Unbreak Me (Second Chances #1) (15 page)

“Let’s go up there,” Hannah squealed as she pointed in the direction of a playground.

“Hannah, aren’t you a little old for the playground?” Katie asked as she shook her head.

“No,” Hannah pouted. “You’re never to old for the playground.”

“If you say so,” Katie shook her head and rolled her eyes.

“I saw that,” she elbowed Katie in the side.

They only had a few hours of daylight left, so they moved quickly to spread the blanket out and eat. After finishing the spread that Austin had packed, the girls ran over to the swings and sat. Melanie could hear them laughing and squealing at each other. She smiled wistfully at them.

“I can’t remember the last time she was so happy,” she looked over at Austin. “She’s had so much going on with Zach and moving. She gets along with Hannah so well.”

“I can’t remember the last time
I
was so happy,” Austin looked her right in the eyes and ran his hand tenderly down her cheek cupping her chin.

Melanie blushed and glanced at her lap. She was knotting her fingers together while working up the courage to ask him something that had been on her mind all day. “Austin, where do you see this going? I mean…”

He stopped her mid sentence. He knew how she felt, but could see that she was having a hard time voicing it. “I love you,” he looked her right in eyes. “I see a future with you in it. I want this, all of it,” he pointed back and forth between them and in the direction of the girls “to grow”.

“Oh Austin, I love you too. I’ve just been too afraid to say it. I didn‘t want to be too forward,” she glanced back to her knotted hands.

He reached into her lap and pulled one of her hands into his. Sliding closer to her on the blanket, he leaned in taking his other hand and cupping her cheek to raise her face to his. He leaned in and gave her the softest, sweetest kiss she’d ever received. When he pulled away, he gently rested his forehead on hers. “I love you,” he stated again with as much conviction as he could muster. The moment would have continued if the shuffling of feet behind him had not broken the mood.

“Nice timing, girls,” he laughed and sighed as he broke the embrace.

“No problem dad, always at your service,” Hannah laughed and Katie giggled.

“So we were thinking that maybe we could go to a movie next week,” Hannah blurted out. “Maybe we could see one, and you could see one. In a different theater that is,” Hannah fumbled. “We’ll pick two that are showing at the same time,” she flipped her hand in the air.

“Are you trying to plan a date for me?” Austin smirked. “Don’t you think your dad can do that on his own?” he glanced at her.

Hannah turned red, “I’m just trying to help with, you know.”

“Thanks dear, but I got this in the bag,” he wagged his finger between Melanie and himself as he glanced back at Hannah.

Melanie blushed and looked over at Katie, who had the biggest, goofiest smile she’d ever seen. “You had something to do with this too, didn’t you?”

“Maybe,” Katie toed to ground.

“Tell you what,” Austin looked at the girls. “We’ll go out, if you two stop trying to plan it, Ok?”

“Sure dad,” Hannah rolled her eyes.

“It’s getting cold,” Melanie rubbed her arms. “We better head home.”

Austin helped her stand and began folding the blanket as she repacked the picnic basket. Once they were packed, they headed in the direction of the car, where the girls were already waiting.

Austin leaned in to Melanie’s side, “So where would you like to go on this date that I promised I’d take you on?”

“A night in is fine with me,” she blushed as she remembered their brief encounter on her couch after their date at the opera. “We don’t always have to go somewhere.”

“Ok, a night in it is. I’ll see what I can do about that,” he winked at her.

She smiled as he helped her climb into the truck, and giggled when he playfully swatted her behind. Austin rounded the front and hopped in to take them home. When he looked in the rearview mirror, he noticed that the girls were yawning.

“So, was this near the top of your list for a great family day?” he asked Hannah.

“Yep, right up there with a Sox game,” Hannah stated matter-of-factly.

“Really?” Austin raised his brow. “Even better than when we saw the playoffs a few years back?”

“Yep,” she nodded and giggled. “Better company this time.”

Melanie turned towards the window and smiled to herself.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Austin stated as he reached over and grabbed Melanie’s hand.

