Strings Attached

CHAPTER TWO

                                                Three years ago

RHINE

"I don't want you to miss all the things someone else could give you. And selfishly I don't want you to look at me one day and feel even the tiniest bit of regret or pity."

Louisa was crying. And I was sobbing. Hard. I chose this specific movie knowing it'll make me cry, but I did not know I'd cry this much. "Cover me, dumbass, I don't want anyone to see me crying," I elbowed Zion in the ribs, making him grunt, "there's no one else here." I almost forgot about that. We were sitting in the middle row, just us two, in the whole theatre, courtesy of Zion Underwood. Nonetheless, pulled me into his arms, wrapping me in his warm embrace, "why would he say that?"  He tightened his arms around me, quiet as if contemplating his next words, wondering if I was talking about his brother or William Traynor.

"I am in no place to answer that, love. I can't fathom the thought of-" he took a deep breath, his chest moving along as he breathed, "he is an idiot." I hummed a yes, put my hand over my mouth, yawning. All the activities of the day finally caught up with me. I pulled away from his embrace, "let's go before I sleep here." He put his hand on my face, using his thumb to brush the tears away, "I wouldn't mind carrying you if you did. We can stay as long as you like till you feel better, love." I scoffed, "you can't carry me, love. I'm heavy." Which I was, over my teenage years and the growth sprout, my hips widened, my breasts sprout out fully, and I gained weight over the years which were proving hard to shed, and I had a tummy and love handles for proof. "Okay, let's go," he said, shrugging his shoulders, then he got up and rolled the said shoulders back, "get up." I eyed him suspiciously, wiping away the remainder of my tears with a handkerchief, "you wouldn't!" He smiled,  leaning down to my seat, I leaned back. He cocked his head to the side, his bottom lip pulled between his teeth, smiling, he popped it back out, "wouldn't what, love?" "Zy, don't ah-" I screamed mid-sentence, as he lifted me and threw me over his shoulder. 

My laugh boomed over the empty room when his fingers started dancing over the back of my knees. "Zy!" I called his name or tried to, as I could not stop laughing, telling him I would pee myself and on him if he kept it up. But my words fell on deaf ears. Eventually, he put me down, and I wiped tears off my face with my palms, from laughing too hard. I smiled up at him, "okay, I stand corrected on that." He nodded, smiling down at me, "and I'd do it again, just to see your smile." Blushing, I looked away and gathered my jacket, "let's go?" He nodded. 

The ride was mostly silent, my eyes and concentration on the traffic. Reaching the gates, he flashed the lights and the security guard at the gate buzzed us in. Not driving far, we see Noah's car parked close to the entrance. I look towards Zion and watched as he grabs the steering wheel tightly. He parked and got out immediately, after giving me one look, "go inside, I'll talk to him." He did not wait for my response, closing his door. Noah got out of his car and closed the door, headed towards where Zion parked. My heart racing, i undid my seatbelt and got out, clutching my jacket in my hands. 

"Ry, baby-" Noah was cut off by his brother, "don't look at her, don't even do as much as breath in her direction." Noah annoyed, faced his brother, "this has nothing to do with you, Zion." To whom, shrugged, "i made it my business. Now get back in your car and leave." He turned his head back to me, and gestured to the door, "go inside before you get cold, love." I bit my tongue, tempted to tell him that the weather was warm, but I had never seen Zion react like this, so I nodded and went inside. But too nervous and curious to just go anywhere else so I snuck to one of the windows and pulled the curtain open enough to allow me to peep outside. I could not hear what they said to each other, but they both looked angry. Zion's eyes were angry, his eyebrows scrunched together, his face in a frown. Zion punched his brother in the face, and he took a step back, looking away, our eyes met. I held his gaze for a second before he looked away.

Noah grabbed his cheek and walked back to his car. Zion stood still until his brother walked away, then he made his way into the house. "Peeping Tom, let's get something to eat," he said to me. Glaring at him, "why did you punch him? Is your hand alright?" He shrugged, this man shrugged too much and it pissed me off, "I did not punch him, his face was in the way of my fist. Should've punched him though." Face palming, i made my way deeper into the house, "i need food and a bath." "Then I'll run you a bath," Zion said, with no hesitation. "Huh, no need. Ana will do it. Or I will do it myself later." Speaking of the devil, we found my maid in the kitchen, packing food in containers and putting them in the fridge. "What you got for me, Ana?" he asked her, landing a kiss on her cheek. The older woman giggled, "hello to you too, Zion." She pointed to a tray, "I made burgers, but I think they're cold now." 

He shrugged and prepared a burger for himself, he went to prepare mine and I told him not to. "I don't feel like eating a burger. I'll have something else." We all did different things, I got cake and popped the slice into the microwave. Then added three scoops of ice cream to the plate afterward. "Hush!" I said to their judgemental stares. We ate in silence, my mind roaming of the many things I could have done differently, that I wanted to do differently.  "Your thinking is loud," Zion mentioned. I ignored it, even when we went back to my room. "I'll read a book or something," we sat side by side, each to their own devices. 

"I'm going to Cambridge!" I blurted out. 

Zion stilled in his seat then slowly turned his head, to look at me, he seemed confused, "huh?" I repeated myself, "I'm going to Cambridge! I mean it'll work, right? My grades are spectacular, i have good community service. I know the semester is no-" "Why?" he asked, putting his phone down. "Because of him?" he spat, his eyes hard. "yes-i mean, no- I don't know, Zy. I need to get away from here." "We could go away for the weekend, anywhere you want, love," he said. I shook my head. Everything about my life since I came to the United States has revolved around the Underwoods. I needed a change of scenery, to discover myself without them. "Ry, don't push me away because of his actions. We may be related, but i am not him," he said, breaking the silence. 

"I'm not trying to push you away, Zy. I love you, you know that."

"Then why the fuck would you leave me? I'm coming to Cambridge with you!" he said. "You can't," i shook my head, yet again, "you have everything here. The job you love, your family." We were now both standing in the heat of the argument, I grabbed his hands in mine and smiled up at him, "i haven't decided yet. Let me think about it, okay?" He nodded, pulling me into him. He took a deep breathe, his arms tightening around me for a second, before he pulled away, "I'll run you a bath before I leave." I put my hands on his shoulders and pulled him to my height, he came willingly, I dropped a kiss on his cheek, "you're the best!" When I let go of him, he was blushing, so he hurried into my bathroom, hitting his foot at the door, he cursed. I giggled, walking into my wardrobe to find pajamas.

A few weeks after that, Zion was on the plane with me, because he did not want me to go for the study abroad semester alone. I could not say no to him, my will couldn't let me. And later helped me move into the apartment that I'd occupied for the four months I'd be in England.

"I'm not ready to let you go, I don't think I ever will be," he said, as we stood by the sidewalk, he took a step forward and engulfed me in a hug. "I'll miss you so damn much," he said, dropping a kiss on the nape of my neck. I tightened my arms around him, my heart racing. But at the same time, tears threatening to flow, I sure as hell was not ready to say goodbye to him. But I had to, for this next chapter in my life.  Dropping the last kiss on my forehead, he said, "do what you need to do to heal your heart, then come back to me." Then he got into the car ad the driver drove him off to the airport and the rest of his life.