He Doesn't Remember Me

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"No, she can't do that," Kate said sharply but I make out the afraid glint in her eyes.

Everyone is frightened.

"She did," Zack mumbled and rubbed his temple.

I can't get the words out of my mouth because it feels like a boulder is stuck in my throat.

"But she can't just take her, right?" Eleanor asked with a nervous expression.

This gets my attention back to Zack again.

He stayed silent for a while before replying.

"Apparently she can." He explained further with a defeated sigh when everyone gave him a bewildered look. "I don't have a strong case."

I shut my eyes tightly to reduce the pain in my chest.

Why is this happening to us?

"What do you mean?" She questioned again.

"I'm still in high school and to top it off I have a job too... so I can't always be at home with Raine." My gaze falls to his hands and I see his knuckles turning white when he balled his fist tightly. He's trying so hard to control himself. "I'm not really a suitable candidate for Raine's custody, as her lawyer said on the phone." He meets my gaze for the first time I have entered his house today.

And the pain in his eyes hit me like a sledgehammer.

It's been two weeks since the day Susan had a meeting with Raine. I wasn't there but Zack told me everything that happened in the restaurant.

First, the meeting was going just filled with uneventful, ordinary greetings and everything. But, when Zack said it's time for them to head back home Susan snapped. She grabbed Raine's hands and blabbed everything like a parrot.

Everything including; she's her mother. And then she started apologizing for abandoning her.

Raine didn't know what was going on so she gets scared and hid behind Zack after witnessing Susan's torn state. And when she tried to move towards Raine again Zack stopped her.

The things escalated from there pretty fast.

Susan and Zack had a fight at the restaurant before Zack stormed out of there with Raine.

But that wasn't the end.

Today, a few hours ago Zack called mom and asked us to get to his house.

I was nervous during the whole car ride because he called mom and not me. When we get here his exhausted, broken figure knocked me cold for a few seconds. He didn't talk for almost 10 minutes, not explaining everything but when Grandma took Raine to the living room with her, he started explaining.

He received a letter from court this morning. And we didn't even ask why or what for because everyone was expecting this after their fight.

But the biggest problem is..... Susan's new boyfriend is kind of a billionaire and they hired some famous over the top expensive lawyer.

Zack neither has the money to afford a good lawyer and nor connections.

And his past reputation is the worst thing. Lawyers can find the stain even in the whitest shirt and his shirt is maybe the dirtiest.

Susan even has a good excuse for leaving this town.

Zack's father.

He manhandled or even assaulted her in many instances. No one can really blame her for running away.