Page 61 of Dare to be Different

Best family I’ve ever had. “How’d you find me?”

He gives the signal and we start our ascent to the helicopter. “Oh, you aren’t going to fucking believe this. That pilot that flew into your flight path? He called it in, but guess who he works for?”

I shake my head.

“Genevieve’s fucking dad.”

No way.

After being hydrated, fed some soup, and checked out by both the field medic and a doctor once we land at the hospital, I’m offered a shower and a toothbrush before my release. Four drives me back to the airfield where air traffic is waiting to take my statement. I’ve got a mild concussion and some dehydration, but that’s the worst of it. Extreme fatigue.

We walk into the small airport, my eyes scanning for Zahn. Four told him we’d be at the airfield instead of the hospital, so I expect him to be here. Then I hear his voice echoing through the building.

“I know you weren’t flying, you fucking prick! But you gave the order to your pilot, and he’s so fucking afraid of you because you’re a tyrannical asshole that he—”

“Settle down,” a cop tells him.

Four grins. “He’s doing my job for me. That’s Genevieve’s dad.” He nods at a middle-aged man in an expensive suit, the pilot looking ashamed and guilty beside him.

“I want you to fucking pay for this! I’m sick of pricks like you getting away with shit. He’s my… you almost fucking killed him!”

“Zahn,” I call, stepping into the room to grab his attention and calm him down. As much as I want to give Gen’s dad a piece of my mind, I want to comfort Zahn even more.

He whips around to face me so fast that his hood falls off his head and his eyes widen and water. Shock. Relief. Confusion. Anger. It all crosses his face, and then he’s heading towards me at a steady clip, uttering nonsense as he does.

“You fuck!” he yells at me. “I was so fucking… I freaked out that you… I’m just fucking… Fuck, Remy!” He wraps his arms around me in the tightest hug I’ve ever been constricted in. And he doesn’t let go.

I hug him back, resting my temple against his, holding on tight because, yeah, I felt all those unfinished sentences, too.

“He’s fine, Zahn,” Four tells him as we keep hugging. “He needs sleep and has a bit of a concussion, but he’s fine.”

Zahn sighs, and I think he’s trying not to cry from relief. He’s too angry to cry. “I’m taking you home,” Zahn says to me. “Air traffic and the police can wait until tomorrow.” He presses his forehead to mine. “You’re okay?”

I nod. “I’m okay.” I smirk, feeling extra special that he worried so much. I never want to make him worry again, but Zahn is my person, and I know the relief he’s feeling right now. I push him away a bit and grab the sides of his neck. “I’m fine. Enough of this mopey bullshit, yeah?” I laugh and he rolls his eyes at me. “Drive me home?”

I end up giving a quick statement on the way out, and then I’m climbing into the passenger seat with Zahn at the wheel, and real exhaustion settles deep within my bones.

But he goes quiet. He doesn’t say another word as we pull out of the parking lot. The atmosphere in the truck turns awkward and tense, and he turns the radio up. Then down, like he’s going to say something. Then back up again. After twenty minutes of this, I lose my patience. Exhaustion turns to unease and comes out as anger.

“What?” I snap at him. “I’m fine. Yeah, that guy’s a shit cunt, but we’ll deal with him later. I’m sorry you were worried!” I don’t know what else could be bothering him, so I leave it at that.

He clenches his jaw and pulls the truck over at a lookout point along the highway. He turns his head to face me, a mix of too many unclear emotions flitting across his features. Anger wins.

“You’re fucking sorry? You?” he scoffs. “Are you fucking kidding me, Remy?”

I throw my hands up, completely baffled. “I don’t know! What’re you pissed about?”

“Pissed?” he repeats, shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose. “I’m scared! I was so fucking worried, Remy. I felt like my life was… Fuck, Rem. My heart was breaking,” he blurts through an emotion he doesn’t know how to feel. “I broke! And now I’m being a selfish dick because I’m making this all about me, but my god, I’ve never… Not even when Kade got stabbed.”

“Yeah, you are being a selfish dick,” I snap back at him. I don’t know why I’m angry, but he’s drawing it out of me in waves. “Is this about the plane? Because we have insurance for that.”

“Holy shit, Remy,” he seethes at me.

“What? I don’t fucking get this! What, Zahn?”

“It’s you!” he screams. “It’s about you! I don’t give a fuck about the plane. I thought I fucking lost you. And the way I…” He pauses again, either too worked up to express himself or too afraid to.

“Fucking say it, Zahn. I’m tired as fuck and don’t have the patience for this. What’s your problem?”

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