Falling to Pieces

Chapter 18 - That Shoreline

I slammed the door to Zach’s guest house, carefully locking it before zipping around to face Zach. I felt myself drowning in a pool of guilt the second that my eyes met his body. He was in so much pain and you could see it in his bright red cheeks as he coughed violently. Those three men had to have been sent by Will. If it weren’t for my recklessness, Zach wouldn’t be in this state. “Zach, we need to call the ambulance,” I stressed while walking over and taking his uninjured arm into a supporting grasp.

                A roaring cough escaped his lips. “No, don’t do that,” he shook his head.

                “What are you talking about, Zach? You practically have a bullet in your shoulder,” I pointed out. “I’m calling the ambulance.” Arguing against him was always so difficult.

                Zach shot his head around painfully, his blue eyes piercing through mine. “You are not calling the ambulance.”

                “Zach! What part of bullet in your arm do you not understand?!”

                “There isn’t a bullet in my arm, Jess. It just scraped me, alright?” Zach moaned quietly, lacking conviction.

                I widened my eyes in despair, “I don’t care, Zach! You’re still hurt so I’m still calling the ambulance.” I reached for my phone.

                “Jess, don’t do this,” Zach implored furiously. He reached over, groaning painfully a before ripping my phone away from my hands.

                My lips trembled slightly as I was practically on the verge of crying. “Zach, what is wrong with you?” I bit my lip for a second and looked away. “Why are you doing this to yourself?” I asked pressingly.

                He didn’t respond and so I slowly crept my head back towards him. He was looking back at me, his expression blank. I sighed heavily, “If you don’t go, it’s just going to become worse that it already is!” I roamed my eyes over his face searchingly hoping for the answer that I knew would please me and let my soul rest.

                “Jess!” he exclaimed, quickly diverting his eyes. “I’m not going to take that risk.”

                I let out a breath of disbelief. “There is no risk!” I yelled, completely annoyed by his stubbornness.  What kind of stupid risk could there be?

                “Yes, there is!” Zach yelled back.

                I bit my lip, surprised by the sudden anger that was creeping up his face. I dropped my lower lip and furrowed my brows; I was baffled.

                Zach was quick to catch his anger, pulling himself back for a second to compose himself. He gripped onto his bloody arm before calmly gazing back towards me. “If the ambulance arrives, there is going to be a lot of commotion and I don’t want to risk something happening to you.”

                I shook my head fleetingly. “Nothing would happen.”

                Zach pressed his eyelids together and sighed before peeling them open again. “You don’t know what those guys are capable of, Jess. I’m not risking anything,” Zach asserted.

                I could feel tears swelling up in my eyes. “Anything but y-yourself,” I mumbled, my voice cracking.

                Zach watched me, his eyes boring into mine for a quick second before he abstracted his glare. He was trying to avoid my gaze now; he knew he was being insensitive towards himself. I can’t believe that after all of this, Zach still wanted to protect me. He’s the one that’s hurt but he’s looking out for me? This isn’t fair!