The Marked One: 30 Chapter 30: Zach Teaton #TheMarkedOne The expression on Zach's face was beyond words. A mixture of surprise, happiness, confusion, and guilt were jumbled up, and he seemed to be lost with words. "Did . . . were . . . um . . . did you clean the house?" he finally finished his sentence. "Who else?" was my response. No words were shared between us after that, and Zach just stood by the door drilling his eyes to the floor. The atmosphere around us felt so heavy that I had a hard time breathing, only allowing me to take quick short breaths. I tried to break the silence but my guts were telling me not to, which left my mouth open with only air coming in an out of it. This moment was like a game of "Who shuts up longer?" 'At least he's not holding a bottle of vodka in his hand,' Dakota suggested, pitying my awkwardness. 'That doesn't help, thank you very much.' I continued to stare at this man for I don't know how long. Dakota did not seem to have taken after her dad, him with a blond hair and brown streaks while hers were dark brown. His eyes were dull blue that lost its light and around his eyes were wrinkles due to aging. I guess Dakota looked more like her mother because no matter how many times I see it, she did not seem like his daughter. At least physically. 'I would have gone punching my own face if I looked like that bastard,' Dakota didn't forget to add. "I'm . . . I'm really sorry, honey," Zach finally said. By this point, I was too delighted by the fact that he spoke to me that I didn't understand the meaning of his apology. "I tried . . . I swear to God I did . . . But . . . but it's not as easy as you think, honey." His voice trailed off. 'Yeah, yeah,' Dakota responded. "I'm sorry you had to be gone so long. I really am. I'm trying. I just wanna let you know that." 'Try he says.' Sarcasm was emphasized in her voice. "Will you please talk to me, baby? Please?" Zach was talking in a more whiny voice than before, causing me to sympathize him. He sounded so genuine and so . . . helpless. I don't know how others saw him, but to me he looked smaller than what I imagined. Not physically, but figuratively. This man has lost control of himself and didn't know how to gain it back. I could see the struggle he was going through and it pained me to see his weary face that lost the brightness it was supposed to have. He desperately needed help but had no one to rely on. The best shot he had was Dakota, who probably didn't even realize this. 'Tell that man to go mind his own business,' Dakota urged me to say. 'But he really is sorry to you, Codi.' She softly chuckled at my words, bitter to its bottom. 'Who does the same thing over an over again if he feels sorry enough? Lady, that bastard doesn't deserve your pity.' 'You don't get him. He just can't help what he's gotten himself into.' 'Oh, so you're saying I shouldn't be pissed at him? Are ya taking his side?' Her anger now turned to me. 'You know what I mean, Codi,' I said as soothingly as possible. 'It's just that I want you to see what he's going through. Just look at him.' 'Lady, I've seen him for the past three years like this!! What else do I have to look at?!? Don't go talking like ya know what the hell's going on between us. Oh, right. I shouldn't be expecting for ya to understand me, can't I? You, who probably got an awful lot of sane people caring for ya.' Her last words dug into my heart. It hurt. But I ignored it and just shut my mouth up. I had nothing else to say that could reach her. In my mind was a girl engraved in her anger towards a man she did not understand. In front of me was a man not knowing what to do with his situation that already spun out of reach. And here I am, amidst both of them, sighing at a trap I voluntarily got into with no idea on where to start.