Zach (Torey Hope: The Later Years #3)

by A. D. Ellis

  “I think Dad’s words are a bit more damaging than you seeing me kiss my boyfriend’s cheek, little brother. We’re dating, get used to it.” Zoey snipped back.

  Looking up at Zach, she smiled.

  “Thanks for the flowers and card.”

  “What flowers and card?” Zach replied somewhat guiltily.

  “The flowers and card that were in my front seat when I left work.” Zoey sat up from Zach’s chest as they drove down the road.

  “Sorry, Zoey, I didn’t do flowers and a card. Now I feel like an ass for not doing them. But the ones in your car weren’t from me.” Zach felt a stab of annoyance at whoever had given his girl flowers.

  “What did the card say?” Zach questioned.

  “To the most beautiful girl in the world. Happy birthday.” Zoey worried her bottom lip.

  “Who else would give me flowers and a card like that, Zach?”

  “One guess, Zo. His name starts with douche and ends with bag.” Zach spit the words out, knuckles white as he gripped the wheel.

  “Jason? I didn’t even think about him. I was thinking family members. But, you’re right, flowers and a card is totally something Jason would do. And early too, sort of like he’s beating you to the punch.” Zoey nodded her head slowly as she thought over the thought that Jason was the sender.

  “Yep, good ol’ Jason. My favorite asshole to hate.” Zach just shook his head.

  “Well, I’ll take the flowers to work on Monday and leave them to decorate the front desk. I don’t want them at the house. And the card can find its way to the trash.”

  Leaning over to kiss him again, Zoey whispered, “Forget about him. Let’s have a nice night.”

  “Good God, get a room!” Asher groaned from the backseat.

  Zach and Zoey just laughed, and then added a bit more tongue than necessary just to really mess with the kid.

  By the time they arrived at the guys’ house, Zach and Zoey had played up the kissing so well that Asher had assumed the fetal position in the back of the truck.

  Rushing from the vehicle, he barged into the house.

  “Save me, they’ve been making out all the way over here.” Throwing himself on the couch, he kicked his shoes off, and grabbed a handful of carrot sticks.

  “One day, young grasshopper, you too will find delight in the power of a girl’s tongue.” Kendrick bowed in front of him.

  “Or a boy’s. I’m just sayin’.” Sawyer piped up.

  “Tongue good. Very, very good. Girl tongue, boy tongue, all tongue.” Kendrick continued to play it up.

  “Stop, stop. No tongue.” Asher laughed at the guys.

  “Someday you’ll be begging us for kissing advice. In fact, mark my words, kissing a girl or a guy, will be on the top of your list within a year. And you’ll be all like, ‘Please, give me tips. Tell me what to do.’” Kendrick grabbed Asher in a headlock and ruffled his hair.

  “No way, I’m not kissing anyone. Boy or girl.” Asher, shook his head emphatically as he headed to the kitchen for more food.

  Kendrick and Sawyer just smirked at each other as they watched their youngest cousin leave the room.

  “Within the year. Guaranteed.” Kendrick whispered.

  Sawyer nodded in agreement.

  **********

  After several hours of food, games, movies, and fun, it was nearing time for Asher to head home.

  “Katie and I can take him home, I’m actually going to spend the night over at her place. We have some stuff to work on.” Decker offered.

  “Only if you agree that by ‘stuff to work on’ you mean wild, monkey sex.” Kendrick’s eyes were already fairly glassy.

  Zach stood to gather up trash, and felt his head spin. Stumbling, he caught himself on the corner of the couch.

  “Whoa, there lover boy. You been drinking too much punch?” Kendrick asked.

  “You spiked the punch?” Zach willed his head to stop spinning. “Of course you spiked the punch. Damn it, Kendrick, you could have warned me.”

  “It’s a party. There’s punch. I’m in attendance. It’s a given I’ll be spiking it.” Kendrick shrugged. “No worries though, I told Asher he had to drink from a separate bowl.”

  Looking over at Zoey, he noticed she was much more giggly with Aly than usual.

  All of a sudden, everything seemed funny to him as well.

  Sawyer and Luke grabbed their platters from the kitchen.

