: Since I've had some questions about this, this is not the last chapter. There are two more to go.
• • • • •
'Cause I knew you were trouble when you walked in,
So shame on me now.
Flew me to places I'd never been,
'Til you put me down, oh.
- I knew You Were Trouble By Taylor Swift
~*~
"Oh, my god!"
This time, the voice was closer, so much closer that Jace and I hastily jumped away from each other, looking around for the source of the voice.
I stared at the newly-arrived member in shock, my cheeks burning bright red. My heart started beating even faster if that was humanly possible.
Lizzie's eyes were wide, filled with a pang of betrayal. Her eyebrows had shot up and mouth was wide open. She was midway through the door, having paused on the way in.
"Hey, Lizzie." Jace waved embarrassedly at her, his cheeks almost as red as mine.
I glared at him and mouthed, "Don't say anything." Turning to Lizzie with a bright smile, I said, "Hey, Liz. What's up?"
Bad move, Cath. Bad move.
Lizzie wide eyes now narrowed down to slits, her previously open mouth pressed into a thin line.
She glared at me -- to put it simply. The wave of emotions in her eyes shifted from anger to betrayal, to confusion.
"I'll stop by later," she said, turning her face away from me. Before she could reach the door. however, I stood up quickly and grabbed her hand.
"Please, Liz, I can explain," I said, looking at her with pleading eyes. "I -- "
"I'll see you later," she said, yanking her hand away from mine. Without another word, she spun around and trotted away from the room and slammed the door with a bang.
"That was fun," Jace commented, his tone completely neutral.
I turned to look at him, my hands shaking slightly. We stared at each other for a while, both of us trying to process the happenings of the last few minutes.
"I have to go." Jace stood up and walked towards the door, his face devoid of emotion.
He was halfway across the room when he stopped, pausing for a moment. Then, he retraced his steps and walked towards me, taking long but hesitant strides.
I stared at his deep-blue eyes which were filled with confusion and hesitation. Before I could change my mind, I stood on my toes and kissed his cheek quickly.
But before I could open my mouth to speak, he was gone, like a flash of lightning.
• • • • •
I called her phone for the millionth time that day, hoping that she'd get tired of them and pick up. However, again for the millionth time, it went straight to voicemail.
When I'd gone to her house to apologize to her face-to-face, her mom said that she was busy. Well, according to me, that was the worst lie ever. Until that day, Lizzie had never been too busy to see me.
So, instead, I decided to text her.
"Lizzie, I'm really sorry about what happened today. It was out of impulse and I wasn't thinking straight. I feel so guilty right now and I really want to talk to you. Please call me, or at least let me inside your house."
I sighed, placing my phone on the bedside table and jumping onto the couch. I switched on the television, hoping there was something on with could take my mind off everything.
The second I switched on the TV, however, the doorbell rang, louder than ever.
A minute later, I could hear my mom screaming, "Honey, it's your friend, Zachary."
I didn't know if I could call him my friend, not after everything which had happened. Not unless he gives me some answers, at least.
"Let him in," I called, far too tired to get up.
"Hey," Zach said, emerging into the living room a second later. "You called me here?"
He looked nervous; he kept running his hands through his hair and his voice shook slightly. But, being the person I am, I noticed his eyes first, which was swirling with a whirlpool of questions.
"I know that you're not 'Mystery Boy'," I said bluntly, cutting to the chase. "I'm sorry for treating you badly for the last few days."
The look on Zach's face was beyond astonishing. His eyebrows shot right up, and his chocolate brown eyes widened in apparent surprise.
I paused, preparing myself for the long speech which was about to tumble from my mouth. I analyzed my words inside my head before opening my mouth to speak again.
"Why did you lie, Zach?" When I realized that my tone had come out harsh, I let out a laugh and shook my head. "Sorry, who did you lie for?"
He remained speechless, his open mouth closing abruptly. He took his time to answer, which made me ground my teeth in frustration.
The reason for which I wasn't screaming already was simple -- I needed answers. And the only way to get them was to be polite, and understanding, not to mention patient.
However, my patience was slowly wearing out, leaving behind a small girl waiting for an explanation.
"I assume you know this already, but Jace was the one who ran out on you."
At that moment, I would have done anything to take his words back. Reverse time, crop out the past, anything.
The second the words left his mouth, my heart stopped, Literally, for a couple of seconds. Then, the beat increased ten-fold. as if to make up for the lost time.
I stared at Zach with wide eyes, for minutes unknown. When my heart finally started slowing down, it sunk deep down in my chest twisted into a knot, too tight for me to unravel. Betrayal hit me with a pang, as sharp as a pointed knife.
"On second thoughts, it looks like you didn't know that," Zach muttered, casting his eyes on the floor.
I wanted to scream, "No I didn't!" Or, "Yeah, no shit!" But, deep down, I knew it already.
I'd already known half the story and Zach had handed me the missing pieces, the remaining parts of the puzzle.
It all fit to reveal the final picture.
"Why did you cover for him?" I asked softly, my eyes flitting up to meet his. "Why did you lie, Zach?"
This time, he did not take long to reply. "I think you need to talk to Jace about this."
• • • • • • • • • •
Ah, well. I guess most of you knew this already so, Yay! We're close to the ending, only two more chapters to go. Eek!
So, how do you like the story till now? Are you enjoying it, or nah?
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See y'all soon!
