Chapter 50

“Are you drunk?” I managed to mumble.

“Yes, you are!” I said once I smelled the alcohol on his shirt and breath.

“Let go!” I tried to pull away, fighting with my own feelings and resistance of not wanting to be separated from him.

“Stay in my arms,” was what he said and I felt him stroking my hair.

“What are you doing? Here?” I mumbled putting my forehead on his shoulder as I felt him stroking my hair, tightening his grip on my waist.

“I don’t know!” he replied.

“What do you mean by you don’t kno—”

“Ssssh!” He clicked his tongue, silencing me.

“You sure talk too much!” he whispered into my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.

“You smell of alcohol!” I said.

“You smell good,” he inhaled deeply as he rested his chin on my shoulder, humming in response. I didn’t really understand whether to feel good about it or be worried, because he was being unusually open and was saying what I had always wanted to hear but couldn’t.

“Let go! You are drunk,” I tried to push him but the more I struggled the more iron-like grip he formed on my body.

“But I am in sense,” he complained.

“You don’t even know what you are speaking!” I retorted.

“And I’ve heard that a drunk mind speaks a sober heart!”

His statement made me stop struggling against him and slowly, I looked up at his face inches away from mine. His breath fanned over my face and I realized that not only was he drunk, but he was tired too. The bags under his eyes indicated how tired he was and the smirk plastered on his lips made me wonder what was making him so happy.

“Zachary!” I gasped, recognizing the voice coming from behind me. Still in Zachary’s arms, I turned a little and recognized the owner of the familiar voice.

“Willi?” I said astonished to see him after a long time.

And Zachary? Since when did he begin to call him using his name?

“Look who I have here!” Zachary said and leaned against me, putting his body weight on me, which made me bend backwards. His weight gave stress to my back and it kind of hurt.

“Gaaah Zachary hold yourself!” I panicked as I tried to push him away from me.

“Zachary!” Willi was right next to me in a second, helping Zachary move off of me.

“No!” Zachary slurred stubbornly as he tried to hold my shawl and drag me back to him.

“Man you are drun—” Willi was cut off by the police sirens outside my house. It was the patrol team.

“Quick! Let’s go inside!” Willi said and before I could even respond, he carried a drunk Zachary inside the house, dragging me with him since Zachary was clutching on to me.

“Always barging inside!” I muttered as I tried to free my shawl from Zachary’s hold.

“Oh, man!” Willi muttered as he made Zachary sit on the chair.

“I have to take him back to his hotel room now,” Willi said and put his hand around Zachary’s shoulder, trying to make him stand, but Zachary being too stubborn to cooperate, shook his head rocking to and fro in his seat and clutched onto my shawl even tighter.

What side of him is this?

“I am sorry Juliette. Forgive him for his behavior; but he is not in his right state of mind,” Willie said and all I could do was heave out a sigh.

“It’s not your fault!” I muttered and watched as he gave me a faint smile before trying to make Zachary stand on his feet again.

“Juliette,” came out Zachary’s slurred voice.

“Tell me, how did you both find me here?” I asked as I recalled the question that has been nagging me in my mind since I saw Zachary outside my window.

“And since when have you started calling him by his name? Are you kind of friends now?” I asked crossing my arms around my waist and rubbing my left arm. I looked back at Zachary who had his eyes closed, but was still holding on to my shawl.

“Long story short, you can call us friends, and about that previous question, I’ll tell you everything tomorrow."

“Or should I say Zachary himself will tell you about it tomorrow when he is sober, but right now we need to move out back to our hotel,” he said and I nodded, understanding, but then it struck me and I gasped.

“Tomorrow? You mean to tell me that he is going to meet me again tomorrow?” I asked incredulously and glanced back at Zachary, who was now leaning against me with his head on the side of my waist.

“Of course!” Willi shrugged as if I was asking him a stupid question.

“Well, why would he even want to meet me tomorrow?” I asked throwing my hands in the air. The mere feeling of talking face-to-face once again made my heart race against my chest.

