"Why didn't you say anything, Jess?" Zach questioned. His eyes were glassy, but his stressed posture was enough for me to understand that he was still angry. Letting out a grunt, Zach spun around and rushed out the door of the motel rashly.
"Zach," I called after him. Quickly, I made my way out the door and approached him.
He was standing at the corner, staring at the wall with his hands clung tightly to the back of his neck. The wind was blowing like crazy, but I could still hear Zach taking in deep breaths, trying to calm himself. Watching Zach like this was making my heart race. I knew that he was upset-furious even-with everything that had happened, but he was controlling it. And I was so thankful for that because I don't think I'd be able to handle him being mad at me right now. But at the same time, I didn't want him to be like this, I needed him to talk to me.
"I'm sorry. I know I should have told you that Will was threatening me. I'm so, so sorry," I said regretfully. Everything inside of me was beginning to shake. I wasn't usually like this, but for some reason, I was losing control and it was really getting to me. To add to my anxiety, all I got in response was his head of thick chestnut hair and defined back muscles looking back at me. Every view of him was absolutely amazing, even when he was this mad. Mad. I needed to focus on why Zach was mad, not why Zach was perfect. "Please say something, Zach," I pleaded, my voice nearly cracking.
"I...," he stopped suddenly, dropping his hands to his sides. After a few moments of stillness, his fingers flinched, as if he was hesitant to do something.
I furrowed my eyebrows, biting my lip nervously. What was going on with him? I moved closer, stopping only a few inches away from Zach. Was I supposed to comfort him? Was I supposed to beg him to talk to me? You never know what to do, Jess! "Zach-"
"I should have known something was going on," he huffed irately.
I dug my teeth into my lower lip in frustration. "No, I shouldn't have lied to you."
Zach sucked in his stomach. "But I knew that something was holding you back from being with me, Jess. That day at my Grandfather's house, you were trying so hard to keep it in, but I could sense that you felt the same way about me, as I do you." All of a sudden, I noticed his fingers curl up and soon enough, they were tightened in his firm fist. "Gah," he growled in frustration.
My insides were twisting, and as if it were a surprise, a cracking noise flooded my ears. I brought my eyes up, and when my gaze met Zach's hand crushed against the brick wall, I felt like my heart had stopped. "Zach!"
"I knew something was wrong! I should have guessed it was Will," he spoke furiously through clenched teeth, "I would have been able to do something!" He brought his arm up again, but I acted fast, pulling it back with all the strength I had.
Pressing my nose into his shoulder, I breathed in his calming scent. "No, Zach, please don't do this," I muffled while biting on my lip and willing myself not to cry. It was so hard to keep in my emotions because at this point, the only thing I wanted to do was burst into tears while in Zach's arms. I took in a deep breath and sandwiched Zach's hand between both of mine, cupping the tender part of his knuckles where his skin had peeled off.
More quiet moments passed by, making the tension inside of me rise. Zach had just hurt himself; I couldn't imagine how frustrated he must be right now. A sense of guilt was rising in me. If I had told him the truth from the beginning, instead of trying to solve things on my own, then we wouldn't be in this situation. I shut my eyes, and took in a panicked breath of air. The shivers from inside were now surfacing my skin-both because of the cold weather and my nervousness.
Suddenly, Zach spun around and took me into his arms. "God, Jess, why didn't you say anything?" he asked again desperately, rubbing his cheek against mine as he let out a breathy sigh.
A soft sob escaped my lips as I pressed my head into his chest and curved my hands around his stiff body. His grip around me tightened, making my shivers vanish within seconds. The warmth that Zach's body emitted was incredibly soothing. I stood in his arms for a good minute-absorbing him-before I spoke again. Completely lost in his bliss, "I care about you, Zach," I said without thinking.
I could feel the corners of his lips twitch upwards against my cheek. My heart began to speed up. I can't believe I said that. I could feel the weight of my suppressed feelings being lifted off my shoulders, and I let out a relieved sigh. There was no reason for me to keep Zach in the dark any longer... there was no need to hide my feelings anymore.
