The Crystal by Jones M (ready to read books .TXT) 📖

wall behind him. Zane could not have been serious. So, what he meant to say was, I kissed someone's boyfriend?

"Then why didn't you?" I asked with a hurt expression. "We could have avoided this tension between us!"

"That's why I'm apologizing for what I've done. I never meant to make things awkward for us," he continued to speak, and I felt something painful in my heart. I looked around and not at him, wondering why my eyes suddenly wanted to water.

He had a girlfriend, and I kissed him. That fact did not bother me. What hurt was the apology for kissing me. As if it was a mistake. Sure, it was, but...

What was wrong with me?

"It's okay, Zane," I said with a fake smile. I hoped he could not read what I was feeling.

"I also need you to not tell my girlfriend about what we did."

No problem.

"Sure!" I replied in a quick manner. If there was one thing I hated, it was a drama that involved me. I wanted Zane out of my room so that I could figure out my feelings.

"Okay," Zane said before getting up from the bed and staring at me. "I'll see you later."

"Sure," I replied before he walked out of the room. Once he was outside, I shut the door behind him and collapsed on the floor. My knees were bent before I placed my head in between. I was not crying, but I felt sad.

However, the tears that trailed down my cheeks betrayed me.

I needed to get over the feelings I had for Zane or else they would destroy me.

CHAPTER 32

Emery's P.O.V

Another day had passed. I was in my room. The sky had darkened, signaling the beginning of the evening. After the talk I had with Zane, I felt more confused about my feelings. It should have been easy to make up my mind and to deal with the issue, but it wasn't. In fact, my mind kept replaying the kiss. I was saddened by how Zane easily dismissed the kiss; it showed he didn't feel what I felt, and I was frustatingly sad.

Pushing the thoughts away, I stared at the city buildings through the mini-suite window as I dialed Selena's number. The phone rang, but she did not answer. I called her again, but she did not answer. That was strange.

Ever since Selena left to make her artist image, she hardly communicated with me. She must have had a hectic schedule that barely gave her time to talk to me. My mind kept pushing that my cousin was trying to avoid me, but that felt so unrealistic.

We had just spoken about a week ago. During the call, she seemed very tense and evasive. It didn't help that she replied with short answers and barely kept the conversation going. The call did not even last two minutes! I mean, how busy could upcoming artists be?

I was certain things were okay between us before Selena left. I would have known, or she would have told me if I had wronged her, and so that could not be the cause. Maybe my cousin was busy making an album, but who knew for certain? I decided to stop trying to call her and let her call me when she would be free.

"Food's here!" Liam shouted throughout the suite. I got up and headed towards the kitchen. Liam was perched up on a seat behind the island where three boxes of pizza were placed. The delicious smell of the food had me salivating within seconds.

The sound of footsteps approaching vibrated through the room. Ethan, Harry and Logan came towards the kitchen island like a herd of running buffaloes. I moved out of the way for them to pass. In an instant, two boxes were taken.

"I have been starving!" Ethan commented before opening one of the boxes. He proceeded to take a slice before quickly devouring it.

"Would there be enough for the six of us?" I asked with an amazed look, seeing Ethan gulping down another pizza slice within seconds.

"Make that seven," Liam said as he opened the only box left on the island. I turned to face him with a confused look.

"Huh?"

"Zane's girlfriend is coming." The appetite I had was quickly replaced with a feeling of dread.

"Why didn't anyone tell me?" I questioned Liam and the others who were busy munching on the pizzas.

"We did in the morning," he replied before taking out a slice and eating it.

"You did?" I said, and he answered with a bob of his head.

"Why? Is there something wrong?" Logan asked before devouring another slice.

"No!" I replied immediately. "Just wondering," I said before taking a slice of pizza from the box that Liam was eating. As I slowly digested the meal, I was wondering what the outcomes would be.

I kissed Zane. Hopefully, his girlfriend wouldn't know that I had kissed him. If she did, then I was dead meat.

How would she react after knowing her boyfriend kissed another girl? Would she break up with Zane? I would hate to be the cause of demise in their relationship.

"Hey guys!" someone shouted as he entered the room.

Speaking of Zane...

I turned to face him, only to come to a stop with a look of surprise.

That was his girlfriend?

The girl was beautiful. She was gorgeous. Her eyes were green but darker than Harry's. She had lightly tanned skin, and the eyeliner and mascara she wore made her eyes pop out. Her lips were ruby red and full. My eyes traveled lower, spotting the outfit she had worn. The black sleeveless shirt she had worn did not hide the largeness of her breasts, and her blue skirt accentuated her curves. I felt a little bit insecure.

I felt envious of the girl. How could Zane have a girlfriend like that and decide to kiss me on a dare? I mean, she was prettier than I was! I just didn't understand. I mean, how could I compete with that?

"Hey guys!" the girl greeted the boys with a wave of her hand. The rest replied with excitement, including me but with less eagerness. I felt so out of place with her being there. I mean, she was pretty. She could have even been a model for all I knew! I frowned as I looked at her again. I found her staring at me with a curious look. I blushed before quickly taking another slice of pizza to keep me occupied.

