Crashing

Morning Visitors...

       The next morning I awoke in Zak's arms I opened my eyes and he was already awake.
        "Morning sunshine." He said, and I smiled.
        "Morning. My head is killing me." I said and tried to sit up. "Did we?" I asked.
         "Nope...you'd have remembered it, trust me." He smiled a disappointed but okay smile, and kissed my forehead.
         "I'm sure I would have, and so would you." I said looking into those sleepy morning eyes of his. I loved when he had messy hair and no glasses on. I'd only seen that one other time, on our road trip, and I loved it.
"How did Billy get home, or did he stay?" I was slowly trying to piece some things together. One thing I did remember...my voicemail to Aiden.
"You passed out, Billy and Amy made out by the pool, then he took my car and went home." Zak laughed. "What a night..."
"Are you serious?!?!" I was in shock. Finally, Bill made his move. I hoped Amy was accepting. Sounds like she kinda was. "Thanks for staying...how did you sleep?"
"Not great, your phone was blowing up last night." I picked it up and saw quite a few calls from Aiden.
"Shit." I said running my hands through my hair. "Well, I gotta call him back." I let out a sigh.
"You want me to step out...or?" He grabbed my hands.
"Do you mind?" I asked touching his face.
"Not at all...I'll be downstairs." Zak kissed me on the forehead again, and walked out. I picked up my phone and dialed. Aiden answered.
"Finally, where the hell are you?" Aiden sounded kinda panicked and a little angry.
"Amy's...I stayed last night, she broke up with Jacob, but you already knew that."
"So what's going on? I don't get it..." He asked.
"Aiden, you are amazing, but I just can't move in with you, I think we need to see other people." I said and my voice was shaking.
"How can you say that after yesterday? What's happened in the last twenty four hours to make you say this?" He was confused and hurting. "Okay look, maybe it was too fast, the moving in thing, and you're freaking out..."
"Aiden, I'm not freaking out, I'm thinking clearly. I'm sorry, it's just we need a break...it's fun when we're together, but I think our relationship is purely physical, you deserve more than that." I was trying to be diplomatic...
"I already told you I was falling in love with you. What more do you want? Is there someone else?" He asked, I was extremely quiet. "There is, isn't there...is it your ex from LA?" I couldn't answer him, and I didn't want Zak in the middle.
"Yeah, there's someone else. But, I'm not naming names Aiden. It's complicated." I just didn't want him knowing it was Zak.
"Who is it?" Aiden was getting upset and I could hear and feel it.
"Aiden, I'm not going there...please." He hung up on me. "Hello?" I looked at the phone for a second, then threw it down onto my bed. I then headed downstairs to see Amy and Zak talking in the kitchen. She had coffee ready to go.
       "Morning." She said, and she could tell I was a bit saddened. She put her arm around me...Zak kept his distance and let us have our sisterly moment. "You did the right thing, trust me. If you don't see it going anywhere...you just don't." She said, and I started to cry.
       "I hurt him...I didn't want that." I said, shaking.
       "Listen, Aiden's a big boy, he'll be fine. You didn't love him...it was purely based on one thing. I think he'll realize that too eventually, and had you moved in, it wouldn't have been good." Amy was right. I just sniffled and she looked at Zak. She then handed me off to him.
        "I'm sorry I asked you to leave, I just couldn't get you more involved. He already hates you and..." I was crying in Zak's arms.
"You don't need to apologize to me or anyone else." He held me tight in his arms.
"I'm getting dressed...Riley will be home soon. I'm sorry sis." Amy said and started to head upstairs. But I got my joke in.
       "So...tonsil tennis will Billy Huh?" I asked, through wiping my tears and sniffling. Zak and I chuckled. Amy never flenched.
         "Ha...Ha..." She said continuing up the stairs. She had gotten up early and cleaned up our mess, as usual.
"It's over...I hate hurting people." I turned looking up at Zak. "It's really over this time."
"I know sweetheart, but like Amy said...he'll be fine." Zak said, smiling inside and out. He felt victorious. His heart was smiling too.
