The first hours of my shift were so busy I didn't even notice time was flying by. Zach kept distracting me with his silly jokes and every time he ducked underneath the counter to drink for his energy drink, I almost lost it, trying to hold my laugh for the customer in from of me.

"I'm surprised you still haven't asked for a five-minute break; this morning was crazy busy." Zach said as he leaned against the counter while I made a customer's latte.

I looked at him, his hands in his pockets. "Hence the reason I didn't want to take a break. Wouldn't want to leave you alone as prey for the coffee addicts." I chuckled at how wild my imagination saw it happening in my head.

"Aaaw. Thanks." He said with an adorable expression on his face. He grinned tilting his head to the side before taking the cap of his head so he could run his hand through his hair. I felt my eyes dangerously wandering off to his movements. Keep your eyeballs on that latte before you burn yourself.

"Here you go. Have a nice day." I cleared my throat while giving the latte to the customer with a smile on my face. Once the customer turned her back to me I turned back to Zach, the cap now well placed on his head. Now he was staring at me and I couldn't help but to feel nervous under his sight. "What?" I said, frowning my brows at him.

He awkwardly laughed when I caught him staring, immediately diverting his gaze to the entrance of the store behind me. "Nothing. You're doing well, that's all." He shrugged his shoulders, his green eyes now back to focusing on my face. "Your good with the customers Bella." He smiled again, so sweetly this time while taking his hands out of his pockets. His mouth parted as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, almost like he didn't know what to say.

"Just say it." I smiled at him; my mind too curious about what was on his.

"It's just earlier you were crying..." He pulled up his brows like he was genuinely concerned. "I don't mean to be nosy but are you sure you're okay?" He carefully smiled, leaning more against the counter.

"Yeah I'm fine." I shook my head, looking down at the bright lilac of my shoes. I just couldn't look him in the eyes, because he'd know I lied.

He playfully scoffed, looking at me through his eyelashes. "When a girl says she's fine, she's usually not." I widened my eyes at him in confusion. And how would you know? "I have two younger sisters." He held up his hands, answering my thoughts.

"I bet you're a good brother to them." I always thought he was an only child for some reason but the spark that lit up his eyes showed the love for his siblings.

"I'm a bit too protective sometimes, I have seen their heart broken a few too many times. So, I know you're not fine. Everything okay between you and Lukas?" He asked, nervously biting on his bottom lip while he waited for my answer.

"Oh." I said surprised. "No, no it's not Lukas." I chuckled at the thought Zach might have thought Lukas was the reason I was crying while he's the reason I'm still so happy considering the situation. "No, it's something else. I just don't know how to explain." I looked down, afraid to be read like a book. I also didn't know if I should tell him. Could I trust him, not to hold it against me? "It's uuhm, It's fami-" All of a sudden Zach's eyes were no longer paying attention to me as his gaze was ripped away by something happening behind me.

"Bella, why don't you go take that five-minute break now." He interrupted me before clenching his jaw. "Just go, it's okay." He shortly smiled while his expression remained dark.

"What? I don't need a break." I protested because I felt something more was going on, and that something was probably standing behind me. I turned around to see if my suspicions were true but Zach's hands grabbing my arms stopped me. "Zach, what are you doing?" I hissed, trying to shake his hands off me even though they were gentle. He was so careful, trying not to hurt me that it was also easy to shake them off. I immediately turned around as my arms slipped through his fingers, causing him to grunt with frustration.

What, or more like who, I saw left me in shock. Drew was here, taking a seat at one of the tables near the window. He looked exhausted, rubbing his face the moment he sat down. He wasn't even looking around or trying to make eye contact with me. I even doubted if he knew I was working here because if he did, I don't think he would have hesitated to approach me.

