so much?”
She seemed to be a little lost in thought for a moment, before she finally answered.
“It gives me a sense of peace and comfort. It’s quiet and judgment free.” She seemed to be off in her own little world, now.
“Yeah, I can understand that.” I nodded in agreement.
“No, not how I can. Sure there’s books and all, but this is more of a place for me to..get away.”
I focused deeply on her words, trying to make sense of them.
“Oh?”
“I’m sorry, I don’t even know why I’m telling you all this.” Shhe shook her head and tried to laugh it off.
“No no, now I’m intrigued. What exactly is it you’re getting away from?” I urged her to go on.
“Um..n-nothing. It’s not important.” She waved it off.
“It’s okay, I won’t judge you. You can trust me, ya know?”
“What you don’t know won’t hurt you, Zack.” She smirked.
“But I wanna know you. Is that so bad?” I raised my brows at her.
“Now you wanna kknow my whole life story, great!” She teased.
“Nah, I guess we could save all that for another time.” I half smiled, deciding to let it go.
But I did want to find out.
Liz was so interesting and mysterious to me. Intriguing even. I just wanted to know everything about her, but I knew she wouldn’t trust me that much yet.
I just had to get to know her better.
Suddenly, I heard a buzz, and Liz was pulling her phone out of her pocket, soon after.
“On that note, I’ve gotta go now.” She announced with a bit of a frightened look on her face, while looking down at the text she received.
“Y-you do? Is everything alright? Can’t you stay a bit longer?” I questioned, hoping that she wouldn’t leave.
“No, I really gotta go now, or else J-“ She stopped herself and shut her mouth.
“Or else what??” I looked at her in confusion.
“Nothing! It’s nothing, okay? I just gotta go.” She rushed, scrambling to her feet.
I quickly stood to my feet, also.
“Wait!” I stopped her, causing her to turn around.
“What, Zack?” She gave me an exasperated look.
“Uh..could I at least have your number? You know..to talk about the book and stuff?” I nervously looked down at the floor and scratched the back of my head.
She blinked at me in surprise, then handed me her phone, as her cheeks were turning red.
“Uh, sure. Here.”
I smiled and keyed in my number. I handed it back to her after sending a text to myself.
“Alright.”
“Okay, bye Zack!”
“See you tomorrow?”
“Same place, same time!” She laughed, before heading out of the library.
Damn…she sure was something.
I couldn’t wait to see her again.
*Liz*
To say I got massive butterflies when I left the library would be an understatement.
Zack was definitely something. I just couldn’t put my finger on it…okay, maybe I could put my finger on a lot of things.
Like how he’s super sweet, and kind of dorky but in a cute way, and how smart he is, and his goofy smile, not to mention he’s pretty hot..
Okay, stop.
You have a boyfriend, Lizzie. Don’t get too carried away.
Speaking of, he was sleeping on the couch in the living room when I came up to my bedroom.
I decided to read some more of Runaways; I happened to be on chapter four, now. If there was one thing Zack was right about, it was that this book was most definitely a must read.
I decided to stop reading at the end of the chapter, and picked up my phone to text Zack.
Me: Hey, guess who’s hooked on Runaways?
I bit my lip to hide my smile as I saw the little dots appear to show that he was typing.
Zack: Haha! Didn’t I tell ya it was good?
Me: You did, didn’t you? ;P
Zack: So which chapter are you on?
Me: Just finished 4.
Zack: Wow, you’re really goin places, eh? x)
Me: Haha, fuck you!
Zack: When and where baby? ;)
I raised an eyebrow at that one. That was a bit bold of him; it didn’t sound like something he would say.
He texted again, about ten seconds later.
Zack: Whoa sorry! That wasn’t me, my roommate took my phone! I’m so sorry it wasn’t me I swear!
I started laughing at that one.
Me: Haha it’s okay, I knew it didn’t sound like you!
Zack: Phew!
We kept texting for a while after that; we soon moved on from book talk, to just random things like music and funny high school memories.
He was so easy to talk to, and so funny and sweet. He had me covering my mouth and giggling like a schoolgirl every time he sent a text.