They made their way back to Melanie’s and said their goodbyes with the promise that a night in was in the near future. Austin only offered a soft peck to her cheek as he dropped her at her door. With Hannah and Katie watching, he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

After Katie and Melanie had closed the door, he turned to Hannah and began to walk back to his truck, “Yep, best family day ever,” he eyed her.

She giggled and hugged him, “I love you dad.”

“I love you too, honey,” he smiled at her.

They climbed back in the truck and headed home.

Chapter 13

September 2012

Melanie was gathering her things to head to work when Katie emerged from her bedroom. It had been a week since Zach had been admitted to the hospital. He was going to be moving to the rehab center this afternoon. Melanie had tons of paperwork to finish in order for the transition to go smoothly. She had taken over Zach’s care since he meant so much to Katie. Normally, after making sure a surgery went well, she’d pass on the patient’s care to a resident, but Katie had all but begged her to continue helping Zach. Little did Katie know that she wouldn’t be seeing Zach in the coming weeks, he had plans of his own. Plans that he’d kept in secret, ones he hoped would change his future for the better.

“
Zach’s being discharged to the care of the rehab center at four o’clock if you want to stop by and see him before he goes,” Melanie mentioned as she continued to grab her bag of files. She failed to tell Katie that the rehab center was not in Boston. That was Zach’s secret to tell, and she didn’t want to upset her daughter.

“Yes, I was planning on coming by after school today mom,” Katie shoveled a bite of cereal in her mouth.

“I’ll see you then,” Melanie turned and walked out the door.

Katie was glad that Zach was being moved. It meant that he was that much closer to walking again. He’d been wheelchair bound the entire time he was hospitalized, and she knew he was anxious to be mobile again. She was hoping that his life would begin to get closer to normal in the coming weeks.

Austin’s friend Matthew had been hard at work over the last several days as he worked to emancipate Zach. Rick hadn’t challenged the case in any way, so it was just a matter of proving that Zach could provide for himself. Matthew had collected pay stubs from Shorty’s Diner, and deposit slips from Zach’s bank account to show where he had a steady income. Zach had been rather resourceful in providing for himself at such a young age. Now, they just had to figure out transportation for him until his leg healed. He couldn’t drive; he was still in a wheelchair. Melanie had sent several emails to the rehab center, and left messages hoping that she could find someone that would give Zach a ride if he needed to go anywhere. Even though there were still details to be worked out, everyone had faith that they would.

Zach had been sitting in a hospital bed for almost eight days. He was so restless it was driving him crazy. He was glad to finally be away from it all, but he didn’t enjoy the fact that he had to get beaten nearly to death for it to be put into motion. He glanced over at the stack of papers on the table next to the bed. Mr. Simon had been by several times throughout the week to help him with his portfolio. He was determined to get into art school as soon as he was well enough. He’d been working on putting together his best pieces and writing a letter to the dean explaining why he wanted to enter mid-year.

Zach was much brighter than most of the teachers at St. Vincent’s knew. He missed school a lot because he had to work to pay the bills, and he fell asleep in class because he couldn’t sleep at home for fear of his father walking into his room in a drunken rage. He lashed out at teachers and other students because he was abused at home and had no other way to release the anger.

He slumped in the bed as he picked up the pile of papers. He had several landscapes and a few graphic pieces, but his specialty was portraits. He could look at a person for a matter of minutes and then draw their portrait from memory. “This is where your talent lies. This is what is going to get you into the school,” Mr. Simon had told him as he flashed a picture Zach had drawn of his mother. After some coaxing from Mr. Simon, Zach had submitted the picture with his portfolio. Now, here he sat with the letter in his lap telling him that he had been accepted. All he had to do now was tell Katie he was leaving.

