Suddenly it was like ice water had been dumped over my head as I remembered my words and my promise to myself. I swallowed hard, as I contemplated what do to. I let my head fall against his chest, taking a few minutes to inhale his warm familiar scent.
Steeling myself, I looked up at him. “I can’t do that, Zack.”
I watched his reaction, knowing he hated what I was telling him. His face didn’t change, but I saw the light in his eyes falter before he nodded quickly a few times. “I understand,” he said, but I wasn’t sure he did.
I’d been dependent on others for so long, my happiness dictated by what someone else decided for me or who I should be based on others’ expectations. I needed to be on my own, do some things just for me. I needed to know I could be okay without someone by my side, but that didn’t change the fact that I loved Zack and would miss him like crazy while he was gone.
I hugged him tighter around his middle, trying to soak in everything I could about his face, his arms and the way he was looking at me. God, I would miss him, but at least he wasn’t leaving for two more months.
“We can do this,” I said. “Long distance won’t be so bad.”
I knew I was pacifying myself as much as I was him, but it was all I could do. There was no way I was going to hold Zack back from his dreams. This tour could open doors for him that staying in North Carolina and performing at local bars never would.
“I’ll be back for your graduation,” he said, kissing me. “And then why don’t you come with us the week after you graduate – just for a week. It’ll be like a vacation, and then you can go join the real world.”
“I like that idea. Can I have a front row seat?”
He grinned. “I told you, you can have front row tickets to Liar’s Edge for the rest of your life, princess. As long as I can look into the audience and see you staring back at me, life is good.”
I shook my head. “Soon you’ll be so famous that you probably won’t even remember me, but I’ll be there – always your number one fan.”
He laughed, but I could tell he was holding back. “We’ll see about the whole fame thing. I don’t know about that.”
“You will be famous. You’re amazing, Zack. You have to know that.”
He sighed, long and loud. “Please think about what I asked,” he said, and I could tell he was still unsettled by my answer. “I love you, Emily. I want you with me for this.”
“Okay,” I said, knowing I would never go.
It was such a far-fetched idea. I couldn’t go on tour with him. I had to find a job and make a living and grow up. I could not go touring with my boyfriend’s band. What was hard was that I had news of my own, but I’d been trying to figure out how to tell Zack. I’d actually gotten a call to fly out to L.A. for an interview with a PR firm. I was flying out in two weeks to meet with a few people in their HR department. It was a long shot, but they did PR for one of the major movie studios, a well-known record label and few national brands. It would be an amazing opportunity. Cassie had gotten hired by them and had given them my name as a referral.
I also had an interview with a PR firm in Raleigh the following week and had gotten an offer the day before to work at a radio station in Chapel Hill doing marketing. I was debating my options, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t leaning toward taking a job in North Carolina so I could stay near Zack. I’d also be lying if I said passing up an opportunity to work in entertainment PR in L.A. wouldn’t be something I’d regret. I was completely torn.
Chapter Forty-Five
Zack
“I look awesome,” I said, appraising myself in Emily’s full-length mirror, tilting my fedora just a bit on my head.
“You look hot,” she said, sidling up behind me and pressing her body against mine.
I turned to face her, taking in the sequined headband with the feather sticking out of the back of it. Down further was a matching sequined dress with fringe on the bottom.
“I think that title belongs to you,” I murmured, kissing her as I eased her back toward her bed.
She fell back when the backs of her knees hit the edge of the bed, and I landed on top of her, my mouth going directly to her neck. She giggled and tried to push me off.
“Zack, don’t,” she said playfully, but I knew she only half-heartedly meant it. “You’ll mess up my hair.”
I felt her reach up and pull the headband from her forehead before her arms encircled my back.
“I will never get tired of kissing you,” I said, as I kissed a trail from her neck down to her bare chest. Her dress started right at the top of her cleavage, giving me no access below that spot.
“We’re going to be late,” she whined, but there wasn’t a lot of weight behind her protestations. “We have to meet Taryn and Brittany in twenty minutes.”
We were meeting her friends for dinner before going to her sorority dance that had a 1920s theme. I would miss their big Luau since I’d be on tour, so she’d demanded that I attend this event. I hadn’t ever been to a sorority dance before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but at least I got to wear a kick-ass suit and hat. It was much better than a Hawaiian shirt and a lei.
“I’ll be quick, I promise,” I said, reaching down to pull her dress up her thighs.
She groaned in a frustrated sort of way, but I could tell it was because she knew she’d give in to me. I grinned and kissed her, loving that I could do what we were about to do any time, but more than that, I got to sleep next to her, hold her hand and tell her I loved her. Those were all the things I’d thought I’d never get to do for so long, and now I had to constantly remind myself that she was real, and this really was our life.
Sometimes things seemed a little too perfect to be true, but of course we had a deadline looming and a few months of separation to get through, and I was pretty sure things wouldn’t seem so perfect then.
“I love you,” she said then, kissing me hard on the mouth, and I couldn’t help it, I groaned. “But, you’ll have to wait until later to ravish me.”
“Say what?” I asked, pulling back to look at her.