"Who is she?" I whispered to Liam who was still beside me.

"Oh. That's Zane's girlfriend," he replied before continuing to eat the remaining pizza slices. I stared at him expectantly. He gave me a confused look.

"What?"

"I know that. What I need are more details. Like, of how long, where they met, and all that."

"About a year, right here in England," Logan answered for Liam as he came towards us. I looked over the pizza boxes that Harry, Ethan and Logan took, only to see one of the boxes empty. That explained why he came towards Liam and me.

One year? They had been dating for one year? Oh crap. I was doomed.

"She was our friend when we all moved here."

"If it helps, she is two years older than Zane," Liam added. I squinted my eyebrows in confusion.

"How old is Zane?" I asked.

"Twenty years old."

I turned my head to face the couple, only to realize it was a mistake. Zane had Bianca backed up to a wall and was making out with her. I think he even had a hand under her shirt. Why was he doing that, in front of everyone in the hotel suite?

Seeing the ongoing scene made my heart clench. I had been forcing myself to eat after hearing about Zane's girlfriend coming, but seeing the makeout session in front of me completely destroyed my appetite. I felt like going over there and throwing Bianca away from Zane.

Whoa. Was I jealous?

Zane was kissing her the same way that he had kissed me.

Wow. I guess I was jealous?

I lost my appetite as thoughts of Zane came back to my mind.

"I think I'm going to bed," I told Liam as I went towards my bedroom. He made no move to stop me, seeing that he was engaging in conversation with Logan.

Once I was inside my room, I jumped onto the bed and began to silently cry.

I felt confused by my emotions, and I hated myself at the same time. It hurt to see Zane kissing another girl while I was in the same room. 

I shouldn't have let Zane take over my head. I mean, he was my ex-bully for Pete's sake! Being his girlfriend would be weird. However, a part of me thought it would be nice.

What was wrong with me?

I suddenly had a moment of realization. My eyes widened in shock as I replayed it in my mind.

I was crushing on Zane.

I instantly wiped the tears off my face and shuddered, sitting up on the bed. Why? Why? SERIOUSLY, WHY?

Why would I be crushing on him? Okay, he kissed me, and it was amazing. That was not a good enough reason to have feelings for him. I didn't know him that well. Besides, he had a girlfriend.

Have I also mentioned he even bullied me in high school?

A knock sounded on my door, breaking my train of thoughts. I wiped my tears before getting up and walking towards it. I opened it, expecting to see one of the boys. I was shocked to see Zane's girlfriend herself.

"Oh. Hi! I'm--" I went to awkwardly greet her, but I stopped when I saw the look she gave me.

She was glaring at me.

"Listen here you bitch!" she started. My eyes widened in shock. "Zane is mine! If I spot you eyeing him again, I will make you regret it."

With that, the girl walked away. I slowly closed the door as the words the girl spoke replayed in my head.

What the hell was her problem? I didn't want Zane! She could keep him for all I cared.

Eva's P.O.V

"I like this girl," I commented as I stared at my magic mirror with a smile. The girl, Bianca, warned Emery to stay away from her lover. I turned away from the mirror to face my minion, Tevix.

"I think she will be very useful to us."

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Emery's P.O.V

After the warning from Bianca, I went to sleep. I did not dwell on it for a long time. It seemed absurd, the threat she made. I guessed she felt threatened by my presence, but what was there to be threatened about? She looked like a model, and I looked like... me. So, I decided to let the issue pass, believing it wouldn't be a problem.

On the following day, the boys' schedule was filled with a meet-and-greet and an album signing. I tagged along, and unfortunately so did Bianca.

Okay, I had no idea what the girl's problem was. I believed she thought that I wanted to take Zane away from her. That was stupid of her. If I wanted him, I would have been dating him weeks ago! But then, it was me, and so the chances of that happening were none.

The boys had scheduled the album signing in a theater that I had no excitement of finding out its name. Outside the building were many people, including the security team the boys' management had hired. Bianca and I were standing backstage in the building. The area we were standing on was highly illuminated by the headlights placed on the ceiling. There was a large red stage curtain in front of us that blocked the view of the boys signing albums and meeting their fans.

Bianca and I had been quiet towards each other. In fact, she had been giving me sneers all morning. I rolled my eyes at her for the hundredth time before I took my phone and dialed Selena's number.

Ugh, nothing!

I wanted to throw the phone towards a wall or something. How could the girl avoid my calls at my time of need? 

An idea came to mind. I could ask the boys' manager to help me access Selena.

Before I could smile, Bianca turned to face me with a glare. At the time, she was speaking.

"Stop thinking about my boyfriend you bitch!" Bianca yelled at me. I gave her a weird look as I slowly blinked my eyes at her.

"Girl, you are crazy," I told her as I went to concentrate on my phone.

"I'm not crazy!"

Ugh.

"I saw the way you looked at him last night and I saw the way you looked at him today!"

"I didn't even--" I went to