Loser II || WlW

Thirty-Two

     He runs through the elaborate story I've read dozens of times in the letters he wrote from jail. He sounds like a conspiracy theorist, the way he lays out the date we moved into the house with mom and dad and connects it to every interaction we ever had with the Davises or the Hemmetts.

"The Davises wanted us out of their town from day one, Jo. They didn't want a poor family in their neighborhood," he explains.

But it doesn't change the fact that we weren't the only poor people in the area. Our entire neighborhood was full of people like us but I don't stop him. I wouldn't want to trigger him in the middle of his explanation.

"Mr. Davis is a powerful man," he continues. "He knew I would do anything for my next hit so he offered some extra cash if I did his dirty work. It started small but eventually, he was paying me to get rid of people for him. When stuff started getting screwy, they came up with these stories. Gave me motive. They'd make me repeat them until I couldn't tell fact from fiction."

"Why Claire?" I cut him off. "Why would Mr. Davis want his own daughter dead?"

Zachary shifts his weight, crosses his arms over his chest, and shakes his head. "He didn't. That one's on me." He reaches out to grab my shoulder but I shrug away from him. "Jo, I'm not telling you I'm innocent. I'm asking you to see this from my perspective."

We stare at each other a moment while I wait for him to continue.

"They ruined my life. They took some broke, drugged-out kid off the street and made him a killer and when their plan backfired, they let me take the fall."

I let out a slow breath. I wish I had my medication to keep me from spinning through possible scenarios, to help me sort the truth from fiction. "So, why are you here?"

"Jordan!" Zachary grabs my shoulders and this time I don't move. I withhold the urge to flinch away and instead look him in the eye for the first time since that night by the river. "Don't you get it? Why do you think they sent Brittany back to you?"

A lump forms in my throat. "She loves me, Zachary." I can hardly choke the words out with the weight of his implications running through my head.

He frowns, tries to offer a comforting smile, shakes his head.

"She didn't have to come find me," I start. My mind races back to the night at the bar, my birthday, how much work it must have been to figure out which bar I worked at. The birthday present. I twist the small, brown bracelet around and look at the date.

That was the day I realized you're different, she had told me.

It can't be fake. How could she have faked everything? The way she took care of me after I saw Trevor die. The way she pulled the bloody clothes off me and helped me shower. The way she showed up every time I needed her. She called me dozens of times after Zachary killed my dad and then showed up at my house. She kissed me. Like really kissed me. She couldn't have faked that. But she is Brittany. What are the odds I'm different to her than any of the others she kissed to get something in return?

"She did have to find you if her dad needed her to tie loose ends up," Zachary says.

I was finally living a semi-normal life, focused on school, work, and my mental health. I was in a place where I was finally considering weaning myself off some of the medication but then she showed up and asked me to come to this winter resort with her. Did she know how much I care about her? Did she know she consumed every thought I had? Did she know I'd say yes to coming with her if she threatened to leave otherwise? I would have done anything to keep her around.

"I'm afraid they got Mom too," he adds.

I nod slowly, feeling the weight of his words settle in the pit of my stomach. "Why mom?"

"She was helping me look into a private investigator." He gives my shoulder a squeeze. "We have to get out of here, Jordan. Before Brittany finds out."

I stare at him. I can't get my hands to stop twitching. Can't get my mind to stop racing. "I'm sorry, Zach. I have to talk to Brittany."

A glint of anger runs through his eyes before he pushes me away and turns to leave. He stops just before the door and faces me again. "You don't trust me? After all this? You still don't trust me?"

"Zachary, stop with this shit." I sigh. "I just need to talk to her."

"Don't you understand, J?" He's shouting. "She wants you dead! She's wanted you dead from the beginning. She never cared about you. If she did, she'd be here right now but where is she?" He throws his hands out in frustration. "Where is she, Jo?" He throws a stack of books to the ground. "She's probably in your cabin fucking Kyle as we speak!"

I chuckle.

His expression falls. "What?" he snaps.

I shake my head. "Nothing."

"What?" he repeats, this time louder. "What are you laughing about?"

I shrug. "When are you going to grow up and accept fault for your actions?"

His eyes narrow at me.

"Do you think I'm stupid, Zachary?" I ask. "You did this last time. Remember? When I had Brittany's phone. You pinned the whole thing on her." I scoff. "You could at least try to come up with something original."

I glance at him, attempt to gauge his reaction.

"Now, if you could get out of my way. I need to go find my girlfriend."

Zach's fist clenches and unclenches.

"Jordan, if you choose that... that bitch over your own family one more time I can't help you anymore." His teeth are clenched as he continues. "If you leave me behind... I won't be here to help you when she reveals her true colors and tries to kill you."

I take slow steps toward him, watching his hands in case he tries to pull a weapon on me. "You're a murderer, Zachary. Why would I choose you?"

He shakes his head. "I thought once you killed Roger's son, you'd get it. I thought you'd understand that it's not all black and white."

"So, you were behind that?" I ask.

"You know, Jordan." He sighs. "I was going to let you leave before I tortured Brittany to death but now," his lips pull into a smile and before he slams the door in my face he adds, "I think I'll make you watch." 

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Hey, all. 

I'm going to be trying to post the first chapter to the next story I'll be uploading on Wattpad today so keep an eye out for that if you're interested. I'm really, really excited to share that story with you guys so make sure you swing on over later and let me know what you think.

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