  “We’re actually going to sleep at Luke’s tonight. We’re heading to that festival tomorrow. Since it’s out of town, we’ll be getting up earlier than most of you.” Sawyer spoke to the room of people who were all in various states.

  Aly popped up from the couch.

  “I didn’t touch the punch, I figured it was spiked. I have no desire to stay here and watch those two make out. Can you guys swing me by my house?” Aly looked pleadingly at Luke and Sawyer.

  “Sure thing. Okay, Decker has Asher. I’ve got Aly. That leaves Kendrick, Zach, and Zoey here at the house.” Sawyer looked at the three of them cackling their heads off in the kitchen.

  “Do we feel like this is a good idea?” Luke questioned.

  “Zoey’s not leaving, neither are the guys. I put their keys in the lock box. I think Zach knows the combination, but not when he’s buzzed. They can have their fun, sleep it off, join the living sometime tomorrow.” Decker grabbed his keys and motioned Asher and Katie out the door.

  Sawyer, Luke, and Aly said goodbyes which were promptly added to the long list of hilarious topics Kendrick and his fellow buzzed thought mightily funny.

  **********

  “Hey, how much vodka did you put in that punch? I didn’t even taste it. But, damn, I’m drunk.” Zach laughed, and stumbled to the table.

  “I think it would be better to tell you how much punch I added to the vodka, because there’s very little punch. But I made my special recipe so it’s virtually tasteless.” Kendrick nodded his head sagely, which set Zoey into another fit of giggles.

  “I’m so glad you made Asher drink from a separate punch bowl. The last thing I need is my barely-a-teenager little brother drinking vodka at my birthday party! Damn, that stuff was strong, I only had one glass, and my teeth are starting to feel numb.” Zoey ran her tongue over her teeth.

  Standing abruptly, Zach grabbed her around the waist.

  “Mmmmm, let me check those teeth for you, pretty girl.”

  Lowering his head he captured her mouth in a loose, but sexy kiss.

  When she rocked her hips against his, he took a step backwards.

  “Nuh-uh, pretty girl. None of that. I’m drunk, but not that far gone.” He leaned in and kissed her again.

  “Let’s play a game.” Kendrick announced.

  “Go sit on the couch. I’ll get the supplies.” Kendrick ushered them out of the kitchen.

  Moments later, Kendrick joined them. He spread out shot glasses, along with a pitcher of punch. When he saw them hesitate, he rolled his eyes.

  “No worries, little fuck bunnies, we can do tiny shots. We aren’t driving, no kids here to corrupt. Let’s drink.” Kendrick poured everyone a shot, his full to the brim.

  “Okay, object of this game is to name something that sucks. I just made it up. It’s the Suck Game. If you can’t name something that sucks, you drink. No, you drink every time someone names something that sucks. Ready? Let’s go!”

  “Um, this game?” Zoey ventured.

  “Correct! Drink!” Kendrick laughed.

  “Um, papercuts?” Zach offered.

  “Correct! Drink!”

  After about 3 rounds, neither Zach nor Zoey had any idea what was going on. Kendrick kept mumbling, but he’d finished the punch. All three of them were beyond buzzed, they qualified for definitely drunk.

  “Fucked up heads suck. People like that suck. Dead babies suck. Saying goodbye sucks.” Kendrick had rolled himself from his seat on the floor to the couch.

  Grabbing the pitcher while laughing hysterically, he said, “Puki
ng sucks. But I’ve got a catcher just in case.”

  And with that, he was out.

  **********

  “Zach, I don’t think I’ve ever been so drunk. Correction, I’ve been drunk twice, and this is much worse than the first time. I really need to lay down.” Zoey started crawling toward Zach’s room, not able to keep her direction in a straight line.

  He sat on the floor and watched her crawl away from him. She reminded him of a bowling ball bouncing from side to side on a lane with bumpers. It was funny, and he started laughing. In his highly inebriated state, he fell over on the ground and continued laughing.

  Seconds, minutes, hours later, he woke to an unknown sound. He was soaked to the bone in sweat, his head swam, and he couldn’t recall exactly what had happened to place him on the floor. He couldn’t recall ever being as drunk as he was at that exact moment. Damn Kendrick and his drinking game. Standing, he stumbled to his room, and fell into bed. Darkness surrounded him, and he accepted the proffered relief from his spinning head.