Drew reached down, grabbing a book from his backpack. He's just here to study, nothing uncommon. I tried to reassure myself, looking up to meet Zach's eyes, worried, they looked worried. "Isabella, just take the f-ing break." Zach leaned in to whisper behind my ear. His closeness send chills trough spine, it was either that or the fact Drew was looking around now, his eyes meeting mine. All of a sudden, my legs felt numb and I felt the blood drain away from my face. "Bella..." Zach said again, his hand worrisome finding a spot in the small of my back but I was still looking at the surprise on Drew's face. He parted his mouth the moment he saw me, his tired eyes accompanied with a set of frowned brows. "Bella you don't have to deal with him, not right now." Zach's hand at the small of my back slid around my waist, turning me around and away from Drew's stare.

His touch felt comforting but left me the second he had me where he wanted, with my back towards Drew. "It's fine." I shook my head with surprise.

Zach scoffed the moment he heard the word fine coming from my mouth again. "Stop saying it's fine Bella, you froze when you saw him. You're clearly not fine." He said frowning his brows with worry while he wanted to reach out to comfort me, but he hesitated. What should have been his hand grabbing mine was now his fingertips brushing over my underarm, when I didn't pull away, he let them linger, which was more than comforting enough, enough to find the courage to go heads on with some of my fears. Drew's not going to scare me anymore. He has been the source of my hurt for way too long.

"You don't have to protect me Zach." I whispered trying not to make other customers notice something was going on. "If he orders a coffee, I'll make him one, if he wants to have a croissant, I will give him one, simple as that." I smiled, trying to pretend I was fine with him being here.

"No, last time you saw him he hit you. I'm not letting you near that piece of shit. If you were one of my sisters, I would have beaten the guy to the hospital for doing what he did." Zach gritted trough his teeth while he looked over me, his eyes clearly shooting daggers at Drew.

"But I'm not your sister, I'm you friend, right?" I made him look at me with the questioning tone in my voice.

He shook his head before nervously readjusting his cap, taking away his fingers from my arm. "Yes, we're friends..." He sighed shortly. "But you remind me a lot of Ellis, you're just as sweet but stubborn at the same time, just like her." I could see the love for his sister in his eyes when he brought them to me, his expression soft again.

"Uuhm Isabella." Drew's hoarse voice sounded from behind, Zach's eyes immediately screaming murder as he looked up.

"Just a second." Zach rushed out, almost barking at Drew, and he took my hand before I could turn around. Before I knew it he was pulling me away from the counter all the way around the corner towards the back office. I stared at him with open mouth as he put both his hands on my shoulders. "You're not talking to him Rudolph. Take that break, it's not up for discussion." He smiled at me briefly but the frustration on his face was clear as day.

"Zach, I can handle it." I shrugged his hands away. What the hell. He's not even giving me a choice to fights my own demons.

"Five. Minute. Break." Zach said stern, he wasn't joking around, so I gave in, unintentionally rolling my eyes at him while I leaned my back against the wall.

"Hampton!" Drew's voice echoed towards us, obviously calling out for Zach. Hampton, fancy last name....I rolled my eyes again.

Zach shook his head while he turned around. He did make sure to look back to see if I wasn't following, I held my hands up with defeat. Five-minute break it is. But that didn't stop my curiosity as I peeked around the corner, watching Zach's back as he walked towards the counter. "What do you want." He huffed at Drew. "It better be coffee." He shook his head looking away.

"I need to talk to her." I heard Drew's voice, he sounded hoarse and exhausted as if his hadn't slept much.

"What you need is to stay away from her." Zach leaned both his hands on the counter, trying to make himself tall in front of Drew. Jesus it's like watching two dogs fight over a bone.

"I swear I didn't even know she worked here, as far as I knew she was still working at that diner." There wasn't anything in his voice that told me this was a lie, he meant it, he didn't know I worked here which confirmed what I thought when I saw him take a seat at the table.

"Do you take me for an idiot, huh? Last time you fucking hit her! I'm not letting you come near her." He crossed his arms in front of his chest while he loudly scoffed.

"Hampton come on, you know me." Drew pleaded, trying to convince Zach.

"I thought I did until I heard you're assaulting girls in your car, that's more than messed up. I don't know you like that Drew." Zach shook his head and he looked around to see if I was still on that five-minute break, so I quickly hid behind the corner.

