“I know,” I say. “I am, too. You’re... kind of awesome.”
Zach smiles. “Thank you, Zara. That means a lot.”
“Do you believe in fate?” I ask.
“How can I sit in the same room as you and not believe in it?”
“Meeting you is like fate,” I say. “This whole school is fate. Meeting the guys... fate. It’s like... my whole life has been leading up to this one moment where everything is suddenly coming together.”
Zach doesn’t say anything, but I can tell there is something he wants to say.
The way he’s looking at me...
It’s the way my dad looks at me before he tells me that he loves me.
My heart warms at the thought.
“There is something else,” I say, swallowing hard.
I’m nervous to tell my own dad that I love him.
How messed up is that?
“What?” he asks.
“I just... I want you to know that the past doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters is that you’re here now,” I say. “You’re my dad, too. I love you.”
I only thought I had seen Zach Stone smile.
No, those smiles were nothing compared to the way he’s looking at me now. His eyes are lit up and... is that a tear?
“I love you, too,” Zach says, then wraps his arms around me, squeezing me tight. “I’ve always loved you, Zara. From the moment I saw you.”
And I hug him back, wanting to soak everything in about this moment.
I love how safe I feel.
How loved I feel.
How... complete I feel.
My whole life, I have felt like I was missing something. Like there was a piece of the puzzle that had just vanished. But now... I know what that missing piece was. It was always him.
When we pull back from our embrace, Zach wipes the tears from under my eyes.
“You look so much like your mom,” he says.
“I look more like you,” I say.
“Call her,” Zach says. “And tell her exactly what you are feeling—the good and the bad.”
“I will,” I say.
He gets up to walk out of my room. He turns around and looks at me one last time before he walks out.
Never before have I felt so loved.
No matter what happens, I know that Zach Stone will always have my back.
I hesitantly pick up my phone and call my mom.
Overly dramatic.
The phone only rings a couple of times before I hear a little voice answer.
“Hewwo.”
“Chloe,” I say, just hearing her voice brings tears to my eyes. “Happy early birthday!”
Tomorrow is her actual birthday. I can’t believe I’m not there to celebrate it with her.”
“Zara come home for birthday,” she says.
“I can’t. I’m sorry,” I say.
I hear a muffled voice in the background and what sounds like wrestling.
“Zara,” Mom says.
“Hey, Mom,” I say.
“Sorry, Chloe is fast these days,” she says.
“I can’t believe she’s turning three tomorrow,” I say. “Seems like yesterday we were in the hospital, waiting for you to give birth.”
“I never did thank you for watching Charlotte while I was in labor,” Mom says.
Charlotte was three when Mom gave birth to Chloe and she was the most hyper little girl ever. She kept trying to climb on everything, and there was one point where I had to chase her down this long hallway in the hospital while she was screaming. It was the worst day—ever.
But then Chloe was born, and suddenly it was the best day. Even Charlotte was completely captured by her little sister. She was always telling everybody to be quiet so we wouldn’t wake Chloe. It was cute.
Charlotte takes her role as big sister very seriously.
“How is everybody?” I ask.
“Good,” Mom says. “We’re having a birthday party for Chloe tomorrow. I wish you could be here for it.”
“Me, too,” I say, unable to stop the frown. “This is the first time I’ve been away from her on her birthday.”
“They miss you so much,” she says. “Are you sure there is no way you can come?”
“No, I can’t,” I say. “Sorry. Things are crazy here.”
“Do you like it there? ’Cause if you don’t, you can always come home.”
I can hear the hope in her voice. Maybe even desperation. But I’ve always done what my mom has wanted. Literally, everything in my life has been to make her happy. Now, it’s time to start living for me.
“I love it here,” I say. “For the first time, I feel like I know where I belong.”
“Don’t say that,” she says. “You belong here.”
“Have you talked to Dad?” I ask.
“You know I haven’t.”
True. Mom and Dad never talk. Ever. That’s why I knew coming to school here was serious. Because they were both in the same room.
“Mom, I know the truth about Zach,” I say.
“Zach told you,” she says, now sounding angry.
“Yeah. He told me. But you should’ve been the one to do it. Mom, you should have told me,” I say, trying not to get upset. “I called you and asked you who he was. And even before... you had plenty of opportunity.”
“I was embarrassed,” she says. “What I did to your father... it wasn’t right. And I didn’t want you to think I was a bad person.”
“Mom, I would never think that,” I say.
“I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you.”
“Are you at least getting to know Zach,” Mom asks. “He’s a good man.”
“I know,” I say. “I am getting to know him. I actually moved into his house. We’ve been bonding.”
“That’s... good,” she says, then starts to cry.
She’s always been a little emotional. That’s what makes her a good actress. She can cry at the drop of a hat. And then two seconds later, she’ll be laughing. It’s actually crazy to see how my mom feels emotions. They’re always clearly written on her face.
