The Bad Boy's Heart is Broken

Mouth hanging open and tears slowly rolling down his face, Zachary was frozen, unable to take his eyes away as he watched his girlfriend being pulled closer to another man's body. From the angle where they stood, Zachary could see them kissing, and the way their arms wrapped around each other showed they were intimate, that there was something going on between them. 

Disbelief swarmed his mind and invaded his soul, asking where he went wrong. Despite the confused and pained emotion, his anger surfaced and pushed everything else away. He balled his hands into fists and bit his lip until it bled as he stormed out of Kathryn's apartment.

The sound of the heavy slam of the door should be enough for the two traitors to know he'd seen enough of the truth. The fucking bitter devastating truth.

Zachary shoved past everyone he met on the way to his own rarely used apartment. The good image he had for the past three years blurred away from the pain that stabbed his heart over and over again. He just couldn't give a damn anymore.

Three years ago, he was just a bad, trash, good-for-nothing boy. He joined a fraternity, he smoked, had sex with random people, took drugs, and threw punches at anyone he thought was too willing or not willing enough.

But all of that changed when Kathryn showed up. Because of Kathryn, Zachary had changed.

Now Kathryn, even Kathryn, his precious, loving Kathryn betrayed him.

Fuck that.

Fuck love.

Fuck Kathryn.

Fuck everyone!

Fuck everything!

Zachary screamed as loud as he could as his fists smashed into mirrors and walls in his apartment. He began throwing everything his eyes could see all while shouting curses about Kathryn. His eyes flashed with a dangerous red glint that everyone was scared of as he stared at his own reflection in the remaining bits of the broken mirror. Drops of blood trickled from his fists to the floor.

Who cares? Who cares about Kathryn? Who cares about love? There's no such thing as love. Everything is just a fucking lie. 

Zachary heard his own heart shattering along with the loud crashing of the glass vase he had just thrown against the wall. He felt like his chest was being stabbed repeatedly as he slowly slid down against the wall, burning tears flowing out of his eyes like waterfalls. Each tear stung as it reminded him slowly of each day he and Kathryn had spent together happily.

Gripping his clothes, Zachary screamed his lover's name once more, feeling his lips and shoulders shake vehemently.

Zachary was right. There was no such thing as love. He was a fool for trusting Kathryn. He was stupid for believing there was such a thing as love. Clearly, there wasn't. There will never be.

Love does not exist.

"Here, drink this." Earl looked down at his friend after placing a cold drink on the table. He watched as Zachary stared at his phone, body slouched on the chair, ignoring Earl. The dark circles around Zachary's swollen eyes declared he wasn't in the right state to be talking. And of course, Earl knew the reason why. The drunk calls he received from Zachary the past few nights told him everything he needed to know. 

Fortunately, Zachary had stayed in his apartment the entire time. Earl wasn't sure if he was ready to pick up Zachary from the prison center again for different charges, from being in street fights to reckless driving like he used to three years ago. Luckily, it seemed that Zachary had only drowned himself in alcohol and cigarettes. For Earl, that was still better than having his friend put in jail.

Earl sighed as he realized it would be a bit hard to talk to someone who looked like shit. Suddenly, a group of girls Earl assumed were from ballet because of their bun-styled hair passed by.

"How dare that woman do that to Zachary…Hell, that cheater should be punished! God, I hate her so much!"

"I know, right? The nerve that bitch has, showing her face like nothing happened!"

"Don't be too loud. I think they're heading this way too. I saw her with her new boyfriend."

"Whatever. One day I'm going to teach her a lesson."

They all laughed as they headed to the counter, giggling when Professor Briggs, a handsome history teacher, came and bought a drink.

Earl sighed, and was a bit pissed to hear such comments going around as if they didn't have anything better to do with their lives but gossip. He was about to take a seat across the still heavily distracted Zachary when the cafeteria’s huge double-door flung open and two familiar faces walked in.

Earl gulped as he noticed Zachary's head immediately shoot up as if his ears suddenly twitched and perked up the moment he heard a familiar voice. Her voice.

"I'm not really hungry…" Kathryn said after a sigh.

"Come on, it's my treat," Chad insisted.

"But—"

"Stop it. Let me treat you for today. Okay?" Chad insisted with a gentle smile.

Earl side-glanced at Zachary whose hands were balled up into fists. His red eyes followed the backs of the two people they used to eat with every time their schedules allowed. That had ended just a few days ago, after lasting for past three years.

Zachary's eyes grew more intense with anger, and he was ready to attack the son of a bitch when he felt Earl's hands on his shoulders, stopping him from whatever he was planning to do.

