We meet people for a reason. They either destroy us or build us…

 

She stumbled but he caught her. He was caught in moment when he saw her smile. He said having a small smile, “You are really drunk”

She laughed, “No, I don’t know why people are thinking that but who are you”

He had his arms wrapped around her waist to make her stand straight, “I am Austin”

“Austin…I don’t know anyone by that name. Well, I am Zee. Why are you so blurry?” She asked cupping his face with her hands. She looked around, “Why is the room spinning so much?”

He laughed but his face turned serious when he glanced at the people who were checking her out. He knew he can’t leave her like this but he couldn’t find anyone who was searching for her.

 

She was singing in top of her voice with her arms around his neck. He was trying to make her walk but laughed when she slipped on his floor and started laughing. He picked her up in his arms and made her lay in his bed. He tucked the blanket around her and said, “You are one crazy girl that I met at bar”

She dozed off to sleep while babbling. He took out some spare blankets out of the closet and went to sleep on the couch nearby but something about couldn’t make her sleep. She had too much make up on her face but her skin still looked soft and glowing. He watching her sleep comfortable in his bed. He didn’t know when he fell asleep.

 

His eyes flew open when he heard something broke. Zee had her heels hugged tightly and a bottle in her hands. She shouts, “Who the hell are you?”

He get on his feet. She warned him, “Don’t you dare come near me. I have this deodorant in my hand. If you come any closer, I’ll spray it in your eyes…and I know some basic karate tricks too”

He threw his hands in air saying, “Hey, I am no harm. (Pointing at deodorant) I am pretty sure it is empty”

She shook the bottle and after finding it empty, she threw the bottle at him. He ducked shouting, “Are you crazy?”

He stepped closer but she stepped two steps back, falling on the bed. She asked, “What are you planning to do?”

He laughed, “Now, it is confirmed, you are mad person. I brought you in when you was super drunk”

She scanned the whole room. He assured her, “And we didn’t do anything”

She narrowed her eyes, “Are you sure?”

He nodded. A smile crept on his face when he saw her smiling. She started laughing, “I am sorry. I shouldn’t have hit you with the deodorant. I got scared because I don’t know any self-protection tricks or karate”

He shrugged, “It is fine”

“So, you are saying that you are used to girls throwing things at you”

He tilted his head, rubbing his chin, “Well, they usually throw themselves at me”

She rolled her eyes, “Yeah, right”

He rubbed his palms on his sweat-pants. He didn’t know why he was sweating. Was he nervous around her? No, he was never nervous around any girl. He asked, “You want something to eat? I’ll make you breakfast”

She nodded. He walked to closet and gave her his t-shirt saying, “You can freshen up”

She smelled the t-shirt, “Did you wash it?”

Giving him a big smile, she walked to the bathroom while he went in the kitchen to search for something to eat.

After a while, she walked over to kitchen and hopped on the counter saying, “What are you making?”

He replied, “I was thinking of making bacon and some eggs”

She bit her lip saying, “I must tell you that I am vegan”

He turned to her saying, “I surely have some fruits in here”

“Very funny” she said pushing him back from the counter. She started searching in cabinets. She asked taking out the cereals box, “What kind of grown-up man has ‘Froot Loops’?”

He replied, “A man who knows taste”

She rolled her eyes. Taking out another box with her eyes wide open and excitement in her voice, she said, “And Gummy Bears”

She started eating them. He asked, “You are not going to eat Froot Loops?”

She nodded with her mouth full, “Oh, I am going to eat it”

He stepped in and started making breakfast for himself saying, “Did you forget to take meds?”

She raised her eyebrows, “What meds?”

He joked, “You are seriously a crazy one. I assumed you would surely be on meds”

She hit his shoulder saying, “I get that you don’t have a girlfriend”

He glared at her. She shrugged and went to sit by the table. He asked leaning the counter, “You want to be one?”

“Is that the best you got?” she asked catching another Gummy Bear in her mouth. He shook his head laughing, “You are really something. You want to go out?”

She laughed, “Fine, if you insist”

He put the bowl of cereal in front of her and had bacon for himself. They finished their breakfast. They were walking down the street talking.

He took the bite of his burger asking, “That would mean that you get to work with hot models”

She shook her head with smile, “Nah, you heard me wrong. I said I am a wildlife photographer. I take photographs of animals”

“What is the fun in that?” he asked. She jumped forward down the pavement, “Well, I guess you have not seen how beautiful animals are. They are simply adorable. Plus, they don’t take time to get ready”

He said taking the last bite, “As you will be wondering…”

She interrupted, “I was not wondering anything”

He laughed, “You know you can sometimes be rude”

She shrugged, “I know that. So, what do you do?”

