Unbreak Me (Second Chances #1) (12 page)

The two stepped through the door and made their way back to Zach’s car. He drove them home slower than he had made the trip to Hannah’s. He was secretly trying to prolong their time together. When they got back to Katie’s house, he came around and opened her door.

As they walked to the door, he grabbed her hand to stop her, “I’m sorry about how the night started. I had an argument with my dad. You didn’t deserve my anger,” he hung his head.

“It’s alright, but talk to me next time,” she begged. “If I’m going to be your girlfriend, then you should let me in, not shut me out.”

“Deal,” he leaned in and placed a kiss to her lips.

“I like that better than a handshake,” she giggled.

He chuckled and leaned in again to offer a deeper kiss, “I like it better too.”

Katie turned to unlock the door, and Zach placed his hand on her shoulder.

“When can I see you again?” he pleaded.

“Ummm, you’ll see me at school on Monday,” she joked.

“I mean a date, without our friends involved,” he rolled his eyes.

“Call me,” she laughed. “I’ll see where I can pencil you in.”

She turned back toward the door and stepped inside, “Goodnight Zach.” Just like that she disappeared into the house.

Zach walked back to his car happier than he’d been in a long time. He’d finally gotten her to commit to him and vowed he was not going to mess this up.

Katie closed the door and giggled as she watched Zach hop and bounce back to his car. She knew he’d be mad if he knew she was watching him from the window. She headed for her bedroom, stopping by Melanie’s door to let her know she was home. As she climbed into bed, she couldn’t help the smile that stretched across her face. She jerked her legs up and down and pumped her fists in the air, Zach had asked her to be his girlfriend. She couldn’t be happier at this moment.

If she only knew how much Zach was really going to need her... She had no idea what his home life was like, and no way of knowing how much he would begin to lean on her. She would soon come to realize just how much of a front he really put on for show.

Chapter 10

September 2012

It was Wednesday and Katie hadn’t seen or heard from Zach all week. She was beginning to worry. She couldn’t remember him missing school since she started at St. Vincent’s, but here she sat in history class staring at the empty seat across the aisle from her. After seeing the bruises and the way Zach reacted to her during Friday night’s date, she wasn’t sure what to expect and that frightened her.

“He’s probably helping his dad,” Hannah nudged her. “He missed a lot of days last year because he was constantly helping him.”

“I just wish he’d call me,” Katie sighed. “I’m worried about him.”

2:30 am the next morning

Katie’s phone chimed, alerting her of a text. She fumbled around in the dark searching for the offending noise. When her fingers finally wrapped around it, she clicked it on to read the message. Zach’s name glowed on the screen.
I need your help. I’m on your front steps.
Breathing a sigh of relief that she had finally heard from him, she jumped up and pulled a sweatshirt over her tank top. Tiptoeing quietly down the hall and peering out the front window, she gasped at the sight before her eyes. As she flung open the door and gasped again, a single tear made its way down her cheek.

“What happened?” she held one hand over her mouth, while the other tentatively reached out.

As Zach turned to fully face her, she noticed he had a bloody nose, split lip, and the bruise that was under his eye had swollen up to the point he could barely see out of it. He was clutching his right arm with his left and holding it to his chest.

“I had an argument with my dad,” it came out strangled as if he was trying not to cry. “Can I come in?”

Stunned beyond words, Katie nodded and moved to wrap her arm around his middle to help him up the stairs. As he stood, he limped on his right foot and a groan escaped his lips.

“I think I might have a broken ankle,” he winced.

2 hours earlier

“Zach, where are you?” a voice slurred from the couch.

Zach had just gotten home from work as a bus boy at the local diner. “In my room dad.”

“Get in here!” he bellowed. “I need some money.”

Zach carefully hid the wad of cash he’d just brought home. His dad had a habit of taking it and spending it on booze. The drunken man staggered down the hall to Zach’s bedroom, “I said I NEED SOME MONEY!!!”

“I don’t have any dad, I used it to pay the power bill last week,” Zach glanced over his shoulder at the towering giant, careful to keep his distance.

Before he had time to move, Rick staggered into the room and landed a punch straight to the side of Zach’s head. He stumbled back and crashed against the wall, hitting his side on the headboard of the bed before crashing to the floor.

“Where is it?” Rick sneered. “I know you’ve got some around here somewhere. You don‘t work for free.” He began pulling open drawers and tossing the room like a burglar would do.

“No dad, I swear. I don’t,” Zach tried to scramble to his feet clutching his side. “We need that money for groceries anyway,” he pleaded.