"I'm starving and my head is killing me." I said to Zak.
"How about breakfast and I get you something for that headache?" He offered.
"Alright, I'm in.." I said. Zak whipped up some eggs and toast. Poured us some juice, and got me aspirin for my head. We then heard the front door. We looked at each other and didn't know how we would explain things, as we heard footsteps heading our way.
       "Uh, Well morning I guess. Am I in the right house?" As Riley chunked her keys on the counter, looking at Zak and I eating at her mother's table. I looked at her closely.
      "Yeah, your mom broke up with Jacob and  we drove here to check on her. Zak and I stayed last night. So where were you?" I asked.
      "Sadie's, but where's your car or Zak's? She asked...
"Never mind that. What's on your neck?" I asked as I moved her hair slightly. We were having a battle of questions.
"That? Oh I Uh...I fell down." She looked at me nervously, and Zak started to laugh and he put his head down. We all knew what it was.
"Oh...on someone's lips?" I asked. "That's a hickey."
"Shit...please, please don't tell my mom. How could you see that?" She asked looking in the toaster at her reflection.
"Oh come on, I can spot that a mile away. Do you know how many of those I got at your...never mind." I realized I'd better not brag about that in front of Riley or Zak. "How did you get that at Sadie's?"
      "We snuck out and went to a party....please don't tell my mom." Riley was begging me and Zak to keep quiet.
        "Now you've put me in the middle." I said just looking at her.
"So, which sixteen year old boy's ass do I need to scare the shit out of." Zak leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms with a more serious look on his face.
"Uncle Zak, please don't." Riley headed upstairs and I looked at Zak.
       "What do I do?" I looked at Zak...asking him.
        "Stay out of it." He walked over to me, wrapped his arms around me. "Look at me...stay out of it." He has lifted my chin with his finger and thumb.
         "Are you telling me what to do?" I asked smiling at him.
         "No, I'm telling you what not to do, which is get in the middle." He kissed me on my forehead. "I'm calling Billy to pick us up."
        "I'm getting dressed." I said and I walked up the stairs and winked at him. He just smiled, while dialing. I walked into the guest room and before I could turn to shut my door, Riley was standing there.
       "Oh hey."
        "Hey, can I talk to you?" She asked.
         "Yeah." I said and shut the door.
         "Thanks for keeping things between us...my mom would freak if she knew I got a hickey and went to some party."
        "Please tell me it wasn't some college party and a twenty year old was sucking on your neck....cause Riley.."
      "No...it was just a crazy thing Sadie and I did."
  "Riley you can't do stuff like that. What if that boy wouldn't have stopped?"
"I know...I stopped it. I freaked out."
"Sweetie sex is..."
"I know all that, I just got caught up." She was crying a little and I hugged her.
"Listen, I understand. When you are ready....When you are older, much older...you'll know." I kissed her forehead. She left the room. I had worry in my heart for my niece. I didn't want her to be like me. I got dressed and headed downstairs. Amy was talking to Zak
and they were both smiling and stopped as I entered the room.
        "Looks like you two made amends?" I asked.
       "Yeah. Amy said as she hugged Zak.
       "We'll all be fine." Zak said. "Billy's on his way. Zak smiled and turned to Amy.
       "Okay both of you stop. It was just a kiss." Amy said folding her arms.
        "I gotta tell her..." I said looking at Zak.
         "Might as well." Zak agreed.
         "Billy is majorly hung up on you. I mean, like, me with Phil Hammond...remember Phil? He was fine." I said smiling and getting lost in that memory, just staring into space.
         "Oooh Yeah, He was. Those green eyes...and biceps." Amy agreed.
        "Uh hopefully a future boyfriend standing right here." Zak pointed to himself. Amy and I both laughed.
       "So? What are you going to do?" I asked.
       "Take it slow I guess...Bill and I do need to talk about last night." Just then, the doorbell.
       "Now's your chance." I said smiling. Amy walked put if the kitchen, and went to answer the door, but it wasn't Billy.