Gradually, Zach pulled my waist a little away from him. I lifted my head to look at him and I was shocked to see his eyes pooled with emotion. My mouth parted in surprise, and Zach was quick to lower his head and capture my lips in a tender kiss. Gripping on to his collar, I returned the kiss with vigor, my heart thudding in my ears.
Yet, even before I felt I could devour the kiss, Zach brought his hands up to my head and pulled us apart, just enough for our lips to separate. Our foreheads were still touching, and as I opened my eyes, I felt mesmerized. Zach was looking at back at me with his unreadable expression. His eyes looked sensitive, yet his lips swerved up in confidence. "You care too much, Jess," he spoke through a smile.
***
"Just the two of you?" The young waitress pulled out two menus from under the reception desk and perched an eyebrow up at Zach and me.
"Yes," Zach replied with a sincere smile, "Just the two us."
"Follow me," she insisted. She turned on her heel, pausing for a split second as she caught a glimpse of me. A dirty expression instantly filled her boney face structure. It was probably the bruises and gashes across my face. Let's just say I wasn't a sight for sore eyes.
Sighing, I sheepishly dropped my gaze and pulled a few strands of hair to cover my swollen lip.
To my surprise, Zach had been watching. He gently removed my hand away from my face, tucking a few wayward stands behind my ear. Pulling me in front of him, he nudged me slightly with his hands on my hips. "You always look beautiful," he whispered.
My heart nearly skipped a beat. Did he just call me beautiful? Zach continued to push me forward, my thoughts disappearing from me as his touch caused a flurry of tingles along my hips. We went a little way-in complete yet pleasing silence-until the waitress stopped at a booth.
"Here's your table," the waitress muttered. While slamming two menus on the shaky table, she spoke through clenched teeth, giving me a pointed eye roll before she left. "I'll be back in five minutes!"
"Whoa," Zach chuckled, taking a seat as soon as she left. "I had no idea this place would be so unpleasant," he stated apologetically.
I smiled, taking a good look at him as he adjusted himself against the cushion seat. His hair had grown longer in the past few days, his stubble now clearly visible. Had he really been that busy searching for me? I groaned internally as my eyes focused on him again. Regardless of his lack of ability to have combed and shaved in the past few days, Zach looked amazing. At this point, I was pretty convinced that he could pull off anything; my perspective might be a tad biased, though. Grinning, Zach lifted his sparkling eyes up to me, jolting me out of my thoughts.
"You never know," I shrugged slightly, "We haven't tasted the food yet." Smirking, I made my way over to the other side of the table.
All of a sudden, Zach reached for my arm and pulled me towards him. "Come here," he urged, patting the space next to him.
Butterflies were swarming in my stomach, but I managed to take in a deep, albeit shaky, breath and place myself on the seat. But as I quickly slid in, my injured arm bumped against the table and sent a jolting shot of pain through my arm. Digging my teeth into my lip, I cringed, shutting my eyes so that I could fight my urge to scream.
"Jess," Zach huffed worriedly. Running a hand down my back, he moved closer. "Are you sure you don't want to go see a doctor about that arm?"
"No, I'm fine," I replied, almost too quickly. I didn't want to be a burden; I'd already taken up so much of his time.
"Don't do this, Jess. If you're hurt, I need you to tell me."
I shook my head and avoided his gaze. "It's not that bad, it just hurts a little."
"Jess..."
I could feel him eyeing me questioningly. He obviously didn't believe me. "Zach, I promise I'm fine," I tried to falsely assure.
He sighed disapprovingly. "Your face is pale, your eyes are bloodshot, your skin is burning, your lip is swollen, you have a deep bruise on your face, and you have an extremely painful shoulder. Don't tell me you're fine, Jess."
I let out a sigh and looked forward. No I definitely wasn't fine. I was miserable. Everything Zach said was true. A massive headache was developing in my head and nearly every part of my body was throbbing. Not to mention that that pain was a reminder of everything that had happened the night before. But I'm never the type to complain. I didn't like making people feel sorry for me, and maybe in this situation that was justified, but still! Plus, I always cry in front of Zach. It probably makes me look like such an insecure, oversensitive baby.