“It’s a good thing,” I tell her.
“I know,” she says. “But I’m worried you will like him more than you like me.”
“Mom, it’s completely different and you know it,” I say. “He’s my dad.”
Which causes her to sob harder.
I roll my eyes.
“Mom, you said the same thing to me when Dad got married to Erin,” I say. “And did things change after they got married?”
“No,” she says. “But you weren’t in a different country then.”
Mom was worried that I would like Erin, my stepmom, more than her. Which is completely insane, but then again, that’s my mom.
Always overly dramatic.
Always.
“Things are changing, yes,” I say. “But they were going to change soon, anyway. I’m about to be seventeen-years-old. Pretty soon, I was going to be leaving for college, and you and I both know I didn’t plan on going to a California college.”
“I was hoping I could talk you out of it,” she says.
Of course Mom would think something like that.
“You’re my mom and I’m always going to need you,” I say. “Like tonight... I’m kind of going out with some guy friends and I was hoping you could help me pick out something to wear.”
And just like that, my mom is smiling.
I can literally hear her smiling through the phone.
“Guys? As in more than one?” she asks.
“Yeah,” I answer.
“How many guys?”
“Um... five.”
She gasps. “And how many girls will be with you?”
I clear my throat. “Uh, just me.”
And then she laughs. “Do you like one of the boys?”
One?
Yeah, we’ll go with that.
“Yep,” I answer.
“You like more than one of them
,” she says. “Oh, to be young again.”
“Yeah, and then you’d have the labor and delivery of four children to look forward to again,” I say.
“Eh, you’re right,” she says. “But I’m just saying... enjoy the attention while it lasts.”
“I plan to,” I say, kind of hoping that it lasts forever. But knowing it won’t.
“You should wear that cute blue sundress you have. It brings out the color of your eyes,” she says. “And the wedged heels you always wear with it.”
“Mom, it’s cold here,” I say.
“Beauty is pain, darling,” she says. “Besides, if you’re cold, maybe one of your five guy friends will offer to warm you up.”
“Mom!” I say.
We both laugh.
And I can’t help but think I am so glad I called her.
This was just what I needed.
Cold.
My mom was right.
The guys did offer me a jacket. In fact, they all did. Then they fought over whose jacket I would wear. It was kind of cute. But in the end, Cam won. He always wins because he is stubborn.
I lie in bed, thinking about the night.
It was perfect.
So what if I didn’t go out on a ‘date’ with Tristan. I went out with five hot guys, all of whom mean a lot to me.
It was one of the best nights of my life.
These are the moments I live for. The moments that make all the pain worth it. The moments where all the hard work pays off. There are far too few moments like that in life.
Zach is downstairs, asleep. He was waiting up for me when I got home. All the guys walked me to the door, which was really sweet. Zach sent them back to the dorms, and since they had to make curfew, none of them protested.
Zach is actually a good dad. He asked me about my night, made sure the guys treated me respectfully, and then sent me to bed. It’s what my dad would do, too. And I can’t help but think how alike Zach and my dad really are. Not in looks, but definitely in personality. I see why my mom fell for the both of them.
I roll over, unable to go to sleep. That might have to do with the coffee I drank on the way to the movie theater. I’m not used to having a lot of caffeine. I should’ve known not to drink it so late.
I smile again, thinking of the way Tristan held my hand in the theater. And the way Stefan held my hand in the car on the way there. And Cam on the way back.
How did I get so lucky to find these guys?
I hear the house make a noise, and I sit up. I tell myself to calm down, because every house makes strange noises. I haven’t been here very long, so I’m not used to the noises this house makes. I hear another noise, and sigh in relief when I realize it’s just the wind.
It’s windy tonight. Cold.
The nights are getting longer and the days are getting colder. It’s fall now and pretty soon snow will cover the ground here. I’m kind of excited about the snow, but equally dreading it. I don’t think I’ll do well in cold weather. I suppose I’ll get used to it, but I’m going to need to go shopping for some winter clothes soon.
My doorknob turns, so I sit up.
“Zach,” I say.
The opens up, but it’s not Zach who comes through. I’m not sure who it is, but it’s a tall guy wearing a mask. Before I can even shout out, he puts something over my mouth. I try to fight him, but I can’t. I feel my whole body go numb before I fall asleep against the man who is abducting me.
The last thing I think before passing out is that Zach and the boys will save me. I know they will.
Earlier that day...
What do we do?
Tristan.
“We need to talk,” I tell Cam the second we get a moment without Zara. She’s headed to the training facility with Dylan and now is my only chance to talk to him without her around.
“Okay,” Cam says, stepping to the side of the hallway.
We can be a little late for class. This is important.
“I asked Zara out on a date,” I admit.
Cam doesn’t look surprised.
But I’ve known him for a long time and I know he is good at hiding his emotions.
“What did she say?” he asks, crossing his arms over his chest.