  Zoey’s body pressed up against his. Her tiny hands ran over his torso, venturing down to grasp his steely erection. Best dream ever.

  “Mmm, feels good, pretty girl.”

  He lifted up when her hands tugged on his shorts.

  She made quick work of his shirt, then her hot little mouth was on him. He was in heaven, or hell, and he didn’t want to wake up.

  “Kiss me, Zach.” She rolled to her back, and pulled him to her.

  He moaned into her mouth, tasting her tongue, nipping her lip.

  His skin was on fire, burning even hotter where their bodies touched.

  “Where are your pants, pretty girl?” He asked as he tried to make sense of why she was in his bed with no pants on. Because it’s a dream, stupid.

  “Spilled punch, took them off.” She kissed him again, palming his heat in her hand. “Take my clothes off, Zach.”

  “Not safe, even in dreams.” He spoke the words, meaning them, but his hands reached to the hem of her shirt, and pulled it over her head.

  He was clearly dreaming, because Zoey was in front of him with not a stitch of clothing. No panties, no bra. Just a swollen red mouth, a heaving chest just begging to be tasted, and long legs that were screaming to wrap around him.

  “Just a dream.” Zach tried to shake his head, but even in the dream, his head was still swimming.

  “Touch me, Zach.” She guided his hand to her center, and his head to her chest.

  He felt her shatter apart on his hand. Even in his dreams, she was beautiful when she let loose. He moved his lips up her neck, nipping at her ear, before devouring her mouth.

  When her legs spread to accommodate his body, he cursed that it was just a dream. No, I need it to be a dream, this isn’t what we planned on.

  But it felt so good. His length nudged at her core, and she moaned into his mouth.

  It’s just a dream, just go a little farther. It’s not real, so it won’t hurt.

  “Just a little bit, pretty girl. Relax and let me move in a little more.”

  He barely recognized the point when he lost control completely. Her whimpers against his lips, the vice grip of her body holding him tight, he knew nothing but the desire to pump into her body.

  “Oh, Zach. It’s so full.”

  “Zo, I gotta move. Does it hurt?” He tried to lift up on his arms, but the room spun too much. Trying not to crush her, he laid his forehead down on the pillow beside her ear.

  “Fuck me, Zach. Please.” Her words were slurred, and they sounded so wrong coming from her innocent mouth.

  From the deepest part of his brain and heart, he tried to make sense of the dream. It was all wrong.

  “Not fucking, pretty girl. Let me love you.” He groaned out as he began to move.

  Her hips began to rock in time with his thrusts, little breathy whimpers filled his bogged-down head, and then her body shattered around his.

  With no warning, his body exploded, and he passed out into a deep, dreamless sleep.

  **********

  Rolling over, Zach cracked one eye open in hopes of fending off the hangover. As his body and mind came to, he thought back on the night. Zoey’s birthday party, drinking way too much with Kendrick. His mind was screaming about something else, but he let the headache block it out. Mostly.

  Stretching a leg out, he ran into a warm, soft body.

  In a move quick enough to give him whiplash, he rolled his body over, and found his beautiful girl stretched out beside him. Gently lifting the sheets, he confirmed they were both naked. The stain of blood on his sheet, and on his body, put a nail in the coffin of any hope he had.

  “No, no, noooooo.” His heart broke. “Dear God, noooooo. Not like this.”

  “Zach, what’s wrong? Not like what?” Zoey rolled over.

  “Zoey, I’m so sorry, baby. This was a complete and total mistake. It never should have happened.” Zach climbed from the bed, stumbling to the bathroom.

  By the time he’d emptied his bladder, and his stomach, he dragged his broken heart back to the bedroom.

  Zoey was quickly gathering up her clothes.

  “Zoey, what are you doing. We need to talk about this.” He tried to stop her, but she threw his hand away.

  Walking into the bathroom, she closed the door most of the way. He heard water running, and assumed she was washing the evidence of their ill-fated night together from her body.

  “There’s nothing to talk about, Zach. We got waaaaay more drunk than we should have, had sex, not sure if it was good or not, and then I wake up to you talking about what a mistake it was.” Zoey’s eyes glittered with tears when she walked out of the bathroom.