"Jess, seriously," Zach cupped my cheek with his right hand and turned my face gently, forcing my eyes to look into his."Talk to me, please," he asked with begging eyes, "I don't want you to hide your feelings, especially with me."
I looked at him for a few seconds but as soon as I felt the burn in my eyes, I looked back down into my lap. Taking in a deep breath, I fiddled with my fingers. "I'm just tired...," I stopped, as this rush of fatigue hit me-I couldn't hold it in any longer. I lifted my head up to Zach, my vision blurring as tears started to form. "I'm tired, sleepy, hungry, cold," I took in a shaky breath of air, "but most of all Zach, I'm scared." I pressed my lips together for a few seconds, attempting to calm my trembling voice. "What's going to happen next? Who else is going to get hurt? Vanessa's too dangerous! And until we get rid of her, no one is going to be safe. I don't think I can put up with being constantly worried about everyone! I don't want any of this anymore, Zach!" I sobbed.
Zach wrapped his arm around me and pulled me in. On impulse, I buried my face into the side of his body, snuggling in very cozily. He responded by tightening his grip and placing his chin lightly on the top of my head. "I promise to get us of this, Jess. I'll make sure that it gets better."
I inhaled sharply, putting a hand to my mouth to contain my cries. I wanted to say something, but at this moment, I couldn't.
Zach's soft lips pressed against my forehead, helping me ease off my tension. "I'm sorry, Jess... I really am sorry."
I opened my mouth, but all that came out where incoherent muffles. Feeling hopeless, I closed my eyes and sobbed some more.
"Jess...," Zach began to whisper, as he held onto me even tighter.
I sniffled. "I know, I'm sorry-"
"No, don't apologize, Jess. You have every right to feel this way," he replied, his voice echoing through his chest. Slowly, he began to stroke my hair.
The tension in my body loosened up. I loved the way his fingers felt in my hair and how comfortable and warm his body felt against mine. I couldn't get myself to pull away, so instead, I rested my hand on his chest and adjusted my head. I don't know what it was with him, but every time he held me this way, I would feel lightheaded and sleepy-
"You better no fall asleep on me for third time," Zach warned mockingly.
I giggled, blinking away the sleep in my eyes, and lifted my gaze up to him. A charming smile was dancing at his lips. "Thank you, Zach."
"What are you saying thank you for, silly?" he laughed while reaching over to grab one of the menus. "Come on; tell me what you want to eat."
"Anything. Just order something and I'll eat it." I was literally that hungry.
"Unless you want Oysters and Artichoke, I think you should order."
"Ew!" I scrunched up my nose while pulling myself away from Zach and reaching for the menu. Okay... maybe not that hungry.
***
"Alright, I'll bring your food out when it's ready," the waitress stated crossly. She caught another quick glimpse of Zach, her red lips curving up into an undeniable smile-just like they had several times while taking his order.
It was obvious that she thought he was attractive, but I couldn't feel myself getting jealous. I think it was her attitude that kept throwing me off... and probably the fact that Zach wasn't really paying much attention to her.
"Sounds good," Zach replied.
She plastered on a fake smile. "Let me know if you and your girlfriend need anything else."
"Oh we're not..." I trailed off. Zach and I exchanged an awkward glance, but I was quick to revert my eyes. Should I have said that? Would Zach have cared if we just lied about that?
"We'll let you know, thanks," Zach said rapidly, trying to avoid any further awkwardness.
Clicking her pen, the waitress spun around and marched away, leaving us in peace.
"What the hell is her deal?" Zach asked, evidently annoyed.
I shrugged, taking a sip of my cold lemonade. "Maybe she's just having a bad day."
Zach let out a laugh devoid of any humor. "Well, I guess we all are, huh?"
I dropped my eyes, flashbacks popping back in my head. There was so much that I needed to tell Zach. We needed to discuss things and find a way out of this horrible mess.
Zach groaned with realization. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to bring that up again."
"No," I looked towards him, "It's fine. We really should talk about what happened."
"Are you sure you're okay with talking about it right now?" he questioned, his eyes growing wide with concern.
