Breath Of The Heart

by June, Victoria

  My chest heaved and I sniffled a few times. The officer shook his head and huffed. "Charges have been dropped. You're free to go."

  "What?" Did I hear him right?

  "Charges were dropped. You can go home. So off you go. Collect your belongings and please stay out of trouble."

  "She isn't going to press charges?"

  "That's what I said, so consider yourself lucky."

  "I can't believe it."

  "Believe it. You dodged a bullet, young lady."

  In a fog I filled out some papers and had my watch, purse and phone returned to me. I wandered out to the main hallway, checking my phone for messages and there he was, I nearly walked into him. Why had I even considered the idea that Jake would be waiting for me?

  "Hi, Zach," I said meekly.

  His brown eyes were staring back at me, firing imaginary bullets that hurt as if they were real. His jeans and white shirt looked disheveled as if he'd dressed in haste. A five o'clock shadow had already formed on his face.

  "Hi, Emma."

  "Were you in the neighborhood?" I asked, attempting some bad humor.

  He frowned. "This is hardly the time to joke."

  My cheeks flushed with shame. "I know."

  "You're really lucky, you know that, right? I had to persuade Bianca to drop the charges."

  "You did that for me?" I asked. His gesture touched me to the point of tears. He cared, at least a little.

  "Yes. Emma, what is wrong with you? Why would you hit her?"

  I opened my mouth to protest, but stopped. He was in no mood to listen to my defense. "I don't know. She provoked me and I snapped. Did you talk to Jake? Is he really mad?"

  "Yes to both your questions. He's kicking you out and you have until morning to collect your stuff from the apartment. I can take you there now to get your things."

  My jaw dropped. My stuff? Kicking me out? This was happening too fast. Where would I go? How would I tell Dad? Seeing the panic on my face, Zach continued.

  "You can stay with me until you have things figured out."

  My suppressed tears sprang from my eyes. I quickly wiped them away not wanting Zach to see me as more of a mess than I already was. Jake had finally turned his back on me and our lifelong friendship for Bianca. She didn't love him the way I did and now I was out of the apartment, the way she wanted it.

  "Emma, don't worry," Zach said, dropping the edge from his voice.

  I shook my head. "Jake will never forgive me for this."

  "I won't lie; he was pretty pissed off."

  We stepped out into the cool early November air. I wrapped my jacket tightly around myself as the remaining tears on my face froze. My feet crunched through the leaves as I followed Zach to his SUV and got inside. We set out for my apartment, well, my old apartment.

  "What did he say?" I finally asked.

  "Not much. He told me you punched Bianca in the face and that he was meeting her at the hospital. He was flipping out and told me that he wanted you out of the apartment and that if I didn't help you, no one would."

  That summed it up all right. "How did you convince her not to press charges?"

  "I asked her not to."

  His tone was casual, like he'd asked Bianca for a cigarette. "And it was that easy?"

  "Bianca and I have an understanding."

  It sounded ominous, but I wasn't about to pursue it. "Jake's never going to speak to me again, is he?"

  "Sure he will. Once Bianca dumps him."

  "Why can both you and I see that, but not him?"

  "He's in love. Sucker."

  I stole a glance at Zach. His focus was firmly on the road. "Thanks for helping me. I owe you big time."

  "I think you're being unfairly treated."

  "No, you feel sorry for me."

  He looked over at me. "As much as I don't condone what you did tonight, I'm sorry I wasn't there to see it."

  I stifled a giggle. "I shouldn't laugh. My life is going to the shithouse. If I didn't have you, I'd be out on the street. Thanks for giving me a temporary place to stay. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I don't know if I'll be able to find a place, so I might have to drop out–"

  "Hey, don't worry about that right now. You can crash with me for as long as you need. I have a spare room that my sister never uses. So don't even talk about dropping out."

  "You'd do that for me?"

  "I'd do that for any friend."

  "I'll pay rent. I can pay you what I paid Jake."

  "Em, my parents own the place, so you don't have to give me, or them, a dime."

