Polarity

Chapter 29: The before

"You are unbelievable," Zach fumed while hitting the steering wheel with the palm of his hand. He glanced to the side to see Rachel with a nonchalantly look on her face. She stared out the window not really caring about his insults.

Rachel shrugged her shoulder she did what she wanted to do for long time.

It was finally done.

She finally had her revenge.

Finally.

Just as they said, 'revenged is a dish best serve cold' and she waited and she cooled off and she did it.

"I had to do it," she said and Zach slammed on the brakes. They both lunged forward; Rachel winced at the stinging on her chest from the seat belt. Zach pulled off to the side of the road. He had reached the outskirts of town. His heart was still beating fast. He had dragged Rachel out of the ranch he shoved her in her car and he drove and drove as far as he could to the main high way.

"Look I know Rebecca has a way with people, but you had to know right of the bat that she doesn't do relationship. She must have told you."

"Fuck you look at her and Emily I'm ten time better than Emily. If she had given me the time like she did with Emily. We could have had something amazing." Rachel crossed her arms, just like a child throwing a tantrum.

Zach couldn't believe his eyes. This woman, the one he adored. He was flabbergasted.

"You idiot," he yelled. "You fucking whore." he whispered afterwards. He had so many things he wanted to insult her with.

He shook his head.

This moment was the moment of clarity he needed to see, this was the true Rachel. This was not the woman he had fallen in love with. He took a deep breath trying to stay calm. He noticed another set of headlight pulling up behind him.

"You don't get it, you don't know her you think you do, but you don't and it's just sad that you had to stoop so low." He unlocked the doors. He looked at her hard. She didn't turn to look at him. Not yet.

"If you actually had tried to see her for whom she was instead of trying to mold her and change her. You can't tame her."

She could hear his heavy breathing, she could smell him. She remembered that scent and that was his scent. It was so close to Rebecca's not the same but close and that why she was with him.

It got her closer to her. She looked at him. He looked much older no longer the boyish looks that adorned him. He was more rugged, he was a man now.

Rachel took a deep breath and glanced away, no he would never understand no one would. They sat there in silence and Zach finally spoke.

"I fell in love with you." He scoffed, "I even bought a ring I was serious. I went through all these weird feeling but I committed to them and I loved you. Yeah I loved you." He emphasized the past tense. He finally saw what he had fallen in love with. "You fell in love with Rebecca, you fell in love with what she represented and you did not see me you never saw me." His voice had a hint of sadness, his anger still prominent.

"You used me." His voice broke slightly.

"She used me." Rachel snapped back.

"Oh come on. Tell me? What was the first thing she said before you two fucked. Trust me I know it. She told me." As much as Zach hated when Rebecca would tell him private details, he remembered. Sadly he remembered.

"I told her, I told her I wanted no strings attached. I told her I wanted to finish school. Now with this things with Jess and Sam. I don't think I even wanna try anything serious with her."

"Did you tell you know?"

"I did, I said and quote, I will sleep with you but I'm not your girlfriend. We are nothing just fuck buddies."

"Rebecca have some tact."

"Hey she started it, I just placed parameters. Wait till you meet her."

Rachel swallowed hard. She knew very well what he meant but she wasn't going to admit it.

"I wish I would of met you when you were with her."

"Your sister will never know what true love is and neither will you after all... all you Demery are the same." Zach chuckled and opened the door, "I'm sure you know how to get back to the city."

He got out and held the door in his hands, "Also you should never come back. Move on."

He closed the door gently and looked back to see who the pair of headlights belong to.

Joseph had followed them. He smiled at his younger brother and slowly approached the vehicle carelessly. He extended his hands open and Joseph smiled at him.

A giant weight had been lifted off his shoulder.

"Move on," he whispered to himself.

"What a day," he greeted when Zach got in the truck. Zach nodded and stared out watching Rachel move to the driver side and then started to drive away.

"You could say that again."

"So that's Rachel huh?"

"Yup The Rachel the woman I was going to propose to."

"Ooh," Joseph raised an eyebrow, "well good you didn't. I meant look at what happened."

"I hope Emily and Rebecca don't get destroyed by this. I really like her."

"Me too."

"Our family is fucked up."

"Yup."

"I mean really fucked up."

"That's okay it makes us unique." Joseph chuckled and suddenly Zach was laughing too.

"It makes us crazy." They both laughed until their sides ached and tears streamed down their faces. Zach wipes away his face with his shirt and took deep breaths trying to calm down.

"Joseph?"

"Yeah?"

Zach didn't say anything right away just the fact he had his brother ready to listen was just extremely important.

"Thanks," Joseph frowned and simply nodded.

---

The rest of the ride back was silent. They were both bracing to deal with whatever destruction was left behind at the ranch.

Sam and Jess were still at the Ranch. Natalie had fallen asleep on the couch and Sam was laying on the floor. Her eyes close but not asleep.

"Ladies," he greeted and sat on an open spot on the couch. Jess smiled at him she was sitting on the floor cradling Sam's head.

"So did you drive her all the way back to the city?" Jess broke the silence and started to run her fingers through Sam's hair.

"I was tempted." Joseph appeared and pointed to the back yard. "Emily is out there picking up trash, where the hell is Rebecca."

"She found Zach's alcohol and locked herself up in her room. Emily tried to stop her but couldn't go in and so she's just outside. Trying to stay sane." Jess looked down at Sam who had relayed the events.

"Fuck," Zach mumbled and stood up. "There's a guest room go rest. We'll deal with this later."

Jess nodded but did not move right away.

"I'm gonna go soak then pass out. Good night." Joseph made his way up stairs and disappeared for the night.

Before slipping into his room he pounded on Rebecca's door.

"Hey stop being stupid." He waited for a couple of minutes hoping to hear a remark.

He exhaled deeply.

"fine," he mumbled under his breath.

---

Zach found Emily dragging bags close to the giant trash can. She had sorted recyclables. She had picked up trash off the tables. She had folded all the chairs and stacked them neat next to the tractor.

"I heard," Zach started so he could get her attention. Emily turned to look at him and he notice her eyes were red. She had been crying. Seems not too long ago she had composed herself.

"I heard Rebecca went and locked herself up with my liquor." Emily nodded and wiped her nose with the inside of her shirt. She didn't trust her voice yet.

"Here," Zach offered her a key, "This should unlock her door." She nodded and took it; Zach took that opportunity to pull her into an embrace.

"Please don't blame yourself for Rachel's action we all have a history." Emily muffled an OK into his chest.

"Please don't give up on Rebecca, trust me. When she falls in love she falls in love hard. It's so crazy, and she avoids it because of the damage she feels she can do. She's scared of letting go, but trust me. She loves you. She's just afraid of how much she can fall in love with you."

He held her at arm's length. "I'll finish out here, go rest."

She nodded and started to walk away. "Zachary," he turned to look at her.

"Thank you."

He shook his head, "No, Thank you."