If This Gets Out(115)

The view count is going up so quickly I can’t keep track of the numbers. Comments have started pouring in.

Omg omg omg omg

We love you too!!!!!!

Is EOE about zuben? Its zachs song right?????

SO GLAD YOUR BOTH OK



“Thank you all for speaking,” Zach says. “Thank you for being here from the start. And thank you most for being here when we needed you.”

“We don’t want to ask for more from you when you’ve already given so much,” I say. “But there are some people who might expect Saturday to fade out of the spotlight after yesterday. If the opposite of that were to happen? If you can help us? You could change everything. Right now, today, you have the power to change everything. You always have.”

Zach must like that as a note to end things on, because he shoots the camera a mischievous grin, leans in, and kisses me on the cheek as he ends the video.

“Subtle.” I laugh.

“I thought we were done with subtle.”

I lean my head against his shoulder. “Thank you for being the one to say it, yesterday,” I say suddenly.

I don’t think I need to tell him what it means to me to know for certain that we’re in this together. To not be sitting here analyzing his words and expressions, wondering if he secretly resents me for telling the world about us. Even with all the fear and anxiety prickling at my skin right now, having him be all-in, no hesitations, helps. It means I’m not in this alone. That’s everything.

“No regrets?” he asks.

“None. You?”

“None.”

He kisses me gently, his fingers tracing the bottom of my earlobe. We’re interrupted by Angel’s voice calling from the elevator. “Found them!”

We break apart to find Angel and Jon striding over to us, watched by the pool family, who are now all acutely aware of our presence.

“How did we know you escaped to make out?” Angel demands. “Typical.”

“Is it typical?” I ask. “You’ve literally never caught us escaping to make out before.”

“Or maybe you’ve just never caught us catching you,” he shoots back, tapping his nose.

“Your mom was worried, Zach,” Jon says. “You looked pretty upset before.”

“He’s fine,” Angel says, waving a hand. “Ruben gave him mouth-to-mouth.”

“Can you not, for, like, five seconds?” Zach asks.

“I’m good, actually.”

“Also, Ruben, your mom’s starting to convince everyone she’s known from the start that Chorus was abusive and that she’s been trying to convince you to set boundaries with them for years,” Jon says. “I figured you might wanna go back and defend yourself.”

“Oh is that what she was doing?” I say. “And there I was thinking she’s been telling me to follow their rules and not screw up our opportunity this whole time. My mistake.”

“Hmm. Zach’s mom tried to shut her down a few times but she needs backup.”

Zach looks pleased. “Good.”

“You’d better hope she doesn’t lose her temper,” Angel says. “That’ll make the wedding awkward.”

Zach kicks at him and he jumps out of the way. “You’re lucky you have a cast on,” he grumbles.

Angel spreads his arms to the sides as best as he can. “Oh yeah? Ignore it. Come at me. Go on.”

They face each other down for a few seconds. Suddenly, Zach jumps up and Angel tears off toward the elevator, screaming for help at the tops of his lungs. The pool family looks on in alarm.

“Okay, for real, though, are you two all right?” Jon asks me as we follow after them.

“Yeah. I think we will be.” I take a deep breath. “What about you?”

He shrugs a single shoulder. “I don’t know whether I’m happy we’ve moved out or … I don’t know. I never thought my parents would ever separate. And they haven’t, officially, I guess, but I don’t see where else it could go from here.”

“You wanna talk about it?” I ask. “We can hang back for a second?”

Jon thinks, then his eyes blaze. “Not really. What I want is to go back in and find out how we’re going to make Dad regret everything he’s done to us this year.”

I fold my arms and raise my eyebrows. “Let’s do it.”





THIRTY





ZACH


“Zach!” says Ruben, shaking me awake, ending my sleep-in early. “Look at this.”

I open my eyes slowly. We’re both in my bed, and the last thing I recall was having my arms wrapped around him as we drifted off.

He’s been at my place for the past few days, ever since the family meeting, when Mom offered to let him come home with us. And honestly? It’s been the best. I don’t know how I’d be handling things if I didn’t have him here. He just has a way of making everything so much better.

Our families are still in constant contact, figuring out a way to make Chorus pay for what they did. Mom is pretty much always on the phone to the other moms now. They call themselves the Mom Squad, and they get shit done. Geoff should be terrified.

Ruben is sitting upright, his back pressed against the headboard. His face is lit up by the blueish light of his phone screen.