“She said yes, but she also told me that Dylan asked her out on a date, too,” I say. “She said yes to him as well.”
“So, she likes both of you?” Cam asks.
I nod. “I guess. I don’t know. Maybe she told us both yes because she doesn’t want to hurt our feelings, but I don’t think that’s it.”
Cam doesn’t say anything for a few seconds. He just stands there with his arms crossed, looking straight ahead. He stares a lot when he’s concentrating on something.
“Get the guys,” Cam says. “We’re skipping third period and we’re going to talk.”
“What about Dylan?” I ask.
“We will get him later,” Cam says. “This is important, though.”
I nod. “Okay.”
A few minutes later, the four of us are inside Cam’s dorm.
Cam is standing at the front of the room. Stefan and Austin are both sitting down, but I can’t. I’m too nervous.
What is Cam doing? What is he going to say to us?
“I need to know how every person in this room feels about Zara,” Cam says. “And I mean the entire truth.”
“You already know how I feel,” I say, getting it out in the open. “I’m crazy about her. I might even be falling in love with her.”
I don’t look up at my team because I don’t want to see their reactions.
What if they feel the same? How could they not feel the same? Zara is amazing. I know they have noticed her. I just don’t know how I am supposed to fight against my friends for her. I can’t do that. I can’t hurt them.
“I made up my mind about her when we helped her break into the administration office,” Stefan says. “I knew that we could’ve gotten kicked out of school for what we did, but I would rather have gotten kicked out than force her to go back in the vent. I have some strong feelings for her.”
“Romantic feelings?” Cam asks.
“Yes,” Stefan answers.
Crap.
This isn’t good.
“What about you, Austin?” Cam asks.
“I think you already know or you wouldn’t have asked us to meet here,” Austin says. “I’m crazy about her.”
I look up at Cam. He’s... frustrated.
“What about you?” I ask.
Cam looks at me, his eyes narrow. “What?”
“How do you feel about Zara?”
He doesn’t say a word.
His non-verbal response is all the answer I need.
“So, all four of us feel the same about her?” Austin asks.
“Five,” Cam says.
“Dylan too?” Stefan asks.
Cam nods.
This isn’t good.
Not at all.
“We can’t start fighting,” I say, before anybody can say anything. “Our team has come too far.”
“I know,” Cam says.
“So, what do we do?” Austin asks.
“We’re not going to fight over Zara. We’re going to fight for our team,” Cam says. “Inevitably, who Zara Summers ends up with is her decision alone. We’re going to have to let her make that decision.”
“Okay,” Stefan says. “You’re right.”
“But we can’t let her decide right now,” Cam says. “She has only been on our team for three weeks. If we force her to decide now, she’s going to run.”
He’s right.
Dang it, I hate that he’s right.
“So, what do you propose we do?” I ask.
Cam is quiet for a moment, he’s looking straight ahead. None of us say anything. We just give him time to think. Really, we all need time to think.
Since Zara came into our life, our entire world has turned upside down. A month ago, I would’ve told somebody they were crazy if they’d sai
d we would add another member onto our team. No way would the five of us agree to that.
Then I met her.
I think I fell for her the moment I laid eyes on her. Her wavy blonde hair was down, the way she always wears it. She was looking at the map of the school, trying to figure out where to go. I watched as she put a piece of hair behind her ear. That’s when I saw her eyes.
I’ve never met anyone with eyes as blue as hers. I swear the entire room lit up simply because she was in it.
After that, I felt my feet move forward, as if on their own. I had no control. And I didn’t want control. All I wanted was her.
I asked her if she needed help and then I escorted her to class. From that moment on, she had my heart. All of it.
“None of us date her,” Cam says.
Everybody starts to protest, me included.
Cam holds up a hand.
“Not forever,” he says. “But for now. We just continue on like we have been. We continue being her friend. But no dates.”
“Okay, and what about later?” Stefan asks. “What if we all continue to have feelings for her? What if our feelings grow?”
“No matter what, we stick together. Always,” Cam says. “In the end, it will be Zara’s decision. But for now, we need to continue building our relationship with her. We need to make her feel like she’s a part of the team.”
“You’re right,” I say, shocking everybody, including myself. “I agree.”
“Me, too,” Stefan says.
Austin sigh. “Fine. Me, too.”
“Me, as well,” Cam says. “I’ll talk to Dylan during physical training. I’m sure he will agree, too.”
Of course he will. Because it’s the right thing to do.
I just hope Zara Summers doesn’t break my heart, because she has the power to annihilate me.
And I would let her.
The End.
Book 4, Trust, is coming SOON!
Letter from Scarlett.
Hey! Thank you so much for reading the third book in my series, The Zara Chronicles. Honestly, all I ever want to write is THIS SERIES. I’m so addicted to the characters and the story. I hope you guys feel the same way, because I have a lot planned for the future of these characters!
Toxic (The Zara Chronicles Book 3) Page 8