Disclaimer: Never owned Gallagher Girls, never will.
"I'm sorry, Zach. There is no other option." Rachel Morgan said softly to the boy seated across her. Of all the bad news she had the responsibility to deliver, this was the one that made her heart ached most.
"I understand." Zach replied with a nod, and just like that Rachel Morgan was off and away making phone calls to all over the world letting them know that Zachary Goode is dead. He sat there quietly, imagining how his friends would react when they are told the news. Jonas and Grant will probably be less dramatic than the girls' reactions, which he only assumed will be waterworks. At least he hoped they will. As weird as it sounds, a small part of Zach hoped that Cammie will shed more than a tear or two for him.
He wished it hadn't come down to this though, and it never would have if it only concerned his safety. He looked at his calloused hands, only twenty-four hours ago they had shot a man's heart, definitely killing him. Because of those hands, he was now a killer, or at least he labels himself as one, everyone else just tells him that he killed in order to protect himself and that he was innocent. He thought nothing of all those people who said it, the fact was he killed a man, which instantly makes him a killer. And now the boss of that killed man is chasing him down, that's why Rachel Morgan was now talking to numerous people explaining his sudden 'death'. The boss wouldn't appreciate the fact that he is one man down, and there's no doubt that he will make sure his friend is avenged at all costs. That is the reason why Zachary Goode is now dead, if he continued to live he will risk not only his life, but those around him, including Cameron Ann Morgan —and truth be told, he was mostly doing all of this for her.
"Zach? Zach, I'm going to call Cammie now, I'll put the phone on loudspeaker, is that okay?" Rachel pulled him back to reality. A sad smile was on her face, and Zach bet all the money in his bank account that she had been dreading this moment, and so did he but it must be done.
He nodded again, unable to think of an appropriate answer. He was still overwhelmed from all of it and his mind was trying so hard to play catch-up, but too many thing were coming at him.
Rachel then proceeded to dial Cammie's number, the phone was picked up on the third ring. "Hello?" A voice far too familiar to the both of them answered.
"Cammie."
"Oh, hey Mum! How's it going?" Cammie replied enthusiastically, and Zach knew she had every reason to do so; if he was right (which he always was) it had been two months since the two had seen each other. Cammie's career had sky-rocketed off as soon as she graduated from the Gallagher Girls Academy and everywhere she went missions were offered. Big or small, she accepted them all, thus the reason for the lack of communication.
"Not so great, honey. Tell me, where are you right now?"
Silence.
"I'm...I'm sitting on the couch. What's wrong Mum, is it about Aunt Abby? I heard she's been off to Egypt-wait, is Aunt Abby hurt? Is she...dead?" Zach felt like his heart were being squeezed dry as he heard her say the last three words. The amount of hurt and sadness in her voice...it was all too much and for the quickest moment Zach wanted to grab the phone and tell Cammie that everything was alright. But nothing was alright, so he kept still on his chair, gripping the arms of it as if his dear life depended on it.
"No, honey, it's not," her mother said softly and Zach heard a sigh of relief from the other side. Oh, how he wished she didn't do that. "It's someone else."
Silence, again.
"It's Zach, isn't it? Zach's...dead." Cammie's voice cracked and in less than a moment her heavy sobs were already echoing the room. Now Zach really did want to grab the phone, but Rachel must've known what he was thinking because she only sent him a dangerous look as if to say 'Don't you dare.'
"I'm so sorry, honey. Do you want me to tell you what happened?" Rachel asked softly.
Cammie stopped sobbing for a moment. "No. Don't. Not now."
"Okay. Do you need anyone? Is Bex there with you?"
"No. I don't want or need anyone. I want to be alone. Bye, Mum." And just like that, a still sobbing Cammie hung up on her mother.
"I cannot believe you just did that," was the first words out of Zach's mouth as soon as Rachel pressed the 'end' button.
"Me either. That was the second hardest thing I had to do, ever in my life," she replied. Her eyes wandered around the room, landing on anything but Zach's eyes. He saw her try her best, but it was futile, Zach could already see her eyes brimming with tears.
"What was the first?"
Her eyes met with his and a single tear rolled down her cheek. "I had to tell her that Matthew was dead."
I know it's really confusing right now, but I promise that everything will get clearer on the next chapter or so. For the time being...review, please? :)