I was in a state of joy and giddiness, which was short lived, when I heard the bedroom door open.
I immediately locked my phone, and whipped my head around to see Jeremy standing there, with a surprisingly calm look on his face.
Once his eyes made contact with mine, he instantly smiled.
I felt myself smiling back at him.
Jeremy wasn’t always bad, he could be really sweet sometimes. This was the sweet Jeremy I remembered.
He walked over to the bed, before hovering over me and attaching his lips to mine.
“Hey baby.” He looked at me with the same adoration I felt when I first met him.
“Hey.” I grinned, before leaning up to kiss him again.
I guess it was just the rare moments like these that I held on to. It was just the fact that there was still some love for me left in his heart somewhere, that kept me holding on. My boyfriend is still in there somewhere, and that’s really all I need to stay.
“Whatcha doin’?”
“Oh nothing, just read-“
Ding!
“Who is this?” He picked up my phone and glared down at the screen when I received a text.
“Oh, it’s just-“
“Zack?? Who the fuck is Zack?!” He sat up, and looked at me with anger.
And now he’s back. Dammit, why couldn’t I have just turned my ringer off??
“Baby, Zack is just a friend!”
“A friend? Last I checked, you didn’t have friends.”
Ouch, that stung.
“Well, now I do! He’s really just a friend, baby, I swear!!” I pleaded for him to just listen to me, but I knew he couldn’t possibly be rational when he’s angry.
The next thing I knew, he roughly grabbed the collar of my shirt, and pulled me up to his face.
“Don’t you text this motherfucker, you hear me?? If I EVER catch you cheating on me, there’s gonna be fucking hell to pay, bitch!” He ended on that note, with a small shove to make me fall backwards on the bed.
He got up and walked back downstairs, while I curled up into a ball and begged my tears to stop coming.
I honestly just wished he didn’t have to be this way.
I stopped my crying when I heard another Ding! sound.
I picked up my phone, and smiled at the message I received.
Zack: Goodnight, beautiful (:
I’ve been going to the library to see Zack for about three weeks now. Although it feels like I’ve known him for years. We text just about everyday, even though Jeremy said not to. I just have to be careful to make sure he never finds out again.
Talking to Zack is like the greatest thing ever. Our conversations are so intellectual, yet so funny and enjoyable at the same time. He’s such a good person. So sweet and respectful and funny and caring. Not being able to speak to him would probably break me. He’s the highlight of my day, everyday. And I guess that’s sad because I have a boyfriend.
But Jeremy doesn’t even make me feel the way that Zack does. It’s mind blowing and a little scary to think about. I’m not supposed to think of Zack in that way. I’m not supposed to enjoy being around him more than my own boyfriend. I see the clear problem here, but I have no idea what to do about it.
I’ll just go with the flow I guess??
Right now, I was walking into the library, heading to the sitting area where I knew Zack would be waiting for me.
“Liz!!”
I smiled at the call of my name, and accepted the big bear hug from Zack.
I didn’t pull out of the hug for a few seconds; I enjoyed being in his embrace more than I’d like to admit.
When I eventually did pull away, he gave me a big smile.
“Well someone’s happy to see me.” I rolled my eyes sarcastically, with a smile.
“Yeah, of course. I’m always happy to see you.”
I blushed at his words and looked down at my shoes.
He sure did have a way with words.
He just laughed at my flustered state, and sat down in one of the seats. I followed soon after and smiled at him.
“So how’s that book coming along?” He smirked.
“It’s going pretty well. Only like six chapters left now!”
I answered with a look of pride on my face.
“Are you serious? It’s been three weeks; you’re literally taking forever to finish it!” He laughed.
“I know, I know. I’m a slow reader, I’m sorry!” I laughed along with him.
What he didn’t know, was that I’ve been reading slow on purpose, just because I enjoy texting him about it everyday. If one day, we somehow run out of things to talk about, that book will always be a topic.
We talked about the book for a little while longer, until Zack cleared his throat and started getting all nervous.
