RAINY DAY ❤︎ ZANIEL

chapter sixty-eight

★★★★★
FIVE YEARS AND SEVEN MONTHS LATER

this time zach didn't try to shove the door closed, he just walked away from it. putting himself back down on the bed.

jack took the opportunity, knowing that zach was letting him in, without wanting to let him in.

daniel, corbyn and jonah followed him in, breaking as they see how broken zach clearly was.

the boy was sat on the bed with his legs crossed, a small package and a letter in front of him.

"bub.. what is this?" jack asked him, pointing out the letter and the package that had his mother's name printed on it.

"what the fuck do they want?" jack snarled, hating even thinking of their names.

zach said nothing, he just passed the letter to jack, who skimmed over it with a shocked expression.

"wha– zach.. no." jack shook his head repeatedly. "turns out my mother actually did care about me."

"i-i don't understand.." jonah furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "she and my father are splitting and she wants me to come home. the package was a key to my old house."

"are you actually going to go back?" corbyn wondered, "no. i mean.. no, no. i just... i don't know."

"zach, i understand that this is your mom we're talking about, and i know you love her, but she treated you like shit your whole life."

"i know..." "you're really going to trust that she didn't mean any of that just by a letter she sent you?"

zach shrugged, unsure of what he was feeling. "what's the other paper?" corbyn pointed out the second folded paper on the bed.

"another letter... one from my father." jack quickly grabbed it and read over it more so than the first letter.

"fucking asshole, zach i am not letting you go back there."

"really? because apparently i'm going back either way!"

zach semi-snapped. in all honesty, zach was scared to death over what his father's letter said.

daniel took it from jack and read through it too, anger taking over his features. "is he serious?? zach you are not going!"

"is he forgetting that you're an adult? zach you're twenty three. you don't have to go and he can't make you." corbyn protested.

"is this why you've been shutting us out, love?" daniel asked him, sitting down next to him.

zach just let himself fall against daniel, trying not to burst. "i don't want to leave. but if i go home, i can see reese and ryan."

"and you would be living with a maniac who wants to control you." jonah pointed out.

"zach we won't let them take you home, you're staying here and that's that."

then it was like a lightbulb went off in his mind, he didn't need to go home to see his siblings.

he could bring them to him. he could bring his mom and siblings out to la, away from his lunatic father.

FIVE YEARS AND EIGHT MONTHS LATER

zach was supposed to be back in maine three days ago, per his father's demands.

except he stayed and today he is flying his mom and siblings out, moving them into the apartment one floor above jack's.

he knew it was a risky move, trusting his mother after all she put him through. but he knew that family is family, no matter how fucked up it is, it's still family.

zach and daniel met them at the airport, reese instantly running into her brothers arms.

after greeting ryan, myta was left to be greeted. "hi mom," he smiled softly.

"oh my boy.. i am so sorry." myta was close to tears as she spoke, zach did nothing but hug her.

"why forgive me? i put you through hell." "you're my mom. i love you mom."

after myta stepped back, she moved her gaze to daniel.

she put herself in front of him exhaling before saying, "thank you, for loving and taking care of my boy."

"it's easy. he's special, and he deserves to be loved unconditionally."

"he most certainly does, and i'm so happy and thankful that you are there for him."

8 chapters left.