Chapter 10
Zach watched as Greenlee waylaid Kendall outside his room. Greenlee looked white as a sheet. Whatever she was telling Kendall made the blood drain from her face, too. Zach threw back his sheet. He winced when he moved his legs. He took a deep breath and maneuvered himself off the bed. He heard Kendall say, "This is horrible! Oh God! I can't believe this!" Zach leaned on the chair as he made his way to the door. When he finally got there, Greenlee and Kendall were clutching each other. "What is it? Is it the baby? What's wrong?" Kendall looked at Zach in amazement. "What the hell are you doing out of bed? Are you crazy?"
She rushed over to support him and lead him back into his room. "Please, Kendall, tell me what has you so upset?" She helped him get back in bed. "Zach, it's not good. Not good at all." She sighed. "You'd better tell him, Greenlee. I'm still trying to process it." Greenlee sat in the chair and told him about Jonathan. His hands clenched into fists as he listened to her tell him that the maniac who killed Edmund, poisoned Greenlee, hit Maggie and menaced Bianca and Miranda, then kidnapped Greenlee, Kendall, and Lily, was alive and back in Pine Valley. What was worse, Ryan was apparently planning to try and set him free.
Greenlee stood up and paced. "I have to go back to Pine Valley. I have to prove to Ryan, somehow, that his brother needs to rot in jail. I don't care about some damn tumor, Jonathan is evil. Every moment that he spends in Pine Valley is more time that his evilness has the chance to ooze out and contaminate everyone. I want him gone." Kendall gripped her arm. "You need to get ahold of yourself, Greenlee. You can't go running back to Pine Valley to confront Jonathan. He's dangerous." Greenlee took Kendall's hand off her arm. "Kendall, you remember how you felt when…" She glanced at Zach. "…when Michael was set free at the preliminary hearing? You were practically crawling out of your skin to eliminate him altogether from Pine Valley. That's how I feel about Jonathan. He violated so many people. Ryan needs to understand this. I can't have Jonathan in my life."
Kendall raised one eyebrow. "Jonathan wouldn't be in your life unless Ryan were in your life. Does this mean…?" Greenlee squeezed her eyes shut. "I can't answer that, Kendall. I have to get through one shitstorm at a time." She opened her eyes and looked at Kendall pleadingly. "Come back with me, Kendall. Help me to prove Jonathan is still a psycho." Kendall sighed and glanced at Zach. "I can't, Greenlee. Zach is going to be in the hospital awhile, and I don't think I should leave him." Zach spoke up. "It's not a problem. I'll go with the two of you." Kendall glared at Zach. "If you think the doctors are going to let you leave now, the drugs must not have worn off yet. You're in terrible shape, Zach." His expression was determined. "The doctors don't own me, I can do whatever I want. And I'm fine. I made it to the door, didn't I?" Kendall shook her head in exasperation.
Greenlee headed for the door. "It's settled. I'll go make the arrangements for travel." Kendall shot to her feet. "Zach, I just remembered. I need to tell Bianca! She needs to know about Jonathan so she can warn Maggie." She flew out the door. Zach was alone once more. He found himself wondering what Kendall would have had to say to him if she hadn't been interrupted by the news about Jonathan. After he had explained to her why he helped Ryan fake his death, she had gone off to think about it for awhile. Whatever conclusion she had reached, it had obviously not affected her concern for his health. She also didn't seem to mind his desire to go back to Pine Valley with her and Greenlee. He was relieved about that.
Zach leaned back on the pillows and strategized over the best way to keep Kendall away from Jonathan. He found that slipping into protector mode was like wearing an old shoe. It was the role in which he was most comfortable. It was why he lurched out of bed to find out what had caused Kendall such distress earlier. Most of the time she was willing to let him into her universe if he was there to help her out. Is that what he would always be to her? Was it enough? Why was he even thinking about this? Nothing good could come of him examining his feelings for Kendall. As bad as it had turned out with Maria, Kendall was ten times more capable of inflicting wounds. He didn't want to go through that again. He led with his heart once before, and it had cost him dearly.