His sudden change in mood was a little strange. I gave him a questioning look.
“Got something you wanna say?” I teased.
He looked up at me and gave me a small, nervous smile.
“Actually uh yeah…I do. I um..actually wanted to ask you something.”
I felt butterflies filling my stomach as I nodded, urging him to go on.
“Okay, shoot.”
He sat up and cleared his throat.
“Okay…so I know we meet up here everyday and all..”
“Yeah? Go on..”
“Well, maybe next time we could go somewhere else? You know..like out to get ice cream or something like that. Just the two of us. It’ll be fun..you know?”,,
I felt my cheeks heat up at his offer.
“T-that’s like a..a date!” I still looked at him with shock.
“Well um..yeah, I guess so..” He looked at just about anything but me.
“But I can’t, Zack. I have a-“ I stopped myself. I realized that I had never told him about Jeremy before.
Was I forgetting he even existed whenever I was with Zack? Maybe. But all I know is, it was hard to bring him up. I didn’t want to face that reality. Zack was my getaway.
“You have a what?” He furrowed his brows and looked at me.
“A um..” I trailed off with a sigh, hoping he would get the message.
“Oh. I see.” He cleared his throat and looked down at his hands.
I just stayed quiet and shamefully bit my lip.
“You never told me you had a boyfriend.”
I looked back up at him and shrugged.
“Yeah, well.”
“You lied.”
I gave him a bewildered look at his accusation.
“How did I lie??”
“You told me that what I didn’t know wouldn’t hurt me.” He sighed and averted his sad, gorgeous eyes from mine.
The hurt expression on his face was a sad sight to see. I hated that I had to pain him with rejection and make him upset. I just couldn’t stand it.
“Okay!”
He looked back up at me with a confused expression.
“Okay?”
“Yes, okay! I’ll go out with you!”
I’m not sure what I was doing, but it felt right.
“Really? I-It doesn’t have to be a date or anything if you’re not comfortable..” He started getting all nervous again, but in a cute way.
“Yes, really.” I giggled at how adorable he was.
He smiled back at me, and in that moment, I didn’t regret my decision or feel bad about it at all.
I just knew that if Jeremy found out, I’d be dead.
*Zack*
Okay, so maybe I’m head over heels for Lizzie. But I mean, why wouldn’t I be? She’s beautiful, funny, smart..she’s basically the most perfect girl I could think of. Perfect for me, at least.
Which is why I can’t stand the fact that she can’t be mine.
Why does she have to be taken??
I was discussing the issue with my roommate, Jack.
“I mean, I don’t get it, dude. She never talks about having a boyfriend for almost a month, and then all of a sudden, she springs it on me!” I complained to my skunk-haired best friend.
He crossed his arms and nodded in agreement.
“Hm. That is pretty weird.”
“Do you think she lied to let me off easy?” I was thinking up all the worst case scenarios.
“Do you really think she would lie about having a boyfriend?” Jack raised a brow at me.
“Well..no. I don’t think she would, but still. What the hell?”
“Listen, I actually think she likes you.”
It was my turn to raise a brow.
“What makes you think that? She has a boyfriend.”
“Yeah, but probably not a very good one, if she was basically planning on keeping him a secret from you forever. It’s either that, or she’s just a cheating whore.” He shrugged.
“Whoa! She is not a whore!” I exclaimed, taking offense.
“Well then. I think we know our answer.”
“So…what you’re saying is..she kept him a secret because she likes me??” I was still trying to process Jack’s theory.
“Yeah, man! Plus, why would she take it back and agree to go on the date with you if she didn’t?” Jack stood up from the bar stool and started heading to his bedroom.
“Wow, you might be right, man.” I thought it over in my head and decided it made perfect sense.
“It’s the things to think about!” Jack called back, before entering the room and closing the door.
All I could do was sit there and smile at my thoughts.
Liz likes me.
I needed to figure out a way to make her mine.
*Liz*
“You like those??” I asked Zack, referring to the power smoothie in his hand.
I met him at the library today, and from there, we walked over to a nearby smoothie shop. Zack told me he came here all the time.
