Page 128 of Hold Me Instead
Chapter 36
Zachary
“Whatthehellisgoing on with you?”
Zachary scraped his head along the thick beige carpet toward Jordan, his vision swimming despite lying on the ground for support. Maple rested her head on his stomach, determined to keep him anchored.
He raised the bottle of lager toward his best friend. “I’ve been drinking.”
“Ah.” Jordan flopped onto the oversized leather sectional in his sweats and hoodie. He stared at the ceiling, hands folded on his sternum. “What happened?”
Zachary shrugged, his shoulders restricted by the soft rug pile below him. “Life.”
Jordan snorted. “That all?”
Zachary sighed. “My dad signed over the business to me.”
Jordan lifted his head. “I didn’t know you’d decided that. Shit, man. Are you staying?”
“That’s the problem. It was announcedforme. Again. I didn’t decide any of it.” He waved the bottle around. “Didn’t say I was staying. Didn’t say I was taking over. Didn’t know it was an option. What about all the debt?” He lifted his head slightly to take another sip, then ploppedit back on the floor. “Didn’t say ‘I love you’ back to Charlie. Even though I probably do.” He sighed. “I do…”
“Woah, hold on.” Jordan promptly sat and braced his arms on his thighs. “What did you just say?”
Zachary closed his eyes. “There’s a mountain of debt. Well, it was a mountain, and that’s why I got the practice instead of Charlie. I guess that trimmed down the mountain. Now it’s more like a…hill. I can do a hill. But I didn’t even want to do the hill. Well, before I didn’t want to, but then I started to think it might be nice to, you know, climb the hillwithsomeone.”
“The fuck are youtalkingabout?”
Zachary glared at Jordan.Why doesn’t he get it? “The hill of debt. It’s helpful to share it with someone. More enjoyable to swim in the money too.” He paused. “Why don't cartoon ducks wear pants?”
Jordan rolled his eyes. “This isn't the time, Z.Focus. Now, the practice, we’ll get to that. What’s this about loving Charlie?”
“I didn’t say that,” Zachary grumbled.
“Okay, you’ve been a pain in the ass these last few days.”
Zachary groaned, his gaze going to his friend. “I get it. I’m a dick.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere.”
Zachary laughed, but it was forced. “She hasn’t talked to me in days.”
“Charlie?”
“Charlie. Charlotte Harris. Not since Christmas Eve, when she told me…” Zachary closed his eyes, but then the memory was front and center. Didn’t matter, thoughts of her had flooded his mind every day anyway. He swallowed, trying to sort his thoughts. “Dad signed the practice over to me. Skipped over her. He told her on Christmas Eve. Then she told me she loved me.”
“No way.”
“Yeah. Said she wasin lovewith me.” He still couldn’t process it. Especially since the words had been way more welcoming than scary. He’d wanted to hear her say it again.
“What did you tell her?”
“I…didn’t.”
“What does that mean?”
“I couldn’t say it back, Jordan. It was supposed to be temporary.ThatI did say.”
“No.”