He knew it wasn’t right to just up and leave, but he had no choice. He needed Melanie to help him find a way to get to the rehab center near the school, and tell Katie that he was moving across the country. He felt awful that so many people had helped him, and he had no way to pay them back. He’d told Melanie that morning when she stopped by to check on him, that he had been accepted to the school and thanked her for all of her help in setting up care for him. He needed one more favor, a way to get to the center in Denver, Colorado. Melanie assured him that it was taken care of and not to worry. His only worry now was to tell Katie about leaving. As he was bending over to put the pile of papers down on the table, he heard a soft knock on the door.

“Come in,” he called.

Katie stepped through the door carrying her schoolbooks. She’d come straight from her last class. She had the biggest smile on her face.

“I’m so glad you’re getting sprung from this joint. I know my mom said no to dating right now, but I want to spend time with you. I miss you!” she came in and sat on the edge of his bed.

He looked at her face and knew that his news was going to crush her. He glanced over at the letter sitting on the table and then back at her face.

“Well, about that,” he started.

She looked at him and could tell that something was worrying him, so she scooted closer and leaned in to give him a kiss.

He put up his hand to stop her. “Wait, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Embarrassed and caught off guard, she sat back and turned her head away from him as a blush crept up her neck and cheeks.

“I want to show you this,” he reached over and grabbed the letter. “Read it,” he coaxed.

She opened the letter and began scanning through its contents. “This is great, you got in!” she smiled.

“Look at the letterhead for this,” he pointed at the top.

“Denver School of Design,” she mumbled to herself. “Where is that?” she looked at him confused.

“Denver,” he sighed, “Colorado.”

“You’re leaving?” she turned and tears welled in her eyes. “How long have you known about this? When are you going?” her sadness soon turned to anger as she stood from the bed. “I can’t believe you’re telling me this now.”

Zach hung his head, ”I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to find out like this. I wanted to give you a proper goodbye.”

“Proper?” she sobbed. “What, like an email after you were already gone?” she asked incredulously. She stood looking like she was about to crumble as she backed her way to the door. “I have to go,” she mumbled as her back touched it.

“Katie, we can still keep in touch, but I’m not coming back. There‘s nothing here for me. It’s better this way. I get a fresh start,” he looked at her with so much anguish in his eyes that she had to turn away. “I didn’t want it to end this way, you have to believe me.”

Katie wiped her eyes with her sleeve. “Goodbye Zach.” She turned and walked out the door as sobs wracked her body.

When she came around the corner, she saw Melanie coming down the hall.

“You knew,” she pointed at her. “How could you keep this from me, Mom?”

Melanie grabbed Katie’s arm and pulled her into an elevator. “We’ll talk about this in my office.”

When they arrived upstairs, Katie stalked in after Melanie and slammed the door.

“How could you, Mom? You knew he was leaving and you kept it from me!” she shouted.

“Watch your mouth young lady,” Melanie warned. “Yes, I knew. I found out about this a few days ago. Telling you would have been pointless. He’s going whether you accept it or not. He needs a fresh start. This is his chance to start over.”

“But Mom, I love him,” Katie sank down on the futon and buried her head in her hands as she continued to cry.

“You
think
you love him,” Melanie sighed. “First love is always the most painful to get past, but trust me when I tell you that you will move on from this and there will be many more.” Melanie rubbed her back and pulled Katie against her. “Sometimes…loving someone means letting them go.”

“Mom, how will I ever tell him goodbye? I don’t want him to leave,” Katie looked up with a tear-streaked face.

“Tell him what you told me. Tell him how you feel,” she soothed. “But there will be others. You’re too young to be this attached. You’ll find someone else when you least expect it,” Melanie looked her straight in the eyes and wiped the tears from her face.

“Not reassuring, Mom, I don’t want anyone else. I want him,” she looked at her fingers as she twisted them in her lap.

“Think about everything Zach’s been through the last week. Think about what his life’s been like. You’ve suffered pain, but I’m sure that Zach’s life has been unbearable at times. Think about what going to this school will mean for him. Think about the opportunity he’s getting. You need to be supportive for him. Show him that you understand why he’s doing what he’s doing. If you’re meant to be, you’ll find each other again.” Melanie stood and walked to the door. “I’ve got to get back to my rounds, you can stay in here as long as you want, just close the door when you’re finished and text me to let me know where you’re going. I know this feels like the end of the world, but it’s not. Give it time.”

