(3) Not the Same: An All Time Low Fanfiction Romance

Chapter 22: Believe

        "What were you and Craig fighting about the other day?" Zack asked, eyes meeting mine as he rolled past me, skateboard under his feet. His shirt was lying somewhere behind me, and I was trying my hardest not to be distracted by the way his msucles flexed with his movements.

        Zack asked me to hang out when I got out of work, and when I arrived at his apartment, he was in a huge, empty parking lot with his skateboard. I had barely made it ten feet, sitting comfortable in the back of his Range Rover with the back open, blocking the sun from my face. We'd been like this for almost two hours, talking about anything we wanted, really.

        "We weren't," I lied, scratching my nose. My back was leaned against one wall, feet up and extended across from me, twisting together. I was still in my work clothes, and I didn't care to change. I was too tired.

        Zack gave me a knowing smile as he rolled his eyes, hands falling on his hips while rolling past again. "You were always a bad liar, you know that?" he said, giving me a throaty chuckle. "You've always done that scratching thing, even when we were dating."

        My face turned hot at the thought, surprised that he'd remembered something so small about me. I always knew that Craig could figure me out, but we'd been around each other for years. The first two weeks of being back in this kids life, and he recognized things about me I barely noticed.

        "You don't have to tell me," he shrugged, looking down at the ground, bending his knees before doing an Ollie. I never understood how anyone could stand on a move board and just do a trick at the drop of a hat. I didn't have enough coordination to save my life.

        I thought about it for a moment, biting the inside of my lips while watching him continuing to skate, fixating on the muscles of his back. I shook my head quickly, warpping my arms around my torso

       "He doesn't want me to see you," I murmured quietly, meeting his gaze from the fifteen foot distance between us. It was too quiet for him not to hear what I said. He bit the inside of his cheek, and I waited for it to sink in. He didn't get mad like Stella did, or even the way Craig would have. He let it settle, nodding once.

        "That's understandable," He let out a breath, pumping his foot on the ground to gain some speed towards the car. He proceeded to Manuel in front of me, my eyes going wide in response until he reached the space in front of me.

        I forgot about how rational he could be, it was almost foreign to me now. As much as Craig understood me, he was always hotheaded. I could never do something he didn't like because he'd get angry. It was strange, but I missed it a lot more than I realized.

        "He doesn't control me," I grumbled sotly, picking the lint off my black pants. "I can do what I want." This caused a smile from Zack whlie he reached up to rest his hand on the back door that was above my head. His stomach muscles twisted with the movement. I glanced away immediately.

        "Hand me a water?" he asked softly. I reached to my right, grabbing a bottled water from a comtainer he kept in the back of his car. He twisted off the cap, never losing balance on the board.

        I had forgotten how graceful he was, as stupid as it sounded. I could never remember a time when he tripped or fell. He always was smooth and flawless with his moves.

        "And it's good that you don't let him control you," Zack said, placing the container near my thigh. "But I don't want to be a problem in your relationship or anything."

        I liked the way he tried to speak about it without annoyance in his voice. I always knew that he wasn't a huge fan of Craig; it was one of the problems we had when we got together. He didn't understand the friendship that I had with him. Then again, neither did I. He was trying though; he didn't want it to be awkward. He really did want to be friends, even if it felt like my heart would explode out of my chest evey time he was around. He wanted to fix what we never got to talk about my freshman year. I knew that he believed Craig and I were together when I took off, and I knew that he was trying to forget that.

        He was so much better than I ever would be.

        I tried to forget the fact that my throat itched to tell him that Craig and I weren't together. That he was probably in Italy in some girl's bed, doing exactly what I wished he wouldn't. I wanted to tell him how fucked up my life was, and how I'm never going to know what I want.

        "He'll have to deal with it," I whispered, feeling the lie burn on my tongue. I didn't want to lie to Zack, he didn't deserve that. I was too nervous of what it would bring if we were both knowingly single. I wanted to get to know Zack the same way I did in high school. I didn't want to skip any parts. I wanted to be his friend. "He can move out if it bugs him that much."

        At least that's what I've been trying to convince myself.

        "Assertive, that's new," he teased with a grin, hands resting on the door again. He looked like a model this way, with his jeans hanging off his hips that way and now his hair was damp with sweat.

        Holy hell, was he this beautful when I was dating him before?

        "You have no idea," I laughed, shaking my head. Even beginning to tell Zack exactly how much I had changed made my head spin. I could only think of the way he perceived me now, and how many rumors from back home he believed.

        "I like it, it's a good thing," He said, smiling softly. I met his eyes, noticing the way he looked at me. There was so much there, so much that still needed to be said. Even with the forgiveness, there was little understanding.

        "I wasn't with Craig when we left, Zack," I whispered, the words barely leaving my mouth. "Those stories were rumors. Everything between us happened after we left. I'd never, ever cheat on you, Zack."

        He glanced down, smiling to himself. I knew he didn't want to have this conversation. I know he wanted to start over as old friends. It was so hard when there was so much of a past between us. Neither of us could erase what happened, even if we wished we could.

        "Okay," he said in a rough, low voice. He nodded, his brilliant gaze meeting mine again. "I believe you."

        My heart pounded in my chest, palms sweating. He didn't hesitate, eyes never flickering in doubt. I gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you."