Help Me Remember (COMPLETED)

Bonus Chapter which I don't know where to put

Marcus lifted his eyes to the ceiling and counted to ten. He was trying to remain calm. He had to have answers. Zachary had always quiet about his personal affairs and he respected that. But this was a different thing. This was too suspicious. This was wrong.

Marcus closed in on his best friend. He meant merely to catch Zachary's attention. But his hand was on automatic, grabbing the front of the soaked Armani and forcing Zachary to face him.

The soaked coat fell to the floor with a thwack.

Marcus shook Zachary a few times. He was angry. As a friend who stuck with Zachary Harrington through college, he was more than infuriated than he thought he was. And the words were low and seething as he said them, "There are rumors circulating. And while I'm one to always discard stupid commentaries from people who have nothing better to do, I'm starting to question everything too."

Zachary had always had that deceptive cool and he flicked his blue eyes to Marcus's dark ones. The hand formerly holding the coat grabbed his wrist with surprising strength, removing Marcus's hold and tossing it away from his body.

"Stay out of it, Marcus."

Marcus growled in disbelief, "And that's why I can't. I trust you, more than anyone in this game. But this whole thing with your marriage to Gregory Noble's only daughter? It doesn't make sense. I know how your father thinks, damn it, but you don't need the Noble fortune, we've been making our own long before them. This whole thing..."

Zachary turned away, eyes trained on the door. It was split second when the mask he sported fell, and in that window, Zachary was looking tired. And it was gone again. The blank expression taking his face.

Marcus blinked. The frustration he felt mounted. What the hell did this mean?

"So it's true? That repulsive story? Did you try to kill..." He cursed, not stomaching the idea. "Zachary—"

"Hypothermia."

"—are you—what? Hyper—what?"

Zachary's voice was devoid of feeling, "Hypothermia. She would've died of hypothermia if I found her a little later. Scarlett, she w-would've have..." Zachary released a shaky breath. Both hand lifted to push back his mess of a hair.

It was only then that Marcus got how lost Zachary looked right now. The clothes, the pallor of his skin, the dark bags beneath his eyes. And the restlessness beneath the still stance he took guarding the door. He'd never seen this. Something was here. Marcus felt it. And he didn't like it but he was suddenly dismissing the idea of Zachary Harrington killing his scandalous wife of over a year.

But looking at the stricken expression on his friend's face... He had an idea, a dumb one, but he wanted to immediately dismiss it. His friend would not be stupid enough.

"I don't get it." Marcus breathed out a sigh. "So what really happened?"

"Car accident. Her car fell into the ditch."

Marcus frowned, eyeing the rain-soaked clothing. "You were in the car with her?"

Anger lit in those blue eyes before they closed. "No, I went looking for her."

"And how did you know to look for her?" Marcus did not really care for the infamous heiress and added as an afterthought, "How is she?"

"She was unconscious when I found her. Hasn't woken up yet. There aren't any visible injuries but one could never be sure. The windshield was shattered, and she was waist-deep in freezing water. She..."

Marcus watched carefully, not believing what his eyes were seeing. Then shook his head, saying something else, "So it's not what the media is making it out to be. Screw them."

Zachary no longer answered. He was mute again. And Marcus had no additional inquiries after making sure his friend wasn't suddenly the murderer they were making him out to be.

Dark eyes scanned Zachary, "You should at least change your clothes. You look like crap."

Zachary ignored that, "I'm waiting for the doctor. I need to know how she is. I just... I need to."

Maybe it was the tone. Maybe it was everything that was Marcus had never seen in the entire time that he knew Zach. His suspicion was mounting, making him swallow and look away. "And how did you know to look for her?"

Zach smiled, slightly... sadly? From the angle, Marcus could not be sure. "She left divorce papers on my office table."

Marcus was prevented from asking more questions when the double doors of the room opened. But he saw—how his friend jumped to animation, closing in on the doctor even before she got to them. His actions seemed frantic but he was mute, holding out a hand but at a total loss. He merely stared at the female physician, seeming not to find words.

And Marcus knew to step in, placing a hand on Zach's shoulder and smiling for the benefit of the doctor, "how is the patient, Doctor?"

The woman smiled back, a clipboard clutched in her right hand. "All tests have come in normal. Aside from the broken wrist, your wife is in the best shape considering the accident. She'll wake up when she's ready."

It was painful to watch, how relief seeped into Zachary's body language. And the doctor saw, beaming at the worried husband she was seeing. And as if remembering something, her smile widened.

She held out her hand to Zachary, "And though this may be premature, congratulations may be in order? Your wife is really in luck, to keep both her and your baby safe. Five weeks pregnant, I believe?"

Zachary did not take her hand. And Marcus had frozen on the spot too.

But at Zachary's continued nonresponsiveness, Marcus turned to him. Zachary Harrington had turned sheet-white at the news. His blue eyes widening. The man looked like he was stabbed. Because there was pain in his eyes as he begged, "S-say that again."

Marcus cursed. "The hell."