  "I can't do that. I'll pay utilities and buy food."

  "How about you cook? I'll agree to that."

  "And I'll buy food."

  "Sure, I'll agree to that too to make you happy."

  Despite everything that had happened, I finally felt a moment of security. The constant anxiousness, like a snake coiling itself around me, finally loosened a little, but when we reached my apartment block, the suffocation returned. What if Jake was inside? I couldn't deal with a confrontation. Zach switched off the truck and I grabbed his arm. "What if he's up there?" I asked.

  "I'm sure he's not. He told me he wouldn't come back tonight."

  My heart raced and despite the biting wind, I felt hot and sweaty. "You're one hundred percent sure?"

  "I'm positive."

  The muscles in every limb tightened as I climbed out of the truck. We headed to the entrance, both of us aching for sleep but functioning on necessity. I used my key and then it hit me. What would I do with my keys? I turned to Zach and before I opened my mouth he spoke.

  "Leave them with me. I'll give them to Jake."

  I nodded and we proceeded to the third floor in silence. It was three-thirty in the morning so what did I expect? We reached apartment 310 and I slipped my key into the lock. We entered the darkness of the apartment and I switched on a light. No one.

  "Do you want to pick up what you need? We can come back later for the rest."

  "That's probably a good idea."

  I looked around the room. The home I'd known for the last two and a half months immediately felt foreign, like I didn't belong anymore. It was so instantaneous. I wanted to collapse on the sofa and not leave. This was my second home, the place I shared with Jake and I didn't want to go. Perhaps it was the earliness of the morning and the lack of sleep, or that the events of the night were finally sinking in. I'd hit bottom. I had no one . . . except a guy I barely knew who'd mysteriously offered a place to stay. My head was a jumble. What if Zach was as bad as the rest of them?

  "Do you want me to help or should I wait?" Zach asked.

  I faced him. I searched for something that would betray him, but other than sagging eyes begging for sleep, I wasn't sure there was anything malevolent.

  "I'm going to pack the essentials. It won't take long."

  In less than an hour I'd packed all I needed into my luggage and a duffel bag. Zach took them from me and tossed them in his truck. It was nearing five now and I could barely keep awake for the ten minute drive. Zach's building was much nicer than mine, but then again, he was a senator's son. I followed him down the manicured cobblestone path to the glass double doors. He lived on the top floor and like my building, it was still. It was Saturday morning. Who needed to be up?

  "You can take Genie's room. I don't think she's used it since September," Zach said.

  Genie? A girl? "Who's Genie?"

  "My sister."

  "Where is she staying?"

  "Her boyfriend's place mostly. Other times she stays at my parents'."

  "Why aren't you there?"

  "I wanted to be on my own. If they are going to ship me off to their Ivy League school of choice, I told them I wanted a few years on my own without being under their thumb."

  His place put ours to shame. The apartment was modern and spacious, easily twice the size of Jake's place. I would have taken more notes
, but I could barely keep my eyes open.

  "Genie's room is on the left. I'm sure you want to crash."

  "I do."

