Page 62 of Simply You & Me

"You were crying and shouting. Doll, why were you on the ground?" I swear he leaves no space between us as I slowly pad my way into the kitchen.

Walking takes effort these days, so when I have to bend to pick up my spoon, I want to scream. I'm just so exhausted. The spoon is fucking feet away from the letter too. I refuse to bend down and grab it again. Pointing my spoon at the sheet of paper, I hop onto the counter with a breath of relief. I need a nap.

"I was reading Julian's letter and eating frosting." I look at the discarded tub of frosting, also on the floor in sorrow.

"Why weren't you doing that in bed?" Zach bends, showing off his tight ass in his dark jeans. Snagging the letter and my trash, he doesn't pay them any mind as he sets them on the counter for me. I wonder if he's already read Julian's words.

His words finally register, heating the annoyance bubbling beneath the surface. "Why do I need to be in my bed? This is my house, and I can do whatever I fucking want."

His jaw grinds. "You're pregnant."

The audacity!

"You should be resting, eating, and drinking water. Where are your vitamins? You should be bundled up, not traipsing around in nothing. You're cold. I can see it from here."

Wow. I have no words.

Without waiting for a response, Zach's meaty fucking paws are ripping open my cupboards, and he's sticking his neck into my fridge. I would punch him in the throat if I had the energy.

I don't know what to do. He's bulldozing his way through my shit and mumbling to himself. When he takes out leftover lasagna, I draw the line.

"Put that back!" I shout and jump from the counter. The dish clatters to the counter, Zach having left it in the dust to be by my side.

"Are you okay?!" Again, his hands run over me like I might be broken. When he bends to pick up my feet, I squeal and kick him away.

"The fuck are you doing, Zach?! Leave!"

"Don't jump from so high!"He shouts back, standing above me once again.

"I didn't fucking sky dive! I was a foot above the ground!"

Zach's eyes are wide, like he can't understand why I'm putting up a fight. "You're like two feet tall, Adelyn, which makes the counter way too high!"

Oh, I'm about to lose my mother-f'ing mind. "WHY DO YOU CARE?!"

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU! AND YOU’RE FUCKING PREGNANT!"

Crickets.

Everything stops. My heart climbs its way out of my chest and breaks itself into tiny shards on the floor again, my soul following close behind. My mind whirls with panic. How do I mold my pieces back again? With another new development and more words, I don't know which piece fits where. My brain scrambles to console my heart and explain what’s happening just as it tries to sweep the pieces of my soul back into place.

With each new word, these men rewrite the way my heart beats, the way my soul flies, and the way my brain thinks. It's a power they don't deserve but yield, anyway. How do I take it back?

Chapter Forty-One

Zachary

Shit, I shouldn't have yelled at her. The tears building between her lashes tell me all I have to know. I fucked up. Again. And I don't know how to fix it. Can't she see I'm only trying to take care of her?

She was crying and shaking when I got here. That's absolutely not okay. How could she think that’s okay? Then she got out of bed and didn't put any more clothes on. I can't act like I don't see each damn goosebump pebbling her pale skin.

"Doll," I start, needing to apologize for yelling at her. Maybe for telling her I loved her too. I shouldn't have said it like that. I should have waited for a romantic moment. Yet, I chose to scream it at her in bewilderment and frustration.

"How did you get in here, Zach?"

I don't want to answer that question, knowing it will only make this worse. I do anyway, because someone has to, and it should be me. "We copied the key you gave Gabby."

I wait for her to demand I leave and give it back, but the explosion never comes. "Why?"

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