Your End in Mine

《 chapter five 》

"Do you need anything important from your house?" Zachary asked. "I could drive you back and you can pack up some stuff. Unless your parents are home."

"Guardian," I corrected absentmindedly as I looked through my backpack. "And it's fine, I have everything I need. Except for a change of clothes, really."

I hadn't even really put much thought into it before saying guardian. Christie didn't like being called a mother. I had called her mom once and she just laughed nervously and told me that 'Christie' was just fine.

I realized then I would never have a mother again. I learned to be okay with that and ever since then, I referred to her by her name, or as my guardian.

"What happened with your parents?" Zachary asked.

"Um." I looked up at him. "Dad left before I was born. My mother... um, she put me into the foster system when I was 6." I didn't feel deserving of his pity, because he had a much worse fate, so said, "She was a good mom though."

"So you've lived with a guardian since you were 6?" Zachary asked.

"Yeah. Christie. She takes good care of me."

"Wouldn't she notice your absence?" He asked again.

"No she... she's great, but she doesn't... it's not..." I trailed off.

It's not love.

"She'll be fine with it. I'll send her a message about... boarding school or staying with a friend or something," I mumbled.

Zachary, thankfully, seemed to understand. "I'm going to bring you to an available room."

The room is spacious and empty, with a bed, a table set and a room leading to a toilet. "Someone will bring you clothes," He announced. "I'll assign someone to come and give you a tour."

I opened my mouth, wanting to ask, why can't you?

But his eyes said enough. They were like little warning signs. He didn't want anything with me.

Before I could notice, he had picked up my still unzipped bag. I watched in slow motion as my notebook fell out. He reached down for it and dread filled me when—

He flipped it open. "What's this?"

I just gaped at him. "Um."

"38. Diana Allworth. Because I was too clingy." Zachary's eyebrows shot up and heat filled my face. "39. James Everson. Same reason as above. 40. Jillian. Same reason as above. 41. Anson Woods. Because her girlfriend didn't like me. Because I was... too clingy."

Yeah... I wasn't joking when I said a lot of them left me due to desperation.

Zachary skimmed through the rest and looked back at me. I was fiercely blushing and vigorously avoiding his eyes.

"You know... keeping a book with how your friendships end is probably the main reason why so many of them ended because of your clinginess..." He continued flipping. I cringed as he finally stopped at one page. "Zachary Weston. Finally." He met my eyes. "What does that mean?"

I swallowed. "Please... just give it back, please," I just said softly.

Silently, he passed the book back. Realizing he must have crossed some sort of invisible line, his voice came in a professional tone. "Anna will come show you the place."

I nodded wordlessly and he left.

I flipped to the page with his name and erased it.

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