“I was telling you that only. I am DJ” he told her. She punched his arm saying, “That is a fancy job to pick up girls”

He laughed again, “Oh, come on I didn’t get this job for that only”

She raised her eyebrows, “Only? So, I am right. It was one of the reasons”

He nodded looking at her from corner of his eyes. She started laughing hard.

 

Zee was sitting with her legs stretched in Austin’s lap. She was going through her photographs from previous day. He was listening to his music in his laptop. She called him, “Austin”

He didn’t pay any attention. She slid forward in his lap shoving the laptop to side and pulling out his headphones. He asked, “What happened?”

She wrapped her arms around his neck pulling him closer, “I have a question”

“I know you will not rest until you have asked. So go on” he rolled his eyes. She nodded with a big smile, “Now, that is advantage of dating an intelligent guy. So, if we were forced to wear a warning label, what would your label say?”

He chuckled, “What? Umm, I think…selfish.”

She rushed her fingers in his hair saying, “No, it would be clingy”

He started laughing pulling her closer knotting his fingers at her back, “I have one for you too. It would be unpredictable”

She gave a laugh saying, “Exactly”

 

“We are celebrating our one year together” announced Austin. He hugged Zee and turned around to the group of friends which had gathered in his club. She took a sip of her as he said, “I am going to be back in a bit. You will be okay?”

She asked, “You are going out to smoke, right?”

He rubbed the back of his neck and gazed from floor to her. She shook her head, “Fine, I can’t control you”

He kissed her cheek and rushed outside the club with his friends. Zee went to the bar to get drinks for herself. A guy came to her saying, “Hi”

She smiled, “Hi, Jean. Austin just went outside with the rest of the gang”

Jean was one of the best friends Austin. He sat next to her saying, “Well, I think I should spend some time with you”

She took a shot of vodka saying, “If you want to spend time, then you have to do shots with me”

Passing the shot to him, she drank another one. He took shot. Soon, they ended up having ten shots. He pulled himself close to her and put his hand on her bare thighs. She jerked his hand off asking, “What are you doing, Jean?”

He held her hand, “You are really beautiful, Zee. I just want to know what Austin see in you”

He tried to hug her but she pushed him back and grabbing her bag, starting walking to the exit gate. Jean forcefully took her to room near the gate. She hit him with her bag and ran out to find Austin by his car. He was searching something in there. She hugged him tightly and started crying. He asked, “Zee, what happened? Is everything okay?”

She sobbed, “Jean…he tried to take advantage of me”

He wrapped his arms closely saying, “It is okay. It is fine”

He pulled back asking, “How much did you drink?”

She was confused, “What do you mean?”

“I don’t mean anything. Let’s get you home” he started making way to car. She stepped back saying, “You don’t believe me. I can see that”

He rubbed his forehead saying, “Well, you were drunk the night we met and I think you…maybe misunderstood him helping you”

She sobbed and wiped her tears with back of her hand, “For your kind information, I am not that drunk that I will not know when someone is trying to make a pass at me. I don’t know how I will make you believe me”

She spun on her heel saying, “Maybe it is better you and your friends stay away from me”

He held her hand and turned her towards him asking, “What are you saying?”

She sniffed, “I am saying stay away from me. If we don’t have trust, then I don’t think we have anything”

She jerked his hand and started walked away. That night, when she left, he noticed that something inside him died watching her go.

 

Circling the edge of glass, she stared at the half filled beer. She put her bangs back of her ear and took another sip of the beer. She knew he was observing her. Her eyes located him despite the crowd which the bar had. They didn’t need words to talk. He looked away to the guy sitting next to him. She finished her drink and left the bar without giving last glance at him. He followed her out. Stopping by her car, she said glancing at the reflection in the window, “I still mean it Austin. You should stay away from me”

He walked close and entwined his fingers in hers saying, “I have. For many years”

He hugged her from back as she rested her head on his shoulder. She shook her head, “No, I can’t do this now.”

He smelled her hair which had same fragrance like the years before. Zee pulled herself away saying, “Austin…”

He hushed her saying, “I know what Jean did to you. He said he was drunk and didn’t know what he was doing.”

He took her hands saying, “I am sorry for not believing you. I know I did a mistake”

She shook her head, “You what hurt the most? That after knowing the truth, you didn’t even fight to get me back. It was like I didn’t matter to you.”

He tried to hold her closer but she resisted continuing, “I came to your apartment drunk and didn’t knew anything what was going on…but that was not supposed to mean that I would repeat that again.”

She took a deep breath holding her tears in. He lowered his head, ashamed of his mistake. She stepped forward and gave him the pendant he gifted her. He gazed up with tear in his eyes. She said, “I am married now. It doesn’t mean that I would not have feelings for you but I love him more now because he will stand by me, unlike you.”

She kissed on his cheek saying, “Sometimes, it is better to leave some affairs as they were”

Slipping in the driver’s seat, she drove away.