Close as Strangers | Why Don't We {ON HOLD}

0.7

"Zachary," Lilia shouts somewhat quietly. Jack and she had just entered Sephora per Zach's request. Zach looks up from staring at something, that he has no idea how to use, before motioning the duo over. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"I need your help," Zach replies, fumbling through random shit in front of him. Lilia holds back her sarcastic retort.

"With what? You're literally going to break everything, oh my god," She mumbles, forcing Zach's fingers off of the makeup in his hands.

"I'm fixing everything," Zach replies causing Lilia's brows to shoot up to her hairline. "Kay and I broke up and I'm gonna get Em back."

"She doesn't like being called that," Lilia says while trying to process his words. "Are you high?"

"What? no," Zach shakes his head, walking away from the couple who follow him. "I don't know what she doesn't have and I want to get her something."

"You... you want to buy her love?" She asks incredulously. Zach stops in his tracks, spinning around to face the older, but shorter, girl.

"No but I want her and I don't know what I'm doing," Zach replies, his shoulders sagging. "I know you don't want to, but please help me."

"Hold on, I am so confused," She mumbles, her brows furrowed. She looks back to Jack who just shrugs when she sends him a questioning glance. "What happened?"

"Let's go outside and I'll tell you," Zach sighs, leading the way out of the store. He literally hadn't picked anything during the whole hour he was staring at the makeup. He leads them to a little sitting area and sits down. Lilia and Jack sit next to each other, across from Zach.

"Explain," Lilia bluntly mutters, glaring at the boy who uncomfortably shifts in his seat.

"Um well, you see, I might have explained my shitty reasoning for blocking you guys out and we fought. Kay broke up with me because she saw how much I love Em and now I'm trying to think of ways to make up for what I did and I'm drawing a blank," Zach explains while fiddling with the rings adorning his fingers. Lilia sits for a minute, letting his words really set in before refraining from punching him.

"Okay, just know I am very tempted to punch you in the fucking face," Lilia starts after taking a couple of deep breaths. "I want to know your reasoning on cutting us off. I will help you only because I want my best friend Emily Hope Matthews back, not whoever has been there since you left."

"Alright, basically I didn't want to put you guys through the distance. I know it's a shitty excuse but I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought that if things just ended on a somewhat happy note, no one would get hurt but I was very wrong. Just know that I've regretted my decision every day but was too scared to reach out to you guys. I know you hate me so I thought if I just distracted myself, then I'd soon forget about you guys," Zach says in one breath. "Obviously I was stupid and wrong and shouldn't be allowed to make my own decisions."

"That's why we made most of your decisions back in Texas," Lilia sighs, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "You're a fucking dumbass. Let's go, I'll help you pick out a couple of things and then you're fixing my best friend or I will run you over with a school bus."

"Why a school bus?" Jack laughs while standing up. Lilia shrugs before motioning the boys to follow her back into Sephora.

Meanwhile, Emily was trying her absolute fucking hardest to distract herself and not flip shit. She really wishes she didn't come to LA. She wishes she could let go of her feelings for Zach and just forget about him entirely. Unfortunately, her heart and brain don't really communicate well so she's kind of completely stuck.