Chapter 37

Cuddling after a tiring activity turned out to be Zachary and Kathryn's favorite routine. Kathryn's leg was entangled with Zachary's one as Kathryn lay next to her still healing lover.

Earl, being the first to know about Zachary finally waking up after Kathryn, visited Zachary a while ago saying Zachary's coach together with Chad, David, and other teammates would probably be visiting too after their practice. Luckily, Earl didn't come at the worst possible scenario and only found the two cuddled up together which confused him to the max before the two explained everything. Earl felt betrayed and so left out he was the only person other than Zachary who didn't know about Kathryn's situation.

"I thought you stopped liking me because I still sneak out sometimes and drink or smoke," Zachary mentioned while Kathryn was peeling an apple for him on a chair near his bed, just a few minutes after Earl left. 

Kathryn stopped and stared at Zachary, blinking cluelessly. 

Zachary guiltily looked away, "With Chad." 

Kathryn frowned and promptly pouted, eyes flickering with disappointment, "Zachary, you still do your bad habits!" 

Zachary sighed, reaching out Kathryn's free hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze before giving it a feathery kiss, "I'm sorry. It's just once a month I swear."

Kathryn still looked disappointed and mad. She snatched her hand back but took a deep breath and said, "Okay. But make it once every two months. Then next year, once every three months."

Zachary was about to protest but Kathryn was having none of it. Kathryn shoved one slice of apple in Zachary's mouth, stopping him from talking. All the years they have been together, Kathryn had been spoiling Zachary rotten, always letting him do what he wanted. It wasn't like she hated Zachary for having those habits, what she hated were those habits themselves when Zachary's health would be at risk because of them. 

Like a child being scolded by his mother, Zachary zipped his mouth and just listened to his lover's rant about how unhealthy his old routines were. Sometimes he would roll his eyes, sometimes he would just nod. Honestly speaking though, Zachary liked it whenever Kathryn got riled up because of him. He can never deny the satisfaction he got whenever Kathryn's full attention was on him and him alone. It was like the kid in Zachary, the part which he couldn't show to anyone before because his family wouldn't even care, could finally show up freely whenever Kathryn was around. 

After a few minutes, the doctor came to examine Zachary's injuries made by his reckless driving. While the doctor was explaining, Kathryn couldn't help but feel the guilt swarming up to her chest again. She was the reason why everything happened. She couldn't bear to have another accident happen just because of her weaknesses. No, never again. Kathryn clenched her fist, her eyes glancing to the door where she caught a glimpse of familiar shadowed figures. 

"And that's why you need more rest, Mr. Robertson," the doctor said. 

Zachary nodded nonchalantly. He didn't understand what the doctor was saying and just let the old man talk and finish. He wanted to go home. Zachary hated the hospital, and everything related to it. 

A few minutes later, Kathryn went out to buy food for dinner. It was a special request from Zachary who didn't like the taste of hospital food. Kathryn, being tricked or just smitten by her lover's mischievous moves once again, couldn't say no and later found herself buying the said food which weren't in the list the doctor had advised for Zachary to eat. 

"Why are you spoiling him too much?" Kathryn scolded herself once she was on her way back to the hospital. "Stop doing this, Kathryn. He should learn his lesson too! Don't spoil him anymore! Don't!" 

Kathryn bit her lip, shaking her head. Talking to herself was pointless now. Not when she had already fulfilled Zachary's wishes.

In the middle of sighing redundantly, Kathryn noticed a few shadows around the park she just passed by. Slowly, her heart began to beat fast and so did her movements. Kathryn glanced around quickly, noticing there were no people around this time and so she came to a stop. 

"Show yourselves," Kathryn spoke as she stood in the center of the grass-filled area in the hospital garden. 

One by one, towering men appeared from the trees and bushes and slowly surrounded Kathryn.

Just as she had expected, there were about six of them, all wearing black clothes and eye shades, like the ones people see on TV or in action movies. 

Kathryn sighed as she faced the men. "I'm not going to leave Zachary. You can tell that to your boss." And with a sassy turn, Kathryn left without a word.

The men were a bit speechless, just frozen in their places. 

It was the first time Kathryn Taylor, the shy, cute person they were assigned to monitor every day, had spoken to them and with a tone that wasn't like her at all. In the past months, they had been following Kathryn Taylor around like dogs, looking for any activity the simple and timid woman did to make herself look bad for Zachary Robertson—all of which was a task given by their boss. 

Zachary's father.