Page 24 of The Boy With The Sharp Teeth
Frowningpartly in confusion and partly out of frustration, she helped him stow awaytheir blanket.
Zachbrushed off his jeans and gave her a head-shaking grin. "Don't look at melike that, it's your mom who I have that alarm for. I figured we would onlyhave about an hour before she sends out my uncle or worse, that fat fuckingsheriff to come find you."
Noteven bothering to argue, she sighed and followed him towards the edge of theroof, where the old steel ladder was attached to the back of the building.
"Fuck,get down!" he hissed before yanking her down to the rough tarmac.
Crouchingbehind the low three-foot ledge of the roof, Sana looked to Zach in obviousconfusion. "What is it?"
"Speakof the devil, and he will appear," he said with a sigh as he craned hisneck up to glance a peek over the roof's ledge. "The asshole sheriffSamons is parked behind the bakery next door probably eating fucking donuts orjerkin' it or something."
Blinking,she thought of Zach's past encounters with Tarki's law enforcement. "Whatshould we do?"
Zachwas silent for a few seconds, he just stared at her until she could see thedecision being made in his mind. "You will wait here until you see that heis gone."
"No,wait. What are you going to do? Why can't we just wait it out up here until heleaves?"
"No,"he shook his head. "Because you and your family are going to the outdoor movienight tonight, and I know how much you love that," he pushed a lock of herhair behind her ear. "Trust me, ok. I will see you later tonight at themovie…if my uncle doesn't kill me first."
Withthat, he gave her no room to say anything else. Jumping up, he quickly placedhis feet on the ladder and began climbing down.
Shedidn't see Zach that night or for the rest of the week. When Elijah came over,he told her in a hushed whisper so that her parents nor Kamal could hear thatAdam Waatese had gotten furious with Zach and had been keeping him so busy hecouldn't take two steps without Adam knowing about it. The next time she sawZach was the day before they were scheduled to go back to Seattle. Her motherhad gone into town and made her usual rounds through the shops saying goodbyeto all of her friends and acquaintances. They were standing outside the grocerystore when she felt the hair-raising feeling on the back of her neck. Acrossthe parking lot were three pickup trucks surrounded by a large group of youngboys and a handful of girls, mostly Waatese members. Their dark hair andbronzed skin gleamed in the early morning sun as they stood around dressed intheir hunting gear and weapons slung on their shoulder, all vibrating withexcited energy.
Magneticallyher gaze fell on the quiet one standing in the back, the one waiting for her tolook at him. Watching her over the crowd of younger boys, Zach stood calmly ashe silently returned her gaze. Everyone else around Zach laughed and talked asthey waited with fidgety movements as Adam Waatese and another older Waatesespoke to each other, most likely setting a game plan for the morning's hunt.Risking a peek at her mother, who was talking with another woman right besideher, Sana bit her lip as she cast another cautious glance at Adam. Both he andher mother were preoccupied, only for the moment.
Withoutwords, her eyes relayed the hopelessness of their current situation. Theycouldn't reach each other, not here. Sana wanted to tell him she was leaving,she wanted him to kiss her again to touch him, to ask him not to forget her.There was just so much she wanted to convey that she couldn't.
Asif understanding the abject desperation in her eyes, Zach's eyes narrowedangrily. Looking away from her, he ran a frustrated hand through his long hairand paused mid-swipe. Turning back to her, Sana nearly gasped at the unholylight of conviction in his eyes. With one word that needed no repeating, hemouthed it silently over the rest and unseen by both guardians—tonight.
Therest of the day passed by like a shower of pins and needles. Nothing peoplesaid got through to her on the first try, forcing Sana to apologetically askfor them to repeat it. Her mother admonished her more than once to pull her headout of the clouds while her brother huffed at her lack of attention as heshared some story or another. Sana couldn't help it, it felt as if she wassimply floating along like a balloon unwillingly tied to the hand of aprecocious child. What did he mean by tonight? Did he want her to sneak out andcome find him behind the hardware store, or did he mean he was going to…come toher? Her stomach tied itself in knots of anxiety and anticipation. She wantedso desperately to see him before she left for Seattle, but she could notunderstand how it could even be feasible.
Aftertheir last family dinner and saying goodnight to their grandparents, both sheand Kamal dressed in their pajamas made their way to their rooms. As the onlytwo bedrooms located on the first floor, their rooms were separated by a smallbathroom.
"Remember,I want to be on the road by nine," her father's voice rang from thestairwell around the corner. The reminder was simply a veiled command to makesure that not only she got up in time, but she woke Kamal and got him readytoo.
Noddingwith a small groan, Sana resisted the urge to shoot her brother a threateninglook. "Ok," she called back before stepping through her room door.
Shewas closing the door just as she reached for the light switch when the handshot out from the darkness. Clamping over her mouth with incredible strength,her scream was lost behind the pressure of the hand. An acute panic ignited inher chest as she felt the pressure of the attacker's body sink into hers,heavily trapping her against the back of the door. With wide, scared eyes, sheblinked in the vast darkness of her room until her eyes settled on the twoshining orbs hovering inches above her face.
"Shhh,sweetheart. It's me, it's me," the familiar voice whispered soothingly ashis other hand came up to stroke her hair at her temple.
Zach!Her thudding heart sang in relief, systematically relaxing all the tensemuscles in her body until she stood pliable against him. Removing his hand fromher mouth, she could feel it settle on her shoulder in the darkness.
Blinkingagain, Sana stared in wonder at the white shining orbs of his eyes in the dark.That shouldn't be, she thought. Next to the door, there was an old stainedglass, heart-shaped night-light that had stayed plugged in ever since she waslittle. On every visit, the night-light shined a dim, useless pink and purplelight around the room, casting just enough of its hazy glow to dispel thecomplete overwhelming darkness the old house created. Now, that little bit oflight glowed against Zachariah's eyes like two mirrors in the dark. Theyreminded her of something just at the edge of her brain. They reminded her ofa…
"Itold you I would come to see you tonight," he said smugly, interruptingher thoughts.
Withher eyes slowly adjusting in the hazy darkness, she could see the arrogantsmile on his lips.
Unableto take her eyes from his, she barely managed to form together a thought."How did you get in here?"
"Thewindow," he informed her proudly. "The last time I was over, I camein here and unlocked your window."
Slowlyher vision adjusted to the dim light her night light produced, allowing her tosee Zach's shadowed face. "What? Why?"
"Forsituations just like this," he purred before leaning down to lightly presshis lips against hers. "I needed to see you before you lefttomorrow."
Thereality of their intimate situation pressed itself upon her reminding her shewas alone with him in her room that was located directly underneath herparent's room. Nervous fear tried to convince her to push him away or at leastdemand that he leave, but curious longing kept her eyes focused on thenocturnal glow of his eyes, and her body stilled against him and the door.
