I’ll Be There Read Free Page B

feel, it hurts like hell! So until you’ve had your entire body broken, don’t think you can preach to me about hurrying up and healing. It’s not that easy!”
    â€œAnd when have you ever walked away from a challenge?” Robert yelled back. “For crying out loud, Zach, ever since you were a kid, you’ve refused to be told you couldn’t do something. You challenged your mother and me in every aspect of your damn life! But now? Now that it really counts and it’s really hard, you’re going to sit here and quit?”
    â€œI’m not quitting! I’m just—”
    â€œI think,” Robert interrupted, “that up until now, everything in your life has come easily to you. You were a naturally gifted athlete. School and academics required very little effort from you. Starting this office and getting it off the ground, while challenging, still seemed to go according to your plans. But this injury? This accident? It’s messed with your psyche. When you didn’t see immediate results, you gave up and quit. It’s not happening fast enough for you. Well, news flash, son, no one said it was going to.”
    â€œYou have no idea how painful it is,” Zach said through clenched teeth.
    â€œI don’t,” Robert said solemnly, “and I hate more than anything that you have to go through it. If I could, Zach, I’d do it for you; I’d take the pain on myself. But I can’t. This is something only you can do. You have to decide if you’re going to fight for it or if you’re going to let it defeat you.”
    Zach stared defiantly at his father for a solid minute. Seriously, did the old man have any idea the level of pain he was dealing with? Did he even know most days it took a Herculean effort just to get out of bed and move to a chair? Or the humiliation of needing someone to help him get dressed or take a shower?
    â€œI think by taking the responsibility of the company off your shoulders, you can put your focus on your physical therapy,” Robert said to break the silence.
    â€œThis branch of Montgomerys is mine ,” he growled. “I know Ethan was there with me from the beginning and I appreciate everything he’s doing, but you have no right to put him in charge. It wasn’t your decision to make.”
    â€œWhat choice did I have?” Robert said with frustration. “We can keep going around and around in circles on this. You can’t have your cake and eat it too, Zach! You don’t want to work and there’s a company to run! Enough now! The decision is made!”
    Zach tried to stand up but his legs wouldn’t support him and he fell right back down into his seat. He yelled out a curse of frustration and wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. Thankfully, his father hadn’t rushed to his side to offer his help. He hated when people took pity on him and fussed around him like he was an invalid. Taking a minute to calm himself down, he flexed his legs until he had the feeling back in them completely before turning his attention back to his father.
    â€œPlease,” he said as calmly as possible. “I’m really trying to find a balance here. I don’t like asking for help. I don’t like needing help. What…what can I do to prove to you that I’m trying?”
    Robert’s expression remained neutral. “For starters, you have to stop firing the therapists. You’re not going to get better on your own, Zach. You need them.”
    â€œBut they’re idiots.”
    â€œNo, they’re not. They know what they’re doing and you need to listen to them. In this situation, they’re the experts, not you.”
    â€œFine,” he murmured. “So if I do the therapy you’ll back off firing me?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œWhat the hell , Dad? I just asked you what I had to do and you said therapy and I agreed!”
    â€œThat’s only part