(3) Not the Same: An All Time Low Fanfiction Romance

Chapter 23: Wanted

        "So, where exactly are we going? You never did tell me.." I asked Zack, eyes looking away from the window to land on his face. He was leaning comfortably back in the driver's seat, both hands loosely on the steering wheel as we waited for a stop light to turn green. He looked at me, and I wished I could see his eyes through the dark frames of the sunglasses we were both wearing.

        I'd only slipped them on as a half attempt at a disguise, paranoid that someone would be looking for a picture. I wouldn't have them on for long, as the sun was already settting. Zack had picked me up after I'd gotten out of work, only returning to my apartment for a moment so I could change.

        A couple more weeks of summer had passed by, and I was slowly falling into a new routine involving more than just school and work. All my free time, when I wasn't making sure I didn't fall behind in school, was spent with Zack, or Stella and all the guys. It hadn't seemed like a month or so since Stella first walked back into my life. It almost seemed longer, like we'd just picked up where we'd left off six years ago.

        "I don't really know," he admitted, chuckling softly. "The beach, maybe?" He turned the car in that direction, taking one hand off the wheel to rest on the console between us. I glanced down at the clothes i was wearing, light jean shorts and a dark v-neck, and then back up at Zack. "I'm not really dressed for swimming."

        He smiled, eyes on the road as he took another turn smoothly. "We don't have to go in the water, we can just walk," he said.

        "Okay," I said softly, turning back to the window for the last few moments we were in the car. We pulled up to the beach, facing the bright orange sun, soon to start disappearing beneath the ocean.

        Zack shifted into his seat, dropping his sunglasses into a cup holder before reaching back to grab a camera from the back seat. I watched, noting that his interest in photography hadn't gone away since I last saw him. He looked up at me as he turned, catching me watching him. He slight smirk made me smile and bite my lip, then turn away to push the door open. He followed, pushing his keys into his pocket after locking it.

        "Which way?" I asked, taking my shoes in my hand after stepping into the still warm sand. It was easier to walk without them on. Zack shrugged and pointed to the right, walking beside me on the sand. We went diagional first, walking closer to the water before heading straight, perpendicular to the small breaking waves.

        "So, how was work today?" Zack asked, hands holding his camera in front of his chest, eyes looking around for something to take a picture of. We'd been walking in silence for a few minutes, neither of us having much to say.

        "Work was work," I shrugged, even if he was looking the other way, turned to take a picture of the sun, the bottom almost touchign the horizon. "How was recording?"

        "It was good," he looked at me. "Everything's coming together really nicely. I think this album's going to be really great," He sounded so excited about it. I could only imagine how it feels, working for months to find the perfect beat, perfect chords and pitches so everything was perfect and then having thousands of people go out and buy the CD or show up at a concert. It sounded amazing.

        "I'm sure it'll be great." I pulled my sungalsses from my face, resting them on top of my head, tucking a few loose strands of my hair behind my ears. My hair was still up in a bun, the way I'd worn it to work. "You all sound amazing every time I come on." I'd been to the studio a few times with Stella.

        "Thanks," Zack grinned, turning to me. Something felt different about the way he was watching me. I turned away, my skin flushing slightly, because I liked the way he'd been lookng at me with his perfect smile and intense gaze.

        I shouldn't be thinking the way I was. I wanted to be holding his hand again to feel the warmth and electric shock that had somehow come back. I wanted to kiss him, just to see if it felt the same.

        "What're you thinking about?" Zack asked. My body flinched in reaction, mind momentarily forgetting that he was there. I felt my face flush again.

        "Why?" I asked, avoiding his question.

        "You looked like you were spacing, like you were thinking," Zack laughed lightly. I shrugged, slippiing my fingers into the pockets of my shorts.

        "Nothing really," I said vaguely, keeping my hands in the fabric of my shorst instead of reaching up to touch my face and give myself away.

        "See, now I can't tell if you're lying because you've got your hands in your pockets," he said.

        "Is that bad?" I asked, smiling as I looked at him. He made a face, like he was thinking about it.

        "I don't know. It depends on what you're thinking about. I kinda want to know."

        "And what if I don't want to tell you?" I questioned, raising a challenged eyebrow at him.

        "Then I'll just assume you were thinking about me," he teased, smirking. I rolled my eyes at him before looking away again unable to keep myself from smiling.

        He must've thought something about the way I was standing, or smiling, was picture worthy, because there was a flash to my left and when I turned around, Zack was smiling, looking at his camera.

        "Did you really just take my picture?" I asked, moving to stand behind him. He tilted the camera towards me so I could see the picture without a glare. It wasn't bad, for a candid shot.

        "Can I look through the res?" I asked, and he handed me the camer. I took it, my fingers brushing his, sending an electric shock through my arm. I wonder if he felt it too.

        He stood next to me, centimeters away, watching as I browsed through the pictures he'd taken. I hated that I was finding it hard to focus with him standing so close to me. why was it gettting to me so much, having him next to me like this? We were over, just friends, nothing more. I had Craig, or at least, I would when he came back.

        "If you weren't already famous, I'd definitely say you could be a photographer," I muttered, then looked up at him smiling

        "Thanks," he said, holding out his hand for me to place his camera back in it. My hands brushed his again and I opened my mouth, trying to find something to say while his eyes stayed locked on mine. The only thing I could come up with, in a voice too quiet for my liking was, "I think we should head back now."