My head jerks forward with a forced smack.
"Ow!" I reach back to rub the spot and turn to find the source of my pain. Elle is standing behind me with her arms crossed.
"What's the matter with you, stupid? Go after her!"
I'm still standing in the hallway, frozen from shock after watching Brianna storm out the front door. "She's not listening to me. There's no point. Our contract is void." I use air quotes when I say contract, a bitter taste in my mouth at the word. "The whole relationship was set up so I could protect her. And now she's done."
"I heard her little speech and this has nothing to do with a contract. That girl loves you but she's scared. Your pictures blew up yesterday when you were off having your love-fest. I've been keeping tabs. But it literally happens to every hot couple in Hollywood, little bro. You're just the latest victim. Brianna doesn't have any experience with this."
"She's had Hollywood boyfriends before." I scoff at my sister's lack of information. Brianna is used to this stuff.
"None of those relationships were challenged because," she grabs my face between her two hands, forcing me to pay close attention, "they.were.fake. Everyone in her fandom knew that. This time it's real and the media wants your blood to run in the streets."
I push Elle's hands off of my face and take a step away. "Dramatic much big sis?"
"Look around you, Zack! She just fired you and marched off to the airport! I'm not the dramatic one in this scenario. Your girlfriend is. Now, GO AFTER HER!"
Elle pushes me to the doorway and then through it all the way to the front drive. I'm surprised when I look over toward Mandy's car and Brianna is standing at the open trunk, hunched over with her hands covering her face, sobbing. My heart cracks again at the sight. Elle is right, I need to go to her and talk her down off of the edge. Brianna is practically trying to commit relationship suicide and its all those freaking tabloids' fault, like a damn cyberbully, and there's no way I'm going to continue to let her be their victim.
My feet once again rush over to where she is, still hunched over and crying her eyes out. "Bree, please..." I say as I bend down in front of her. She doesn't move so I instinctually step closer and wrap my arms around her.
"Don't go." I whisper.
"Zack, I'm so confused." Her voice cracks as the sobs once again break through.
"Bree, nothing is going to keep me away from you, certainly not some bloodthirsty tabloids that just want our destruction. That picture, that moment...it's when I realized I loved you. Not Colleen. You." My hands reach up to pull her face to mine, just like Elle forced me to listen moments ago. "I'm so glad the world got to see it because I could never love anyone more than I love you."
Her sobs return full force, but her arms rise to wrap around me, pulling me close as well. "I never thought any differently, Zack. I knew you wouldn't do what they said, deep down."
I want to question her about this whole scene if that's the truth, but I don't want to let her go. I don't want her to step away when I finally have my Bree back and the diva long gone. So instead I stay where we are, holding each other on the driveway. I run my hand down her back, cradling her in my arms. Consoling her with my actions and reassuring her that she can't scare me off that easily, I realize I need to put these emotions into words.
"Bree, we have to show them they can't ruin this. It runs too deep between us to tear apart. Please don't let them get into your head."
My words are whispered but her body jolts just the same. "It's not the papers, not what they said that's confused me as much as..." Her voice breaks off. She's hesitant to be honest with me.
"Hey," I tell her, "You don't have to be scared to tell me anything, ever. Do you hear me? We have nothing if we aren't honest with each other. So tell me, whatever it is."
Brianna pulls away to look up at me, her face stained with tears and make up. I could care less as long as she's still here fighting for us.
She takes a deep breath before speaking. "Actually, it's Char."
"Char? What do you mean?" I push a few strands of her hair away from her face, urging her to keep talking.
"She's been warning me, telling me this would blow up in my face." Brianna shakes her head ruefully. "I mean, it does look like she was right. The paparazzi pounced the second they had the chance. But what Char meant was that I needed to be really careful around you."
"Me? I really don't get it, Bree. What are you trying to say?"
"After Logan, and all of the opportunistic people in my life, including my parents Zack, she didn't think I should trust you the way I have. She told me all the time to watch my back, to keep things to myself. Once that letter showed up, she really went into overdrive about ending the contract early."
I step back and put my hands up. "Whoa, she wanted you to fire me?" I've had lingering concerns about Char this entire time, second-guessing myself every step of the way. But it looks like my instincts were on point.
"Basically. Even after the roses on my bed." Brianna laughs bitterly. "She thought maybe you had done that."
"What!" I can't believe Char has been planting this shit in her head the entire time. The entire time!
