Zachary

“Rise and shine, Zachary.” Everett nudges my ribs with his elbow. I grunt.

“First you make me have sex with you in your parents house. Now you wake me up in the early hours of the morning which shouldn't even exist. Why don't you just fuck off?” Most of my words get muffled by the pillow that my face is pressed into. But Everett seems to get the basic idea since he snickers. He pulls off the blanket from both of our bodies and the cold air hits my bare skin. I curse.

“We need to get down for breakfast and unless you want me to tell my mom that I exhausted you last night you better come down with me.”

I roll over on top of him and raise my upper body with my elbows, placing them on either side of his head. “Or we could do round two and be late together and tell her that we overslept.”

“Very tempting except for the fact that my brother and sister are on either side of my room.”

I groan. “If they heard us last night, it's your fucking fault.”

“Shut up and just kiss me, asshole.”

I grin down at him and capture his lips in a scorching kiss that takes the air right out of my lungs. We pull back, getting out of the bed to clean up and change.

When we go down, the breakfast table is already set and everyone sitting around the table looks up at us.

“Well, at least you guys made it to breakfast, I thought for sure you guys might go at it again,” Bridgett smirks at us.

I groan and close my eyes so that I wouldn't have to face reality.

“How the hell do you even know that!?” Everett grumbles.

Bridgett smirks wider. “I actually didn't till you just said it.”

Jonah and Clover burst out laughing while Eleanor grins at all of us; Parker on the other hand let's out an exasperated sigh.

“Fucking cops,” Everett grunts at his sister as he sits down at the table. I shake my head and sit next to him.

All through breakfast we keep wishing Clover. We made him guess about the gifts he was going to receive. Clover didn't get a single one right and hence he decided that he won't get any gifts until after lunch, at which he curses at us. I laugh along with them and get up to help his brother with fixing the garage door. This is how being in a family feels like. I am glad that Everett got this.

Everett

I watch as Zachary goes off with my brother, laughing, to help him with fixing the door. My heart tingles at that sight.

“He is a good kid.” Mom hands me another plate to dry, nodding towards the direction Zachary left.

I smile. “Not really. He is a real asshole.”

Eleanor grins. “You got your father's taste in lovers then.”

I laugh. “Probably. But well, he is different. Nobody else gets me riled up like he does, but then I get a sprain, and he won't let me walk to get water, instead gets it for me. Orders me to keep my ankle elevated, ices it when it hurts. He doesn't leave me.”

Mom looks at me with a smile. I sigh. “But God, he has this nasty habit of keeping people at arm's length. I have to push him to let me in. He has been through a lot, but the thing is I am afraid that if I keep pushing as I do now then he will just leave. I don't know how we can make it work when we both are so stubborn.”

I look down at my hands. Asking Zachary to be my boyfriend wasn't planned, not that I didn't want it, that is absolutely what I want, but I can't help but think that I pushed too hard.

“You know, when Parker and I decided to get married people just assumed that it would fall apart. I was loud and impulsive but your dad was so kind and silent and understanding. Our parents didn't accept either of us, but here we are,” mom turns to me with a smile, “Love is like an art piece. It isn't beautiful. Just bewitching. Some people see it's beauty. The others don't. So it doesn't matter, as long as you love the art you make.”

I look at her. Nothing that I am thinking in my head made sense to me. Mom puts a hand on my arm, “Do you like the art you make with him?”

“Yeah.”

My mom grins. “Then that's all that matters. Maybe he will leave. Maybe it will take years for him to let you in. Being with someone who makes you happy isn't easy, Everett. It's not just happiness. It's a clusterfuck of things that are so hard to grasp with a sane mind. And if you don't feel crazy it just isn't love.”

My eyes widen as I stare at her. “Woah… Nobody said anything about love. I don't know if that's what it is. Not yet. I am still trying to get Zachary to say a sentence with his name and relationship in it.”

My mom laughs. “Everett, he doesn't want to leave whatever you guys have between you either. He has a hard time with staying is all. Don't let him go that easily.”

Everything my mom said echoes in my heart. It makes sense. I just nod at her, and we continue cleaning and drying the dishes.

When Zachary got back I grinned at him, and he grinned right back. We all start watching a Disney movie and laugh as Clover insists on getting his presents. We finally cave and let him unwrap the gifts.

Mom and dad give him a book. He said he had wanted that book a while back. He beams at them. Jonah gives him a cup that read— don't throw this one at the cat. Zachary looks confused as he stares at the cup so explain it to him that the Clover had thrown his previous cup at the window when he thought someone was spying on him, but it turned out to be a cat. Zachary smirks at Clover who flips him the bird. Eleanor gives him a leather cord with a pendant shaped like an arrow. I give him a wireless headphone. He looks absolutely satisfied at everything he got.

“Hey, I didn't know what you'd like, but I got you something too.” Zachary says as he takes out a small box and hands it to Clover. He opens it and a black watch comes into view. Clover stares at it for a while before looking back at Zachary. Then back at the watch.

“Jesus. Christ. Thank you. It's so cool.” Clover blurts out at Zachary. He winks back at Clover. I feel my whole body twitching to just grab Zachary and kiss him senseless. Audience be damned. Somehow I hold back, though that didn't stop me from staring at him like a creep. Suddenly, the fact that mom assumed that I am in love with Zachary didn't seem all that bizarre. Perhaps I am not in love yet, but I am sure that it won't be long till I am. Since I am definitely falling for Zachary.

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