"Mom?"

I look at my phone screen again because I'm confused. Why is my mom calling me through Sarah's phone? How is this possible? Well fuck. I can't just hang up.

Fuck that I still have an ounce of respect for this woman.

"My love... it's been so long", she begins to sob. Just hearing her voice. God, I wish I could hug her right now. "Fuck... mom, please don't cry", I say running my hand through my hair. "I'm sorry, I know you hate it...but can't help it love. I miss you"

"I miss you too, mum. I really do..." I sigh and comport myself, "But how are you talking to me right now?" I shoot.

"Straight to the point as always", she chuckles lowly and I imagine her rolling her eyes saying this. The thought makes me smile. "Zachary. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry that I let you go. I shouldn't have chosen you over-"

"Don't." I warn. I don't want to fucking hear his name.

"I loved him then. I still do. I still don't understand why you hate him so much"

"HE KILLED DAD!" I scream. "Don't you get it? He murdered dad for some reason and he tells you he loves you a year after. Why don't you believe me?"

"THERE'S NO PROOF!" she screams back and begins to cry. "You know how much I loved dad! I know how much you loved him too and I get you were you in a lot of pain then. But the anger that you feel when he left you should have gone because I'm here for you."

"I'm your fucking mother Zack and there's a new chance for you to have a father figure in your life and all you do is reject him the first day you met him. You had never seen him before and the first word that came out of your mouth was 'murderer'. How do you think that made me feel?"

"Mom, you know this is why I never wanted to speak to you after I left", I sigh. "I had never lied to you. I never kept anything from you. Not even the time when I thought dad was cheating you and it only turned out to be the call operator", she chuckles. "So why was that situation any different? Why couldn't you believe me when I say I had met him that night, standing over dad's body? Why?"

"I don't know, Zacahary. Nothing you said made any sense. I thought you were still mourning. I still do and now I know you're never going to accept him or our love. I know you're never coming back home to me."

"No mum. I'm not. Not until I prove him guilty."

"What if you never do? What if you never find what you want to find? What if it was all your imagination? Zack? Just what if?" she asks.

"Then get used to the fact that your son died with your husband that night." I say and hang up. Dropping my phone back on the couch, I begin to cry.

I cry because I know that not until I prove him guilty, my mum is still going to be under his trap. Under his fucking influence.

My sister is never going to be safe because he'll keep using her life as his hold against me.

And if he ever finds out about my relationship with Ashley, he's only going to use her as a leverage to torture me.

And finally, my father's soul would never be at peace.

Probably hearing my cries from her room, Ashley peeped out of her room door with a confused look on her face. Her eyes widened as she took me in and ran towards me. Engulfing me in her small body, she whispered sweet words of encouragement. Which caused me to cry even more.

Fuck. I did not want her to see me like this.

"Babe. I leave you for a few minutes and you've turned into a grown ass baby", she says still patting my back. "Don't you know hot men cry too?" I ask and se chuckles. "Okay hot baby, why don't you sit on my lap and tell mummy what's wrong?"

I take her up on her offer. I sit on her slowly so I don't completely put my heavy weight on her. Once she's comfortable, she nods and I lean against her so she has her hands wrapped around my waist. So right now, I'm basically a hot man-baby being cradled by my girlfriend.

"I feel fucking useless right now. I've got so many people to protect but at the same time, I can't. Cause no one really believes me when I say they're not safe." I confess partly. I don't think I could ever burden her with everything that is going on. She nudges me to go on. "Fuck."

"It's okay, babe. No pressure. Just don't cry anymore, okay?" she says, comfortingly. But she needs to know.

"My father got murdered by the bastard who is married to my mom" I grit my teeth as I speak. She stares at me, without saying a word. Then her eyebrows raises and she opens and closes her mouth as if struggling to speak. "Your stepdad killed your dad?"

I don't respond and she lets out a rough sigh. "Fuck. Babe, I'm so sorry. Wait are you sure?" I stare at her like she's one of them. "No, Zack. Don't go there. I believe you, I swear, but I'm just in shock."

"Why would you be? It's not like you know him"

"No, not personally at least. I just met him at the bar and he was real sweet. I just forgot to ask why you never spoke about him". I stare at her openmouthed like she just committed a grievous crime. I can't believe I let her out of my sight for her to be able to speak with him.

"Did you tell him how you knew me?" I simply ask, knowing fully well that whatever answer she gave would either kill me or give me some fragment of hope.

"I said we just friends? I don't get it. If we're dating why can't I tell him about us?" she asks and I look down at her confused face. "Anyone but him, Ash. I don't want you to get hurt because of me", she nods and I lean down to kiss her. She readily accepts my lips and even in our awkward position, she still manages to wrap her fingers in my hair.

I pull away because it seems I'm forgetting something. Thinking for a second, I remember, "Hey babe, you were about to say something before my mom called"

"Uhh?" she asks, feigning confusion and I chuckle while wiggling her nose. "Oh, you mean that!" she yelled and pushed me off her. She stood up immediately and I grabbed her hand before she could leave. "I was just gonna say that I wanted to go to Isaiah's pool. I think I'm late", she said and I let her go.

"You coming?" she asked as she got to her door and turned around.

"You in a wet bikini? Hell yeah!" 

❧❧❧❧

Wet bodies and bikinis? Hell Yeah!!

All cock blocks are excused in the next chapter for sure ;)

❦❦❦

Hehe...Chapter 21! I hope you like it... and if you do, don't forget to vote and comment

See y'all next week!!!

Lots of sweet love,

~Nifiee