Page 107 of Words We Didn't Say

“Michaela, I’m giving you a one-time-only thank you,” I said. “I needed to know this. But you’re not part of our lives. Zach made his choice over and over again, and it wasneveryou. It’s over. Never call either of us again. I won’t be polite the next time I see you, do you understand?”

“I—okay.” The defeat sank her voice lower. “And it’s possibly worth nothing…but…tell Zach I’m sorry?”

“You had the chance to tell him yourself.”

I hung up.

Andie tossed me a pained look. “Zach snapped?”

“Sounds like it.” I sighed. “This is all my fault. God, he wassoclose to achieving his dreams. If I’d just shut my stupid mouth and he’d made it through one more day—”

“He would’ve hated himself even more for signing his life away to those people,” Andie said. “This was a long time coming. We need to find him.”

“You don’t need to come.”

“You’re right. Iwantto come.” Her hand twisted the knob, pushing the front door open. “When have I ever let you run off into the night alone?”

“What about the party after I caught that dude screwing someone else?”

“It’s sweet you think I wasn’t behind you the whole way ’til you got home.” Andie smiled. “Come on.”

Zach’s apartment was dark.

Swallowing my fear, I fumbled for the light switch. Even when the warm glow flooded the narrow hallway, I couldn’t shake the dread turning my blood to ice. I toed off my sneakers and kicked them next to the door.

“Zach?” I called out.

Silence.

I raced to the kitchen. Flipped another switch. Empty. Panic jolted me from room to room. No one. My chest caved in, and I sagged in a heap on the edge of his bed, almost bursting into tears because I’d messed up his neatly tucked sheets.

What now?

I should call Zach’s mum, but what if he wasn’t there? She’d be so worried. His dad, too. They’d already been through so much. I needed to be strong. Figure this out.Help.

But where else could he be?

Another helpless look scanned around his bedroom.

Wait.

I edged off the bed.

Was that…?

My heart split. Tears squeezed out of my eyes even though I fought to hold them back.

Barricaded in the walk-in closet, Zach huddled in the corner, scrunched into a ball with his arms wrapped around his knees and his head pressed against the wall. How long had he been there? Hours? Even a minute on his own was too long.

I shuffled into the closet, dropping to my knees, crawling closer. My hand landed on his back. He flinched.

“Zach?” I hiccupped through the tears. “You…okay?”

He buried his head deeper into his knees and pushed up his shoulder to shield his face from me.

“I’m here,” I said.

I blanketed myself around him, my cheek resting against his back. I was going to sit in the terrifying darkness and protect him like a warm mama bear whether he liked it or not.

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