Even In Pieces [bxb]

Chapter 33

Everett

We had breakfast together, and Zachary told me everything that happened with his father. We called Vio and told her we were fine. Our friends saw us together and laughed their asses off, saying how stupid both of us were. Things were pretty perfect except today is the day Jess finished her new story for the play, the one I had assisted her with and is going to give everyone in the theater a copy. I am absolutely nervous.

"I made a copy for each of you. Better read it in a week." Jess hands each of us a copy. When she reaches me, she pulls me into a tight hug; I hug her back.

"Thank you." I whisper.

She chuckles. "I should be the one saying that. You've got real talent Everett. Someday you are going to be an amazing writer."

Pride surges through me at her words. Jess is someone I admire very deeply, so to hear her telling me that means everything to me.

Finally, she moves over to give Zachary a copy, and we both exchange a look. Looking at him now, I can't believe I had let him go. What the fuck was I thinking?

"If this thing is horrible then, it's your fault and not Jess's" Zachary reminds me.

"Your poor taste is your fault." I say.

He nods as though he just understood a complicated problem. "No wonder I am with you."

I open my mouth to counter him but Leslie cuts in. "Can't you both give it a rest for a day?"

Mason snorts. "Yeah. Like that's going to happen."

"He started it." I say, shrugging.

Carl groans at me. Everybody else just laughs. Zachary moves closer to me, slipping his hand in mine. I grin at him.

"Well, we have both got to go. See you all next week." I say, turning back while pulling Zachary with me. Not that I have to pull that hard since he seems to follow easily. I hand my car keys to Zachary since I am the one who drove us to the theater. Only fair that he gets to drive us back. He takes it immediately and sits in the driver's seat. I take the passenger seat, and he starts driving.

"You sure we packed everything up?" Zachary asks.

I smile. "We did."

"I still can't believe you got me to agree to stay at your parents. For a week." He mutters under his breath.

I turn to him, his brown hair is messy and longer, the t-shirt he is wearing is worn out, his eyes are as beautiful as always but now there is easiness in him that I can't fall in love with a bit more each day. Everything about him makes me mushy inside.

"What? Why the hell are you looking like you are constipated?" Zachary smirks.

I flip him off and stare out of the window. "It was my parents' idea when I told him we had the week off."

"You know..." Zachary starts, and something in his voice makes me turn to him. I raise my eyebrows. Zachary bits his lips.

"What?"

"You literally gave me everything that I never had. I never thought I would fall in love. I never thought I would have a family. But I met you and now I am part of everything you have bit I didn't give you anything... I don't have anything to offer."

My chest contracts, making me breathe hard. I sit up straight and say, or growl. "Bullshit. That's not what this is about. You gave your trust, and that won't beat anything. This is not who gives who what. It's just about us. If you look at it my way then I am just being selfish wanting you to be part of everything I have."

Zachary stares at me for a second before smiling. That smile could melt glaciers. Jesus. "We are both pretty darn selfish, then."

"I don't regret a thing." I say and then immediately add, "Expect maybe not punching you a little harder when I had the chance. You know, old times."

Zachary laughs. "Trust me, that same thought keeps me up at night."

I wiggle my eyebrows at him playfully. "I am pretty sure I keep you up at night in other ways."

Zachary rolls his eyes. "Give it a break. We are going to your parents' house for fucks sake."

"You weren't complaining last time."

"And remember how that ended?"

I chuckle as I remember how both of us had been teased by my siblings last time when we were there as they had found out that we had sex. Zachary groans at me.

"Wasn't funny." He says but he is smirking too.

"It kind of was."

Zachary parks the car. Both of us head to our own dorm rooms to pick up our carry bags. We stuff them in the back of the car. Not that we had much stuff. Neither of us were really into the whole packing thing, since both of us could just share most of our clothes. We even share toothbrushes sometimes, which Pierce can't stand because he says we reek of domesticity, which made Zachary cringe.

"I am driving." Zachary says.

"Nope." I refuse.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" Zachary suggests.

I narrow my eyes at him, but give in either way. I put scissors, and he put rock, making him win. Grinning, he takes the keys from me, and I grunt. He kisses me lightly. But before he can pull back, I press my mouth against him again. This time the kiss becomes demanding. Zachary pulls me to him by my waist and I wrap my right arm around his neck and the other moves to his hip.

"If this keeps going, then we won't reach your house today and just end up fucking in the car." Zachary says, pulling back.

"Sounds like a plan. Not like it's our first time fucking in the car." I tell him, breathless.

"Remember how difficult it was cleaning it up afterwards? I mean it was totally worth it, but you were the one who said 'never again'." Zachary reminds me.

"I say a lot of shit I don't mean." I shrug.

Zachary grins. "Get in the car, Everett. It's not happening. We got a drive to make."

"Was worth a try," I grin back.

We both get in the car and Zachary puts up the music. 'Fallinʼ by why don't we start playing and we both sing with it. And all I want is moments like this to be there for the rest of our lives.

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