Confined Four Years

Setting Free

~~~~~Marcus~~~~~

            The more he tried to deny it, the more Marcus realized it would be impossible. He stared at the picture of Julia and the twins on his desk, and the genuine smile she wore with them. Next to it sat a photo of their wedding, clearly displaying her forced smile. The only reason those pictures even sat there was because of their parents. They wanted the pair to appear to be a happy family, so he had no choice but to have a couple of framed photos placed in his office. Trevor’s head popped into the door before he walked in, closing the door behind him. Marcus knew something was on Trevor’s mind as soon as he turned to look at him.

“What has you looking so sour today?” Trevor asked, approaching the oak desk and taking a seat in one of the leather armchairs. “Even more sour than usual.”

“When you love someone, it’s best to set them free, right?” Marcus questioned before backpedaling a little. “Zach seems to have trouble with this.”

“He had a crush on Julia in the past. Is that what this is about?” The younger of the two returned, his hand lifting to cup his cheek as he thought. “Maybe I should talk to him about this.”

“That’s unnecessary. I only felt curious as to your opinion on it.” Marcus did not want to make Zachariah even more uncomfortable. “I’ll talk to him when I get home.”

“Yes. I’ve always felt that if you love someone, let them have the freedom to decide if they love you back.” Trevor seemed to notice how serious Marcus felt about this. “Marcus, the three of us younger boys are lucky to have you as a brother.”

            He did not know how true that was, Marcus thought, his eyes falling back to the pictures on his desk. He cannot even tell the woman he loves how he feels because he knows her heart belongs to another. Nothing about the lives they have built together over the past five years is real. It was all a lie invented by their parents. How was it fair? He knew he needed to let her go, but his heart wanted to keep her to himself. As if to answer that call, his heart pounded hard in its cage, reminding him of the pain he would face for letting her go.

Marcus did not have a choice but to let her follow her heart. Even if she took his with her. He released an inaudible sigh before nodding to Trevor. This was the least he can do for her, he thought, looking at the divorce papers in his hands. Trevor does not know what is about to happen in the upcoming weeks. Things will get a little rocky, especially with their company, when everything comes to light. The truth would hurt his image, his brothers, and Julia’s siblings as well, but it was something that needed to be done. Julia deserved to be free.

~~~~~Zachariah~~~~~

            Marcus had already left for work a little while ago. The twins were at preschool, and Sophia slept the day away in her bassinet. It marked month three since Zachariah moved into Julia’s and Marcus’s home, and it had been so much fun. Even the day Julia got angry, he thought, his mind playing back the angry Julia he saw in the dining room a few days ago. Her strawberry-blonde hair came loose from her usual ponytail when she angrily confronted Marcus about his plans concerning their parents. The normal almond-shaped green eyes of hers seemed to flare with a passionate anger he never expected from the woman. Even her cheeks flushed red, like she felt embarrassed, but she still clenched her fists as she yelled at him.

            That fiery personality he caught glimpses of made him wonder how Marcus could see those and not become obsessed with her. Zachariah looked towards the kitchen where she prepared lunch for two before back down at his lap. Did she ever stand up to their parents like that? If so, he wished he could have seen it. Just then, his cellphone notification noise chimed loud in the quiet room, drawing his gaze down to his jean pocket. The only people he ever talked with were Marcus, Julia, and a couple of college buddies. When he pulled out the device, the name Trevor Thomas flashed on the screen.

‘Are you still crushing on our sister-in-law?’ The timing and the question both seemed odd to Zachariah.

‘No.’

‘I call bull crap. I’ve already talked with Marcus about it.’ Does that mean Trevor knows about the blackmail? Zachariah wondered. ‘She’d be better off with a guy like me or Marcus. Don’t cause them too much trouble, little bro.’

            He knew that, he thought, not even bothering to reply as he tucked his phone back into his pocket. Odds are, Trevor does not know about the blackmail. That, or he was being careful because their parents monitor their phones. At least, they could monitor Zachariah’s since they pay for his. His mind drifted back to the day Julia got angry again. Her maternal instincts and desire to be free of this burden really kicked in, but he only found her passion to be extremely attractive. Out of nowhere, a plate with a burger appeared in Zachariah’s line of sight, the smell of the char on the burger drawing him back to the present.

