Fire With Fire.

40.

I hear him gasp awake, and I take a deep breath before looking over at him. He groans, and I leave the sink to approach him. He gets up in a hurry, stumbling aggressively over the throw pillows scattered everywhere, frantically crashing into the toilet. I hear him retch, and rush to him.

"Hayden-"

"Don't come in here-" he tries, before hurling into the bowl again.

"Fuck.." he coughs, flushing and leaning back.

"You're still bleeding," I say, crouching next to him, examining his bruised face and bleeding eyebrow, covered in a thin layer of sweat.

"Stop." He sighs, looking away. He struggles to stand, shuffling out of the bathroom. My heart tightens in my chest, a lump forming in my throat.

"You cleaned." He says when I walk into the living room.

"I had time."

He pops two ibuprofens, wincing when the water hits the cut on his lip.

"Sit down. Let me clean that up."

"I'm fine, you should go home."

I scoff, tears forming in my eyes.

"What happened to 'I'll be by your side no matter what', huh? Easier said than done? Did it get too real for you, Hayden?!" I shout, my fists in tight balls, I feel my nails dig into my palm. 

"No, I'm fine, I just think we've both had a long-"

"Bullshit! You fucking regret it, you said it yourself. Do you not want this anymore?" I start sobbing, and all he does is sigh.

Without another word, I grab my keys and leave, getting a clear answer when he doesn't bother coming after me.

. . .

The week goes by excruciatingly slow. My parents decided it was best to sweep all our problems under a big rug of bullshit, basically pretending Hayden never even existed at this point. In a way, it was like he didn't. I hadn't seen or heard from him at all since. I was past being sad about it — I was angry now. But I knew showing up at his doorstep, pounding on his door screaming like a crazy person wasn't gonna get me anywhere if he didn't want me anymore. There would be no point.

So instead, I switched my phone off, stuffed it in the pit of my backpack and gave my mom a small smile — which she barely returned — before leaving the car.

"I'll pick you up here at 4 sharp." She says before I got too far away. I nod, and brace myself for the day.

School hasn't been the easiest. Kate ignored me, Truitt taunted me and I ate lunch in the basketball court.

But when Kate walked through the doors of the gym, my heart quickened for the first time in a while. I offer her a small smile, but she simply sits down next to me.

"How've you been?" She breaks the silence, and I nod.

"Peachy." I say bitterly, sighing.

"Kate...I don't know what I did to make you ignore me like that-"

"Right." She scoffs, and I furrow my brows at her.

"Well then enlighten me. What did I do?"

"Oh please, Zoey! The secrets? The lies? Don't act so innocent!"

"You sound like my parents-"

"Ah, yes, your parents. How are they? You know, after finding out their daughter's a slut?"

I gasp, anger brewing in my chest as I realise it.

"It was you?" I stand, and she follows.

"You had Truitt, but of course, of course you wanted more!" She laughs sarcastically, and I'm close to slapping her.

"I never cheated on Truitt-"

"He's your uncle!"

"No he's not! And it's none of your fucking business who I choose to be with, Kate! It's nobodies! Do you have any idea how much you fucked with all our lives?!"

"Serves you right. Truitt treated you like a queen."

I scoff, my cheeks heating up in rage.

"You don't know anything. If you like him so much, why don't you be with him, see what it's like."

"Oh, trust me, I have."

Without thinking, my hand flies across her face, the sharp sound echoing through the empty gym.

She stares at me in shock, tears escaping her eyes.

"Fuck you, Kate." I say, walking away from her.

"You know, I was gonna apologise, but you don't fucking deserve it! You whore!"

I flip her off while walking away, not bothering to turn around.

I ditch school, getting a cab. I didn't care if he wanted to or not, but I needed to see him.

I need closure.