Chapter 20: Storm.
Courtney's POV.
I have to be at Hannah's house in twenty minutes.
I just have to talk to Zachary first.
I park my car in his driveway and I get down. Osvaldo lets me in and I find Zachary in his bedroom.
Shirtless as usual.
"Ahem." I say, clearing my throat.
"Courtney!" He exclaims, jumping off his bed.
"Chill, would ya." I tell him.
He's acting like he's just seen a ghost.
"You haven't talked to me in three weeks. What changed?" He asks me.
"I just felt like talking to you." I tell him.
"Oh really. You know that I have a baby on the way right." He tells me and I nod.
"After what happened with ours, you deserved better." I tell him.
Images of my bloody sheets flood my memory.
When I found out I had lost our baby I almost killed myself. I'm always bitchy, but I have a reason. The world took someone from me. Why should I be nice to anyone?
"You don't need to remind me about that, Court." Zachary tells me.
"You always dodge the subject. You couldn't even look me in the eyes when I told you that I had lost the baby." I tell him, tears willing to spill at any moment.
"Because that baby was just one of my fuck ups. I don't want to be reminded of it." He says and all I see is red.
I slap him across the cheek and I storm out of his room.
I can't believe him.
This is why I don't talk to this asshole.
"Courtney?" I hear a voice call.
I turn around and I see Maddison.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" She asks me.
"I just came to check up on Zachary." I tell her.
"Since when did you care about Zachary?" She asks me, surprised.
"Come on, we're friends." I chuckle.
"Where are you going?" She asks me.
What a nosy bitch.
"Home." I tell her before I walk out of the house.
***
"No way." Hannah squeals beside me.
"I slapped him." I tell her.
"He deserved it." Hannah retorts. "That Henderson kid..." She says trailing off.
"I'm happy that Stephanie is taking all of Zachary's attention, Valarie will soon be a thing of the past." I tell her.
"Yeah, I'm happy for my cousin. She deserves this happy ending, you know." Hannah says, flipping her hair to the side.
"I'm just glad that my chapter with Zachary is officially closed. Did I tell you that Blake asked me out?" I ask her.
"No way." Hannah says for the second time. "What did you say?" She asks me, crossing her arms.
"Yes. After all, you only live once." I tell her.
"Chad texted me." Hannah informs me.
"Ouu, what's that about? Are you two getting back together?" I ask her.
"I don't know. He asked to meet me at the Holiday Inn tonight." Hannah says, going through her texts.
"Then go." I tell her. "I have to be home anyway." I say, standing up from her sofa.
"I'll walk you out." She tells me.
Ten minutes later, I am walking into my house. It's awkwardly chilly today.
"Courtney honey, can you come to the study for a second?" I hear my father say as I drop my purse on the table beside the door.
I make my way to his study and I see my father scanning through the files on his desk.
"Hey Dad." I chirp.
"Courtney, I've been waiting for you." My father tells me.
"Why?" I ask casually.
"I want you to run Bridgeport Co. while I'm away." He tells me.
"I can't do that." I tell him.
Is he joking?
I can't possibly run his company, what is he talking about?
"I'll be going away for a while." He states.
"And?" I ask, growing impatient.
"I'll need a successor." He says with all seriousness.
"What are you talking about, dad? You're not dying...are you?" I ask him.
He laughs and I just stare at him, confused.
"I'm just taking a break, that's all." He says smiling.
"Okay, dad. Whatever you say." I tell him as I stand up from the chair.
"Have a good night." He tells me and I nod.
Later that night, I find my father's corpse in his bed. He is lying still as if in a deep sleep, but the only difference is that he's dead.
***
With my mother recently becoming a widow, and me being fatherless, I can hardly focus on anything.
The Hendersons have really been supportive to my family, Zachary especially.
"So, wanna go grab a soda?" Zachary suggests.
"So, that you can dwell in my self-pity, no thanks." I snap at him
"You certainly have a way with words." He says, chuckling.
"I'm sorry, I'm just a little bit on edge." I tell him, hoping that I didn't hurt his feelings.
"And you have every right to be." He says taking my hand in his. "I'm here for you Court."
I just smile and I thank him mentally.
I'll be fine.
I think.
***
Valarie's POV
"It's really sad what happened to her." I tell Adam.
"Yeah. If my father died I'd go crazy." Adam says, stuffing his face with chili fries.
"Yeah." I say, staring at him as he puts a forkful in his mouth.
"Have you talked to Zachary or Spencer lately?" He asks me with food in his mouth.
"Spencer, no." I tell him. "Zachary and I talked this morning."
"Ah, love." He sighs, staring at the ceiling.
I scoff.
"Yeah right."
"When you guys get married, remember that I shipped you guys first." He tells me and I glare at him. "Just saying." He adds.
"Well, stop saying and help me pack." I tell him.
I'm packing my suitcase to go to Mexico. I need a break.
I'm done with finals and I just need to recuperate.
I'll be back before prom.
"I still can't believe you're going on a vacation without me." Adam frowns at me.
"I need a break from this devil town." I comment.
"Hey, I live in this devil town." Adam says.
"That's even why it's creepier." I say with a smirk.
"Asshole." Adam says under his breath and I laugh.
"Help me would ya." I say smacking him with a shirt.
"Hurtful." He says and I laugh.
He's a character.
***
Mexico is beautiful.
The warm breeze kisses my skin as I sip on my piña colada.
Ah, this is the life.
No Stephanie, no Hannah, no Courtney.
Dreams do come true.
"Anything else, Miss?" The waiter asks me.
I look up and Spencer is standing in front of me.
Oh brother.
"Spence." I whisper. He looks so good that I feel like I'm dreaming. His black curls are definitely longer, they dangle in front of his face, forming bangs.
"Val, It's good to see you." He tells me.
I just stare at him speechless. He's really here, isn't he?
"It's good to see you too. Care to join me?" I ask him, raising my glass.
"Can't. I'm working." He says, pointing at his uniform.
"C'mon, please Spence." I plead.
"You know I hate to see you beg." He says and I feel like my charm is working.
"I'm really bored." I pout.
"Ugh fine, I'll go tell them that I'll be going for my lunch break." He says before he walks away.
It's nice to see a familiar face, all I've been getting here are dirty stares.
Five minutes later, Spencer sits beside me on the beach.
"Great view today, huh." He comments.
"I know right." I say.
I feel him staring at me but I don't say anything.
"I miss you, Valarie." Spencer says, catching me off guard.
"I mean, we've been apart so it's normal for us to miss each other." I tell him.
"Not in that way." He pauses as if he's trying to select his words carefully. "I miss having you by my side, in my bed, in my head... in my heart." He tells me.
"Spence, I-" He cuts me off with a kiss.
"Be with me again. Be mine." He asks, but it seems like he's begging me.
"I just..." I pause, speechless.
"For me, there's no one else. No one else that I can ever love. You've done a number on me, Vee." He says smiling.
Oh Spencer, sweet sweet Spencer.
If only these words were coming from the lips I wanted to hear them from, I would have accepted in a heartbeat.
"I just can't date anyone right now, I'm not emotionally ready." I tell him.
"I won't hurt you, Vee." He says, taking my hand in his.
"Right now." I retort.
"How can I prove this to you?" He asks me.
"There's nothing to prove, Spence. I'm done with you." I tell him and my heart pangs with pain as I say that.
I guess I was always holding on to a tiny string of hope that Spencer was going to make me happy. But seeing him in front of me has changed everything.
There's only one person that can make me happy and his name is Zachary Trouble Henderson.