He shrugged in response to my question.
“Gotta stay fit and all!” He smirked.
“Yeah, come to think of it, you actually do seem like a Gatorade and raw eggs for breakfast kind of guy.” I joked, causing him to laugh.
“Whatever, just hush and drink your basic smoothie.”
“It’s not basic, it’s strawberry banana and it’s better than whatever shit you’re drinking!!” I dramatically defended my drink.
“Ha, you’re cute.” Zack had calmed down from his laughter, and was now just smiling softly at me.
The way he was looking at me with such adoration was enough to make me weak at the knees.
Luckily, I was sitting down.
I blushed and looked down at the table.
“Hey, you know what? Come on, there’s somewhere else I wanna take you.” Zack offered, getting up from his seat.
“What? Where??” I asked in curiosity as I stood up.
“I’ll show you. Just walk with me.”
So I did.
We walked through a park and up some hill in the clearing of the woods.
I looked around in confusion.
“Well! Here we are at the top of the hill!” Zack grinned at me with excitement.
“Yeah…why? What’s so great about this hill?”
What was so great about it?
It was just a hill near the woods. There wasn’t a perfect view of the city or anything, just a landscape of trees.
He just smiled with content and plopped down on the grass.
“I like to come here sometimes to clear my thoughts. Not to sound like a weirdo or anything.” He chuckled and messed with the laces on his shoes.
I sat down next to him (mighty close, may I add), and shook my head.
“I don’t think you’re a weirdo. You just like peace. I’m the same way. I take shelter in the library, and you come here.” I nodded in understanding.
“Shelter, huh?” He chuckled a bit, still staring down at his shoes.
I tilted my head at him in confusion.
“What?”
“So tell me about this boyfriend of yours. Who is he? What’s he like?” He looked up at me, and I averted my eyes at the thought of my boyfriend.
“Umm..his name is Jeremy. He’s um..sweet. We’ve been together for three years.” I gulped, looking down at my hands.
Zack just stared at me for a moment, as if he were analyzing me. Trying to figure something out.
“Maybe you’ve been together for a while, but you aren’t really that happy with him…are you?”
I looked up at him in shock.
Is he really asking me that??
“What do you mean? I love my boyfriend very much!”
“But does he love you?”
I stared at him with a loss for words.
What was his problem??
“Uhm..y-yes! Of course my boyfriend loves me! What the hell, Zachary??”
“Do you really feel like it’s right?? Does he do his best to make you smile everyday? Does he tell you you’re beautiful every morning and every night? Does he treat you like the princess that you are?” He stared at me with a loving glint in his eye.
His words were hurting me so bad, because I knew that Jeremy stopped doing these things two years ago.
“Zack..please just st-“
“Does he hold your hand every chance he gets??” Zack reached out and took my hand in his, lacing our fingers together.
I didn’t pull away. The tingles that shot up my arm was a feeling I didn’t want to go away. My hand just fit so perfectly in his, and I never wanted him to let go.
I looked back up into his eyes.
“Does he kiss you like he means it, every single time?”
“Zack…” My voice trailed off into a whisper.
I went speechless at the feeling of his fingers tucking a strand of hair out of my face.
His fingertips moved to tip my chin up, as he slowly leaned in. I closed my eyes, and felt the butterflies unleash their wrath inside my stomach, as I felt his lips softly press to mine.
I fell in love with his lips so quickly; they were addictive and perfect, and full of love.
Our lips moved slowly in sync with each other. Jeremy had never kissed me like this before. Or spoke to me like this. He’s never treated me like I was the only girl in the world. I loved it. I loved every second of it.
He broke off the kiss after another moment, and we just stared at each other in admiration.
The kiss was just breathtaking. It left me speechless, and it made me never want to think about Jeremy ever again. So I didn’t.
“You’re so beautiful.” He whispered, running his fingers through my dark strands.
I smiled, and leaned in for another kiss, which he gladly gave to me.
That night, I didn’t want to go home. I didn’t wanna have to leave Zack and once again face reality. And the second we entered his house, his lips didn’t want to leave mine.
