Love and other disasters (A Zac and Tom story)

All that pain

3 days later
*Zaina*
"I fucking can't believe him". Zac is staring at his laptop. "I tell you, if I get my hands on Tom he is going to be much less pretty".

I walk over to stand beside him, looking over his shoulder. Wondering what has happened. "What did he do now ?"

"He just went public with his girlfriend. He sure as hell haven't met her two days ago. Which means he wasn't single at all when he came here. What a piece of shit". He points to the screen.. the picture is showing Tom smiling, a beautiful woman on his arm, the headline reading 'England's prince charming and America's sweetheart'.

I know my mouth is hanging open. "I can't believe he is like that, he seemed so.. nice. Poor Avery. And he is dating Madison Taylor.. I mean I know everyone loves her, but she kind of gives me the creeps".

"I know, she is kind of too.. she is a bit like a barbie doll, pretty but not really realistic". Zac says. "Maybe you should get Avery over here, so she isn't alone when she sees it".

"We just have to hope she haven't already seen it". I pick up my phone, calling Lucas, filling him in and telling him to go get Avery and getting her here.

"How is Avery holding up by the way ?" He looks up at me asking.

I place a hand on his shoulder, and he makes a small pained sound. "Is that still sore babe ? Well she pretends to be okay. That it didn't mean anything. I am not buying it".

"It's a bit sore, nothing special love". He say, placing his hand on top of mine, looking up at me with a lopsided smile. "I still feel bad for setting her up with Tom".

"Don't blame yourself". I tell him, leaning down to kiss his cheek. "And of with the shirt, let me take care of that shoulder".

I walk out into the bathroom getting a warming lotion and when I come back Zac has done as told. I can't help admiring the way he looks with his shirt of. The wide muscular chest with the cover of dark hair, the strong shoulders and those biceps. I can't help it, I got a weakness for those. His bruises has faded, being mostly yellow and greenish now, over the chest and up his shoulder.

"Turn". I tell him, and he turns to sit sideways on the chair, leaving me excess to his back and shoulder. "And relax".

"Be gentle darling". He says, as I take a big glob of cream in my hand. I put my hand on his shoulder and slowly start working the muscle, hearing him let out a pained moan.

My hands slide down the backside of the shoulder, working the shoulder blade. Honestly I enjoy the way those muscles feel under my hands. "So anything new about the medal ?"

"Yeah, the mayor wants to give it to me at a ceremony saturday. I don't know. I don't think I deserve a medal, and definitely not more than a lot of people. I mean Lucas saved two little kids, he deserve it more than me". His shoulder tense up again.

I kiss his shoulder softly. "Well I think that you definitely deserve it, what you did was heroic. But I get it. Lucas deserve a medal too. A lot of people deserve medals. But you saved the mayor son, that is bound to get more attention".

"At least I talked him out of that horrid parade". He says making a face and I can't help chuckling. I am proud of my man, he deserve every recognition he gets.

"I think you deserve a grand parade". I move to the front of his skulder, massaging it softly but firmly, watching him close his eyes. The long dark lashes gracing his skin, his mouth opening slightly.

He grabs my waist, pulling me down on his lap, kissing my neck, mumbling against my skin. "No I deserve you".

The doorbell rings and I give him a swift kiss before getting up. "Sorry love, that will have to wait till we are alone again".

I hurry out to let in Lucas and Avery, giving them both a hug. "Good to see you and I am happy you could both come to get some lunch".

"For God's sake Zac, put on some clothes". Lucas says with a grin, as we walk into the living-room. "You make a man feel utterly inadequate flashing that chest".
Avery slaps Lucas on the shoulder. "Well I vote that he keeps it of, I kind of appreciate the view".

Zac pulls on his T-shirt rolling his eyes and I pad Lucas on the shoulder. "Stop being jelly Luke, you have nothing to complain about and we all know that".

"I know what this is about". Avery say. "It's about Tom and that.. woman. You are trying to protect me from finding out alone. But I already know".

I go to take her hand. "How are you handling it sweetie ? I can't believe he did that, and that he is with her".

"Well I can, she is beautiful.. perfect.. Everyone loves her. She fits on his arm. Of course he went back to her. I was just a couple of days of fun to him". She say with a shrug.

I feel the pain right under the thin furnish. "Avery, you don't have to pretend that it don't hurt. We all know that it hurts and it is okay".

"I have this constant fear that I'm never going to forget him. The way his beautiful eyes pierced mine or his goofy grin that made my heart beat ten times faster. And what sucks the most is that he was never mine to begin with. But I fell hopelessly in love with him. I can't forget him. And in the middle of the night when everything is quiet and everyone's asleep I think of him. Even if I don't realize it he finds his way back into my memory to the point where it makes me sick to my stomach and I can't breathe because I don't want to love him anymore. And it sucks because I thought I was forgetting him. I was going to be happy again. And then my memory of him comes back, and I'm sitting in the corner of my room tears pouring down my face and my throat burns because I'm screaming to the ceiling, begging myself to forget him. And I hope that I will". Her voice trembling.

Lucas gives her a hug. "Let him go, baby girl. Let him go and move the hell on. You need to make space in your heart for someone who has the capacity to love you just as much as you love them".

"Maybe he was the love of my life and I just wasn't his". She say with a sigh. "He clearly prefer another kind of woman".

"Not to protect Tom, what he did is.. But I saw the way he looked at you. I can't believe he is that good of an actor. That it was all fake. I think there is more to it". I say.

Zac shakes his head. "I don't care. I can't see anything that could make this okay. He has acted like a total jerk".

"Could we just get some lunch and stop talking about Tom ?" Avery say, and as we all nod. I just hope her pain will get better soon.