“You’re worthless, you little shit,” Rick sent another blow in Zach’s direction, this time landing on his jaw. Blood gushed from the fresh wound on his lip. “I wish your momma had gotten rid of you like I told her to.”

“Dad, please!!!” Zach begged and held his hands up to block the continued assault on his face. “I’m sorry, but we need that money. We have to be able to eat.”

This angered Rick even more, and he grabbed Zach by the wrist and flung him to the floor. As he rolled to his side in agony, clutching his middle, Rick repeatedly kicked him. “You…are…not…worth the effort BOY!!!” he grunted with the force he was exerting.

“I’m not going to ask you again boy, where is the money?” Rick placed his foot on Zach’s ankle and pressed.

After hearing it snap and fearing his dad would kill him, he weakly pointed at his top dresser drawer as he pulled himself into a ball on the floor. Rick huffed and walked over to begin digging through it, all the while grumbling and shaking his head.

He pulled the wad of cash out and held it up. “This wouldn’t have happened if you’d just given this to me in the first place. Clean this mess up and get your sorry ass away from me before I throw you out.” He stomped out of the room, leaving the door standing open.

Zach watched Rick’s retreating form and pulled his broken body over to the bed. He leaned against the side as he tried to pull himself up. He heard the door to the apartment slam shut, and he assumed his dad had left to go to the local liquor store. He knew he needed to get out of there. If he stayed, there’d be more of what he had just endured when his father returned. He limped over to his dresser, grabbed his keys, and hobbled down to his car. He wasn’t sure where he was going to go, or who could help him, but he knew he needed to get away. Before he realized where he was heading, he found himself parked in front of Katie’s house.

2:30 am in Katie’s living room

Katie helped Zach over to the couch and gingerly sat down beside him.

“What happened?” she pleaded as she reached up and lightly ran her fingers over his swollen eye.

“Well,” he chuckled painfully. “You know how you have a mom that loves you?” he looked at her with a pained expression on his face. “Let’s just say that I don’t.”

“You’re dad did this to you?” she gasped.

“Yeah, all over a few hundred dollars,” he dropped his head into his hands as his body shuddered. “I’ve been saving the money I make each week at Shorty’s to hopefully get into art school. But now, he took it all,” Zach’s body shook as a sob rolled out of him. “My mom died when I was five. I’ve been working since I was ten to help pay the bills. That car out there,” he lifted his arm and pointed towards the door, “it cost me everything I’d saved. It took me six years to save that kind of money. It’s the only thing that I’ve ever owned that was worth anything. Mr. Simon’s been trying to help me apply to art school for a while now. I was saving up for the application fee and travel expenses. He thinks I’m good enough to get a scholarship once I get in.” Zach groaned and clutched his side as he panted trying to catch his breath.

“You need help,” Katie winced at him. “Let me get my mom. She can patch you up.” She rose and took a few steps in the direction of the hallway. “I’ll be right back,” she reached for the doorframe.

“Nobody can know about this, Katie. They’ll send me away to foster care,” he begged with a warning in his eyes.

“Zach you need help. Let me help you,” she pleaded. “Please?”

Zach grimaced, but gave her a shaky nod.

She raced down the hallway to Melanie’s room.

“Mom?” Katie knocked softly. “Mom, are you awake?”

Melanie heard the knocking, but thought she was dreaming at first. She slowly rubbed her eyes and heard it again. “Mom?”

She tossed her legs over the side of the bed and shuffled to open the door, “Katie what is it?”

“Mom, I need your help. It’s Zach,” she was frantic by now. “His dad beat him up,” she pointed to the living room. “He’s in there.”

Melanie turned around and grabbed her robe off her vanity chair and rushed down the hallway. She had started her career as a doctor in the emergency room, so springing into action at a moment’s notice wasn’t something new to her. When she came into the living room, she knelt down in front of him.

“Oh Zach,” she lightly ran her fingers over the now black and blue bruise of his eye.

“Katie, go get my medical bag from my room,” Melanie instantly turned into doctor mode and began assessing his injuries.

Katie raced down the hall and returned with the bag in hand.

“Can you help him mom?” a tear trickled down her cheek.

“I’m going to try,” she sighed. “First I need to see what exactly is wrong, then we’ll need to get you to the hospital.”

“No!” Zach tried to surge forward. “No hospital, he’ll find me there.”

“Who?” Melanie asked.

“His dad,” Katie answered for him.

“You’re safe,” Melanie assured him. “No one’s going to hurt you anymore.”