“Looks tasty, right? I made it the way I like it with the hopes to bribe you…” Julia’s smooth voice filled his ears and he raised an eyebrow at her request. “What?! It’s an innocent bribe… mostly. Please forget you ever saw me angry…”

“I must so humbly decline that request, My Lady, as you looked so breathtaking that I could not help but lose myself to your beauty.” Her eyes widened comically at his reply before her cheeks flushed a cute pink color. “So, I suppose that means I cannot enjoy your delectable meal today.”

“Just take it…” she grumbled, setting the plate in his hands and crossing her arms over her chest before sinking onto the sofa next to him with another plate. “I can’t even get made at you for refusing to forget it when you put it like that. I don’t like the color of anger on me.”

            That he did not understand. Zachariah could tell she was a very passionate woman who wasted her life on Marcus. Zachariah wanted to tease her, so he leaned forward a little before poking her shoulder gently. When she did not respond right away, he continued to do it, wanting to get a rise out of her. This was the first time they have been alone in a while, so he wanted to spend time with her like this. Usually, the twins were around, or she had a business meeting, but their few interactions always left him feeling satisfied. When her green eyes rose to look at him, the words he wanted to tease her with completely disappeared from his brain.

“You’re mean… how can you sit there and say that I was beautiful when I was so angry, I thought my blood was lava?” Julia’s voice turned pouty as she talked, making me want to apologize. “Especially when all I did was get angry at Marcus, who did nothing wrong.”

“But I really thought you were beautiful. The love you have for Mason, Madison, and Sophia, you showcased that perfectly, and you love yourself.” He replied with little thought. “Honestly, I have always believed you to be exceptionally gorgeous, but I’ve had a lot of fun learning about the amazing personality behind your good looks.”

“How can you say all that without getting embarrassed?” She questioned, looking away. “You used to turn red when you said stuff like that.”

“Maybe I realized how important it is to say what you mean?” He returned but averted his eyes as well. “Anyway, that is my honest opinion. By the way, I never told you what my decision was concerning college. I’m going to go for the same degree you have.”

            Zachariah’s mind went back to what Trevor told him earlier. Were the feelings he had for her gross? Even though Marcus told him she felt love for Zachariah, could he really let himself believe that? All he ever thought about was her and Sophia. It was not something he seemed to have control over. He wanted to change the topic, to something safer, but that usual flowery scent drifted up to his nose from her, making his mind have a hard time keeping up with anything she said. His brown eyes grew a mind of their own and drifted down from her face to the curve of her breasts, and thin waist hidden by the soft fabric of yet another green sundress that matched her eyes.

“Zach?” she murmured; her voice soft as she chewed on her full lip. “Um…”

“Sorry, what were you saying?” He choked a little at getting caught checking her out. “My brain kind of zeroed in on something.”

“No problem. I was speaking about my plan for my company and I wondered if you might like to work for me.” Julia replied, shifting nervously because of his gaze. “It’s understandable if you don’t but you seem capable and smart, so I definitely wouldn’t mind working with you.”

“I thought it was a one-woman show…” Zachariah hesitated, watching her cheeks flush pink.

“Yes, but I need someone with a good head on his shoulders who can help me meet with new clients and bring in a fresh perspective. You’re younger than me, so I want access to your generational knowledge, too. The only issue is keeping the company hidden from our parents.” She nodded before leaning closer to him as though she wanted to tell him a secret. “But you kept your cool when they came by, even though you were angry with them. What happened there?”

“It… well…” He started but trailed off.

“Someone said earlier that it was important to say what you mean, right?” Julia questioned with a knowing smile. “So, tell me?”

            He wanted to but he could not do that. What the two have right now is fine since he is just a dumb teenager with a silly crush on a woman that would never be his. He did his best to pull his eyes away from his green ones and tried to think of something he could say to brush off her question. How could Zachariah say, ‘Even though you belong to Marcus, I love you.’? Maybe he only wanted her because she belonged to Marcus, but that thought twisted his gut. What could he really do or say to her that would prove to himself he loved her? With a small sigh, he turned back to face her to tell her the truth.

“If mom and dad knew that I found out the truth, wouldn’t they be mad and take it out on you two?” He asked covering up his true thoughts. “I can’t just be selfish with my anger, either.”