swore i'd never fall in love again but i fell hard

Zacky laughed looking at Matt, "Yeah I need to go to the store." Zacky said getting up and laying his guitar down on the sofa. "You can come with me since you stay over here just as much as I do." Zacky grinned walking with Matt out to his car. He took and got in and backed out heading for the store. "So why don't you stay at your own home?" Zacky asked as he took and pulled into the grocery store lot and got out.

---

Ariana sighed as she got dressed. She took and walked out as she got in her car. She headed for the house she'd purchased to see how the renovations were going. She saw they were on track and it shouldn't be longer. She didn't like taking McKenna's room, which used to be her own bedroom. She sighed and pulled up at the store. She had power and everything. She took and got out walking inside to do some grocery shopping. She grabbed a cart and walked through the store.

Charlotte drove over to the store, laughing at her son who was babbling in the car, talking to his little Simba toy. It didn't take her long to get there, she still knew all the short cuts even though she'd only just moved home. After she found out she was pregnant, she dropped out of school and moved across the country to live with her aunt. She gave birth there and lived there until Christian turned one. Her parents convinced her to move home, making her feel guilty that they'd only met their grandson once. She'd only been home for about two months so she was still living with them. When she got to the store, she put Christian into a cart with a baby seat and headed inside.

---

Matt groaned when Zacky said he could go to the store with him. He knew it was only fair, but he was still tired from tour and wanted nothing more than to lay on Zacky's sofa while his friend went and got the food for him. He grabbed his wallet from the side and followed Zacky out the front door and into his car. He shrugged when Zacky asked him why he stayed at his so often. "Don't know," he said, looking out the window. He didn't want to admit that his house was too quiet. Since finishing high school he'd been around the guys constantly, and now they were having a break at home, it was weird.

Zacky took and got out with Matt going into the grocery store. He grabbed a cart and stretched a little pushing it through the store. He began grabbing random stuff and meats. "Since you stay over so much grab what you want man." Zacky told Matt going through each isle of the store.

---

Ariana stood in the meat section. She knew Brian was going to be coming to her parent's place tonight. She got some steaks to help her dad make. She took and hummed lightly going onward. She took and bit on her lip a little as she kept glancing at the various items debating on what to get and all.

"What shall we get for dinner tonight, baby?" She asked Christian, stroking the side of his face gently as she pushed the cart down one of the isles. In reply to his mom, Christian yelled 'hi' pretty loudly, making one of the older ladies in the same isle turn around and coo at the baby. Charlotte laughed quietly when her baby shouted 'hi' at the lady. She pushed her cart away, picking up some salad stuff to go with the dinner. Her parents refused to let her contribute towards the bills, so Charlotte tried to pick up dinner as often as she could.

---

Matt nodded, walking down the isle beside Zacky. He had to think they must look pretty funny - two large guys, covered in tattoos pushing a cart down the isle as they shopped together. "Invite everyone over and I'll do us a barbecue," he grinned, clapping Zacky on the back. "I'll get some cases of beers too," he added, because he'd had pretty much all his meals at Zacky's since they've been back, and he wanted to thank him.

@ Jackson Teller;

Zacky nodded his head to Matt and grinned, "Yeah sounds good." He smiled at Matt. He heard a kid hollering out and chuckled softly. "Babies are cute." Zacky said remembering when his nephew was born. He smiled to himself and took and turned the corner smashing right into a cart. "Shit." He looked up and looked at the woman and kid, "I am so sorry." Zacky said to her. He looked at her a second she looked familiar but he couldn't put a finger on it.

---

Ariana took and sighed seeing the isle she needed to go down crowded. She rolled her eyes hearing her phone go off. She took and turned her cart around, "What Brian?" She asked talking to her brother. She rolled her eyes again listing to her brother as she piddled around waiting on the isle to clear so she could get what she needed.

Matthew raised an eyebrow when Zacky said babies were cute, because damn, that was something he wasn't expecting to hear from the guitarist. He didn't even acknowledge Zacky banging into another cart because his eyes caught sight of a very familiar person and his heart stopped for a moment. Even though she'd dyed her hair, he still recognised her instantly. In front of him was his ex-girlfriend who he hadn't seen since they graduated high school. They hadn't spoken since the night of the party, either. Well, he'd tried to talk to her, but she wasn't having any of it. He left Zacky, walking ahead, biting down on his lower lip before speaking. "Hey, Ari," he murmured, a little soft smile on his features. God, she looked so gorgeous with dark hair.

---

Charlotte jumped, letting out a surprised noise when someone crashed into the front of her cart, dazed for a moment before checking if Christian was okay. She looked up from her son, her stomach twisting in knots and a not-so-subtle look of horror appearing on her features. She looked down at her son, and then back at Zacky before anger soared through her. "Fuck you," she spat, turning her cart around and walking back down the isle in the opposite direction from her baby's father, who didn't even seem to recognise her. She exhaled a shaky breath, blinking away the tears in her eyes.

Zacky stood there dumbfounded. He took and shrugged it off and sighed. He looked around for Matt seeing him talking to some girl. He rolled his eyes heading up front. He took and saw the girl and got behind her in the line. He stood there and knew she looked familiar to him. He took and bit his snake bite and sighed. It then hit him, it couldn't be Charlotte. She just up and left. He shrugged it off again sighing.

