abuse | zd

fourteen

|a week or so later|

|alissa|

i giggled at the movie playing in front of zach and i, allowing myself to sink a bit further into his pillows. we'd been in bed watching movies all day, which was perfect for a sunday, in my opinion.

his arm found its way around my shoulders, providing a warmth i was unaware i wanted. i smiled at the gesture, leaning my head into him and toying with his fingers on the other side of me.

zach had become a constant in my ever-varying life recently. we'd spent every moment we could spare together over the last few months. he'd been a rock for me, holding me up through some of the worst moments as i spoke to police and detectives and my parents. i would never be able to repay him for that.

i glanced up through my eyelashes, and noticed zach looking down at me. "what?" i questioned, leaning up and propping myself on my elbow.

"you just look good," he smiled as he spoke, and i felt my cheeks become hot.

he leaned down, pressing a soft kiss on my lips. i smiled into it, stealing more than just one kiss. he shifted his weight, now propping himself up with his elbow, and laying me down on my back. one of my hands met his cheek, cupping it and rubbing my thumb against his temple.

he moved to hover over me, and i immediately went from pure bliss to feeling as though i couldn't breathe. in flashes, i could see bryce on top of me, pinning my arms into his mattress and holding me still. i could feel his breath against my face as he used me.

my heart rate increased, and i squeezed my eyes shut, pulling my lips away from zach's as i turned my head to the side.

"alissa?" he said softly, moving to sit beside me. i struggled to breathe as i pushed him away, standing from the bed and pulling at my hair, my eyes still squeezed shut. "alissa, it's okay," i sat on the edge of the bed as zach spoke, and he moved to sit beside me. he kept his distance, not wanting to scare me. "just breathe, liss, i'm right here."

i managed to catch my breath, and wiped away the tears that'd welled at my eyes. "i'm sorry," i croaked, embarrassed.

"no need to apologize, baby, it's my fault." i felt his hand fall onto my shoulder, rubbing down my back and then back up.

"i don't know what that was," i shook my head, standing from my spot.

"i do," he stood with me, "and it's okay."

i smiled softly, moving my gaze to the floor. "i guess i'm just not rea-"

"it's okay, alissa. you don't need to explain yourself to me- i understand." he interrupted me.

i wrapped my arms around his neck, and he hugged me back, holding me tightly.

"thank you, zach. for everything," i sighed.

he planted a kiss on my forehead before resting his chin on top of my head. "you don't need to thank me."

|edited 03/08/2020|