Finder's, Keepers. | Scomiche

Chapter 14

     "How are your wrists healing?" Zach's voice was smooth, just like always, and so far free from any malice or angry undertones.

     "Okay, actually. Thank you." Mitch's couldn't make himself look any higher than Zach's chin, and instead stared at the bright orange jumpsuit the man wore and the cuffs around his hands clasped tightly together on the table.

     "You're Welcome. I'm glad. Are you okay? Your body language suggests you want to be here even less than me."

     Mitch finally met his eyes. It was weird, he looked and held himself completely differently than when he saw him last. This is the man he remembered developing feelings for back in the day. A handsome, normal, nice, guy.

     "Yes, I'm fine." He pulled his feet up, resituating himself crisscross style on the chair.

     "They are making you do this, right?"

     "No, I wanted to come see you." Zach's cheek pulled to the side in a crooked grin. A face that Mitch used to love seeing at one point. A feeling of nostalgia overcame him, his heart simultaneously light and heavy, and he exhaled out the warm feeling. Now there was just a weight on his chest. "Why couldn't you just call me?"

     The grin vanished. "I already tried to explain, plus, you wouldn't have answered."

     "If you knew where I worked and lived, why didn't you just come talk to me? You know I would've at least listened to what you had to say."

     "I don't believe you." Mitch fiddled with the bandages on his wrists.

"Zach, what you did to me was not okay. The whole act of taking me probably hurt me more than the zip ties ever could. I just want to understand why. Why would you do that to someone you care about?"

     He could see remorse plainly on Zach's face like he hadn't thought about how exactly kidnaping him could hurt him. Like he had forgotten that Mitch could be emotionally scarred as well.

     "I didn't mean to scare or hurt you. I just wanted you to myself. I wanted you to look at me the same way you used to." Mitch had to look away from him. Being called out was embarrassing, as much as he had valid reasons for ending their relationship all those years ago. "Did you know that your eyes clearly display how you are feeling all the time? I watched as you fell out of love with me and it was like there was nothing I could do about it." He paused and leaned forward on his elbows. "You're mine, Mitch. From the moment we met eyes, I've just known."

     Mitch pressed his back into the chair. "You said you were tired of seeing me cheat on you. I didn't know what I was doing. Can you help me understand how I cheated? If I didn't know, why would I get punished for that?"

     "I still don't think you've learned your lesson, actually." Zach's eyes left him and resituated on the two-way glass behind him. "You might've broken up with Scott, but I know he understands me. You did the same thing to him that you did to me."

     "What are you talking about?" Mitch was a little lost honestly, and obviously, Zach thought Scott believed the phone call.

     "Scott knows what it's like to have your heart taken from you the moment you look at them. I could tell. He fell for you just like I did, and I'm not okay with that. You can't just go around collecting boys, using them until you're ready to move up in the world and dump them like they are nothing to you. Eventually, you would've gotten bored with the life you would've created with him and left him, just like you did me. So, really, I did him a favor."

     There's a little spark of the Zach that he recognized from the warehouse. He was angry at Mitch. Maybe he tried not to be, but the jealousy was seeping out of him despite him carefully keeping his emotions in check.