Soon our clothes were off, and we were entangled in the sheets. He kissed every inch of skin on my body that he could, and told me I was beautiful. In that moment, I felt beautiful.
I let out small whimpers and gasps as his lips grazed my neck, leaving evidence I’d most likely have to cover up later.
My fingers hid in his short, brown strands of hair as I moaned, feeling him move inside of me.
The room was loud, full of moans and grunts and screams. Yet the pace was slower than I was used to. It was passionate, but sweet and romantic. It was beautiful. In that moment, we were beautiful. Together.
When the high ended, he collapsed next to me, and I cuddled into him, wishing that every night I could fall asleep in his arms like this.
I told him good night, and he smiled and kissed my cheek. But then he said something I would never expect he’d say.
“I love you, Lizzie.”
And that’s when reality set in. That’s when the guilt crowded my lungs and suffocated me. That’s when I knew I screwed up.
Because I loved him back.
I decided to leave early in the morning, leaving a note on his bedside table saying that I was sorry and that I loved him. I hoped it wouldn’t worry him too much.
I just needed to get back home early so that if Jeremy was drunk enough last night, he wouldn’t even remember I wasn’t here.
I didn’t like the thought of lying to and cheating on my boyfriend, and I felt like shit for doing so.
But he just can’t find out.
I walked into the house, and hoped to just creep up the stairs, and go to bed. But I was stopped by a voice coming from the living room as I walked by.
“Well look who’s back.”
I quickly spun around to see Jeremy, sitting on the armchair in the dark.
I cleared my throat and tried to fight back against my nervousness.
“U-um..baby..hey!” My voice was shaking.
“Where have you been?” His voice sounded sick and creepy.
“Uhm..it was just a late night and umm-“
“Don’t lie to me, bitch. I can see right through your bullshit.” He stood up from his seat, and began to slowly walk towards me.
“I thought I said to be here at a certain time.”
“Why do I need a curfew anyway..” I muttered under my breath without thinking.
“I’m sorry, what was that?” He gave me the most scariest warning glare.
“N-nothing baby..let’s just go back to sleep..” I begged, but he stopped me.
“Where were you?”
“Just..out.”
His eyes narrowed at me.
“Out with who??”
“A um..friend.” I was really starting to crack under pressure.
“Friend?? The only friend you had was that Zack prick who was texting you. But I made you get rid of him, correct?”
He was so onto me.
I couldn’t lie.
I couldn’t lie to him anymore.
He was my boyfriend and I went against his wishes and I betrayed his trust. It was only right to fess up.
“Okay, it was Zack! I’m really sorry baby, I-“
“Why were you out with that prick until 3 a.m?” His voice increased his volume, and he stepped closer to me.
I was scared for my life.
“Um..we um..”
“DID YOU OR DID YOU NOT FUCK HIM?” He yelled in my face.
I backed up and he followed me until I was cornered against the wall.
“Jeremy, I am so so so sorry I-“
“YOU’RE A WHORE, THAT’S WHAT YOU ARE! I BET THAT’S ALL YOU EVER HAVE BEEN!”
I wished and hoped and prayed that I could somehow disappear from this situation.
My boyfriend hated me and now he was the angriest I had ever seen him in the three years we’ve been together. I was frightened, to say the least. But I knew I deserved whatever was coming for me.
“Jeremy, I had never done this before, I swear!!” Tears were collecting in my eyes.
“I DON’T CARE! YOU’RE A DIRTY LITTLE CHEATER AND YOU WILL FUCKING PAY FOR THIS!”
“Jeremy please!”
My eyes widened as I saw his fist cock back.
When it connected with my eye, the rest was history.
I woke up on the floor with a killer headache, and my eye was in so much pain. I remembered instantly what Jeremy had done. He knocked me out.
He had only hit me on one other occasion before, but it was only a slap, and it was a long time ago. He promised to never ever hit me again.
He broke that promise. And now he’s no where to be found.
