Fatal Flaws

chapter 29

"I was in town doing some work and your mom told me what dorm I could find you in," he says, squeezing his arms tighter. I can't believe he's here. It feels strange after all this time. It's even weirder for him to be hugging me. I thought he hated me. When you consider everything that happened, I hate myself.

"I couldn't be in town this close to you and not make an effort to see you," he smiles. I release him, taking a step back to admire his physique. I'm surprised by how different he looks. His jet-black hair is shorter than I remember. It's buzzed close to the scalp, almost like an army-style cut. It's different than his usual hairdo, shorter on the sides and longer on top. He'd kept the top section tied back in a tightly wound ponytail. I used to love his hair. But I have to say this look works for him. Not many guys can pull off a buzz cut, especially not one on the heftier side like Zane. His once nice clean-shaven baby face is now covered in a large dark wiry beard. Seeing him like this makes me realize how much time truly has passed. The only thing familiar is his eyes. His dark oval-shaped eyes still hold the same innocence as before.

He's dressed in his work clothes. A simple pair of jeans with a long-sleeved red shirt. His company logo is sprawled across the front. "Ryan and Bros painting" stitched in big, bold black letters. Two paintbrushes are adorned on either end of the wording shaped into an x. A rainbow of assorted paint splashes completes his outfit. You can't tell what color his work boots are supposed to be.

"I see college has done well for you," he grins. His eyes rake over me. I choose not to respond to his comment. Instead, taking his hand,  and pulling him to where Sky is standing. She's pretending she wasn't eavesdropping. But the enormous smile on her lips tells me otherwise. Noticing my notes sprawled across the floor, I bend down, gathering them up. Zane, of course, helps. He's still a gentleman. I'm not in the mood to study anymore. It takes a few minutes to clean the mess, filing them into their correct folders, and placing them neatly on my desk for later.

"Sky, this is my oldest and dearest friend from back home, Zane. Zane, this is my roommate slash best friend52, Skylar." I state, introducing them. The three of us sit talking for a couple of hours. Me and him reminiscing about our childhood. And against my wishes, he told embarrassing stories from my childhood. It included one about me getting lost in the woods. When they finally found me I had peed my pants because I was too scared to go into the bathroom alone. In my defense, I was eight, and the bathroom was in a creepy old cabin with hardly any lights. I'm glad he chose mainly family-related stories and none from my wild days. He can probably sense I'm trying to forget that part of my past.

"How about we go get some dinner before I head out? I'm sure you know the best places to eat. Well better than I do," Zane proposes, glancing down at his black wristwatch.

"Sounds good to me. I'm starving. I haven't eaten all day. Plus it might help this massive hangover that won't go away," Skylar whines, holding her hand to her forehead. Not waiting for my answer, she jumps up, grabbing her shoes. I follow suit behind her, freshening up a bit before we're ready to go.

When we arrived at the restaurant, it appeared packed. We argued the entire way here about what sounds good to eat. We all insisted on something different. Of course, since Zane is the guest, he won. Pizza it is. We finally settled on a small mom-and-pop shop named "Mommas". I'm not complaining they serve the best Italian food I've ever had. Each one of their pizzas comes custom-made to your order. They make them right in front of you. It's kind of like a Subway or Chipotle but with pizza. You can get as many toppings as you want and make up any crazy combination your heart desires. They serve other dishes as well, such as lasagna and spaghetti.

"Hmm, I guess you guys were in the mood for Italian too" My blood runs cold. He's right behind me. I don't have to turn around. I would know that laugh anywhere.