Brushing Earl's hands away from him roughly, Zachary stood up and began heading out of the cafeteria.

"Hey! Hey, Zachary!"

Kathryn flinched. Nobody noticed.

"Yah! Zachary!" Earl tried calling again.

Zachary remained deaf to his best friend's words as he passed by Kathryn whose head was tilted to the side, avoiding his gaze.

Zachary scoffed. She clearly didn't want to see him, huh?

Zachary purposely brushed his shoulder against Chad's, almost causing the Chad to fall down. Zachary smirked, and Chad hissed. He was about to attack Zachary but was immediately stopped by Kathryn's hands.

Zachary scoffed again, and his mouth slightly opened in disbelief. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Kathryn's delicate hands wrapped around Chad's arm. What a shameless way to coldly slap Zachary again.

Glaring at the people around them, Zachary spat on Chad's shiny shoes. The whole cafeteria gasped and paled in shock. Smirking with his nasty victory, Zachary headed out.

EVIL ZACHARY WAS BACK.

Zachary gripped his drink hard. He was not paying attention to the woman's hand caressing his thigh and her lips licking his neck. His eyes remained on one person alone: Kathryn.

Kathryn still wore that small smile on her face as she sat neatly in the far corner of the club, the one their friends decided to use for David's birthday party. Despite the colored smoke, the upbeat wild songs, and people who screamed trouble as they danced and made out, Kathryn still looked like an innocent sweet being in her seat as she smiled at people she knew who walked past her table.

The table was empty except for a can of Coca Cola, which Zachary knew was Kathryn's favorite drink. Kathryn never really wanted any type of alcohol as she considered them "unhealthy." She was the most pure, innocent person Zachary had ever encountered and maybe that was also the reason why Zachary didn't like her at first. Falling in love with Kathryn was still a mystery, but Zachary didn't want to know the mystery behind it anymore. He’d had his heart badly broken by this fucking innocent, sweet, angelic woman who turned out to be a cheater. It can be a mystery for eternity for all he cares.

Love is shit. 

Bringing a glass of a strong liquor to his lips, Zachary's eyes glanced at the now uncomfortable Kathryn with her small hands rummaging in her bag. She had a panicked look on her face as she pulled out her phone and Zachary instantly felt his blood boil as he quickly assumed whose number Kathryn was trying to dial now.

Feeling he would erupt soon, Zachary pulled the unknown woman beside him to his body, crashing his mouth against hers in a lewd sloppy kiss. He could hear the loud swooning cheers and shouts of his friends—friends from his old way of life—encouraging him. After a few minutes of kissing, he pulled away, looking at Kathryn's position where he saw that she was now looking at him.

A smirk played on Zachary's face as he saw Kathryn's eyes were wide with shock, wavering, and something else that bothered Zachary's heart, but he stubbornly ignored. He knew exactly what those eyes meant. Any minute now and Kathryn would cry.

Zachary's smirk left him though as he watched Chad come from who-fucking-knows-where and pull Kathryn up to her feet. Zachary's hand gripped his glass, feeling the need to throw it at the nearby wall, or the ground, or the table—anywhere—just to let this anger out.

"Baby, let's kiss again?" the woman beside him suggested, her cleavage purposely showing off under her revealing outfit. Her hand started to caress Zachary's thigh until it purposely moved closer, almost touching Zachary's clothed member.

All the while Zachary watched Chad and Kathryn head to the bathroom. His eyes grew red with anger as he saw that Chad's hand was wrapped around Kathryn's waist.

Zachary turned to the woman beside him and pushed her off his body, too frustrated now to be gentle with her.

"Go away, you slut."

His friends laughed and shouted with approval at Zachary’s rude actions. He was the winner of the day for them.

Zachary grabbed his drink and finished its content in one long gulp.

It never tasted this bitter.

Zachary felt Kathryn was holding her breath. Kathryn's back was against the wall and Zachary's hands were at either side of her face, trapping her. Her head was again tilted to the side, and it made Zachary's anger rise.

"Speak!" Zachary roared, flashing his famous dangerous eyes paired with his dangerous guttural tone that made Kathryn flinch.

"I-I h-have t-to…g-go," Kathryn softly said, still not meeting Zachary's eyes.

Zachary bit his bottom lip, fisting his hand as he punched the wall beside Kathryn's face, making Kathryn jump in surprise. Zachary didn't care though. He has had enough. What kind of fucking drama was Kathryn trying to bring him? All Zachary wanted was to have Kathryn. Heck, he could be unfaithful now and sleep with other men, but Zachary wanted Kathryn to be his and only his by the end of the day.