After Melanie had left, Katie leaned over and laid down on the futon. She was not ready to deal with anybody. Her body shook as she continued to cry. She ran the words her mother had stated over and over through her mind. This was a chance of a lifetime for Zach, but why did he have to go somewhere so far away? Once she felt like the tears would stop, she rose to a sitting position. She pulled a mirror out of her purse and glanced at her refection. Her eyes were puffy and red with black streaks under them from where her mascara had run. Her hair was wild from running her hands through it, and as she looked down she realized that her clothes were quite rumpled. Once she had somewhat gotten herself together, she glanced around Melanie’s office. There were tons of pictures of her mom and dad. Katie wondered where most of the pictures from their old apartment in New York had gone. She assumed that Melanie had brought them here.

Katie got up and wandered around the office. She thought she could feel her heart breaking. She didn’t remember this feeling of pain in her chest, ever. She’d never felt like this over a boy before.
How can I get past this?
Her mom was right, and she knew that. This was the best move that Zach could make. He’d be away from his dad, be at a great school, and he’d get a fresh start. She needed to show him that she supported his decision. She may be breaking inside, but she needed to be strong for him.

She sat down at Melanie’s desk and opened up her I Tunes account on the laptop. She was going to show Zach exactly how she felt. She wanted him to understand that even though she’d didn’t want him to leave, she understood why he had to. She knew that she would never get the words out if she tried to talk. She scanned through her play list looking for the
he
perfect song. When she came across Miley Cyrus’ “I Hope You Find It”, she knew that was the one she was looking for.

oooooooooooo

As it downloaded to her I Pod, she thought back to the first time she’d heard it. She was home alone while her mom had worked a late shift at the hospital. She had curled up on the couch in their living room for a marathon of Nicolas Sparks’ movies. The Last Song had made her ball her eyes out, but now as she looked back, she realized how much this song fit what was going on in her life. When it finished she wiped her eyes, straightened her shoulders, and marched out of the office and back to Zach’s room. She texted her mom and let her know she was stopping by Zach’s room and then going to head home.

Another soft knock came on his door.

“Come in,” he sighed.

When Katie entered, he quickly pulled himself into a sitting position and waited for her to come over. He could see the evidence of her anguish plainly on her face. She looked like she was barely holding it together. She tentatively walked over to his bed and sat right on the edge.

“I’m sorry I sprung this on you. I didn’t mean for you to find out this way,” he sighed as he reached to trail a finger down the side of her face. “It breaks my heart to see you so upset.”

“I know, I’m sorry too. I know that this is a good thing that’s happening to you. I guess I’m just not ready to let you go,” she shifted on the bed. “I’ve got something for you,” she pointed at her I Pod. “Here,” she removed the ear buds from her ears and handed them to him. Once he got them in place, he nodded to her. She pushed play on the I Pod and sat back to wait for his reaction. She could hear the sweet words muffled as they drifted into his ears, and she wiped at her eyes as they began to tear up again.

Zach looked up as his own tears began to fall. He knew that she wanted him to be happy. Even though she didn’t want him to leave, she was going to support his decision.

When the song finished, Zach removed the ear buds and looked up at Katie. Tears were trickling down his cheeks. She looked just as upset as he did. Her eyes were puffy and she was sniffling.

“I can put it on yours if you want,” she pointed to his I Pod sitting on the table next to the bed.

He nodded and opened his arms for her. She moved up the edge of the bed and leaned into his embrace. He grabbed the back of her neck and crashed his mouth into hers. His kiss was demanding. He put all his feelings into it, for he knew this would be the last one. Katie sighed against him and parted her lips as his tongue grazed her lower lip. He deepened the kiss as she leaned farther into him. When the kiss finally broke, she leaned her head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her.