Zero

Chapter 33

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Chapter 33

The moment Zoe lays eyes on Bryan, something is wrong. As we walked around the building, she was brimming with excitement – a good deal of nerves as well, but a lot of excitement. And why wouldn't she be? I was helping her to get everything she's been dying to have. But that drops the instant she meets Bryan's eyes. The air is suddenly thick enough that it's hard to breathe.

"You," she says, the accusation in her tone clear. But there's hatred too, which I can't quite understand because everything about this guy seems so harmless.

"Look—"

"Zero," she cuts him off, eyes locked on me. "You can't trust him."

I turn my gaze to him. He looks worth trusting. But the hate and underlying fear in Zoe's voice... in her eyes, it's not being faked. I'm at a loss. I've not a clue what to do, who to trust. I wish I knew. I wish I remembered him.

"Amelia," he cuts in. "You can trust me." He ignores Zoe's scoff. "If I were going to give you up, I could have already done it," he says. "At least five times over."

I look at Zoe, she's still begging me to understand something.

"He's right," I tell her. "And it's not like I exactly trust you either."

"You don't understand what he's done. He killed someone, Zero."

"So have I," I can't help but point out my own list of bodies.

She narrows her eyes on him.

"Not like him. It would be like you aiming the gun at Hunter and pulling the trigger."

"I've told you before, Zoe," he says, his voice cracking at her name. "I didn't do it. I didn't kill Julian."

"You might as well—"

"We don't have time for this." Finally they start walking, though Zoe's constant aggravated sighs are reminder that she's not ok with Bryan tagging along. I don't really care. She doesn't have to stay with us. I'm getting her out of here and then we can part ways. Then I hope we part ways. Bryan mentioned that he's not even coming with, so at least I won't have to deal with their bickering for a while. We get to the central meeting point, but there's no sign of my friend.

"Where is he?" I mumble to myself, tapping my fingers against the denim of my jeans.

"He's running behind," Bryan says. He opens his mouth to say more – to suggest that we leave Hunter behind, probably in the same way he left me behind. Shouting cuts him off. We all perk up, listening for the direction of the sound. My stomach free falls in an infinite abyss when I realize the shouts are commotion is coming from the same direction Hunter is.

I start to move forward, toward the noise, needing to see him. To help him. Bryan grabs onto my wrist and prevents me from going any further.

"We need to go now."

"Let. Go. Of. Me," I say slowly. I glare at him even though we're in shadows and it's too dark for him to see, I'm sure he can feel it. I'm not above kicking his ass.

"I can't do that," he says with more bravado than I thought possible. "Amelia," he pleads. "We can't go back for him. They're coming this way and if we don't more forward we're going to be caught. You have the medicine for your friend."

He's right. I hate that he's right. But I can't seem to will my feet to move. We could have – should have just left. Without Zoe. Without her sister.