Was I? I don't think I'd have a meltdown again, but how do I tell him? And after hearing everything, how would Zach react? I mean, we're out in the open. People could hear. "Are you?" I asked him, hoping he'd guide me in the right direction.
He pressed his lips together, lowering his eyes for a short moment before looking back up at me. One side of his lips hitched up and a dimple appeared on his cheek as he brought his hand up to my face. While running the back of his hand down my cheek, he bent closer. "I am, if you are."
I took in one deep breath and then spilled. Dictating nearly every detail, I think I blabbered on for a full thirty minutes. Zach had managed to keep his cool, and to my surprise, didn't seem very shocked by Vanessa's actions. Maybe it was because he already knew or because he expected it-I don't know-but either way, it felt good to be able to get all of that out. "So," I finished, "Will pretended like he knew everything, but then the second I questioned him, his face was blank. And I guess when he realized there was some truth to my words, he got really angry and well... you know the rest."
Zach raised his eyebrows, his eyes shifting in an uneasy way.
"Oh and speaking of Chadd and Brody, where are those two?" I questioned him quickly, attempting to drive away from the memories.
"Brody's back with Mrs. Harrison; Joe took care of that. She said she'll probably being staying out of town for a bit till all of this is fixed. And Chadd is staying with Maddy at my Uncle John's place."
"Thank God they're safe. I just wish everyone were safe. We really need to pull ourselves out of this soon."
Zach nodded lightly, dropping his concerned eyes. He took a moment to stare into his lap before diverting his gaze back to me. "Vanessa bluntly admitted what she did, which isn't a shock because she's like that-too overconfident to realize how foolish she is being. But Will, he's not usually that taken aback."
I furrowed my eyebrows. "He always seems lost, though. Vanessa herself scolds him for making so many mistakes."
"That's not how he usually is. Will's the best and most efficient dealer in Millbrae; he has to be smart and cunning to pull off all of those jobs. I don't know what Vanessa has done to him, but he's shaken and completely out of his game."
"What does that mean then?"
"Well, it's like you told him, he doesn't know what Vanessa's planning."
"So Will is basically useless?" I asked, annoyed by this continuous circle of confusion.
"Actually, he's our best bet," Zach replied honestly.
I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "I hate this."
Zach exhaled and reached for my arms, pulling them away from my face as he matched my gaze. "I know, I'm sorry," he apologized, cradling my face in his palms. "No more talking about Will, Vanessa of any of this stuff anymore. I'll talk to Joe, and we'll handle this."
I shook my head, letting out a sigh. "You have to keep me in the loop, Zach. You have to let me help you!"
He dropped his hands knowingly, making my heart sink a little.
"I'm already waist-deep into this mess now," I admitted. "I've told you everything that happened; it's only fair that you do too." I couldn't help the smirk that appeared on my face. It was always fun to rationalize with him. Zach's eyes lightened up slightly in amusement. "Please," I begged childishly, pouting my lips.
He cracked me a smile. "Fine, but no more tonight, okay?"
"No more tonight-"
A sudden cling against the table cut off my words, making me nearly jump into Zach's arms. He pressed onto my shoulders comfortingly, letting a chuckle escape from his lips.
"Here's your order," the waitress pushed a pan of barbeque pizza towards us and smiled pretentiously. "Do you need anything else?" she asked, staring at Zach suggestively.
It took everything for me not to not bark out a laugh.
"No, we're good, thanks," he answered dryly.
Letting out a small grunt, she spun around and dashed back into the kitchen. Shrugging it off, I reached for a slice. Too hungry to realize, I placed the pizza in my mouth.
"Careful it's-"
"Ah, hot!" I cried, dropping the slice in my hand. My cheeks immediately flushed into a red tint. I'm such a slob! And to do these kinds of things in front of Zach... I think I might die.
Zach laughed. "Yes, it is hot."
I looked towards him and frowned playfully. "I was just so hungry."
"You're too cute, Jess," he grinned, picking the slice up for me and placing it aside. He grabbed another slice from the pan, cooling it lightly with a huff before handing it to me. "Eat up, you baby," he laughed again while handing me the slice.
