I'm kinda inspired by the message on my feed. Thank you!
@SophiaJaison99 :)
Chapter 18
"Scarlett," the rolling baritone that was now too familiar woke me from my sleep.
Sweat was pouring off of my pores and I was breathing hard. With how my body felt, I knew it gathered no rest from that night. My eyes focused on the man sitting beside me.
"You were moaning in your sleep," Zach told me, his brows crumpled. He pulled me into a sitting position, wiping the sweat off my forehead with his hand. It was such a gentle move, a caring action. But as I watched him, his blue eyes weren't meeting my honeyed ones.
And as I glanced at the window, the sun was now quite high in the sky, signaling a new day. It was already morning.
"I waited for you last night," I said in a deadened voice. This felt like a bigger issue than my dreams. A far far FAR bigger matter than anything at the moment. "Way past midnight. And you didn't come home."
At my words, those blue eyes finally gave me the eye contact I wanted.
"You shouldn't have waited up for me," there was a slight scolding in his tone that I didn't like.
"Where were you?" I queried back, "You didn't even tell me you were going out."
He was silent. Watching me in the manner that only he was capable of and I hated that he did this a lot. Not answering my question. Always making me feel like he knows more than I did.
Well he didn't need to rub it in! This amnesia was enough proof of that.
"Susan said you went to a meeting. What kind of meeting goes on until that late in the evening?" my voice was shaking from emotion, "A-and then she said it was normal for men to drink after a meeting. Well, didn't it cross your mind to call and tell me you'll be home late? You have a wife waiting in here! Or why couldn't you have gone home immediately after the meeting instead? And if you really wanted to drink, why not do it here?"
I was rambling. Something I realized only until I finished saying those things.
Zach carefully watched me with those blue eyes.
Then of all thing, the corners of his mouth curled upward.
"I'll have to talk to Susan about the things she says to you."
My mouth fell open at that response.
"That's beside the point!" I exclaimed, frustrated at him for being deliberately dense at a moment like this. "I want to know where—"
"I'm sorry I went out without telling you yesterday," he said.
His words were quick to slow down the emotions whirling inside me.
I shouldn't be this easy! I frowned at him, "That's not—"
"I'm sorry for staying out too late," he continued. "And I'm sorry that you waited up and worried."
"I wasn't worried..." I denied futilely.
"And I'm sorry that I'm riling you up this early knowing your condition." Zach's eyes fell to my flat stomach beneath the covers.
The fact that he remembered the baby was all it took to release the fight in me. And his big hand settling over where our child lay was too tender to be paired with that expression that should not be allowed on men.
"Where were you then?" I asked again, now subdued.
He smiled briefly, lifting his eyes to my face.
"I really did have a corporate meeting. But not until late night. Afterwards, Marcus and I did go out to a bar but it was just the two of us. I wasn't supposed to stay out late, but while we were talking we must've forgotten about the time. And when I realized, I figured you would've already fallen asleep. I guess I was wrong."
I searched his eyes to see the truth in those words.
"I'm not lying," Zach said.
I looked down, "I guess not."
There was a moment of silence that descended between us. But it wasn't like yesterday when Mara left the room. This was almost comfortable and I looked back into his face. I realized he was washed up already, his midnight black hair already fixed and his clothes fresh.
"Where did you sleep?" I asked.
"In our bed," he answered in a note of reassurance, "I came in by three am and you were fast asleep. You didn't even stir."
"Oh."
The hand on my stomach lifted to brush a few strands of hair from my face, "Tell you what. Why don't you wash up and come downstairs. I'm going to make it up to you for last night."
He left the room and I jumped into the shower. He said he was going to make it up to me and I was eager to know what he had in mind for that. Once changed into clean and comfortable clothes, I bounded down the stairs.
When I reached the bottom, I heard two male voices talking. One was Zach... and as I turned towards the living room I saw who it was.
Marcus? What was he doing here this early?
Then I saw the person sitting beside him.
"Scarlett!" Lily perked upon seeing me and both men turned in my direction. I was immediately surprised to see her.
"Scarlett," Marcus acknowledged too with an unsmiling look, "I don't think I've ever seen you in that kind of clothes."
I was wearing loose cotton long-sleeves beneath my spaghetti-strapped tent dress that fell below my knees. They were part of the clothes I just bought and I suddenly felt self-conscious.
"Marcus," Zach held a warning tone.
Marcus sighed, "Whatever. I still don't like the idea of leaving my wife with yours."
"What?" I glanced at Lily and then at Zach. He gestured me to his side and I immediately went to him. Marcus's hawk-like interest wasn't comfortable but I ignored him as he watched me.
I lifted my eyes to Zach. He was already staring down at me.
"I thought you might want to go out with Lily so I called her over."
"You did?" this was even more surprising news... excellent but still surprising and a bit confusing.
Zach already read my expression and softly smiled down at me.
"Contrary to what Mara thinks, I do want you happy."
Those words went with me even as I was strapped into the passenger side of Lily's canary yellow Lamborghini. I was unable to answer him before Lily started pulling me out of our penthouse and down to where her car was parked.
Lily was suddenly a chatterbox, excited to be going out with me but my thoughts were still with Zach. It was only when the music changed that I was brought back to reality.
"I wish that I could wake up with amnesia
And forget about the stupid little things..."
I couldn't help but frown, "That is a horrible song."
Lily's gasp of outrage was heard over the loud music. "You did not say that! 5SOS is fangirl material!"
"Five what?"
Lily's horrified expression was a sight to see on top of being heavily pregnant and manning a powerful engine like this car. She then proceeded to educate me in detail about four boys named Luke, Calum, Ashton and Michael and their hit songs which I doubt I'd ever listened to.
Lily started pouting and I couldn't help but laugh.
"I just meant the lyrics are—"
Just then a fast red car zoomed towards our direction in the other lane while honking his horn. I felt the blood drain from my face and a scream trapped in my throat. I must've showed because Lily stole a worried glance in my direction.
"You look as white as a sheet!"
I tried to regain my composure, "S-sorry. That car..." My heart was beating erratically and I had to take deep breaths to calm it down.
Lily frowned, "It wasn't even close to us."
I knew it wasn't. But at the speed of the car, I had a sudden flashback.
It was night and a red car suddenly appeared at the curve. My own car was of the same speed and it swerved to avoid the oncoming vehicle. It felt like the cars avoided each other by a hair's breadth. But my car lost control and flew into the ditch beside the road.
It seemed like time stopped then. That I could remember everything about that moment. My own scream, the seatbelt digging into my body and my hands immediately lifting to protect my head and winshield shattering at impact.
But most importantly, I was in the passenger side. And someone else was driving the car.
It was the accident.
I'm also kinda saddened that the more readers I get, the less people vote and comment.
DO vote and comment! It's not a requirement, but in that way, other readers will be able to find my story and I want to share it with them too;)
Thank you so much for reading!