Homewrecker With A Heart Of Gold (Patrick Stump FanFic ft. Zack Merrick)

Chapter 13

-Patrick's POV-

My eyes fluttered open and I was immediately blinded by the light shining through my window, giving me a headache almost instantaneously. I groaned and flipped my body over, burying my face into the sheets.

I lied there for a minute or two before lifting my head up and squinting my eyes, trying to see what time it was. My efforts proved fruitless, though, my blurry vision only getting worse. I sighed in frustration and extended my hand out, grabbing my glasses off of the nightstand and struggling to slip them on my face. Once I got them in place, I blinked a few times before reading 11:26, the small dot on the face of the digital clock missing - indicating that it was morning.

A moan slipped past my lips as I pulled myself up, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed and putting my head in my hands, my fingers and palms covering my face.

I could barely recollect what had happened last night. I knew I went out for drinks with Zack, but I didn't recall what we talked about, or what we did. I also remembered seeing Elisa, but I didn't know when and where.

I hated getting this drunk, I really did. I didn't do it often, but when I did, I couldn't stand the repercussions - a night I would never remember and a headache that would last me all day.

Just then, the doorbell rang, its sound echoing throughout the house I was alone in. I lifted my head up and heaved an annoyed sigh, rising to my feet and trudging out of the room and into the hallway, down the stairs, and to the front door. I swayed back and forth, trying to balance myself, before gripping the knob and opening the door.

"Gwen," I muttered, surprised to see her.

She didn't say anything before shortening the distance between her and me and grabbing me by the shirt, connecting her lips with mine. I didn't have enough time to react and kiss her back before she pulled away and rested her forehead against mine.

"W-What's going on?" I stammered, our quick breaths intertwining with one another's.

"I need you to remind me that...that you're the one I want to be with," She stuttered, bringing a hand up and running her fingers through my already messy hair.

My eyebrows furrowed together and I stepped away from her, staring at her cautiously. "Why do you need me to remind you?"

"Because Zack...he's...oh my god, Patrick. I can't even begin to tell you what he said to me last night, what he did."

"What did he do?" I inquired, instant worry washing over me. She'd told me about things he'd done before to her, but I'd never seen her so shaken up.

She sniffled, tears wavering in her eyes. "Well he...he came home drunk, you see? And...And he was so wasted that...that I don't think he meant anything that he was saying. But what he said was awful. He...He told me that he wish he never dated me, and that he wish Chase had never been born. He told me I ruined his life, and...and then..." She choked on a sob. "...and then he hit me, Patrick, he hit me! Right in front of Chase!"

"Oh my god, Gwen," I muttered, bringing my hands up and cupping her cheeks in my hands, "I'm so-" I cut myself short when I remembered what Zack had said to me last night.

...She's a liar...A compulsive one, too...

I retracted my hands and brought them down to my sides, taking a step away from her.

...She says whatever she has to to get what she wants...

"You're so what?" She asked.

"I'm so done falling for your shit!" I snapped at her, causing Gwen to jump back, her eyes growing wide.

"W-What do you mean?" She stammered, giving me a confused look.

"I mean I'm done being another stupid fool to fall for your lies, Gwen," I growled at her, pushing through my hangover to do what needed to be done, "Zack told me what you do - how you tell people how bad yours and Zack's relationship is when everything's just fine. The only reason it's not fine is because you cheat on him all the time!"

"Patrick, what the hell are you talking about?"

I scoffed. "Oh, stop being so childish, Gwen." Her face dropped. I'd never used our age difference to my advantage before. Sure, it wasn't that great of one - only five years - but it was enough of a difference to point out her immaturity. "You lied to me. Everything you told me - how he beats you, how he yells at you, how he doesn't want to be there for you and Chase - it's all been a lie. And I believed you. I honestly believed you."

"Pat..." She took a step forward, extending her hand out to place on my upper arm. However, I took a step back, denying her the small act of intimacy.

"Don't 'Pat' me, Gwen. You don't deserve to call me that. You never did."

"Let me explain!" She cried, abandoning her attempts to keep me in her web of lies. I shot her a hard stare, maintaining the distance between her and me. She ran a hand through her blonde hair and let out a long sigh. "Patrick, I'm miserable with Zack. I really am. I have been ever since we had Chase. I just don't...the spark that we used to have isn't there anymore."

"Are you sure? Because with that way Zack made it seem, when he comes home, it's as if he never left," I responded coldly, crossing my arms over my chest, "You love him, Gwen, admit it." The girl I'd been seeing in secrecy for nearly two years tilted her head down, refusing to say the words I wanted to hear; the words she didn't want to hear.

"Just say it," I urged, stepping closer to her, "The only reason you stay with him isn't because of Chase. It's because you don't want to leave him, because you want to have the best of both worlds - a husband who will do anything for you and your son, and a guy on the side to keep you happy when he's not home. Well guess what, Gwen? That's not how it works. You can't have the best of both worlds, not when you've got this around your finger." I grabbed her left hand and brought it up to her face, showing her the ring she kept on when we were together. I tossed her hand back down and shook my head. "What did you think was going to happen?"

Her soft pink lips parted, as if she was preparing to give me a response, but no words came out. She just stared at me, speechless.

I heaved a guilty sigh, feeling bad for saying what I was saying. I didn't like being the tough guy; I hated making people upset. But this couldn't go on anymore, as much as I wanted it to. It was wrong, it always was, but I was entranced by the show Gwen put on, the show, a scripted piece of fiction that she put on over and over again, luring in new people every time.

"I think it's time you leave, Gwen," I murmured, a heavy weight falling upon my chest, "You don't belong here."

"Patrick, please," She croaked, tears wavering in her eyes, "Don't do this to me. We were going to leave together. We were going to be happy."

"That was before I knew the truth," I explained, swallowing the lump that was staring to form in my throat, "But you need to go. We're done here."

"Patrick..."

"Go!" I yelled. Zack's wife shook her head and spun around, leaving my house and slamming the door behind her. I bit my lip as I tried to hold back the tears that wanted to spill from my eyes.

...Gwen's not the girl you think she is, Patrick...