"Fuck you, Kath. Fuck you!" Zachary roared as his hand reached Kathryn's chin, roughly pulling her to face him and quickly pressing his own lips against Kathryn's. She was his and forever she shall be. Even if it would bring him more pain than she had already brought, he was willing to accept it. If it would make Kathryn stay, Zachary was ready to do anything, including breaking his heart entirely. 

Kathryn's smaller hands were pushing him away and Zachary was quick to hold and placed them above Kathryn's head as he deepened the kiss. He roughly bit Kathryn's lip, causing the younger to open her mouth. Zachary took the chance to slide his tongue in and entangled it with Kathryn's. Soft moans escaped Kathryn's sweet lips making Zachary's body heat up instantly. Zachary could still feel Kathryn squirming as he caught and devoured Kathryn's mouth like a thirsty human being, craving for his favorite food—his Kathryn.

The club's red lights flickered along the empty dim hallway to the bathroom along with the vibration of the upbeat dance music coming from the inside as unaffected Zachary continued to taste every inch of Kathryn's visible flesh in a flaring desperate pace.

"W-Wait! Zack," Kathryn whimpered and unconsciously arched her back as Zachary's mouth slowly trailed down and started sucking and biting her neck. Zachary's tongue skillfully licked and sucked Kathryn's flesh, purposely giving her his goal.

A hickey.

Kathryn's breathing hitched, her face flushed, her lips slightly parted, and her eyes started to close probably in pleasure as Zachary started to grind their bodies together. He could already feel Kathryn's knees trembling, her voice being caught up to her throat to make another protest. Zachary bit his bottom lip at the erotic sight of Kathryn. It has always been one of their problems before: Zachary not taking Kathryn right on the spot whenever her eyes started to close with her messed-after-a-deep-kiss face.

Before.

That was before.

As if sensing Zachary's lips and fingers started to turn more aggressive, Kathryn's eyes snapped open and pushed Zachary away with all her strength. Both were panting hard, catching for air, eyes staring at each other.

Zachary noticed the wavering of Kathryn's eyes as she turned away, again not facing Zachary. It made Zachary frown as he opened his mouth ready to argue but was interrupted quickly by Kathryn.

"I'm g-going," Kathryn said, chest still heaving visibly, and her eyes avoiding Zachary's. With a quick glance over Zachary's face, Kathryn left and didn't look back.

Not even once.

She quickly headed inside, almost running as she went far, far, far away from Zachary. The older watched as the metallic door closed, then soon heard the familiar voice of their birthday celebrant and close friend David, asking Kathryn where she had been, and that Chad was looking for her since a while back.

Zachary was left alone in the hallway, lights flickering from small bulb lights on the walls and ceilings. He balled up his hands into fists and punched one to the nearest wall.

"Shit! Fuck shit!!"

He wanted her back. So, so badly.

But it hurt.

It stung.

It felt hopeless.

Because it might never be the same again.

David watched as Kathryn breathed in and out deeply, her shoulders showing as if she carries all the burdens of the world. This, like always, was infectious that it made David sigh heavily too.

"Are you all right?" David asked. News flew and spread out faster than anyone had thought. It had just been a few days since Zachary and Kathryn, the always together-happy-sappy couple, broke up. Of course, this news didn't fail to get into David's knowledge.

Kathryn had already told him what happened and what was happening. David managed to take everything in so far, then after the whole confession, still couldn't decide who to take side of. 

After the said break up, their circle―Kathryn, Chad, Earl, Zachary, and David, together with some other friends―seemed to have parted into two. Apparently, since they were best friends since childhood, Earl took Zachary's side. Chad, the current boyfriend of Kathryn, took Kathryn's side on the other hand. In the end, after a lot of deep thinking and consideration, David decided to play fair for both and stayed in between. This being the main reason why Kathryn couldn't sit in her seat comfortably even just for five minutes. And also, the reason why David could see Zachary from a far table, hawking Kathryn from top to bottom.

Who could sit comfortably if someone's giving you those looks anyway? David sighed and shook his head.

"I'm fine," Kathryn lied. Of course, David knew. How could she be fine?

David tried to do what he could so Kathryn won't feel alone in whatever she was up to. As much as he didn't like what Kathryn did, she was still a friend and friends don't leave each other no matter what happens. To be fair, Kathryn had her reason, although it was a secret that Zachary was not allowed to hear. For now, that was.