Page 105 of Spring Awakening

“I’m sorry,” Mali whispers, but he looks down at her with a smile.

“It was always meant to be bigger than me,” he replies.

“And lastly, by now, we all know about shitty contracts. This fund is to keep low-income kids away from predatory hardship futures contracts, and to fund legal assistance for minors who have already signed.”

Zach sighs, but he’s glad it will help some child not go through what him and Ezra did. It’s a stellar fund. It wasn’t even a proposal Mali read out. Zach reckons Ezra must have got it through last minute, but he won’t complain about the nepotism this time. Mali presses her lips to his neck, and he kisses her forehead and wonders how he ever thought he could not tell her he was in love with her.

“And…” Frankie says, with a hop to her step. “Because the grants wereactuallyfunded in March—something about a financial year I don’t care about—basically, we got the funds sorted, and we have our first recipient.”

She holds up a certificate.

All of the blood runs from his body. “Oh my God.”

Mali steps on her tiptoes like that’s going to make a difference to what she can see. She should have worn her glasses. “What’s it say?” she asks.

Zach can’t talk, but Frankie does the honours anyway.

“Welcome to the Free Agents Club, Zachariah Azan.”

The club cheers, and he feels his entire stomach drop to the floor. He blinks, feeling lightheaded. Like the only thing tethering him to the ground is the way Mali tightly holds his hand. She drops the one around her shoulder and walks them over to Frankie. He should hug her or thank her or say something, but he’s still too shocked to speak.

“Oh my God,” Mali says. “What the fuck?”

Zach blinks, frowning, as Ezra shrugs at him. “Sorry, bro. Frankie wouldn’t let me tell you.”

Zach pulls him into a hug, and he takes a deep breath. Good things happen to him. He knows that. He has his mum. He’salive. He’s not homeless. He knows good things can happen to him, but having the Titans buy him out and Mali love him all in one night is to much for his nervous system.

“Frankie, what the fuck?” Mali says, hugging her. “I thought it wasn’t coming in time?” Zach can hear her crying.

He swallows, patting Ezra on the back. “I can’t believe this,” Zach mutters. “I don’t even know what to say.”

Ezra shrugs again. “Don’t make a scene, bro.” Zach laughs, but it comes out watery.

“I’m sorry!” Frankie says with a laugh as she pulls back from her hug with Mali. Zach hugs her next, and she seems surprised, but she hugs him all the same.

“I promise it only came through this afternoon, and I wanted to tell you earlier, but I wanted to tell Zach first, and then you were both so in love that I didn’t wanna interrupt you, and, well… surprise!”

Zach pulls back again, taking another deep breath. His hand finds Mali’s, but he can’t look at her right now.

“Are you serious?” Mali asks, wiping her face.

“Yeah,” Frankie says, with a smile. “Zach is cool and all, but you know you're my girl. Besides, this was all you. If you hadn’t pushed so hard for Goliath, for Zach, it never would have happened.”

“I love you so much,” Mali says, pulling her into a hug again. It’s one-armed this time, because Zach’s not sure he can let her go. Frankie smiles, and they dance around for a moment. Zach thinks he might be in shock.

The next time he registers someone is talking to him, he has to blink a couple times. “Sorry, what?”

“Dougals still want you,” Frankie says, with a shrug. “The buyout doesn’t come with any stipulations, but so you know, you haven’t signed anything yet, and the Titans want you too.”

Zach looks from Frankie to Mali, who’s looking right at him. He wonders if she knows everything he’s ever had is because of her. The way he wants to be better is because of her. The way this place is home is because of her. The way he wants to stay is because of her. He sees the hopeful look in her eye, the smile she tucks between her teeth, the love on her face.

“I’m staying,” he says looking right at her. “Of course, I’m staying.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Mali lasts exactly eightminutes after the announcements are made before she needs to leave. Zach’s hugged everyone on the team—she checked. She’s spent most of the time hugging Frankie. But now she’s waited long enough for him, and now she gets to keep him, she wants the rest of her life to start right now.

“I’m taking Zach home,” Mali says. She doesn’t care who hears her. She doesn’t care if they have another bet about when they’re going to have sex. She doesn’t care. He’s staying. Here. With her. And it’s his choice.

---