Liking Zoe BOOK 1

40 LA

Zoe

I walked into house I spent my teen years in. Of course the house looks exactly the same. I slammed the door shut.
My uncle ran down the stairs.
"What are you doing here?" He looked just like my dad. Just much older and the fact that he wears bright red glasses.
"Hey...I just came to see you." I lied.
"Sure I haven't seen you in 2 years. What do you want." He crossed his arms. I shrugged.
"Work I'm here to work. I don't like LA all that much." I sat on one of the chairs.
"I heard you got the company. Is that why you're in town." I looked away.
"Im here because of the house. It's not in my mother's name so it must be in his name."
"I knew it. It's in my office just wait." I walked out the house and into the large yard. Jason was busy with the garden.
"Francis did say you were coming. I thought he was lying." Jason was a man that was once in a band during the 80's and he still dressed like it.
"I also thought I'd change my mind."
He picked weeds out  the ground.
"Where is Francis."
"Upstairs. Is my room still my room or do I need to go to a hotel."
"Your room is untouched." He stood up and took the gloves off.
"So tell me about this new girlfriend of yours."

"What is he really doing back here. After the way he left." I was sitting on the stairs. I could hear them talking from the kitchen.
"Give him a break Francis. It's been a while since we have seen him. He'll disappear again and then we won't see him. For another 3 years." I stood up and slowly made my way back up.
"He never talks about them or his feelings. How am I supposed to know if his okay. His like a fucking robot."
"Love, it's not that deep. He'll talk when he wants to. You cannot force these things." I creeped back up the stairs. When I stepped on a weaker stair. I froze.
"Zoe?" I sighed.
"Yeah...I just wanted to get some water." I slowly walked back down.
"What are you two doing awake at 3 am?"
"Talking about you." My uncle replied.
"Zoe, you just up and left. You went from music school and drugs and then you just vanished."
"Mmhmm." I said.
"See...Jason. His not going to talk. Not to us anyway." I took a water bottle out the fridge.
"What do you want to talk about?"
"You know exactly what we want to talk about."
"Okay."
"Why did you leave?"
"Because I wanted to. Next question."
"Your parents." I squeezed the bottle.
"What about them?"
"Zoe don't get defensive." Jason piped in.
"I'm not. I'm just tired. I had a long flight."
"Sure okay." Francis stood up and walked away.
"Goodnight then."
"You tend to forget I lost a brother too." He walked up the stairs.