2.

We arrive at Letty’s in his matte black Audi e-tron GT it's his favorite car to drive. I stare at the house that is booming with loud music. My hands start sweating due to nervously; I'm not sure about this all the rich kids are nothing but snooty. I don't know how Zen turned out to be so different. 

“Why are you worrying so much? It’s just a party Isabel, and look at you, you look so beautiful.” He tucks a strand of my hair to the back of my ear. “Oh yeah, stop lying.” I slap his hand away and blush hard. “Let’s go.” He gets out of the car and walks to my side and holds the door open for me. I step out smiling at him. He smiles back at me and takes my hand in his and starts walking. “Don’t talk to too many guys.” He yells in my ear so that I can hear him.

I roll my eyes at him and enter the house. All eyes are on us, everyone in the room stops whatever they’re doing and stare at us. Zen squeezes my hand softly and lets go of them and walk towards a group of guys. Everyone resumes what they were doing apart from some girls, who are giving me the nastiest looks. I look around nervously and slowly head inside the kitchen to get myself a drink. While I was pouring some fruit punch into my plastic cup, I feel a tap on my bare shoulder. I turn around while taking a sip of my drink and almost immediately choke on it. Joe, the school bully was standing right in front of me. He is the epitome of the ‘football jockey’ stereotype, he is rude, rough and is not very kind to people who are weaker than him. Oh, did I mention I rejected him when he asked me out, while I was still in school. He didn’t take it that well, after that day he started bullying me.

“Well, well, who do we have here? Isabelle Davis is it?” He sips on his drink while staring into my soul, with those dark blue eyes of his. I slowly try to get past him but he gets in front of me again. “Excuse me, I have to go please.” I try to walk past him again, but this time he grabs my wrist and pulls me back in front of him. “What is the matter with you?” I try to pull my hand away from his grasp, but he only tightens his hold. “I haven’t seen your sweet face in a while, heard you sweep floors at the Fleming’s now. I will pay why don’t you sweep my floors sometime?” He smirks while drinking me down with his eyes.

I look around to find Zen, only to see him going up the stairs with the head cheerleader Alisha Green. A painful ache starts erupting in my body; I know Zen doesn’t see me like that. But, I can’t help falling in love with him more and more as time passes. I wanted to call him for help but something stopped me. I didn’t want to ruin his night, not with my problems at least. “Come on Belle, let’s dance. I won’t eat you up. I mean though I could, if you know what I mean.” He leans closer to me and smirks towering over me.

Well, that’s it, I push him off me with all the strength I have. He stumbles back while dropping the cup from his hand. I take the chance and throw my drink on his face and stomp off to the main exit. When I reach outside I look around to find transportation to get back home. All of a sudden, I feel a painful pull on my arms. I look back and see Joe glaring down at me. “Let me go!” I yell trying to release myself, instead of letting me go he starts pulling me in an alley.

I widen my eyes seeing where we are heading. My heart leaps up to my throat and my body starts giving up. “I will show you, who you’re messing with!” He growls into my ear and pushes me against the brick wall of the alley. I try to get back up on my feet and push him away. He holds both my wrists and pins them above my head and cages me with his muscular body. Tears start to trickle down my cheeks none stop, my throat has closed up. He puts his body against mine and starts to suck and gnaw on the supple skin of my neck. I squeeze my eyes shut and scream with all the courage I have left in me. “My ear! You bitch!” He lets me go and slaps me hard making me fall on the concrete road. I fall down holding my cheek and feel the taste of blood in my mouth. “Come here you...” It all stops, I don’t feel him over me anymore.

“How dare you?!” I hear Zen’s voice. I look up and see he is choking Joe with both his hands. His face is all red and boiling with anger, his jaw is popping out as he clenches his jaw. I have never seen him this angry before in my life. “You are going to touch her, her?!!” Zen lets him go and punches him right across the jaw, making him fall in the garbage bin. “Don’t you ever touch her again! Ever!!” Zen looks down at me and his expression changes to something softer. I can see the pain in his eyes, it’s like he can feel the pain I’m going through. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry I left you alone. Belle I’m sorry.” He picks me up and makes me stand on my feet and holds me in his arms protectively.

I hang onto his shirt as my legs are still trembling. Cries come out of mouth instead of words. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” He breaks the hug and holds my face in his palms. He stares down at me and brushes my tears away with his thumbs. “I, I want to go home please Zen take me home.” I keep crying staring up at him. He turns my head to the side and caresses the area where Joe sucked on. “He left his mark, he ruined you pure skin Bella.” He brushes his thumb over the marks clenching his jaw.

Suddenly he lets go of me and starts lunging towards Joe, who is still in the garbage bin. I widen my eyes and hug him from behind, trying to hold him back. But he keeps moving with me stuck to him. “Let go of me I will kill him!” He grits through his teeth, trying to rip out of my hold. “Please Zenny, please all I want to do is go home.” I beg him crying loudly, fearing that something bad might happen, he stops and stands there hanging his head low. I keep holding him, hiding my face on his back making his shirt wet with my tears. “I’m sorry.” I hear him whisper. “Please, I just want to go home, where I can feel safe.” I rub my face on his back while caressing his chest with my hands. He turns around and picks me up in his arms and carries me towards his car.