It takes courage to stay delicate in a world this cruel.❞
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"What the hell happened?"
By the time Zach showed up, the scene in Anchor's had already become a commotion. The blond had just gotten out of the waves, hair still damp with saltwater and droplets stuck onto his skin, when he spotted his best friend stomping across the beach. But what made him stop his tracks was the expression in Theo's face, a mix of emotions that made his heart clench — hurt, anger, and so, so much pain.
Remembering that he had left the two brothers alone, he raced to the direction from where Theo had gone. It wasn't such a surprise for him to be led to the shack.
What was a surprise for him, though, was seeing Chase curled up in Lenny's arms.
He'd never seen the boy so easily open to a stranger like that before. The kid, even though tended to blurt out anything that came into mind, was actually a very guarded person. Guarded enough to carefully pick the people around him. Similar, in fact, to his older brother.
But for some reason... he'd let her in.
"There was a customer," Lenny said slowly, trying to keep her voice steady. "He said a lot of mean things to Chase, and Theo got angry and — " She looked up at him, desperation and distress in her eyes, "I don't know what to do."
Zach felt for her. For Chase, for Theo — for all of them. Then he heard a sniffle. His eyes drifted down to the boy under her arms.
"Jesus."
He immediately rushed for him, and Chase didn't hesitate to let go of Lenny's embrace to meet with his. Zach hugged the boy tightly, murmuring in his ear with words he knew that would calm him down. Words he learned would bring him back to reality. Lenny watched them curiously.
"I want to go home," Chase whispered, still breathing unsteadily from his tears.
Zach's chest was hurting. When he was fifteen, he didn't expect to be this deeply intertwined in the Samuels brothers' family affairs. He just wanted to be best friends with Theo, the boy who was nice enough to share his lunch when he had none, the boy whose sketches looked as if they were alive.
