Page 46 of The Boy With The Sharp Teeth
"So,you're saying someone told you where I was?!” she demanded.
Zachonly gave her a smug look in return.
Morethan incensed, she looked away from him to the glittering black water at thepier, her eyes scanning over the gently bobbing boats while snatches of musicfrom inside the bar filtered through the air from the opening and closing door.Looking back at Zach, she gave him a firm look. "You can't just do this,Zachariah," she flung out his name like a curse. "You have absolutelyno right to just barge back into my life and then try to scare off any friendsI want to make."
"Malefriends?!" his eyes widened, and he blinked as if he couldn't believe whathe was hearing. "You best believe I have the right. Let me make somethingcrystal clear, Sana,” he pointed at her, “so there is no confusion. We'repicking up exactly where we left off. I have waited for you, and now you'reback. I'm not waiting anymore,” he snarled.
"Ha.I'm sure you waited,” she snapped back. She was so angry now she didn't care ifthey were drawing attention to themselves. "You won't have me playing yourgullible little fool for a second time around," she yelled at him, paincurling in her chest as she remembered that scene with him and that girl.Turning away from him, she clicked her car door, the lock opening with a popbefore she wrenched open her door.
Notthrough with her, Zach grabbed her by the shoulder. Without any of thegentleness he usually regarded her with, he turned her sharply, ignoring hersmall sound of protest. Catching her falling purse with one hand, he yanked itdown her arm and tossed it into the passenger seat before holding her firmly inplace. His angry eyes crackled with fury and confusion. "Sana, whatthe hell are you talking about?!"
Shecouldn't believe he was playing innocent after all this time. "After thatnight, you snuck into my room on that last summer. Do you remember?"
"Sana,”he said evenly as if he was willing himself to maintain control. “I will neverfucking forget that night. It's all I have ever thought about, dammit. It's allyou've allowed me to hold onto,” he said roughly.
Ignoringthe sharp pain his words caused within her and she went on. "The next day,I was happy, foolishly happy, and thought myself in love with you," she rasped,hating the unbearable pain in her heart and his stricken expression even moreso. She pressed on. "I went into town to see you, but what I found was youand some girl behind the hardware store."
Zach'seyes went wide. He looked as if he had been suddenly shot. She could see hismind grasping for memories and piecing them back together while his anger beganto roll off his tall frame like a storm. "Good God,” he gasped, “pleasedon't tell me this was all because of that.” His hands on her shoulderstightened desperately as if he wanted to shake her. “Please, don't fucking tellme I wentyearswithout you, thinking of you every moment my mind wasn'tpreoccupied, worried you had already started your life with another, allbecause ofKimberly fucking Waatese."
Sanaalways imagined it would feel like a stab to the back if she ever heard thename of the girl she saw that day. Long curly black hair and a body any younggirl would have killed for, the image of the girl pressed against Zach had beenburned into her brain tissue. But it didn't, it was the way he spat out hername as if he was a curse.
Hisbig hands flexed on the rounds of her shoulders, and he pulled her roughlyagainst him until she could feel the low thrumming growl of each word vibrate throughher chest. "Listen to me," he began roughly, "that girl was andis some sort of distant relative of the Waatese clan. A relative by marriage, Ithink. That day she had come down from Antor Falls because her harpy of amother had told that poor idiot to set her sights on me for marriage. Itolerated her sad excuse for flirting that day and not so politely told her tokick rocks. If I had known you had seen that, I would have tossed her into theocean headfirst, baby," he said with a near whine of regret. "Dammit,Sana, why couldn't you just confront me then and there? I would have told youand her, for that matter, how much I could still taste your delicious cunt inmy…"
Mortifiedhorror churned in her chest and streaked through her body like lightning as hermind processed what he was about to say. Quickly, she clamped a hand over hismouth and glared at the evil glint in his eyes.
"Don'tyou dare say another word, Zachariah Waatese," she commanded. "Whatif someone hears you?!" she looked around the dimly lit parking lot,relieved to find it empty.
"I'vealready told you, sweetheart, everyone already knows you belong to me," hesaid behind her slackening hand. "Frankly, they will all be relievedwhen you finally realize that fact." He gave her a pointed look as shepulled her hand away.