  "We'll talk in the morning."

  ~~~~~~~

  I slept until noon and when I awoke to my unfamiliar surroundings, it took a minute for reality to set in. I wasn't in my room, but in some foreign bedroom with a double-sized bed, warm and comfy down duvet, flat screen TV on the wall and a cherry wood dresser complete with a huge mirror and matching nightstand. Zach's sister may have never used the room, but she had it decked out.

  I showered and washed away the night before. I padded into the kitchen to find it empty. I peeked down the hall to see that Zach's bedroom door was still closed. I silently went through the cupboards making mental notes of where he kept everything. The kitchen was bare bones and missing all sorts of small appliances. I'd be retrieving those from Jake's the first chance I had. What Zach did have was all top of the line and expensive, brand names I could only wish to own one day and now had full access to. His stove had more features than a Cadillac and when I pulled the oven door open it looked pristine. Either Zach didn't cook or he was the tidiest man I'd ever met.

  I found the coffeemaker and some coffee. While it was brewing I searched through his fridge. There wasn't much to work with. I sprung into action and used what little I had. By the time Zach joined me in the kitchen, I had a hybrid lunch ready to eat. I also had the table set in the dining room.

  "Wow! I could really get used to this," he said, stretching and letting out a huge yawn. "What are we eating?"

  He hadn't changed from his plaid pajama pants or wrinkled white t-shirt that hugged his chest just enough to show off the ripped muscles beneath. Whatever he wore fit him perfectly whether it was a pair of jeans or an old tattered shirt. I had to stop gawking.

  "It's really nothing fancy. I made some open face sandwiches with sunny side up eggs, cheddar, tomatoes and I lightly sautéed the sliced ham you had. And there's coffee," I added as an afterthought.

  "Thanks, Em. You didn't have to."

  That was the second time he called me that.

  "You grocery shop like my dad, so I'm used to working with limited resources."

  Oh, no, Dad. I'd have to call him at some point but I didn't know what I'd tell him. The truth? I couldn't. I put those thoughts aside. I'd deal with it later.

  "It's all delicious."

  "It's the least I could do after all you've done for me. I thought I'd pick up some groceries today. Is there something nearby that I can walk or take the bus to?"

  He nodded as he tore into breakfast. "There's something close by. I can drive you there or you can take my truck."

  "Really? You'd let me? Jake had a huge issue with me taking his car."

  "I don't have any particular attachment to my truck, so feel free to use it anytime."

  Zach was nonchalant about it, such a refreshing change from Jake's constant uptight attitude. "Thanks. I'll use it only when necessary."

  "Sure, whatever."

  I watched him devour ever morsel on his plate. His face now had full-on stubble and it looked good. I could see why every girl at Western wanted to be with him. Simply put he oozed coolness. The sultry brown eyes, wavy unkempt dark brown hair and the killer physique didn't hurt. He was the total package and yet my heart broke for a man who'd thrown me out of our apartment and sided with a she-devil.

  "How come you never mentioned your sister?"

  "She didn't come up."

  "How could she not love living here?"

  "Because she loves living with her stupid boyfriend instead. If she needs to sleep here for some reason, we'll figure it out."

  I sipped my coffee and watched him grab seconds. My stomach felt full even though it had been so long since I'd eaten. Mostly I was worried that Bianca would still come after me, that I'd be charged with assault. What if she saddled me with her medical bills? Or sued?

  "Your face just got ten shades whiter. You feeling all right?"

  "What if she sues me?"

  He cocked his head. "Sue you? Bianca?"

  "She could. I don't have money to defend myself."

  He fought hard not to smile. "She's not going to sue you. That's cute."

  "What makes you think she won't?"

  "I'm clairvoyant."

  "This isn't funny," I said, my body going through two emotions at once. Not only were my hands clammy from a possible heart attack, but my cheeks were flushed from feeling silly at the prospect of Bianca's imaginary lawsuit.

  "Let's bet on it. I bet she won't sue you. If I lose, I'll pay all your court costs including the judgment. If I win, you make éclairs one day a week for the next ten years."

  I rested my head on the back of the chair and grinned. "So you have something really horrible on her, don't you?"

  He pointed to his lips. "These are sealed."

  I could see him eyeing my plate so I passed it over.

  "You sure?" he asked.

  "I've been nibbling," I lied. I traced a finger around the rim of my coffee cup. "How long have you known Bianca?"

  "Too long."

  "She's a rich kid too."

  "You bet. Her family is old money."

  "How do you know her?"

