His Name Is Trouble

22. Lover.

Chapter 22: Lover.

Brandon left me two hours ago to tend to another emergency. It feels like I came here by myself.

I'm sitting at our table, bored out of my mind.

"Where's your lover boy?" I hear Zachary ask from behind me.

I don't reply to him.

"Ah, good old silence." He says taking a seat beside me.

I still don't say anything to him.

I just grab my purse and I walk away. I need to get away from here. I walk out of the tent and I start walking towards the gate of the garden. I hear feet shuffling behind me and I know that that bozo is following me. I keep on walking until I walk out of the gate.

"You know I'll just keep on following you right." He says behind me.

I stop in my tracks.

"Why won't you leave me alone. I just want to get rid of you." I tell him frustrated.

"Because it's not that easy." He says smirking at me.

"Don't you have a pregnant girlfriend to get back to?" I ask him.

"I don't have a girlfriend." He says, clenching his jaw.

"So, Stephanie is what?" I ask him, folding my arms.

"A girl that just happens to be carrying my child. I feel nothing for her, Vee. I love you." Zachary says with his hand in his pocket.

Why do I feel like I've heard this before?

"Don't believe him, Valarie." tell myself.

"That's the problem." I whine.

"What is? Me loving you is a problem?" Zachary asks me.

"Yes, a big one. You may love me Zachary, whatever that means. But you're not in love with me." I tell him as I start tearing up, thinking of the things this boy had done to me.
"You know nothing about love because if you did you wouldn't be doing the things you're doing to me right now."

"Do you know how many nights I've thought of you? Do you know how many times I've dreamt of you? Vee, it's always been you. You've been second-guessing my love for you from the start. All I've ever done is love you." He says cupping my cheeks.

I try to speak but no words come out. This boy has been thinking of me. I find that hard to believe.

"And I know it's hard to believe." He adds.

Yeah, it is, Zachary.

"But you're the only one I'll ever give my heart to. There's no one else for me but you." Zachary says with a smile on his face.

"Then why do you treat me like crap? You trample on my heart every time I give it to you." I tell him
"My love is not something you take, it's given. You need to get your shit together." I add.

"I'm done playing games, Vee. I want you." He says and his words register in my mind.

"You want me?" I ask him.

"Yes. And that's why..." He pauses as he takes a black box from his pocket.
"I want to marry you." He says, opening the black box to reveal a heart-shaped diamond ring.

Is this boy high?

"Stop it." I tell him.

"Stop what? I'm serious. I want to marry you." He says with a smirk.

"I'm only eighteen." I whisper.

"Why are you whispering? You're at the legal age to get married and even vote." He says in a 'duh' tone.

"I know that but we're still in high school." I tell him.

"Point of correction, we're done with high school. Prom is next week." He points out.

"Still, we're far too young." I tell him, touching his face.

"So? This is young love. We can run away right now. We're in Mexico no one's going to catch us." Zachary tells me.

"You're crazy." I tell him, giggling uncontrollably.

"About you." He adds.

I roll my eyes at how forward he's being.

"So, what if I say yes?" I ask him.

"There's a priest waiting on the deck of a cruise ship. We sneak out before the crack of dawn and we seal our vows with a kiss, just before sunrise." He tells me and I burst into laughter.

"Crazy." I say, touching his forehead.

"But really though, I want you to be my girlfriend." He says staring into my eyes.

What I've been waiting to hear. I've dreamed of hearing these words again since I moved back to Langston.

"I thought you'd never ask." I tell him, with a smile on my face.

"Actually, I didn't ask, I made a statement." He says and I glare at him.
"But we'll have it your way." He says before he slips the ring through my left finger on my left hand.

"Mine." He mutters into my ear.

I hug Zachary and he puts his arm around me. I am about to snuggle into his chest when I see Brandon approaching us.

"Uh oh." I whisper to myself

"What's wrong?" Zachary asks me.

"Your cousin is heading this way." I tell him, freaking out on the inside.

"Screw him." Zachary says and I whimper.

"Um, I kinda kissed him...like twice." I reveal.

"You did what?" Zachary asks me.

"He initiated it." I say, trying to defend myself.

"Hey, Valarie." I hear Brandon call out for me.

I try to pull away from Zachary and he tightens his grip on me.

"C'mon Zachary." I say, staring at him.

"Nope." He replies, pulling me closer.

I hear footsteps approaching us and I just stay in place.

"Yo, Zach, why do you have my girl in your arms?" He asks Zachary.

My back is to him so I can't see his face.

"She's mine now. Hell, she's always been." Zachary informs him.

"Valarie..." I hear Brandon say before I feel his cold hands pulling me away from Zachary.

"Ouch, don't break my arm." I joke.

"What's going on?" He asks, looking into my eyes.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. Zachary is my ex-boyfriend and we just kinda, sorta, might have, gotten back together." I tell Brandon and his head hangs low.

"Hey, don't act like we were in love. You've only known me for three days." I joke.

"It's fine." He says with a smirk.

"Glad everything's back to normal." Zachary says behind me before he wraps his arms around me again.

"I'll get back now. Take care of her lil cousin" Brandon jokes.

Zachary is obviously older.

Brandon walks away, kicking little rocks as he heads back to the wedding.

"It's just us now. What do you want to do" Zachary mutters into my ear.

"Maybe we should head back to your hotel room." I suggest.

"Great idea." Zachary says, smirking at me.

"Nothing's going to happen, so you can wipe that stupid smirk off your face." I tell him and he laughs softly.