"I…"She was still reeling over his words. Was that true? Her mind brought up thememory of that day, scouring it for any and every detail. His face that daycouldhave been one of bored intrigue, she admitted. But that was a look he oftenhad with people that meant nothing. Did nothing really happen between him andthat girl that day, or was this another honeyed lie?
Cradlingher head with both hands, Zach tilted her head back before sliding his handsback to her shoulders. "Sana, please. Give us one more chance," hegroaned in frustration, desperately wanting more, wanting to take what shewould not yet give. "This time, I will let no misconceptions, no mistakes,nothing at all get in our way—please."
Apart of her didn’t want to let go of her anger. It was all she had through theyears. It had overshadowed her broken heart and the searing pain it causedwhenever the memory of Zach's beautiful smile came unbidden in her thoughts.But where was this anger truly getting her? She was here, wasn't she? Some partof her subconscious or fate or whatever she wanted to call it pulled her backhere to Tarki—pulled her back here to him. And here he was giving her thatferal look of desperate need as his grip on her shoulders bordered painful asif he loosened them, she would just run.
Tiltingher head up, Sana looked at him and noted the flare of hope shining back withinhim. Maybe she could give whatever this powerful thing that existed betweenthem one more try.
Runningthe tips of her fingers across his smooth hot skin, she kissed him andwhispered. "Ok."
~*~
Openingher eyes, Sana squinted at the sunlight coming in through the window of herroom. She really needed to put up the curtains, she thought with a groan as sheturned back over in the bed. The linens were so cool and soft against her cheekshe didn’t want to get up at all.
"Comewith me to Eugene tomorrow. There is a Tiny House Expo happening there, and Iwant to go get some ideas."
Zach'swords played in her mind causing her to open her eyes again. A secret smiletugged at the corners of her mouth as she hugged the soft pillow tighter. Lastnight he had kissed her for what felt like hours on her porch, pressing heragainst the door as his hands roamed her body. He had whispered low,unintelligible things against her lips and neck as his mouth sought hers overand over again. There was a desperate pent-up need inside of him that reactedwith her own, and Sana found herself making a tiny mewling sound of dismay whenhe finally pulled back.
Hiseyes had glowed again as he looked at her, his chest rising and falling intodeep pulls of breath. Sana nearly sighed at the sight. How she had missed thatodd trait to his eyes. There was no one like him on this planet. All other menpaled sorely in comparison to him.
Givingher one last searing kiss, Zach had invited her to go to Eugene with him. Heexplained that for the past year and a half, he had taken a few commissionsonline with building tiny houses during his downtime fixing and selling houses.Surprisingly, the side venture had turned quite profitable for him. Takingadvantage of the housing crisis and the surge in tiny home and VanLifemovement, Zach and his family-run company were taking on more and more of theprojects.
Sittingup in the bed, Sana stretched and checked her clock. She had about half an hourbefore Zach got here. Flipping back the covers, Sana walked into the bathroomto get ready. Three hours, it took about three and a half hours to get toEugene from Tarki. That means three and a half hours, all alone in a car withZach. Brushing out her hair at the sink, Sana glanced at herself in the mirror.Her cheeks felt hot, and she knew it wasn't from the hot shower she had justtaken. With her towel still wrapped and folded over her breasts, she tried tocalm her racing pulse.
Tosome extent, she felt kind of foolish allowing herself to feel all giddy againover Zach's professed affections, but she couldn't help it. Here she was allowingherself to gladly fall headfirst into those chaotic yet wonderful emotions. Sheloved him, she thought with a heavy sigh. For better or worse, she was still inlove with Zach. She always would be.
Pullingon her underwear, she stopped in front of her closet and pulled out a pair ofwhitewashed jeans and a light-weight red cable knit sweater. The sweater wasmore for looks than it was for warmth, but Sana was fine with that. Fall wasquickly approaching, but there was still some warmth to the air to make it feelheavenly outside. If anything, she would just bring a raincoat just in case ofa quick downpour. Grabbing her white Skechers by the back of the heels in onehand and her phone in the other, she was taking the stairs when she heard aknock at her front door.
Eventhrough the warbled shapes of the decorative glass, Sana knew the large outlineanywhere. Setting her shoes by the door, she opened it.