       "Where is she...I know she's here Amy." It was Aiden.
       "Aiden...Uh. Look, she is here, but now isn't the best time." Amy said. She stepped out on the porch and closed the door, not letting Aiden in.
     "I gotta see this." I went to the side window of the door and peaked out, thinking it was Billy. Only then ducking in sheer panic.
        "Oh shit." I said in a loud whisper.
      "What's wrong?" Zak asked coming around the corner.
       "Shhh..It's Aiden...if he sees you here, oh damn it. We can't do this now. Go! Go upstairs." I said trying to shoo Zak away.
        "Amy's got him on the porch...he's not.."
        "Zak, I know him...he won't go if he knows I'm here. Go upstairs. Please." I was begging him.
        "Fine." Zak heeded the warning and he went upstairs. I then knew what I had to do. I opened the front door.
        "Hey." I said to Aiden.
         "Hey." Aiden was cautious.
I then turned to Amy, saying: "I put that laundry upstairs." My eyes got wide and she knew exactly what I meant.
        "Good place for it...See ya Aiden." She went back into the house.
        "I just...I don't understand."  Aiden was obviously not accepting this.
       "Aren't you supposed to be at work?" I asked.
        "I called in." Aiden took my hands and we sat on the bench.
        "Uncle Zak..What are you still doing here?" Riley asked him, walking passed the guest room upstairs.
        "Nothing." He was pacing in the guest room as Riley walked by.
        "Still haven't sealed the deal, huh?" Riley said to him.
        "That's not...don't talk like that...it's inappropriate." Zak turned to her and they both started to laugh. "And look at you, Hickey Princess."
        "Shhh...you want me to get grounded?" Riley asked him, watching to see when her mom would make it upstairs.
        "If that will keep you away from whatever boy did this, then yeah." Zak said. "Did you even think what could have happened? Guys are assholes." They were whispering.
       "You're a guy." She said, staying the obvious.
        "And I used to be an asshole...and all I wanted was ass."  Zak was honest.
        "Used to be? Look I already talked to Aunt Mandy...I know. And by the way...she's nuts about you." Riley smiled.
       "How do you know that?" Zak asked.
        "She's willing to give up a lot, for you. Plus she's trying to be a better person. Think about that...her a better person?" Riley smiled and went into her room and shut the door, then she opened it back up. "Riley's a good name...for your first kid!" She shut the door again. Zak stood smiling a shaking his head. Thinking of that for a minute. Then remembering I was alone, with Aiden.
"Why can't you just see how much I'm..."
"Don't say it." I put my finger over his lips.
"In love with you." He said it through my finger on his lips. I got up and couldn't say anything, then I thought about it. Why am I hiding this? He'll find out anyway, eventually.
"It's Zak..."
"What's Zak?" (He paused for a few seconds) "Are you telling me?" Aiden stood up.
"Yes, it's exactly what I'm telling you." I said.
"You do know I'm going to kill him now."
"No, you won't. He's the one I kissed a while back, not my ex. I lied to you, and I'm sorry. But don't blame him. I made the move, and I did have an amazing time with you, but Zak and I have a connection. I'm sorry Aiden. Really, I never meant to hurt you."
"He's a liar, and he'll use you. Don't come crying to me when he's done with you. Cause I won't be there." Aiden got up and stormed off, got in his car and left. I just sat there...and not long after, Billy drove up.
      "Hey...you guys ready?" He asked as he walked up.
     "Sure, as ready as I'll ever be..." I said just looking at Billy. He could see in my eyes that something was wrong.
      "Everything okay?" He asked.
      "Sure." I walked in and Zak came rushing down the stairs.
       "You alright?" Zak asked hugging me.
        "Yeah, Yeah...it's all good." I answered him looking into those piercing eyes. Those eyes could capture my soul every time I looked deep
into them. I hoped I had made the right choice...the words Aiden spoke, rang in my head. "He's a liar and he'll use you."
"Good, then let's get going." Zak said, putting his arm around me and carry my bag in his free hand as we walked out the door. My mind was everywhere....my emotions too.