Chapter 6 #3
Ethan’s eyes narrowed as Zayne headed to the door, and just as he was about to open it, he heard, “Z?”
Zayne stopped and glanced over his shoulder, and just when he expected some kind of caustic comment, Ethan threw him for a total loop.
“Will you come with me?”
ZAYNE COULDN’T REMEMBER a time he’d ever packed a bag so fast. But in less than ten minutes, he had clothes and school books stuffed in a backpack and was again knocking on Ethan’s door.
Ethan opened it almost immediately, and if Zayne had expected a warm welcome, he was in for disappointment, because the grim line on Ethan’s lips was still in place. He had a bag on the bed, much like Zayne’s. He grabbed it and headed for the door.
Without a word, Ethan stormed down the hall toward the main lobby of the school, and Zayne followed. When they reached the front desk, Principal Morton’s eyes immediately locked on Zayne and a frown of disapproval pulled at his brows.
“Excuse me? What exactly is going on here?”
Zayne had no idea, but before he could come up with any kind of believable lie, Ethan came right out with the truth.
“Zayne’s coming with me.”
Principal Morton’s eyes flicked between the two of them. “I don’t think so. Mr. Copeland doesn’t have permission to leave the grounds.”
“Then give him permission.” Ethan’s tone was cold, his expression impenetrable as he stared Principal Morton down, and Zayne figured they were about two seconds away from being put in detention.
Instead, Principal Morton looked over to Miss Margaret—the school receptionist—and leaned in to tell her something. A few seconds later, she handed him a clipboard that he then thrust in Zayne’s direction.
“You need to sign this.”
Zayne glanced down at the papers that stated if and when he stepped off the property, he was no longer the school’s responsibility and blah blah blah.
He signed his life away quicker than he could blink.
It wasn’t like his father would care if something happened to him.
So the way he saw it, it was his choice to leave it up to fate.
He handed the papers back to Morton, and the guy’s lips twisted like he was sucking on a lemon.
“One week,” he said to Ethan, who didn’t bother replying. Instead, he walked to the front door of the school and pulled it open, leaving Zayne to follow.
One week? Shit. We’re going somewhere for a week? Where?
“Hey?” he called out, jogging after Ethan, who of course didn’t stop. Zayne picked up the pace and caught up to him. “I said, hey?”
Ethan came to a stop in the front drive. “What?”
“We’re going away for a week?”
“Yes.” Ethan went to turn away from him again, but Zayne caught him.
“Where?”
“Does it matter?”
Not really—he would’ve gone anywhere with Ethan. But still, he figured he should at least try to look like he cared about his own well-being.
“Yeah. I usually like to know where the hell I’m going.”
A black SUV came up the drive and stopped in the drop-off area in front of them.
“I’m going home.”
Nothing he could’ve said would’ve shocked Zayne more. Going home?
As far as he knew, Kings was home for Ethan. That he’d been shipped off here after his parents died. So what did he mean that he was going home?
Ethan opened the car door and tossed his bag inside, then he climbed in and looked back to Zayne. “Well, you still want to come?”
Zayne blinked and knew there was nothing on earth that would make him say no. So he climbed into the car and forever sealed his fate with the mysterious boy who’d walked into his life and never walked back out…
“THAT WAS THE first time I ever came out here to the estate. It was the anniversary of his parents’ death.
It was also the first time I found out who Ethan was.
He showed me this photo, and, being the stupid kid I was, the second I was alone, I searched for every bit of information I could find on him.
I was so curious about what had happened to his family and who he was. ”
Chloé placed her hand on Zayne’s arm and squeezed. “That makes sense. You were just a kid.”
“He didn’t think so. I’m pretty sure there was instant regret for bringing me with him when he found out I was looking him up. God.”
Zayne shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. “I thought I lost him that day. He totally shut down, didn’t talk to me. Here we were, all alone in this huge estate, and he avoided me for three days straight. It was pure torture. I’d never felt so guilty in my life.”
“You didn’t know.”
“That I was digging into his private life?” Zayne shrugged.
“Yeah, I did. I knew how much he hated gossip. How much he hated being talked about and pitied by everyone at school. But I couldn’t help myself.
His silence was my punishment, and I hated every second of it.
I found him on the fourth day, sitting under that tree out there.
His mother’s tree. I apologized, I would’ve groveled if I had to, and I promised I’d never hurt him that way again. ”
Chloé smiled up at him. “A promise you must’ve kept. He told me you were the light in his dark room. That’s a beautiful compliment.”
Zayne smiled back. “That’s definitely an opinion he came to many years later, trust me.”
“I don’t think so. He brought you here during one of the darkest times of his life. You may not have been perfect, but I think you were the light out of the dark room for him. You showed him what could be that first year you were together. You showed him that life was still worth living.”
Zayne drew gentle fingers down her cheek to her chin. “I like to think so.”
Chloé looked back out to the beautiful magnolia tree.
“Be patient with him,” Zayne whispered. “He’ll open up. He’s already started to.”
Chloé wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled in. “I know. I was just thinking about those two boys under the magnolia tree. I’m glad they found each other, and I’m glad they found me.”
Zayne pulled her in and kissed her on the head. “So are they, Red.”