It's been two days since I last saw Scarlett.

She had to cancel the last two nights because of her school work piling up. She's in the final stretch of her senior year, so I can only imagine the amount of stress she is having.

I'm sitting in this meeting, hardly listening to anything and staring at my phone, praying a notification will distract me.

Not any notification, I admit. I want a text from her.

My firm, or I guess Adelaide's firm, holds monthly meetings going over practically everything they can think of to fill the hour-long time slot. Although I'm technically just Adelaide's loyal "assistant" and not an official attorney for the firm, my presence is still required.

Lucky me.

I stare at the clock, feeling like I'm back in high school waiting for the bell to ring. Adelaide nudges my shoulder, scowling at me as I yawn.

"What?" I mouth the words to her, so we don't get bitched at for whispering.

"Turn your phone off," she mouths back. I snap my eyes to my phone and see it light up with a text.

Shouldn't you be paying attention? I thought you were in a meeting.

Okay, fine. I texted her first.

I texted her an iMessage game of pool, hoping she'd play so I can get some form of communication with her, even if it's just a silly game.

After her text scolding me to pay attention, she plays the game.

I flip my phone face down on the desk and look back at Adelaide, shaking her head with a knowing smile.

I roll my eyes and lean back in my chair, pretending to listen to the third bald man give a speech in the last hour.

Once the meeting finally ends, Adelaide and I head to her office. "You need to stop flirt-texting your girlfriend during our meetings."

My eyes widen. "Girlfriend? She's not my girlfriend, and I wasn't flirting."

"Yet," Adelaide says in a sing-song voice, unlocking her office door.

"Yet?"

"She's not your girlfriend yet." She clarifies, dramatically falling into her desk chair with a deep sigh.

I smile but offer no argument because part of me knows she's right. At least, I hope she is. I've only known Scarlett for a week, though, and I don't want to do anything too serious right now.

"Let's just figure out our calendar for the next month or so, and then we can head out for the night," Adelaide says.

I nod and turn on my computer to get started. I remember to respond to Scarlett before immersing myself in my work.

Shh. Don't tell my boss.

I respond quickly and play the game, pressing send.

We spend most of the night going through the long list of things coming up within the next month, making sure nothing is overlapping.

Luckily, Adelaide ordered us some food to eat, giving us room for a break. I'm halfway through my burrito when a loud knock sounds at the door, halting Adelaide's long rant about her husband.

Adelaide looks down at her watch in confusion, looking to me and then back at the door. "Awfully late for a visit," she says. It's only eight, but most people are out of here by six.

I get up and head to the door, pulling it open to find the last person I ever expected on the other side.

"Rocky?" I question, staring at my brother as if he isn't really there.

He's not smiling; in fact, I can't remember the last time I've seen him look so serious. He stares at me and sighs, pulling me into a hug. "I'm sorry, bro."

"Sorry? Sorry for what?"

We pull apart from the hug, and Rocky avoids my eyes, taking a deep breath. "Our father might be released from prison. He has a parole hearing tomorrow."

At first, I thought I heard him wrong. What? How could he be released so early?

I do the only thing that makes sense. I laugh. I laugh as if the thought of possibly seeing my father again is utterly hilarious. "You're kidding, right?"

Rocky looks at me, his frown deepening. "No, Z. I'm not kidding."

I shake my head, the half of the burrito I just ate threatening to come right back up. "That's not- it's- no. He can't. No, Rocky. No."

Rocky says something to me, stepping into the office. I hear Adelaide's voice, too, but I can't make out anything they are saying.

I don't feel like I'm really here. Someone grabs my bicep, but I shake them off, seeing nothing as I head out of the office and outside. My eyes are wide open, but everything is blurry. Am I crying?

All I know is that my feet are moving at a pace I can't control, and my ears are ringing. What is this? Why do I feel like this? I've never felt anything like this in my life. It's getting hard to breathe, but I feel like the more I run, the more anger I let out.

So I don't stop until I'm at the pier, at least twenty minutes from Adelaide's office. My breathing is erratic, and I don't even think my heart exists anymore. Was that a panic attack?

My lungs are aching to get some air in them and my legs practically collapse as I find a bench to sit on. I'm sure I look like a lunatic, but I don't care.

I stare out at the ocean, the waves crashing harshly into the beach, only now alerting me to how windy it is tonight. I breathe in time with the waves, trying my damn best to just breathe.

The night sky gives me comfort as I hide behind its darkness. Fuck, I left my phone and my jacket at Adelaide's office. My brother is probably so worried.

I don't want to face my brother right now. I don't want to face anyone. I can't face what they're forcing me to face. It's not the time. I've been doing good. Why now?

I realize I'm only a few minutes away from 25 Hours, and it clicks. The only person that could possibly make me feel better is her. I don't even know if she'll be there, but I head in that direction anyway, looking to the stars and calming myself down.

I pull open the door to the cafe I've come to love over the past month. I glance at Scarlett's favorite table, finding it empty, and I can't help but be disappointed.

I buy myself a coffee and a chocolate chip cookie anyway and sit at our usual table. Part of me just wants to go home, cuddle my dogs and go to sleep. The other part of me knows that there is no way I will be sleeping any time soon, and if I do, it will undoubtedly be consumed by nightmares.

So I decide to stay here until Bonnie physically removes me. I want more than anything to part ways with my body. Leave this life behind and never look back, but I can't.

The thought of seeing my father again is enough to make me want to vomit and punch a wall all at once. I settle on placing my arms on the table and resting my head in the crook of my elbow, resting my eyes. I didn't notice the painful throbbing in my head until now.

After a few minutes of blissful silence, I hear the chair in front of me scrape loudly against the floor. I shoot my head up, seeing Bonnie's warming smile greets me.

"You doin' okay over her, sweet boy?" She asks, handing me another chocolate chip cookie. "On the house."

I take the cookie with a smile, my eyes softening. "Thank you."

"You look awfully sad young man. Too sad for a handsome man like yourself." She chirps, her voice oddly comforting.

I just look down and pick at the cookie, not wanting her to see the evident sadness in my eyes. "Life's just- it finds ways to kick you in the ass, you know?"

She laughs and places her hand on top of mine, patting it a couple of times. "I'm honored that you've sought shelter at my little cabin for your aching heart. It's important to remember the beauty in this world when you're hurting."

"I love this world," I vow. "The problem is the people in it."

"Well, then that's easy, child. It's your world. You've got the power to fill it with the people you want around you. Don't let a silly little human ruin your world."

"What if it's the person who brought you to the world?" I ask, feeling nothing as the words spill out.

Bonnie's eyes soften, looking at me with sympathy. I've seen that look my whole life. If I could go the rest of my existence without seeing an ounce of sympathy, I'd die a happy man. "Same rules still apply. You have to do what is best for you. Just because they're your family doesn't mean they belong in your life."

I sigh, clenching my eyes shut and holding my head in my hands. "I wish it were that easy."

"If it were easy, it wouldn't be life," she chuckles, but the sound is humorless. The door opens, and Bonnie smiles, standing up and squeezing my hand comfortingly. "I'm here any time, okay?"

"Thank you, Bonnie." She nods and walks off.

"Zayn?" I hear a familiar soft feminine voice from behind me. My name sounds so angelic coming from her lips that I know who it is without even looking.

---

Thank you all so much for nearly 100 reads :) I love reading your comments and I'm so glad you guys are enjoying the story.

What do you think Zayn's father did to land him in prison? Let me know your theories!