"She's back there, just let me talk to her!" Drew begged; his voice desperate almost. "I need her to know! I need to tell her something important." He really sounded out of other options now.

"Foster, just get out...Before I fucking throw you out myself." Zach gritted trough his teeth and even I got scared at the angry tone of his voice.

"Zach, just please tell her I'm sorry, she needs to kno-"

"And you need to leave." Zach interrupted him, making it very clear he wasn't welcome. Also, my five-minute break was almost over and I wasn't going to stand here any longer than necessary.

"Fine but tell her I'm sorry. Zach you know me, tell me to my face I'm lying because you know I'm not." Zach was still blocking my view to Drew, but I really wanted to see the look on his face for myself.

"You're not but it doesn't matter...Stay away from her." I could hear the hatred in Zach's voice, I could hear he really wasn't planning on letting Drew come near me, let alone talk to me.

"I'm sorry Zach, for everything. Really, I want to make amends for everything I did." His voice was so exhausted as if the things he needed to make amends for were keeping him awake at night and for a brief moment I felt bad for him but then I thought of the way I found Lukas, all beaten up, and I felt the resentment rush through me again. Zach didn't say anything, he just stood there until I heard Drew sigh. He was leaving, and with him went his explanation and apology. There was no right explanation to justify his crazy behavior.

Zach turned around but this time I didn't hide, I wanted him to know I heard everything, from the way the hate was laced trough his own voice to the desperation in Drew's. I looked at him with a set of frowned brows. "I didn't need to stay back here; I could have handled it." I pouted at him like child once he stood tall in front of me.

"And have Lukas punch me in the face for it, no thanks." He let out a laugh which was more like a scoff. What's that supposed to mean?

"What do you mean." I frowned my brows at him even more while he nervously placed his hand on the wall next to my face.

Zach shook his head, almost rolling his eyes at me, thank god he didn't have the audacity because I would have backhanded his chest for it. I was feeling angry because of Drew and he was the one to take it out on. Wrong person, wrong place. "I promised Lukas I would keep an eye out for you in case Drew popped up again." He looked down at me, his green eyes light and soft, back again filled with genuine worry.

No matter how soft his demeaner, it didn't make the anger inside me fade away, on the contrary. "What? I'm sorry, what? Did I really just hear that right? Is that the reason I got the job?" I pulled my eyebrows up as I leaned my back against the wall in defeat.

I looked away, avoiding the green gaze that kept fixed on my face as he searched for an answer. "What? No! You got the job because you deserved it." He said, putting his face in front of mine so I couldn't avoid his eyes any longer. "I'm just looking out for you, that's it."

"He just wanted to talk to me. He sounded different." I changed the subject as I became more frustrated by the second. This conversation is going nowhere.

"Are you really considering forgiving him, after everything?" He looked at me deeply his free hand caging me as he put it against the wall on the other side of my face.

"That's not what I'm saying." I looked up, trying my best not to duck away under one of his arms just to annoy him.

"Then, what are you saying." He took a deep breath as he looked both relieved and confused.

I sighed roughly, making sure he'd hear it, letting out my frustration. "That maybe he's not my problem anymore, that maybe you don't need to make a big fuzz out of this, and you definitely don't need to tell Lukas. He has enough to worry about with my parents coming after me." I raised my voice, letting it all out at once. Too much at once. Shit I shouldn't have said that, all of that! I put my hands in front of my mouth like I always do when I accidently spill my guts.

"What?" He instantly frowned.

"What?" I slipped, acting as if I hadn't said anything. You're so so so stupid Isabella. I inwardly grunted at myself at my inability to keep to myself when I'm frustrated.

"Your parents, you said they were coming after you." Zach frowned his brows more, following my gaze as I tried to avoid his.

"No, I didn't." I said quietly, swallowing away the next lie.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, I'm sorry to have asked. I'm sorry to have interfered between you and Drew too, maybe I should have let you handle it. It's just that I care." He looked at me through his eyelashes while still caging me.

