the couches while Zach headed over to the counter. Although I pulled a novel out of my bag, I kept my eyes focused on Zach.
“Hey, AJ,” he called.
A twenty something guy at an Espresso machine looked up and grinned. “You’re late.”
Zach returned his smile. “Yeah, yeah. Take it up with the boss why don’t ya?”
“I’ll have to do that!” AJ laughed. “Give me a sec, and I’ll be right out.”
“Okay.”
Zach waited for AJ to finish up before they headed over to a table next to me. I quickly thrust the book in front of my face and sighed with relief to see Zach’s back was to me.
I watched AJ stare intently at Zach. “I’d ask how things are at home, but by the look of Bruce’s handiwork on your face, I think I have my answer.” When Zach didn’t answer, AJ shook his head in disgust. “Man, I’d love to have somebody take care of him!”
Zach laughed at the murderous expression on AJ’s face. “Dad owned this coffee shop. He wasn’t a mobster like Tony Soprano you know.”
“Yeah, I know,” AJ murmured. It appeared as if his mind was occupied by distant memories. He shook himself out of his thoughts and stared pointedly. “You don’t have to stay there. I meant it when I said you could live with me.”
“Could you imagine what would happen to Taylor if I left?”
“I see what you mean,” AJ said.
“Besides, I couldn’t leave Mom,” Zach protested.
AJ snorted. “Yeah, Mommie Dearest would be desolate without you to take the punches for her.”
“Don’t talk about her like that,” Zach growled.
“Wake up, man. She’s brought this on herself. She could walk out anytime, but she stays with him. She stays and lets him beat her and beat up on you and Taylor!” AJ shouted before bringing his fist down on the table, causing me to jump and a salt shaker to clatter to the floor.
The sound of his raised voice caused a pretty, auburn girl at the counter to stare in their direction. Leaving her place behind the register, she came over to the table. “Are you two all right?” she asked, her hazel eyes filled with concern.
When AJ didn’t reply, Zach responded to her instead. “We’re fine, Sarah.”
Sarah stared at AJ until he finally gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s fine, babe.” When she cocked her head at him, he replied, “Just the usual domestic issues.”
Sarah surveyed the bruise on Zach’s face and then lowered her eyes. “I can cover that up for you before you go on stage,” she said softly.
“Okay.”
“Come back to the office, and I’ll fix you up.”
“Thanks,” Zach said.
Sarah grabbed her purse and headed to the back of the coffee shop. I peered over the top of my book to see Zach turn to AJ with a smile. “As for living with you, I do appreciate the offer, but you’re a newlywed. It would cramp your style having me crash on the couch every night.”
“Whatever man, but you just remember you’ve always got a place to come to.” AJ eyed Zach suspiciously. “There’s something different about you today.”
I could feel Zach’s hesitation. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you usually always shut down after one of Bruce’s episodes. I can barely get two words out of you. I’m not saying you’re Mary Sunshine or anything, but it’s different.”
Zach shrugged. “I don’t know.”
AJ raised his eyebrows. “Did you take out your frustrations with some girl or something?”
I knew Zach wasn’t ready to tell the entire truth about the previous night. He wouldn’t want to admit to AJ he had contemplated suicide, nor would be want to acknowledge he’d tried finding divine answers. “Well, there’s this new girl at school.”
My heart skidded to stop. That most certainly was not the response I had expected.
“And?” AJ prompted.
“And she’s…different.”
“Different how?”
Zach sighed. “I don’t know really know how to explain it. She’s just different than any of the girls I’ve seen
“Hey, AJ,” he called.
A twenty something guy at an Espresso machine looked up and grinned. “You’re late.”
Zach returned his smile. “Yeah, yeah. Take it up with the boss why don’t ya?”
“I’ll have to do that!” AJ laughed. “Give me a sec, and I’ll be right out.”
“Okay.”
Zach waited for AJ to finish up before they headed over to a table next to me. I quickly thrust the book in front of my face and sighed with relief to see Zach’s back was to me.
I watched AJ stare intently at Zach. “I’d ask how things are at home, but by the look of Bruce’s handiwork on your face, I think I have my answer.” When Zach didn’t answer, AJ shook his head in disgust. “Man, I’d love to have somebody take care of him!”
Zach laughed at the murderous expression on AJ’s face. “Dad owned this coffee shop. He wasn’t a mobster like Tony Soprano you know.”
“Yeah, I know,” AJ murmured. It appeared as if his mind was occupied by distant memories. He shook himself out of his thoughts and stared pointedly. “You don’t have to stay there. I meant it when I said you could live with me.”
“Could you imagine what would happen to Taylor if I left?”
“I see what you mean,” AJ said.
“Besides, I couldn’t leave Mom,” Zach protested.
AJ snorted. “Yeah, Mommie Dearest would be desolate without you to take the punches for her.”
“Don’t talk about her like that,” Zach growled.
“Wake up, man. She’s brought this on herself. She could walk out anytime, but she stays with him. She stays and lets him beat her and beat up on you and Taylor!” AJ shouted before bringing his fist down on the table, causing me to jump and a salt shaker to clatter to the floor.
The sound of his raised voice caused a pretty, auburn girl at the counter to stare in their direction. Leaving her place behind the register, she came over to the table. “Are you two all right?” she asked, her hazel eyes filled with concern.
When AJ didn’t reply, Zach responded to her instead. “We’re fine, Sarah.”
Sarah stared at AJ until he finally gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s fine, babe.” When she cocked her head at him, he replied, “Just the usual domestic issues.”
Sarah surveyed the bruise on Zach’s face and then lowered her eyes. “I can cover that up for you before you go on stage,” she said softly.
“Okay.”
“Come back to the office, and I’ll fix you up.”
“Thanks,” Zach said.
Sarah grabbed her purse and headed to the back of the coffee shop. I peered over the top of my book to see Zach turn to AJ with a smile. “As for living with you, I do appreciate the offer, but you’re a newlywed. It would cramp your style having me crash on the couch every night.”
“Whatever man, but you just remember you’ve always got a place to come to.” AJ eyed Zach suspiciously. “There’s something different about you today.”
I could feel Zach’s hesitation. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you usually always shut down after one of Bruce’s episodes. I can barely get two words out of you. I’m not saying you’re Mary Sunshine or anything, but it’s different.”
Zach shrugged. “I don’t know.”
AJ raised his eyebrows. “Did you take out your frustrations with some girl or something?”
I knew Zach wasn’t ready to tell the entire truth about the previous night. He wouldn’t want to admit to AJ he had contemplated suicide, nor would be want to acknowledge he’d tried finding divine answers. “Well, there’s this new girl at school.”
My heart skidded to stop. That most certainly was not the response I had expected.
“And?” AJ prompted.
“And she’s…different.”
“Different how?”
Zach sighed. “I don’t know really know how to explain it. She’s just different than any of the girls I’ve seen
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