Hello my fans!
Okay, I know what you're thinking... "I HATE YOU! HOW COULD YOU LET US WAIT THIS LONG?!"
Well, I have no excuse really...except...I was busy. And, I was gone on vacation. And the FIFA WORLD CUP! I'm so excited that SPAIN is in the finals! (:
Anyway, here is the next chappy. I hope you guys like it! And forgive me for the forever-and-a-day wait.
Thanks and Happy Readings! (:
********************
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Zach woke up as soon as light came through his window. He sat up on his bed and ran both hands over his face. Lake. Not something he wanted to deal with, but at the moment, he was unconscious on his floor. Zach turned to look at his cousin. Lake had a bruised lip, and his right eye didn't look any better. His nose looked slightly crooked, but Zach couldn't possibly care less. Lake made his bed, now he-and his brothers-had to lay in it. Zach spoke the truth last night; he was finished.
He got up and rummaged through his dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans. He put them on quickly and walked to his door, opening it. As he made his way to the kitchen, he heard voices. The others were probably awake, and surprisingly, Zach wanted their company.
The first person he saw was Declan. He was at the stove, behind Bradie, his arms wrapped around her waist as he leaned down to whisper something in her ear. Zach heard Bradie whisper something back, but nothing specific. With a smile, he turned and saw Marcus looking at him. Dani was sitting on the table, a foot propped up on her chair, a glass of orange juice in her hand. She had a smile on her face. Then Marcus was standing behind her, his hands now on her shoulders.
Zach was torn between feeling happy for his friends and being absolutely envious. That was what he wanted. He wanted...someone. But, growing up with Lake, Colt, and Paris, all he ever had was one-night stands. That and the occasional booty call. No girlfriends, no strings. It was all he knew. But, now that he'd cut off all ties with his good-for-nothing cousins, he wanted to change. To try something new.
"You okay?"
Zach looked up. It was Dani who had spoken. With a forced smile he said, "I'm perfect."
She, however, didn't buy it. And neither did Bradie.
"You lying ass," Bradie said, untangling herself from Declan's embrace. "Sit down. I'm almost done cooking."
Zach was somewhat surprised. Bradie, and he guessed everyone else, had figured him out. But, no one was going to call him out. No one wanted to ask how he was dealing. In that moment, he knew why these people were his best friends. They didn't pressure him to talk about his feelings. They would wait until he was ready. And Zach couldn't help but smile.
"You guys are something else," he said, taking a seat opposite Dani.
Marcus sat beside her. "Where is Ash?" he asked all of a sudden. It came out of nowhere, but seemed to break the silence.
Declan spoke up. "All he said to me was, 'I'm going out. Tell everyone.' Then, he left."
It wasn't odd that Ash took off, so Zach thought nothing of it. "What did you make, Bradie?"
"Bacon and eggs," Declan answered for her. Bradie gave him a look that said, I can answer for myself!
Declan just smiled. Marcus grunted, but it was nowhere near threatening. It made Zach want to laugh at the display. This summer had taken so many different turns that Zach wasn't sure he wanted to know what would happen next.