“I’m serious, Zack,” she said, starting to push me off of her. “We have to meet my friends in fifteen minutes, and we have a ten minute drive. I don’t want you to be as quick as you would need to be for us to be on time.”
“So we’ll be late,” I reasoned, leaning down to kiss her again.
She returned my kiss, but there was a finality to it. Understanding her message loud and clear, I rolled off of her and sat up. She sat up next to me and began smoothing her hair before rising to stand in front the mirror so she could re-attach that hideous headband. Catching my gaze in the mirror, she smiled at me and turned around. She walked back over, and without warning, straddled me, pressing her body against mine.
“Don’t be sad, baby,” she cooed, as she started to grind her hips just enough to make me crazy. “Later you can take all the time you want with me, okay?”
I groaned again. “I’d rather take time now and later,” I said.
She looked deep into my eyes and smiled. “Patience is a virtue, and good things come to those who wait.” Then she hopped off my lap and said, “Ready to go?”
I shook my head a few times to clear it. “Um, yeah, I’m gonna need a minute,” I said, and she just laughed as she bent over to slide on her red high heels.
***
I was watching Emily laughing with her friends from across the room when she turned and caught my eye. She smiled, and my heart melted a little. God, I loved that girl.
She sauntered over to me with a sly grin on her face and threw her arms around my neck when she reached me. “My friends can’t stop talking about how hot you are,” she whispered in my ear.
“Really?”
I was used to girls hitting on me. It came with the territory, but I was done with that. I only had eyes for one girl, and I was pretty sure I’d only ever have eyes for her.
“Yeah, and I can’t help but agree with them. Yo
u look tasty enough to eat.”
With that, she pulled back and looked up at me, her big brown eyes wide with a mix of glee and mischief.
I laughed. “I leave you alone for ten minutes, and you go and get all drunk on me. You’re a mess, princess.”
Molly had called, so I’d stepped outside so I could hear her. We talked at least once a day about something having to do with the band or the tour.
“I’m a hot mess,” she said, falling against me a little more. “But that’s why you love me.”
“Among other things.”
“I have to tell you something,” she said then, and she got all serious.
I knew she was drunk, so I didn’t put much stock in her demeanor. “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“I’m going to L.A. next week,” she said, pausing as if to gauge my reaction. “I have a job interview.”
I cocked an eyebrow at her. “You do?”
This was news to me. She hadn’t told me she was even looking for jobs outside of the immediate area.
“Yeah, with this amazing PR firm, and I was afraid to tell you, because things have been so perfect between us, but this is my dream, and I don’t know if I can say no if they offer it to me.”
She looked sad all of a sudden, and I was pretty sure of what she was trying to tell me. And I knew if things were in my control I’d tell her I’d follow her to L.A. if she got the job, but I had Lily and the band. My life was here. I couldn’t go with her.
“You don’t want to break up? Do you?” I asked, needing to get the question out in the open. She was talking about moving three thousand miles away. It was feasible.
She shook her head. “No, I don’t. Zack, I really don’t. I love you.”
“I love you too,” I said pulling her to me. My heart felt a little heavier in that moment, and the only thing that made things mildly better was being able to hold her against me. “And I want you to follow your dreams. I gave mine up once, and I was lucky enough to get back into what I love. I would never deny you the same experience. We’ll do long distance if we have to.”
I knew it would be tough, but I would go to the ends of the earth for this girl, and I needed her to know it
She breathed out a sigh of relief. “Good,” she said, as if she’d been afraid I was going to say something else.
Just then her friend Taryn stormed by and Emily’s gaze was pulled away from me and our conversation. Taryn’s date, a guy named Noah, who apparently wasn’t a big fan of mine since he lived with Emily’s ex, chased after her. He looked pretty inebriated.
“Stay away from me, Noah!” Taryn called over her shoulder.
“Dammit,” Emily hissed, pulling out of my arms. “I knew she shouldn’t have invited him tonight.” Then she turned back to me. “Baby, do you mind if I go check on her?”
I smiled. “I’ll go with you,” I said, wishing it was just that simple.
When we caught up to them, Taryn was glaring at Noah as he tried to plead with her.
“Go away,” Taryn screamed at him, but he wouldn’t leave her alone. All around the hotel lobby, people were starting to stare.
“What happened?” Emily asked, inserting her tiny body in between her friends.
“Nothing,” Noah said, visibly annoyed that she was there. “Taryn, come on. Just talk to me.”
“No,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest and turning to Emily and me. “Can you guys give me a ride home?”
“Sure,” Emily said.
“Taryn, I said I would drive you home. Come on,” he said, grabbing her arm to yank her toward him, and that’s when I stepped in.
I grabbed Noah’s other arm and pulled him back. He had a few inches and several pounds on me, but I hadn’t been drinking, so my faculties were all in check.
“What the fuck are you doing, man?” he asked, looking back at me.
“She asked you to leave her alone,” I said simply. “You probably want to listen.”
“Fuck you, Zack,” he said, moving to pull away from me, but I just tightened my grip.
“Why don’t I call you a cab, Noah?” I offered. Over his shoulder, I could see Emily and Taryn talking and Taryn getting more upset by the minute.
