Whatever he was about to say is wiped straight from his mind the second he turns the corner and his eyes meet mine. He looks down at where Blade's arm is wrapped around me, and I lean further into the touch. The same look I saw earlier appears on his face, but it's quickly masked.
“Amelia,” he breathes, trying to stay calm. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
I shake my head. “No thanks.”
He glances at Blade and then back at me. “Please.”
I'm about to turn him down again, since I have no desire to hear anything he has to say, but Blade pats my hip twice and removes his arm.
“It's fine, babe,” he says confidently. “Go ahead.”
I sigh but nod. There are probably a few things I should get off my chest before I completely explode. I arch up on my tip-toes to press my lips to his before turning around and walking out the door. Zayn passes me and goes all the way down the steps and over to his motorcycle.
“Get on,” he demands, with his helmet outstretched to me.
“No.”
His grip tightens so much, his knuckles turn white from the pressure, and I almost think the plastic is going to snap. “I told you, you need to stay away from him. Why can't you just listen to me for once?”
A dry laugh echoes out of my mouth. “You've given me no reason to!”
“Because I can't!” he shouts, then drops his tone after glancing at the house. “You are so far out of his league. Don't you realize that? He's no good for you.”
“And who is? You?”
He shakes his head. “No. Not even me.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Well, I don't care. I like him, Zayn.”
“You don't even know him!” he argues. “Why are you being like this? This isn't the Amelia I know.”
My eyes roll so far in the back of my head I can almost see my brain. “The Amelia you know is boring. I am so tired of being the good girl. The ideal student. The perfect daughter. God forbid I take a step out of line. I'm over it. I want to have fun.”
“And you think being with someone like him is going to be fun for you?”
The corner of my mouth raises into a devious smirk as I look him up and down. “He's willing to give me everything you weren't.”
My words hit their intended target because he winces, but I'm not willing to hear anything he has to say about it.
“Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a boyfriend waiting for me inside.”
I don't even turn all the way around before he throws the helmet on the ground and rushes toward me. His hands grip my face, and he presses his lips to mine in a desperate kiss. The feel of his mouth moving against my own again renders me defenseless for a second, and I start to kiss back, until I realize exactly what he's doing.
I put my hands on his chest and push him away. Before he
can say a word, I slap him harshly across the face. The sound of the assault fills the silence around us.
“Meelz,” he pleads.
“No!” I yell, taking a step back. “You're doing it again! You don't want me, you just don't want anyone else to have me. So, take your jealousy and your selfish ass attitude, and get out of my way. I'm done with this.”
His jaw locks as he watches me, but I keep my head held high. There's no way I'm backing down from this. Especially not after that. He doesn't get to fuck with my emotions like this. It's not fair.
Finally, he must realize there's no winning this one, because he mutters profanities under his breath as he picks up the helmet and shoves it on his head. I watch as he climbs onto the motorcycle. The engine roars to life, and he wastes no time as he peels out and takes off down the road.
Good riddance.
The lake is soothing at night, with the moon glistening off the water. I pick up a thin rock by my side and whip it. It skips across a few times before finally sinking. That's exactly what I feel like lately. Like I'm drowning.