Still embarrassed-and a little nervous by his words-I scrunched up my nose and grabbed the slice for him. He was never this comfortable with me. Maybe I should be acting that way with him too? I mean, what am I supposed to say? This is all so new to me. "Thank you," I said simply, while smiling and trying to bite in the pizza at the same time. "How much longer till we get to your Uncle's place?"
"Maybe an hour tops. Getting sick of car rides?"
"Kind of."
"I'll drive fast."
"Just don't get us killed."
"I'll try not to."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
***
After a full fifteen minutes after we had asked, the waitress arrived to our table with the bill. Anxious to leave, Zach snatched the bill from her and signed his name rapidly. I leaned over his shoulder, watching him carefully until suddenly a surprising view caught my eyes.
"Zach," I whispered.
He turned to look at me, and I pointed to the black numbers etched onto his copy of the bill. Call me, it said next to it.
Letting out a laugh, Zach handed her back both copies. "Sorry, I'm taken," he told her in mock remorse. He nudged me in the side slightly, signaling for me to get up.
I tumbled out, a little confused with his motives.
"But I thought she wasn't your girlfriend-"
He shrugged, "Oh, well I guess that changed."
And before I could even process his words, Zach grabbed my waist, pulling it into his as he crashed his lips down onto mine. His lips lingered on mine for quite a few seconds before he tore away.
"Thank you for serving us," he stated casually over his shoulder, gripping onto my arm and tugging me out of the restaurant.
My heart was beating a million times faster. "What was that?"
He smirked, interlacing our fingers. "She's not worth my time, my sweat... none of it, right?"
I bit onto my lip, recalling the conversation I had with Will. "Oh my god, did you hear all of that?"
"That's how I found you."
I buried my face behind his shoulder, again, embarrassed. I never intended for him to hear all of that!
"What are you doing?" he inquired, tightening his grip.
"Hiding," I blurted out. Hiding? Oh gosh, Jess, you say the stupidest things!
Zach's thundering laugh echoed through his back. "Hiding? Why? That was some really good stuff you said there."
"Stop it!" I lifted my face up to realize that we were entering Wal-Mart. "Wait, what are we doing here?"
"We're getting you a blanket, Jess."
"A blanket?"
Zach smirked. "Didn't you say you were cold?"
My heart fluttered, letting a smile grow across my face. Slowly, we roamed the aisles, until finally we found the bedding. Just as we turned the corner, though, Zach stopped me.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you," he began, his eyes widening, "Taylor woke up this morning."
"Are you serious?" I squealed in excitement. Thank god she was okay! At least something good had happened today.
"Yeah, she's doing great. Joe says she's up and about, making conversations with everyone."
I let out another squeal, squeezing his arm.
"Shh. Calm down," he said, laughing as he shook his head. "Come on, pick out a blanket."
I smiled at him and then spun around to scan the blankets. The second my eyes met the Little Mermaid fleece throw, I reached for it. "Aw, this is so cute!"
Zach took the blanket from my hands and examined it. He cocked an eyebrow. "What on earth is she supposed to be?"
I glared at him. "Are you kidding me? That's Ariel. She's a mermaid! It says right there on the label anyway."
"Is this Disney?" Zach asked knowingly.
"Duh!"
"Why am I not surprised?" he chuckled.
"Seriously Zach," I titled my head to get a better view of his face, "how did you go through your childhood and never see a Disney movie?"
"I did a few weeks ago, with you," he remarked sheepishly.
I smirked. "You're not a child anymore."
"Well, I guess I wasn't a Disney fanatic like you were," he laughed, "Is this blanket you want?"
I nodded my head, smiling with wide teeth. We slowly made out way towards the checkout counters. Being with Zach made me so relieved. I was safe, away from Will and Vanessa. But what was next? "Zach," I called out to him quietly, resting head on the side of his arm.
"Hmm?"
"We're going to be okay, right?"
"Of course, we are."
__________________________________________________________________________
Yay! Sweet and interesting chapter? Hopefully it was a break from all the drama. Oh and I apologize for the awkward, annoying indents.
Anyways, thanks for reading! Please vote/comment/fan if you think I deserve it :)