Zach shook his head. Why was he thinking about his heart in relation to Kendall? She was exasperating, infuriating, intriguing, and quite alluring. But love her? He'd rather shake her. His love for Maria had never been like that. It had physical passion, yes, but otherwise their love had been serene and confident. There was never the fireworks, uncertainty, or dancing around each other. Zach closed his eyes and tried to will away his thoughts. He was Kendall's business partner. Her protector. For one glorious night he had been her lover. That was all he could ever be, because he remained convinced that she still loved Ryan. The depression that came over him from that thought was so severe that he knew it could only portend one thing. It was time to face facts. He was in love with his wife.
Kendall found Bianca talking to Aidan. "I'm glad I found you both. Aidan, you're still dating Anita, right? I'm figuring that the Santos sisters are probably in freakout mode right now." She captured Bianca's hand in hers and told them both about Jonathan. Bianca let out a cry of horror. "I have to warn Maggie." She took off, digging her cell phone out. Aidan was furious. "I have a lot of respect for Ryan and his loyalty to people, but how could he do this? How could he possibly think that Jonathan should be set free?" Kendall threw up her hands. "Ryan has always had a blind spot when it comes to his brother. He wants so desperately to believe that Jonathan isn't evil, because he sees it all as being genetic. If Jonathan is evil, like Braden was evil and their father was evil, then he's going to be evil too. If Jonathan is not evil, then it was just a fluke that Braden turned out to be as twisted as their old man and therefore Ryan doesn't have to worry about catching the evil disease. As if looking in a mirror and examining his life up to now wouldn't accomplish the same thing."
Kendall sat down in a nearby chair. "Greenlee has decided to go to Pine Valley to make sure Jonathan stays in jail. She'll be at complete odds with her husband. Zach and I are going with her to make sure that she doesn't get into trouble." Aidan raised one eyebrow. "Zach? Is he okay to travel?" Kendall rolled her eyes. "No, but he's determined to do it. I learned a long time ago not to argue with him when his mind is made up." Aidan's lip quirked. "You sound like a married woman, there." Kendall frowned at him. "Hello, Aidan. News flash. I am a married woman." Aidan sighed. "A real married woman, as opposed to a pseudo-business partner, or whatever you two have been since the spring. You're even going to have his baby."
Kendall's jaw dropped. "How did you…? Oh, Greenlee. She has such a big mouth. Look, don't open yours to Zach, please. I haven't told him yet." Aidan folded his arms. "And why not?" She threw up her hands. "When have I had the time? You know, between trying to rescue Zach and getting thrown in prison and being beat up and Zach going into a coma and finding out Ryan is alive and Zach was in on it, and now Jonathan is alive…." Aidan continued staring at her as if waiting for more. Kendall's throat started to constrict. "What if…what if he reacts badly? He doesn't want children, Aidan. Look how he dealt with finding out Ethan was his son. What if he turns his back on us? Or worse, what if he stays with us out of obligation? Out of a sense of…responsibility." She spit the last word out.
Aidan leaned towards her. "Tell me something, Kendall. If you don't want Zach to turn his back on you and your child, and you don't want him sticking around to help you raise the child….what do you want?" Her eyes filled with tears. Her words came in a low wail. "I want him to stay because he wants to stay. Because he wants our baby. Because he…he wants me." Aidan put his hand on hers. "You don't think he wants you?" She hung her head. "After we…we spent the night together, he took off to Thailand, so he could help Julia. I didn't want him to go because it was so dangerous – and I was right! But he left anyway. It was like he couldn't get away fast enough."
Aidan started to chuckle. Kendall stared at him in incredulity. The chuckle became a laugh. "Aidan!" He put his hand over his mouth, to try and hide his mirth. "I'm sorry, Kendall. Its just the idea of a man running away after making love to you is completely ludicrous." He doubled over in laughter. Kendall looked around for a handy blunt instrument. She found a magazine and rolled it up. He threw up his hands. "I apologize! I won't laugh anymore. Honestly, Kendall, your self-esteem couldn't get any lower. You can't seem to understand just how incredible you are. After spending the night with you, I'm thinking that if Zach was running away from anything, it would be his feelings for you." She lowered the magazine and blinked at him. "You really think so?"
Aidan nodded. "And I don't think he was the only one running. How many weeks did you wait before you tried to find Zach? And you only went looking for him when you thought you had a valid reason…other than the perfectly legitimate reason that you wanted your husband home with you." Aidan put his hands on either side of her face. "I want you to look inside yourself, right now, Kendall. Stop running and face your feelings. Why do you want Zach to want you?" Her lower lip trembled. Her voice was a whisper. "Because I love him."