Our Little Secret

Safe Word

I help Zak outta Sarinna's car and hand her her crutches. "I got it," she tells me defiantly. I step back but stay near in case she needs my help. Using her crutches, she hobbles to the door of their house. Sarinna unlocks the door and both of us watch her struggle to get in. I guess she's still getting the hang of using them.

In the house, she looks up at the long staircase and sighs. Sarinna notices the look of exhaustion on Zak's face. "Why don't you just lay down on the couch and rest?"

Zak frowns at that. "I dont... I want to go to my room." She turns to me shyly.

"Want me to carry you up?" I offer.

"Will you?" I take the crutches from her and scoop her up in my arms. Sarinna follows us as I carry Zakiyah up to her room. I put her down and she takes the crutches from me. She goes into the bathroom.

Sarinna turns to me. "Can you stay with her for a bit? I gotta go pick up her prescriptions."

"I gotchu." I start to go sit on Zak's bed, but her sister stops me.

"Thank you. Like... For everything you've done for my sister. It just... Thank you." She smiles at me.

I shake my head, dismissing the compliment. "She's done more for me than I've done for her so it's really nothing."

She shrugs. "Either way." She leaves and I lay back on the bed and think about everything I'm going through with Mom in the hospital and the pending trial for Sean. And I think about everything Zak's going through with her parents, and what Sean did to her, and the car crash, and her schizophrenia.

Zak has Schizophrenia. I still haven't been able to wrap my head around what that really means. Like... It's just crazy.

Zak's been in the bathroom for a while now and I start to worry so I get up to check on her. I knock the bathroom door before opening it. I find her standing at the mirror.

She took the bandage of her cheek and she stares at her reflection. She reaches up and traces a finger along her cheek. Along the scar on her cheek. The scar is long and jagged and goes from her ear to the corner of her mouth.

She looks at me through the mirror. "It's hideous. I know." She starts to bandage it back up, but I take her hand in mine to stop her.

"It's not hideous." I look at the scar then back at her. "I think it makes you look kinda badass." She just shakes her head, but at least I get a little smile outta her.

She pulls me into her by the hand. I wrap an arm around her waist. "Y'know... I really missed you," she tells me, licking her lips.

I lean my forehead against hers. "I missed you too."

"No. I mean I MISSED you." She tilts her head upward, bringing her lips to mine. I lift her up and sit her on the counter. She kisses me like she's been waiting for this moment. She tugs my shirt above my head and I let her. She throws it to floor and leans her head back as I kiss down her neck. I get to undoing the button on his oversized button-down.

She moans and claws at me back, almost making me say my safe word. Almost.

I'm just getting started on undoing the clasp on her bra, when someone clears their throat. I step back from Zak and prepare myself to get cussed out by one or both of her parents.

"Chill, it's just me," Sarinna holds up her hands. She looks everywhere but at us. "I got the pills so uh... y'know?"

"Yeah." Zak fixes her shirt and I get mine off the floor. We walk into her bedroom to Sarinna. "So I have to take them right now?"