As she continued to run her hands over Zach’s body she assessed that he had a dislocated shoulder, a few broken ribs, and a broken ankle. He had some other cuts and bruises, but nothing serious she hoped.

“Zach, I can pop your shoulder back in, but the rest needs to be done at the hospital,” she looked him directly in the eyes. “This is going to hurt. I can give you something for the pain if you’d rather wait.”

“Just do it,” Zach grunted as he moved to slide down to the floor.

Melanie helped him lay back so he was flat on his back. “Katie come here and hold him still right here,” she pointed to his chest. She grabbed his right arm and pulled and twisted until she felt it pop back into place. Zach groaned and screamed as if he was being tortured. Katie cringed and began to sob. Seeing him like that was worse than she thought. Melanie went to grab a scarf from her room so she could immobilize Zach’s arm until they got to the hospital.

“Here,” she handed the phone to Katie. “Call Mr. Montgomery and ask him if he can meet us at the hospital.” Katie raised her eyes in question.

“I don’t want you here alone in case his dad comes looking for him, and I don’t want you waiting around for me in the waiting room. Mr. Montgomery can take you to his loft.” Melanie held up her hand to Katie as if telling her the discussion was closed. “Now go put some clothes on.”

“I’ll be right back,” she patted Zach’s knee and rose to her feet.

Melanie moved down the hall at a lightning pace to change into some scrubs. She ran a brush though her hair pulling it up into a ponytail and threw on a pair of sneakers. She had her cell pressed to her ear when she reemerged from the bedroom.

“Yes William, I’m on my way in right now. Broken ankle, cracked ribs, facial lacerations, and I reset the shoulder already.” She hung up the phone and moved over to where Zach was sitting. “Let’s go.”

They helped Zach out to Melanie’s car and made their way to the hospital. On the drive over, Zach looked at Katie, “I’m sorry about this.”

“What?” she looked shocked as her mouth dropped open and she wiped at her eyes.

“I really didn’t want you to have to know about this,” he waved his hand in the air. “This isn’t something that I share with anybody.”

“Zach, this isn’t your fault. You didn’t cause this,” Katie demanded.

“I know, I just wanted to be normal for once in my life. Not the poor battered kid with the bad reputation,” Zach sighed. “People always see me as troubled. For once I wanted someone to see me as me.”

“This actually explains a lot,” Katie glanced at him and then back at the road.

When they pulled up to the hospital, Austin and Hannah were waiting out front. Melanie jumped from the car and ran in the emergency doors, not bothering to offer an explanation at the moment. She came back out in a matter of seconds with a wheelchair and opened the car door, motioning for Austin to help her move Zach into it.

“Thanks for coming,” she glanced up at him. “I need you to take Katie with you. I don’t want her where his dad might find her. There’s no telling how he’ll react to us being involved in helping his son.”

“No problem, you don’t need to worry, Katie will be fine. I’ll take care of it,” he hugged her and turned to grab Katie’s bag from her hand. “We’ll be at my loft until I hear from you.”

Melanie turned to Katie. “Go with Mr. Montgomery. I’ll take care of Zach and I’ll call you as soon as I know something.”

Katie hugged her tightly. “Thanks mom. I love you.”

“Love you too, sweetie. Now go,” she pointed in Austin’s direction.

Melanie wheeled Zach into the emergency room and rambled off her diagnosis to William in true doctor form.

5 hours later

Melanie had called Austin when Zach was settled into a room, and gave word that Katie could come back for a visit. Zach’s injuries had been worse that she had expected. His broken ankle was so severe that she had to perform surgery to realign the bones. He now had a rod in his leg that went from his knee to his ankle holding everything in place. He would need extensive physical therapy before he would walk normal again. One of his cracked ribs had punctured his lung, and he had needed twelve stitches on his face. Melanie had been sitting vigil in Zach’s room for most of the morning. She had fallen asleep in the chair in the corner of the room about an hour ago. That was just how Austin found her when he brought Katie back to the hospital later that afternoon.

“
Here,” Austin handed her a cup of coffee. “It’s just that gross kind from the machine down the hall, but I thought you could use a cup.”

“Thanks,” she looked up at him offering a tired smile and took the coffee from his hands.

Katie stood tentatively at the door watching and waiting to be noticed.

“Come on in sweetie. He’s resting right now. I’ve got him on some pretty heavy pain meds. I have no idea how he managed to drive to our house with the condition he was in.”

Katie crept into the room and stood by Zach’s bed. She leaned over and ran her hand lightly across his cheek. His eyes fluttered open as he tried to focus on her.