Willi bit down on his lips; fishing his hands into his pant pockets he looked back at Zachary.

“I don’t really think that he needs a reason to meet you tomorrow. It's been a long time,” I heard him whisper.

“What?” I asked even though I heard everything clearly.

“I know you heard me,” and that annoying smile of his was back on his lips. It was the Willi I knew. He would smile without any reason.

“But—”

He cut me off and pulled Zachary’s arm over his shoulder and made him stand on his feet.

“Well, time to leave! See you so—tomorrow,” he laughed and as he took a step with Zachary leaning against him now asleep, my shawl slipped off my body. I watched both of them leave the house from the same way they came in, with my shawl still in Zachary’s hand.

*****

“Coffee?” Kiara asked as I combed my hair furiously tying it up into a ponytail.

“No!”

“Tea?” She asked leaning against the open door frame of my bedroom.

“No!”

“Water?”

“No!”

“Juice?”

“No!”

“Mr. Sullivan?” she asked which made me glance at her through the mirror.

“Never!” I muttered more to myself, but my traitor heart yelled against the word that I used.

“Oh really?” she mocked me wiggling her eyebrows.

“Stop it, Kiara!” I glared at her and straightened the collar of my blue and black checkered shirt.

Thanks to Willi I couldn’t sleep the whole night thinking that I would be meeting Zachary once again in the morning. I made up my mind that before he could come and stand on my doorstep, I would vanish out of his sight. And for that, I called Tess in the morning, asking her if she and the other girls would like to go on a road trip. She said yes immediately. I guess the stars are really on my side today.

“We will leave without eating anything?” Kiara made an astonished face, to which I just shrugged in reply.

“We shall eat something on our way,” I said as I applied some pink lip gloss on my lips.

“Bu—”

“Let’s go!” I looked at the time to find it already half past nine in the morning. I had no idea what time Zachary would show up, so getting out of the house as soon as possible was the only choice left. I took hold of Kiara’s hand and dragged her towards the front door, picking up my purse in the process.

“Why are we even going on a road trip all of a sudden? You even forced me to take the day off of work!” she complained, and all I did was ignore her rants.

“Well I kind of know why you are doing this,” I heard her while I locked the door.

“He is coming today, right? Are you going to run away from him? Fine, you will just ignore him today; but what about tomorrow? You can’t just always go on a trip or force me to take the day off you know!” she spoke continuously as we walked towards our neighbor’s house. When we got there, I saw Tess already out with her car, while Marianna stood there talking on her phone, and Eve was locking her house door.

“Oh good morning!” Marianna said as she looked our way, ending her call.

“Morning!” Eve yelled as she jogged to us.

“Good morning,” I smiled at them and looked back at Tess who came out of her car and walked to us.

“So ready for the trip?” she beamed with joy.

“You look more excited than the one who suggested the idea of the road trip,” Marianna chuckled at Tess’s cheerfulness.

“I know right!” Eve joined us smiling at Tess.

“Well, I was also planning a road trip. I just love road trips. Who doesn’t?” she beamed. I felt the warm aura radiating off her and seeing her cheerful smile made me feel a little better.

“Well off we go then,” Marianna said, raising her hand, and we joined her as we walked towards the black SUV.

“Oh wow, I didn’t know that you own a Honda CR-V Tess!” I said admiring the car.

“Gift from my dad,” she beamed as she hopped in the driver's seat, and I sat next to her in the passenger seat while Marianna, Eve, and Kiara took the back seat.

“Ready?” Tess asked excitedly.

I gave her a smirk while the three of them yelled at the top of their lungs, “Ready,” excitedly.

“Oh c’mon! It’s only ten in the morning! Let me sleep!” We heard one of our neighbors say, and I looked back at them, giving them an amused look.

“Rise and shine, sleepyhead!” All of us yelled at the top of our lungs before Tess ignited the engine and we drove off. We were all laughing and chatting about the sleepy guy for half the trip. I was so indulged in the conversation that I completely forgot about Zachary and failed to notice the black sedan that was following our car the whole time.