  “Zoey, stop. You know I don’t mean you’re a mistake. I meant us having sex. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.” Zach grabbed his hair in two fistfuls, and growled.

  “God, KENDRICK! I’m going to kill him. He pumped us full of vodka all night.” He started toward the door.

  “Zach, stop. Let him sleep it off.” She pulled her clothes back on, trying to run her fingers through her matted hair.

  “Eww, I think I puked in my hair during the night.” She walked to check the trashcan. “I made it mostly in the trashcan.”

  She looked at him and snapped, “Sorry, it was a mistake.”

  “Zo, stop, this is probably not a good time for us to be having this discussion. We’re both fighting hangovers and probably still drunk.” He walked over to her and pulled her into a hug.

  “I love you, Zoey. You are not a mistake. You are my life. We can talk later, okay? Go home, drink a ton of water, take some aspirin, grab a hot shower, then sleep until you wake up.” He rested his forehead against hers.

  When he spoke again, his words were choked. “Baby, I’m so sorry. That was supposed to be soft, and slow, and beautiful, but it was drunk, sweaty, fast, and neither of us can remember most of what happened. I took your virginity, in a drunken stupor.” He swallowed the tears that threatened. “Oh, God, baby. I could have hurt you. Shit, Zoey, we didn’t use a condom. At least I’m pretty sure we didn’t.”

  Zoey took a deep breath.

  “Zach, this morning after scene couldn’t have gone worse if it had been scripted. The only thing we have going for us is we love each other. I’m sorry for overreacting when you said it was a mistake. We both fucked up. Kendrick fucked up. Tonight, let’s talk this all out. It will be better when we aren’t hungover. And after we talk, we can talk to Kendrick.”

  Once Zach had fiddled with the lock box and gotten keys out, he handed his truck keys to Zoey. “Here, drive my truck home.”

  “No, I think my body could do with some fresh air and exercise.”

  With kisses, hugs, and promises of love, they parted ways.

  But Zach damn sure wasn’t waiting until later to talk to Kendrick.

  Walking into the living room, he found Kendrick passed out on the couch.

  “Get your ass up, mother fucker.” Zach grabbed him by the shou
lders and hauled his limp body to the ground.

  “What the ever-loving fuck, Zach! Back off!” Kendrick rolled himself to a seated position. “Damn man, can a guy even get a piss before being assaulted in his own home?”

  “Fine, go piss. Then you and I are going to have a little talk. You were part of a major fuck up last night.” Zach motioned toward the bathroom.

  “What’s new, I’m always part of fuck ups. Everywhere I look, people around me are getting fucked up.” Kendrick mumbled on his way to the bathroom.

  While waiting on his cousin to relieve himself, Zach attempted to calm the bubbling anger threatening to explode from inside. But trying to calm down didn’t work.

  Kendrick didn’t even see it coming. One moment, he was walking from the bathroom, the next he was holding his gushing nose, and fighting to stay on his feet.

  “Damn it, Zach! I think you broke my nose.” Kendrick walked to the kitchen and leaned over the kitchen sink. Grabbing paper towel, he held it against his nose in hopes of stopping the flow.

  Zach paced the kitchen, eyeing Kendrick like he wanted to hit him again.

  “What the fuck, man? I wake up with a headache so bad I’m thinking it must be a brain tumor, my stomach is rolling like the deep blue sea, and you’re punching me in the fucking nose. Not cool, man, not cool.” Kendrick spoke from behind a mask of crumpled paper towels which were quickly soaking through.

  “Not cool? Not cool?! You want to know what’s not cool, Kendrick? How about the fact that you forced so much alcohol into Zoey and me that we were beyond drunk and ended up taking things way too far last night after we went to bed. How’s that for not cool?” Zach clenched his fists at his sides.

  “Aww, fuck man, I’m sorry. I was just looking to drink away some bad shit, I wasn’t trying to cause you and Zoey any trouble.” Kendrick hung his head. “I’m truly sorry.”

  “Yeah, well, fix your fucking nose and sleep off your hangover. You, me, and Zoey are talking tonight. You can apologize to her.” Zach spun around and left the room.

  A large part of him placed every single bit of blame on Kendrick.