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“Yeah, for a few weeks, right?”
I nod. “Well, she asked if I would just check in on things while she was gone and said it was cool that I just stay there instead.”
Zach goes to protest, and I hold up my finger at him before continuing.
“It’s not for forever, just at first. Cami’s apartment isn’t that far from the house, and we can pretend that it’s back in our early dating days when I still lived in the dorms. It’ll be okay, I promise.” I plead with my eyes to accept this.
Zach reclines back on the couch, stretching his legs out, and runs his hands over his face. I pull his hands down from his face.
“Let’s just let her adjust.”
He leans forward, placing his elbows on his knees. “I don’t like this.”
“I know, baby. I know.” I rub circles on his back to soothe the tension.
I push to my feet and hold out my hand for him. He takes it, wrapping his long fingers around mine, and rises before pulling me into his arms. I melt into him. It’s hard to believe it was just this morning we were fighting. I look up at him and rise on my toes to brush my lips gently against his.
“Are you sure about this? I think my sister will understand.”
“I’m sure. And I’m sorry that my big mouth is the reason they found out.”
A devilish smirk erupts on Zach’s face. “Hey, I love that big mouth of yours.”
I whack him in the chest and groan. “Perv!”
I turn in the direction of the kitchen, but am quickly pulled back into Zach’s arms with my back to his front. I feel his stubble against my cheek.
“And it’s fine. Honestly, I still hadn’t figured out how I was going to tell them, so thanks for saving me.”
Zach and I enter the kitchen to find everyone around the island quietly talking. Kelly is holding a photo. Once I’m closer, I see that it’s a photo of all of us at graduation, the last picture we have of Dani. She looks up from the picture with tears in her eyes.
“So now what do we do?”
Zach goes to open his mouth, but Adam speaks first. “Now we wait.”
Now we wait.
This has been the longest day ever. As I pull into the driveway, I just want to curl up in bed with Zach and sleep for days, but I know that is not an option. I somehow beat him home, but I know he is just minutes behind me. Once inside, I throw my purse and keys on the coffee table and begin taking down the photos of Zach and me over the years, leaving the empty nails in their place.
“So you’re really doing this? You’re just going to pretend that, what, this isn’t our life? That we aren’t together?”
I turn to face Zach, and distress is written all over his face.
“Zach, it’s not like that.”
“Please, Hails, tell me what it’s like, because I’m having a tough time understanding this.”
I step up to him and brush my knuckles along his cheek. I thought we had settled this back at his parents’ house. I love him so much more though, knowing that he doesn’t want to hide us.
“This isn’t something I want, but?
??”
“Then let’s not do it. Let’s just put these back on the wall.” He reaches for the photos in my hand. “And when she arrives in a few days, we are both here, ready to face the world.”
“Baby, I just need you to trust me, okay? Can you please do that? This isn’t easy for me; trust me. I’ve spent the past few years without my best friend, and as much as I love you, sometimes I just needed her. For all the moments we missed, I need to give her time and not give her a reason to run.” My voice begins to break.
Zach sets the photos down on the end table, and his arms encompass me. “All right, Hails, we’ll do this.”