  "Us rich kids find each other," he said and winked. "A bunch of us hung out in high school. My private boys school and her private girl's school. We have tons of mutual friends and when we started college, we all still hung out."

  "And why don't you like her?"

  He chuckled. "She's a vulture. She picks away at your dead flesh and when there's nothing more, she moves on." Zach paused. "Look, Jake is crazy about her, and when she dumps him, and she will, he's going to come slinking back to you, but not for the reasons you want."

  I rolled coffee around in my mug. I'd never once told him how I felt about Jake . . . I'd never told anyone so was it that obvious? "I'm not sure what you mean."

  "I think you're a funny, smart and gorgeous girl who can get any guy she wants, but you don't put yourself out there. The problem is that the one guy you do want doesn't want you back. You've got to stop pining for him. Truth be told, he's a loser."

  My back went up. "He's not a loser."

  "He totally is and he'd be lucky to have a girl like you."

  "Are you BSing me to make me feel better?"

  "I've dated a lot of Biancas. I really need to be dating more Emmas."

  "I think us Emmas would prefer you date only one of us at a time."

  Zach rose and grabbed both our plates. "See what I mean? You have a sense of humor. Jake likes drama and high maintenance. I also think he likes a trophy, hence him being a loser."

  "He's not a loser," I mumbled.

  "Yes, he is," Zach called from the kitchen.

  "You should put that super human hearing of yours to better use."

  Zach ignored me and grabbed his phone from the coffee table. It buzzed for a second as he fired it back on. He scrolled through his messages and rolled his eyes a few times. "I guess I'm going to be monkey in the middle for awhile. Jake wants to know when you're picking up the rest of your stuff. What should I tell the asswipe?"

  My heart deflated. Jake was taking this seriously. Not once had he made an attempt to contact me. I'd only checked my phone a million times. "I could go over there later if you don't mind helping me."

  He expertly tapped on his phone and sent a text within seconds.

  "I'm going to hit the gym and we can go after that. I'm sure he'll make himself scarce."

  "I don't think he wants to see me anytime soon."

  "I'll check if there's room in storage if you need a place to put your things."

  "Honestly, I don't have much other than some appliances. I figure we can use them here."

  His phone buzzed and he scanned the text. "He says if we tell him a time, we can go get what's left."

  "You pick the time. It's not like I have an
ywhere to be."

  Zach furiously tapped again then tossed his phone back where he found it. "When I get back we'll go. Remember, I want you to make yourself at home." His gaze was intense and I knew he meant it. Right now Zach Walker was my only friend in the world.

  Chapter Twelve

  Emma

  I sent Jake a few texts that went unanswered. I envied the control Bianca had on him. Actually, I envied Bianca because Jake loved her so much. I would have killed for him to look at me the way he looked at her. I would have given a limb for him to be with me, hold me, kiss me and love me.

  Those thoughts rambled through my head as I unpacked the odd thing. I was actually hoping that in the next few hours Jake would calm down and call, telling me what a horrible misunderstanding it had all been, but the only peep my phone made was a text from Dad. I texted him back not wanting to call him yet. There was still a chance Jake would see the proverbial light.

  Zach returned from his workout and shed his jacket. He hung it in the closet and I noticed again what a clean apartment he kept. Everything was neatly arranged and organized. The furniture was dusted and the hardwood floors polished. He was a rich kid and if I knew anything about kids of privilege, they didn't clean.

  "I'm going to grab a quick protein shake and we can head out," he said.

  "Sure, no problem. When does the cleaning lady come?" I asked.

  "Every other Wednesday morning," he called back.

  I smiled. Mystery solved. I followed him into the kitchen. Despite a cleaning lady, he was still neat and tidy. He'd done all the dishes, if you count loading them haphazardly into a dishwasher.

  "It shouldn't take me long. I didn't leave much behind."

  "It's not like I have anything better planned."

  On the short drive reality slowly sunk in. Jake wasn't changing his mind. Once again the apartment was empty, but this time, as an added insult, Jake had left some of my items next to the door, including some books I'd loaned him and a personalized pocket knife I'd gotten him for his birthday. I stared at the items, my heart crushing. For Jake to have done this, he was serious. And in the split second it took to get sad, a switch went off making me angry. After all the insults Bianca had hurled my way, and despite his complacency in it all, he still had the nerve to punish me. My cheeks burned and the adrenaline flowed. I wanted out of the there as soon as possible.