“What’s going on out here?” another voice asked, and I turned to see a guy I didn’t recognize moving toward me. “You need some back-up, man?” He was obviously friends with Noah.
“Yeah, get this fucker off me.”
The guy moved toward me, and then Emily’s voice rang out behind me. “Do not touch him, Ben,” she said, and I realized he was her ex.
“Who the fuck are you?” he slurred, his face twisted as he appraised me.
“Zack, don’t encourage him,” Emily said, coming up next to me. I let Noah go, so I could put my arm around her.
“Zack?” Ben spat, making a face like he’d tasted something sour, before directing his attention to Emily. “This is the asshole you slept with last summer?”
Yeah, I wasn’t about to get into the middle of this one.
“He’s not an asshole,” Emily said. “He’s my boyfriend, and you need to leave.”
“Fuck that,” Ben said, pushing back his sleeves, and I realized he was going to try to fight me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Noah move just in time, and I was able to yank Emily out of the way. His sucker-punch that was intended for my jaw, landed on the corner of the wall behind me, and he went down after it, his momentum carrying him forward. As soon as he hit the ground, he cried out in pain, grasping his shoulder.
“Oh shit,” Taryn hissed, running over to his side. Noah was writhing in pain, rolling back and forth on the floor.
“Fuck,” he said. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
I could see people around the lobby of the hotel turning to stare at us. Noah’s cursing had carried across the vast room. The manager behind the desk was watching us, no doubt about to come over and tell us to leave if we didn’t quiet down. Noah was still groaning and cursing on the ground.
“His shoulder,” Emily said quietly from beside me, and I looked down at her. She was staring at him in shock. “He dislocated it playing football last fall.”
Yeah, and from the looks things, he’d just dislocated it again.
“I think he needs to go to the hospital,” Taryn said, looking back at Emily who just nodded.
I hadn’t realized Ben had run outside until he came back in, his attention now pulled to his friend. “Noah, man, I’ve got a cab outside. Can you stand up?”
“Come on,” I said to Ben, the nice guy in me taking over. “I’ll help you get him outside.”
“Fuck if you will,” he said.
“Ben, just listen to him,” Emily commanded, and he stopped protesting.
Ben and I loaded Noah into the back of the cab, while Taryn scrambled into the other side, cradling Noah’s head on her lap while he whimpered and hissed in pain. Then Ben hopped in the front, and they were gone. Emily and I stood outside watching the cab drive away, and I wondered if she was ready to leave. I sure was.
“Did Ben just leave?” a girl with a high-pitched, screechy voice asked from behind me.
“Noah dislocated his shoulder again,” Emily explained to her. “They went to the hospital.”
“Son of a bitch!” she screamed. “He just left me here! That asshole.”
Apparently she was Ben’s date.
“Brynn, do you need a ride home?” Emily asked, and as soon as she said her name, I realized who this girl was. Emily had told me all about Brynn and what a bitch she was. The fact that Emily was offering her a ride home was incredibly big of her.
Brynn just sneered at her. “Yeah, like I’d accept a ride from you. You’ll probably spend the whole ride gloating about how Ben ditched me. No thanks.”
With that, she stormed off, back inside the hotel.
“Okay, are we ready to go?” I asked cheerfully, trying to break the ominous mood that had fallen around us.
Emily didn’t say anything.
She just looked up at me with what I thought was admiration.
“What?” I asked, confused by her look.
“Thank you for being you,” she said, before she leaned up and kissed me. “Just thank you.”
I kissed her again, pulling her into my arms.
“Let’s go home,” she said against my lips, and I’d never been so happy to do just that.
Chapter Forty-Six
Emily
“Happy Birthday, Lily,” I called as I let myself into Jen’s apartment.
The door had been propped open, and I could hear party noises from inside, so I figured it was okay just walk in. Inside I was greeted by music and people talking and kids running around. It was a madhouse.
As if his radar was turned on, Zack turned around as soon as he heard my voice. A wide grin spread across his face, and he left the conversation he was having with Andrew and crossed the room to me. Before I knew what was happening, he picked me up and swung me around. I almost dropped Lily’s present, he was squeezing me so tight.
It had been a few days since we’d seen each other. I’d been in L.A. for the past three days and had flown in late the night before. When I arrived home, I had a message on my voicemail from, Heidi, the girl in HR who I’d interviewed with. She’d asked me to call her back on Monday to discuss an opportunity with their company. It had been too late to call Zack to tell him my news, but he knew all about my interview and my trip, including how I’d fallen in love with the company.
I now had to tell him I was taking the job and moving to L.A. in a few months, while he was away on tour. He’d been supportive, incredibly supportive in fact, and reassuring that we could handle long distance. He wanted me to take the job. He said we would be fine. We’d handled worse, and since their label was in L.A., he’d be out there from time to time. Everything would be okay. I just wasn’t sure I believed him. But in the long run, would I regret choosing my career over a guy, or if I didn’t take the job, a guy over my career? What was the lesser of the two evils since neither one seemed like a great idea?
Broken Fairytales Series Box Set (Broken Fairytales, Buried Castles, Shattered Crowns) Page 59