Chapter 27 The Beginning (25)

Zach thought for a while before speaking. "I'm not going to pretend like you are completely normal." He said.

"Because your not, Emily, and you know that. Nothing can change what happened, but I will not treat you differently. This doesn't change what I think about you. In fact, this just makes me realize you are so much stronger and braver then I ever thought. You keep so much bottled up inside of you and I want you to start talking to me about what you are thinking, feeling, and things that happen. It helps, trust me. I promised I wouldn't think of you differently in anyway, shape, or form. So I won't. I want you to know I am here for you, like I would be if nothing ever happened to you. I am glad you told me all that, it helps me understand you better and I appreciate you being able to open up to me." Zach finished.

Emily released the breath she had been holding and smiled. Zach pulled her in for a hug and she leaned into his embrace. He rubbed her back soothingly and no one said anything for a while. Both were processing what just happened and thinking of what to say next. There was a comfortable silence and Emily felt good knowing she could count on Zach. When he paused after that first sentence Emily's heart paused as well. With every little pause, breath, and end of sentenced that happened as he was speaking to her she felt a little bit panicked. When he took little pauses she couldn't help but brace herself for what he would say next. What he did say surprised her, but she realized what he thought was more important to her than she realized. After each word he said she was afraid, afraid whatever they had would change and afraid he would say something that would let her know he felt the same way most people felt about her situation.

"Both of my parents are dead, as well. I never had any siblings and my parents died when I was young, leaving me in the care of my grandparents. I am over it but I understand how it feels." Zach said, breaking the silence.

Emily took a quick breath. "I did not know that. I'm sorry." She said.

Zach smiled, "They passed away when I was rather young. It does not affect me now. Are you fine for now?"

"Yeah, I am better. The sounds and everything just threw me off, but I calmed down." Emily answered him before adding, "Let's go back inside now. I don't want you catching a cold."

"Haha, so your worried about me now." Zach teased, "I'll remember that beautiful."

"Hey! I am not worried, but if you catch a cold it is on me and I don't need that." Emily quickly retorted, while turning her slightly flushed face away. "Plus I don't remember giving you permission to call me that."

"Why can't I call you that?" Zach asked.

Emily started walking towards the house. Zach got up to follow her, prepared to ask her again. "Because it is rather intimate. It isn't like a random nickname like Em, short for Emily. Or even something that could describe me, like *freckles*, or *bookworm*, or something like that." She said, "So don't call me that."

However, Zach was persistent. "Nicknames don't need to be short for an actual name. I do like Freckles though, I might use that one. I want to call you beautiful, and you are beautiful in your own way. So I am going to call you beautiful."

His words caused Emily to stop and look at him. She paused and looked carefully at the boy in front of her. She knows she has some feeling s for him that she is trying to ignore, she knows his name, she knows about his parents, and she knows about his already popular reputation. However all his actions and words confuse her. Why does he act like this around her? She tries to ignore him, but he won't let her. He ignores basically everyone else and seems to tolerate the people around him, but she sees him watching her where ever she goes. Why would he want to call her beautiful?

When Zach saw her turn to him, his breath got caught in his throat. She might not realize it, but when she stood there, on the deck she looked so alluring. She stood there in shorts and Zach's sweatshirt that almost covered her shorts completely. Her head was slightly cocked to the side and her mouth was parted just a little. She looked deep in thought and confused. Even with her eyes puffy and tired looking, she looked gorgeous in his eyes. He liked how the little bit of light fell on her skin. Zach watched her for a while.

"Come on beautiful, let's get you inside. You will catch a cold soon and we don't need that. You are thinking too much." He said, then grabbed her hand and pulled her inside.

This time Emily just stayed quiet and followed him inside like a docile little puppy.