The Neighbor III: The Dark Web

Chapter 5

Tom was fuming. He was mad that his son knew his darkest secrets. He was mad that Sarah was trying to twist the truth, even though Zach clearly knows everything. Most of all, he's mad at Ben. He's mad that he couldn't kill him, couldn't get Cassie to be his and have kids with her instead.

God, he is madly in love with her.

He never intended to marry or even have a life with Sarah. He meant to never see her again after he told her to leave when she and her parents visited him at the hospital. But, alas, he was lonely when he got out. No woman wanted to be with a man who couldn't talk—although, he thought that might be the perfect quality for a woman!

He didn't contact her, but she reached out to him a few weeks after got out of the hospital. They exchanged texts, but that was it. About four months later, he told her he was moving back to London. She asked if she could say goodbye and he agreed.

They ended up having sex that night. It was terribly awkward for him (especially being paralyzed), but she seemed to enjoy it. He was meant to move the next week, but his doctor's insisted he finish up his physical training. That's where he got his strength and mobility back.

It took almost four months, but he did it.

The day before he was supposed to move, Sarah came to his door with the news she was pregnant and promised it was his. So, he stayed. And he's resented her for it ever since.

He doesn't resent Zach, he never could, but there was something about the entire situation that made him think Zach wasn't his. Despite burning every bridge he ever had with MI6, there were a few people who would still do favors for him and that included getting a DNA test.

He hasn't done it, though, because he doesn't know if he wants to find out. If Zach isn't his, it wouldn't make a difference in the love he had for him. What would make a difference is the last fifteen years of Zach's life. He couldn't do that. Not to his boy.

These are the times he prayed to God that he could gain his voice back; to interrupt his wife and tell her to shut up, that she is making everything so much worse. But all he could do was slam his fist down on the table. Thankfully, she knew that was his version of, "Sarah, shut the fuck up".

However, when he did it just a few seconds ago, she didn't shut the fuck up. As a matter of fact, she kept going and spewing lie after lie to Zach. It used to be his job to read people and he could read that Zach was getting angry. Without Zach saying anything, Tom knew that his son knew the truth.

Sarah was just making things worse.

So he slammed his fist down three more times and so hard that his hand is absolutely going to bruise. That got Sarah to immediately stop talking. Tom could sign, but he knew Zach wouldn't be able to read him as quickly as he wanted to explain things. Luckily, he prepared for this moment.

To make things easier, he calmly signed to Zach that he would be right back. Zach nodded in understanding and he and Sarah watched as Tom left the room. He came back a few moments later with a letter in his hand. He sat down and stared at it for a moment.

Sarah started tearing up. "Tom," she cried, "please don't." He glared at her for a moment, then looked to Zach. He leaned over and handed it to him. Zach carefully took it. He looked back and forth between his parents; Sarah was sobbing and Tom was nodding at him to open it.

**

"Do you think we'll ever forgive them?" Jess asked as she swiveled in Michael's desk chair. He shook his head as he told her, "I don't know. Probably. They haven't made any effort to really talk to us about it, so it all depends on them."

Sighing, she said, "I guess. Mom sounded pretty pissed off at dad down there. Do you think they're fighting because of us?" Michael sighed as he angrily said, "Jesus Christ, Jess, I don't know! I'm dealing with this, too, okay? Stop asking stupid questions I don't know the answer to!"

Jess stared at her brother for a moment, then stormed out of his room. She could hear Ben and Cassie shouting at each other from their bedroom, so she opted to go downstairs. She grabbed a soda from the fridge and miserably sat down at the kitchen island.

The worst part about actually being able to see the upstairs was that you could hear everything, too. So escaping from the shouting match her parents were having wasn't exactly a choice. She decided a nice long walk sounded perfect.

Grabbing her wallet, she started to head out the door when she ran into someone. "Oh my gosh, I am so—...Zach?" Zach was standing there with Tom right behind him. "Hey, Jess," Zach greeted. "Um...sorry, were you heading out? We can come back another time."

She quickly shook her head, then looked up to make sure her parents weren't coming. "No," she said as she closed the door behind her, "well, I mean, yes. But I was only going for a walk." Zach got nudged in the back by Tom, who signed him something.

"Uh, my dad is asking if you were going by yourself? Were you? This late?" Now she understood why Michael was annoyed with her and her questions. "Yes," she told both of them. "I needed to get out of here, so if you don't mind..."

She pushed past Zach, but Tom blocked her from going any further. He signed to Zach once again. "He says I should go with you, and then he can stay here and talk to your parents." Jess looked behind Tom, then asked, "Where's your mom?"

Tom looked to Zach who said, "Come on. They can hash this out and we can go get some food. Invite Michael if you want." She rolled her eyes at that and he had to laugh. Tom nudged him for it. Clearing his throat, he said, "Sorry. Shall we?"

Jess looked curiously at Tom, who gave her a curious look back. "My parents are going to be pissed that you're here." That got him to smirk, so she just sighed and continued, "Fine. They're having a huge fight, so good luck."

With that, she and Zach walked down the hall to the elevator.