Page 43 of A Voice In Chains
“Oh, what have we got here,” Jones says, hiding his unease behind a forced laugh. “You his boyfriend or something?”
Zach gets up in his face, a manic look in his eyes, one I’ve never seen before. “If you ever so much as look in his direction again, I’ll bury you.”
One of Zach’s friends puts his hands on his tense shoulder, whispering something about an audience and cameras. Zach jerks free, then bares his teeth at Jones.
I hate myself for quivering. After everything that’s happened, I want to be brave, but ever since I left that house and witnessed the look on my siblings’ faces when the court separated us, I just… I’m not brave anymore. I’m… scared.
Zach seems to remember about me then, and his brown eyes connect with mine. For a brief moment, they soften, but then Jones whispers something that makes Zach stiffen.
Tearing his gaze away, Zach punches Jones in the nose, nailing him two more times before his friends haul him off.
Jones clutches his bloodied nose. “You’re fucking toast, Beckett.”
A wicked grin spreads across Zach’s face. He’s panting hard, knuckles bloodied as he jerks free from his friends’ hold on him. “Come for me, Jones. I fucking dare you.”
“This isn’t over.” With a scoff and a final seething look at me, Jones storms off, shouldering through the gathered crowds.
“Shows over,” Harrison barks to our onlookers, who slowly disperse.
Zach watches me warily before telling his friends that he’ll catch up to them soon. As they walk away, he flexes his bloodied knuckles, a humorless chuckle shaking his shoulders. “He’s such a fucking prick.”
I don’t want to go to class anymore. I don’t want to be here at all.
Zach lifts his gaze, strands of brown hair teasing his brow. “Are you okay?”
I struggle to look at him, nibbling on my lip. The pit in my stomach curdles with shame as he inches closer. It was never supposed to be like this. I never wanted him to see how weak I am. All this time, I hid this side of me because I had to. If I didn’t keep quiet and hide my tears, it was used as a weapon against me. But Zachary, beautiful, perfect Zachary, doesn’t need words because he reads me like an open book.
“Hey,” he whispers, glancing around to ensure no one is overhearing. “Jones is no one, alright. He won’t hurt you again.”
He spoke up this time. I nibble my lip as warmth spreads throughout my chest. Jones has taunted me from the first moment I started at this college. Not a day has passed without his snide comments and shoves, but none of that bothered me as much as Zach’s indifference.
How he walked by like he didn’t care.
That’s why I fucked his girlfriend. Because I wanted to hurt him back. I wanted him to see me. And when he finally did… it was everything.
Like a thousand suns burning me up from the inside.
Zachary Beckett is mine. Not hers.
“Do you want to go somewhere?” he asks, standing too close to be considered friendly, but he doesn’t move back.
I nod shyly.I’d go anywhere with you.
“Yeah?” he smiles brightly.
Zachary is the most beautiful man I’ve seen. When he smiles, the world becomes a little less ugly, and the grimy kitchen of my uncle’s house seems a little farther away.
“Come on,” he says, picking up my bag and walking off. “Let’s get out of here.”
What about class? I want to ask, but he’s already gone.
As we exit the building, he jogs ahead while I admire his fluid movements. He grins at me over his shoulder, the mild breeze shifting the curls of his dark hair. But all I can think about is how incredible he looks as we cross the parking lot.
When we’re seated in his car, I reach for his hand.
You shouldn’t have hit him, Zach.
His bloodied knuckles look sore, and when I brush my thumb over the shredded skin, he winces slightly. I can’t believe he punched that guy without a second thought. It was sort of sexy. Okay… it was very sexy, but that’s beside the point. Violence is not the answer.
