23| Family Affairs

After the school, Zoey and Zachary went to her favourite burger spot for the lunch. It was their ritual; to have lunch together at least once a week. Although all of them were very close, Zoey felt most at peace with Zachary because he understood her better than everyone.

"So, how is life these days?" He asked, as if they don't see each other almost every day.

"Boring." She said.

"Want me to introduce you to someone to bring some sparks in your life?" Zachary raised his eyebrows and Zoey shook her head.

"No thanks. I am already fed up of guys. They are either pervy assholes or rude jerks." She said, rolling her eyes at the reminder of how Travis left last night. Huffing slightly, she took a bite of her cheeseburger; the taste urging her to close her eyes and moan like those TV commercials.

Zachary propped his elbows on the table and said, "Lucky for you, I am neither pervy nor rude."

At this, she leaned her head back slightly and chuckled. "Keep flirting and maybe, some day, I'll give in."

"I won't be available forever." Zachary teased but there was something else in his voice; a warning maybe; a desire to be taken seriously.

"Well, if we are single by the time we are forty, we can get married." She grinned.

"Don't go all Ted Mosby on my ass. I am not waiting that long." He said and took a sip of his coke.

"We will see." She winked and then finished the last of her burger.

"Let's go." Zachary paid the bill and then they both made their way to his new car that his father had recently gifted him.

"I miss the limo." Zoey said, sitting inside.

"Me too. This one was just a bribe by Dad to act like the perfect boy in front of his guests." Zachary said in an annoyed voice.

"At least Uncle Daniel doesn't ask you to hide yourself in front of his guests, so that you don't end up humiliating him." She muttered angrily.

"Such role models we have." He said and revved the engine, starting the car.

Zoey looked out through the window glass. The weather was enjoyable today; not too hot, not too cold. There were small clouds covering the sky, creating a peaceful atmosphere. She had planned to go to beach initially but then his father told her to be at home as he wanted to talk about something.

"Where are we going?" She asked when she noticed that they weren't going towards her house.

"I have to stop at Maya's store. I need to borrow her notes." He said.

"You seem quite cosy with her these days." Zoey teased.

"She isn't my type and you know that." Zachary said, smirking.

"What is your type then? Blaire Willow?" Zoey asked.

"You." He winked and Zoey heaved a long sigh.

"Keep your eyes on the road." She replied and once again, started looking out of the window.

The drive ended soon and they found themselves outside the super store. Zachary went inside first while Zoey followed him, only to find Travis standing at the counter.

"Where is Maya?" Zachary asked.

"In the grocery section." He said and motioned towards that aisle.

After Zachary had left, Zoey made her way to Travis and rested her hands on the counter. He looked really boyish in the white hoodie he was wearing, the hood covering his forehead. Some of his brown locks were peeking out and covering his eyes, making him look like a cute bunny.

"Do you need anything?" He asked, rearranging the things on the main shelves.

Zoey wasn't planning on buying anything but just to irk him, she looked around and her eyes settled on the packet of condoms. "How much for the whole box?" She asked, motioning towards them.

Travis' eyes widened at first and a slight pinkish hue crept up his cheeks. "11 dollars." He said, clearing his throat. "Which one?" He shifted on his feet uncomfortably and pointed at all five varieties.

"Which one do you recommend?" Zoey asked, leaning towards him, fighting the smirk that was appearing on her face.

"Um... I... Um..." He gulped nervously. "Most people buy the r... ribbed one." He said, pulling out the green box.

Zoey assessed his situation for a moment, suppressing the urge to pinch his cheeks. "I am messing with you, Anderson." She admitted at last.

His nose scrunched up at this. "So you don't need them?"

"No." She shook her head and then added a wink. "I have enough in my drawer."

"Good for you." Travis muttered under his breath and moved back to the counter.

"So when are we going to work on the character analysis?" She asked, leaning against the counter.

"I can come by tonight." He said.

"Only if you promise you won't disappear into thin air this time." Zoey said, reminding him about how he had ran out of her house last night.

"It won't happen again." He said, taking a long sigh.

"It better not." She said and then turned around to leave when she found Zachary coming towards them. "By the way, you look cute in white."

After she had left, a smile lingered on Travis' lips for the rest of his shift.

••••••••••

It was almost 8 in the evening when Travis came to Zoey's house to study. She invited him to her room and Travis sat on the farthest corner of the bed to avoid repeating what happened yesterday. They both decided to not involve in another bickering and kept their focus wholly on the work as they were already quite behind.

It was about 9 and they had finished most of their work for this week's assignment when suddenly, a voice roared from downstairs and they both jerked up.

"Zoey! Zoey!" The voice belonged to Richard Crawford.

Asking Travis to wait for her, she silently made her way out of the room, down to the lounge. When her eyes fell on her father, she braced herself because Richard Crawford looked beyond pissed; he looked murderous.

"Where the hell were you last night?" He asked and Zoey shifted in her position. Last night, she had went to a club with an old friend of hers and she might have drunk some alcohol.

"I was at home." She lied.

"Really?" His brown eyes widened with rage.

"Yep." She faked confidence.

"Then how will you explain it?" He chuckled a piece of newspaper at her rudely. There was a picture of her, glued to a middle-aged man, dancing in the middle of the floor. She looked heavily drunk while the hands of that creepy man were resting on her hips.

"I... I was...."

"You know who this man is?" He shouted at her and she shook her head in no. "He is a competitor of mine and you were whoring yourself in front of him." He said and she flinched at his tone.

"I didn't know." Zoey whispered slowly.

"Do you have any idea how much embarassment I had to face in my office because of your stupid act?" He shouted.

"I am sorry Dad but I can't change what happened last night so there is no point in shouting." She said and a vein in Richard's neck popped out.

"You...." He groaned, as if stopping himself from pulling his hair out. "Since the day Layla left, you have been nothing but a pain in my ass."

Zoey looked around, all the maids and servants staring at both of them, wondering how to stop him. Zoey lowered her head, staring at the marbled floor with a blank face.

"She is out there enjoying with her boyfriend and here I am, stuck controlling a rebellious troublemaker who just ruins everything." He yelled and tears prick the back of her eyeballs.

"Sir, please. She is just a child." Rose said in a whisper from a corner.

"No, she is not a child. She is fucking 18 for God's sake." Richard grumbled, running his fingers through his hair. "And I guess it's all my fault. I was the idiot who fought for your custody. I should have let you go with her."

Zoey kept her eyes on the floor, her body numb. Her eyes were filling with moisture but she didn't want to give this pathetic excuse of a father the satisfaction of seeing her tears.

"You should have. It would have been better for all of us." Zoey said and the next moment, Richard raised his hand. She expected to feel the force on her face but it remained suspended in the air. It would be a lie to say she wasn't terrified. Her father had shouted at her before but he never raised his hand at her.

"Go to your room." He said, clenching her hand into a fist.

"Gladly." Zoey whispered before turning around.

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