"Why, why do you care so much." I rushed out, unable to pinpoint why he cared for me, completely clueless.

A light smirk appeared on his face while he tried to hide it to no avail. "How can someone not care about you, anyone who knows you would want to have you close; you do that to people." He said softly, the sound of his voice quiet yet sweet and determined.

I wish everyone thought about me that way, my own parents for example. They never cared for me, not even when I would beg them to stop. They didn't care enough to let me be happy now, they would travel across the country just to make me miserable, to take away the happiness I create here for myself. How can someone be like that!

I stood there in front of Zach, putting myself down with my own thoughts, while I stared blankly ahead into his chest. If that sweater of his had a whole I would have let it swallow me so I could stop being the worry on anybody's mind.

As much as I wanted to keep my tears to myself I couldn't, not only because it hurt that my own parents didn't care for me, but more so that Zach was a great friend and Mia and Lukas and I had deprived myself from making friends my entire life, just so they wouldn't find out my secret, just to make it easy for myself. I was wrong it was having these people I could call my friends that would make my life easier.

Now more than ever I realized I needed all of them, and all of them needed to know. It was part of me, and my friends would never get to know the real me if I didn't tell them every part of me. "My parents used to abuse me. That's why I ran off to a college all the way across the country so they wouldn't find me, but they did, they did find me and now they're coming for me. I thought I was over it, that I couldn't deal with it that I could keep my worry to myself, but I can't. I'm scared even though I don't want to be." I let out in one deep breath, tears rolling down my cheeks for the zillionth time, I even lost count.

The look on Zach's face turned weak, his eyes even softer than before. He smiled a worried smile at me as his hands left the wall to pat them on my shoulders, but he didn't wait another second to pull me into a hug, his arms tightening around my shoulders. I cried into his sweater, for sure making stains while my hands hung on to the fabric, needing to grab a hold of something to not fall apart, again. "I'm sorry, I'm so embarrassed right now." I sobbed trying to stop the tears from hurting my eyes and staining my cheeks. I have cried too much recently... What the hell is he going to think of me now.

At my words he pulled me even tighter into his chest, my cap turning sideways because of it. "You don't have to be embarrassed." He whispered into my cap, while I held on to his sweater like a lifeline.

I slightly shook his head in his embrace. "I'm sorry for breaking down at work." I said, feeling guilty that this was keeping us both from doing our jobs at the moment.

I felt him chuckle as his chest moved. "Hey, don't worry about it. I'm not the staff manager right now, I'm your friend." Zach spoke softly and sincere. "I'm glad you told me. They won't get to you here at work, I'll make sure of that." He said, meaning every single word as he rested his chin on top of my head.

"Don't tell Lukas about Drew, he's already worried sick. He doesn't need to worry about this too." I felt my face fight back the tears at the thought of Lukas worrying even more that he already did.

"I don't think keeping secrets form him is a good idea." Zach whispered, softness surrounding him, even his voice cut through the air in the softest manner.

"No but what choice do I have?" I breathed as I didn't know what the right thing was to do.

"Telling him?" I already shook my head at his suggestion.

"He needs to stay focused on school he's graduating this year. He already wants to skip classes not to lose me out of his sight. I don't want the be the reason he fails." I rested my head into Zach chest, trying to catch my breath.

"I'm sure you make him thrive Bella." He said, releasing a breath of his own.

"As for now Drew didn't seem to cause a problem, as soon as he does feel free to tell him, but not now." I fidgeted with the access fabric of sweater in my hand, not sure if I was making the right call.

"Okay, but I'll keep an eye out for Drew just in case..."

"Okay." I softly said, closing my eyes for a second to gather my thoughts and get a grip on my tears.

"Now Rudolph, I'm sure people are already forming a line, waiting for their favorite barista." He laughed, pushing me back and letting go of me. "So, dry your tears and get yourself distracted." He whispered, leaning down a little bit so he could properly wipe away the tears on my cheeks with his sleeve and his choice of words made me chuckle. "Take a minute. I'll meet you out front." He smiled at me; the worry still not gone from his eyes.