"While you were gone that morning, packing your stuff to come here, she kept telling me to go to a hotel. Alone. That I should just hide out for a couple of days, that Clinton had things under control. I told her no, because at that point I just wanted as far away from Hollywood as possible." Brianna looks up at me, wiping tears off of her cheeks. "And I really wanted time with you. I told her not to worry. That everything would be better if I just left."
"Let me guess, she threw those words back in your face." I've crossed my arms at this point. I wish this was all Char's way of looking out for Brianna, which I wouldn't fault her for at all, but this seems like she's undermining me every chance she gets. That I can fault her for, and I will if that's the case. Which I'm pretty sure it is, so looks like I've got something to fault her for.
"She did, just before I came to you. Char thinks the only way to kill this story is for me to return by myself and perform at the Diva Tribute tomorrow night."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa..." I put my hands up. "I told her to cancel that. There was no way you needed that kind of pressure right now. She told me she would handle it."
"I guess she didn't. But I think she does have a point, Zack. If I show up looking unfazed, the story will go away quicker."
I stand in place, looking Brianna right in the eyes when I ask the next question. "Why didn't you just tell me all of this Bree? Why did you put up those walls and shut me out?" My words are quiet, my tone even. But my heart is pounding because I'm not sure I'll like her answer.
Brianna looks away from me, across the driveway and off into the distance of the pasture, towards the stable and beyond. "Because, Zack, you're too good to have to deal with all of this. With the pressure of fame and all eyes watching you at all times. It will break you. It will break us eventually, so I thought..."
"You thought if you walked away now, it would save us heartache later on." I finish for her.
Brianna just nods, looking down at the ground now. "I was wrong, Zack. So wrong. This hurts more than I thought possible."
"That's because it is wrong. We shouldn't be trying to save each other from heartache, Bree. We should be holding on as tightly as possible. This is the real thing, and not many people are as lucky as we are to find it."
I step close to her again, once more putting my arms around her and drawing her close. I press my lips to the top of her head as she puts her arms around my back, holding on with everything she has.
I lean down, bringing my lips to her ear. Then I whisper my final question. "Are you in this with me? Are you ready to fight for us, baby?"
She nods. "I'm ready to fight all of them with you, Zack. I'm so sorry I almost gave up. Thank you for not letting me."
"Never, babe. I'll never let you give up." My arms tighten around her when I feel her sigh of relief. This whole thing has been exhausting, but I think it may have brought us to a deeper level together. If we can weather these storms, then nothing can separate us.
"Now, can I have my job back?" I ask with just a little tease in my voice. Then I kiss her cheek.
"No." Brianna's reply is firm.
"What?" I pull back in surprise.
"Clinton is my bodyguard now. I messaged him right after talking to Char, but I think it's for the best. I just need you to be my boyfriend."
I can handle that. "That's the best job, anyway. I think I'm pretty good at it, too." I wink. "But what am I going to do for money, now?" I laugh. I don't need anything right away. I've saved every paycheck from Brianna. And each one was more than I made in six months at the dojo. I'm set for a while.
"You are good at it. We'll figure out the rest."
"Yes, we will." I emphasize the we. It's the two of us now. I lean down and touch her lips lightly with my own. Then my hands press into her back, drawing her close, holding her there. She kisses me back with relief, with apology. And with love.
When I pull away, it's with a renewed sense of purpose. It's time to slay some dragons. "Do you still want to show everyone they haven't torn us apart?"
There's a sparkle in her eyes and finally a smile on her face. "Why? What do you have up your sleeve, now?"
I smirk. "Oh, just something that will stop that story in its tracks. Are you willing to put everything out there?"
Brianna gives a tilt of her head. "Just what do you have in mind? The look on your face is making me nervous."
"Oh, you shouldn't be worried. It's nothing a little pie won't fix." I wink at her and walk us back into the house. That pie better be ready and waiting for us by now. And I'm eating the entire piece this time. I might even add some ice cream.
Did I redeem myself???? Brianna had too many voices in her head telling her what to do, as usual. Thankfully she finally listened to the one voice telling her the truth, Zack's. What are your thoughts now?
To be honest, this chapter went a different way than originally planned, which means the next two chapters will experience a domino effect. I'm a little off balance right now, but I think it's headed in the right direction.
Problem: I'm out of Niall songs that fit the plot. The few left( On My Own, Too Much To Ask, & This Town) don't really work for the rest. So, any 1D suggestions?? I'm thinking maybe 'Wolves' or 'Don't Forget Where You Belong' because he co-wrote those as well. What about you?