Succulents on the Window Sill

Chapter 20

Corinne caught Mindy just as she raced over the Dubois' driveway and out onto the pavement. There were no cars around to run her over, but a loose dog was still a recipe for disaster.

She picked her up in her arms, thankful for how Zach had kept the harness on the dog after her bathroom break outside. Without it to grab onto, Corinne was sure she would have been halfway up the road by now.

She carried her across the path that the dog had just run, and in through the front door that Sara had left wide open.

Corinne had tried to stop her, but she had never been as athletic as Sara. Sara had run on ahead, out of Corinne's parent's house, across the street, and straight into Zach's. Completely uninvited, she had opened the front door and walked straight inside.

Stepping into the house herself, Corinne could see how Sara had marched through the hallway and into the kitchen, exploring the rooms like she owned the place.

There were raised voices coming from there, and Corinne quickly locked Mindy in the living room to avoid her running off again, and followed the sound.

It was clear that the family had been sat at the table, knives and forks in hand, enjoying their Sunday lunch. Corinne could see that her own plate had been tucked into the oven to keep it warm for when she would return.

Both Eric and Zach were standing from their chairs, and Jake was glancing around as if trying to decide if he should join them or not. He was the first to notice Corinne in the doorway, raising a brow in question at her. All she could do was give him an apologetic smile in return.

Sara had her hands clasped around Zach's bicep, practically shouting into his face with a string of words that Corinne couldn't make out over the mess of Zach and Fiona's voices mixing with it.

She laid a hand on Sara's shoulder, trying to pull her back, bring her to her senses. "Sara, come on. Please, we need to go."

"I'm not going until he speaks to me!" She clung tighter to Zach, and Corinne looked up at him to see him wince at the pain she was causing with her grip.

"Now is not a good time for that." Corinne didn't want to be firm with her, but how else could she wake her out of this chaos and get her out of here?

Corinne had no idea how they could explain this to Zach's family, how Zach could ever forgive Sara for barging into his parent's house and causing his ill mother to look as startled as she did right now.

She grabbed Sara's other shoulder, pulling her back off Zach as best she could. Sara stumbled a step or two, before throwing herself back at Zach, causing him to stagger right into his dad. Jake took that moment to leave his chair, rounding the table to wrap an arm around Sara's waist and haul her off his brother.

"You want to talk, you get the hell outside and talk. Who the fuck do you think you are, walking in here and acting like this?" Sara blinked up at Jake, before down at the arm still holding her back from Zach. Corinne grabbed Sara's arm, tugging her from Jake, and out through the kitchen door and into the hallway.

"What was that, Sara? What the hell?" Zach would never want to speak to her now, want to talk things through and try to find a truce, even if getting back with her was far from his agenda.

"I love him!"

"And?" Corinne loved him too, but she wasn't storming into his house to scare the living daylights out of his mother and cause a stir over what should have been a nice family lunch.

Zach was at Corinne's shoulder, hovering over it before his hand found the dip in her back. She could feel his finger trailing up and down it. It cooled her rising fury a little, just how she was sure Zach knew it would. It was a subtle caress she prayed Sara couldn't see.