Jeremy was livid; his eyes were filled with nothing but hatred. As if he wanted to tear me limb from limb.
I’m still afraid. I needed to get out of there as soon as possible before he came back. And there was only one place for me to go.
I ran to my car and started to drive to Zack’s house.
I needed my escape, but I didn’t mean the library this time. It was Zack. He was my getaway. My escape. My paradise. And I just wanted to be his.
I got to his house and I knocked on the door as if my life depended on it.
He opened it after a moment, with a look of confusion. Then he met eyes with me, and his facial expression turned to pure shock.
“Liz!!” He hugged me tight and pulled me into the house.
I instantly started sobbing into his chest.
He gently pulled my face back and looked at me in concern.
“What happened to your eye, baby??” He tried to wipe my tears away with the pads of his thumbs.
I probably have a black eye. Great.
“He- he…J-Jeremy..” I choked out with my sobs.
“Wait..he hit you??” His face instantly turned from concern to anger, and it scared me.
I quickly took a step back.
“Zack please..”
His eyes softened a bit.
“No Lizzie..you’re not the one I’m mad at.. Where is he? I’m gonna kill him!”
“Zack baby no..please no..” I walked back into his embrace and tried to calm him down.
“But he put his hands on you! That isn’t okay! You’re too beautiful and valuable to be treated like a punching bag! Does he do this often?!”
“No..only one other time, but-“
“But? But?? But nothing! He hit you! You should’ve left him the first time!!”
“But I couldn’t, Zack!! I fucking couldn’t, okay?!” I screamed in frustration, pulling my hair.
Zack watched me in silence for a moment.
“Why couldn’t you?” He asked in the tone of a whisper.
“Because….because love. That’s why.”
He scoffed at my answer.
“Love? No no no..that’s a lot of things, but it isn’t love, I can tell you that!”
A whole new set of tears flooded my eyes, and I collapsed in a heap on the floor.
“I’M SO FUCKING STUPID! I LOST EVERYTHING, ZACK!! I GAVE UP EVERYTHING FOR HIM!!” I screamed and sobbed.
I soon felt Zack’s arms around me, as he pulled me into his lap and rocked me back and forth.
He didn’t say a word; he just let me cry to my broken heart’s content. When I finally calmed down enough, he kissed my cheek.
“I love you..ya know? I would never ever do this to you. I hope you always feel that you can trust me at all times.” He said softly into my ear.
I nodded against his neck.
“I know, Zacky. I love you so much..I just feel..I don’t know. I feel awful and used and just..heartbroken.” I sighed, deciding to get my thoughts out.
“I know. But you’ll get through this. I’ll be right here with you.” He kissed my forehead.
“I’m so scared. What if he comes back for me? What if he comes for you? I’m so afraid, Zack!” I whimpered, burying my face into his chest.
“Well..maybe we should call the cops.” He suggested, causing me to look up at him with wide eyes and shake my head.
“No no no..I know I shouldn’t care about him, but I do. And I can’t do that to him..I just can’t.”
“Okay.” He nodded, allowing me to sigh in relief.
We just sat there for a moment in silence, thinking about how we’re gonna get out of this mess.
After a while, Zack spoke up.
“Did you ever finish the book?”
It was off topic, but I guess he was trying to help me get my mind off of it a little.
“Well..I actually have a chapter left to read. I don’t know how it ends.” I shrugged.
“Well maybe we can make our own final chapter.”
I looked up at him with confusion, urging him to continue.
“You’ll be Jenna and I’ll be Vic. We’ve just realized how much everything sucks. You leave your abusive household, and I search out to find my true purpose in life. We fall in love along the way. Where will we end up now?”
I blinked up at him, taking it all in.
“So..what are you suggesting, Zack?”
He smirked, and gave me a peck on the lips.
“Let’s run away.”
Notes
Wrote this for my friend, Liz!
I hope it's not too bad haha.
Now, I'm going back to working on my fics: Shameless and There's A Ghost In This Room.
Thanks! :)
@atlfan08
Aww thank you so so much! :) Writing about Zack is fun cx
<33333
11/26/15