---

Ariana stopped cold in her tracks hearing the voice. She slowly turned around seeing Matt standing there. She felt the tears forming as she blinked them back. She bit hard on her lip swallowing the lump that had formed. She narrowed her eyes, "Fuck you." She said turning around walking off. She felt her heart breaking into a million pieces. She did not want to go through this again.

Charlotte headed to the tills to pay, wanting to get out of the shop as quickly as possible. In that moment, she instantly regretted moving back to Huntington. She thought she'd managed to get away from Zacky, so relaxed a little as she waited to pay. She couldn't help but jump when Christian yelled out a loud 'hi' at the person behind Charlotte in the queue, and she laughed quietly at her son. "You funny little boy, Mr Hudson," she murmured, picking her son up and lifting him onto her hip, oblivious to Zacky standing behind her.

---

Matt blinked in surprise when his ex cursed at him, and he frowned, quickly following her and catching up with her. "Please, I just... how are you?" He asked, his voice quiet and kind of sad. He hated that she still hadn't forgiven him but that didn't really surprise him. He'd grown up a lot in the two years since high school and the more he thought about how he treated her - he felt fucking awful.

(I had no idea you'd posted honey! Sorry sweetie!)

Zacky watched Charlotte lift the tiny boy up. He grinned at the boy and made small faces causing the boy to laugh. He took and grabbed his phone feeling it vibrate. He took and read the text from Johnny and replied back. He knew the line was moving slowly as he began playing around on his phone.

---

Ariana stopped looking at him, "I was great till I came in here." She hissed at him and narrowed her eyes. Her brown orbs staring into Matt's hazel ones. She let a sigh escape her lips. She could tell he wasn't the same, he'd grew up. But it didn't excuse the fact of what he done that night and broke her. "I have to go--" She said lightly and sighed and pushed her cart up to the second check out line so she could get checked out and get ready to go into work that night.

@ Jackson Teller;

[it's fine, i went to bed anyway ]

Charlotte kissed the top of the boy's head when she heard him laughing, turning around to see what he was looking at. She felt the familiar, uncomfortable twist in her stomach and she turned around, kissing the top of her son's head. Obviously Zacky had no idea who she was and thankfully hadn't made the connection that Christian was his son. The little boy looked up at her with a big smile, dimples in his cheeks that he inherited from her, but with big warm eyes that were the exact same colour as Zacky's. Sometimes she got a little upset when she looked at her son, thinking of everything that she went through, and how alone she was for all of it. But she couldn't imagine her life without Christian and she loved him more than anything in the world.

---

Matt only nodded when Ariana said she had to go, but he couldn't find it in himself to just walk away again. He quickly walked along beside her. "You look really good, brown hair suits you." He murmured, a small hesitant smile on his features. Brian would probably kill him if he knew he was talking to his sister again, especially after how he treated her last time. It had taken weeks for the guitarist to forgive him properly.

Zacky looked at the woman and smiled warmly as he could, "Your son is cute." Zacky told her and smiled a little. It finally dawned on him who she was. But it couldn't be her. Her mom said that she'd left town when they'd literally about had him thrown in jail. He looked at her, "Charlotte?" He asked lightly not wanting to make a fool of himself.

---

Ariana put her food on the thing and looked at Matt, "Thanks." She said lightly and pushed the cart up for the bagger to put the bags in. She kept her eyes forward and away from Matt's gaze. She sighed a little and chewed her lip. "You look good, too." She replied lightly before paying and walking out to her car.

Charlotte held Christian closer to his chest when Zacky mumbled that he was cute, not even wanting the man to look at him. Her son was a complete traitor though, because he yelled 'hi' at Zacky again. Charlotte would laugh if it was anyone else that Christian was yelling at. She turned to look at Zacky when he called her by her name, nodding before turning back to face the front of the queue. Luckily, the queue starting moving and she pushed her cart forwards a few paces.

---

Matt couldn't help but smile a little when Ariana said he looked good too, and he followed her outside towards her car. "How was NYC?" He asked, only knowing that she definitely went because Brian told him about it. "Here, let me help you." He said, pulling some of the bags out of the cart so Ariana wouldn't have to. He didn't want her to leave just yet - it was the first time he'd seen her in two years.

Zacky couldn't believe it was her. He took a breath and bit down on his lip. She was fucking stunning. He took and smiled a little and watched the young boy scream out hi again. He let a soft chuckle escape his lips. "Um...How have you been?" Zacky asked lightly knowing that was stupid since what he and the guys had done to her.

---

Ariana let a soft sigh escape her lips putting some in the back of her SUV. "It was good." She said and pushed the cart to the cart holder. She took and walked back to her SUV and looked at Matt. "I have to go now." She said going to the driver's side and getting up in the vehicle.

Charlotte rubbed her son's back lightly as she waited in line to pay. She couldn't have picked a longer line to wait in which was the most annoying thing. Having a baby had done wonders for her. After giving birth to Christian, she worked hard on getting in shape, took more pride in her appearance and actually bothered to look up the current fashion trends. She rolled her eyes when Zacky spoke to her again, and she turned to face him, an angry expression on her features. "I have nothing to say to you," She muttered, turning around and thankfully, it was her turn to pay.

---

Matthew frowned softly when the girl still wouldn't properly talk to her and he moved around to the side of the vehicle where she had just got in. "Look, Zacky's throwing a barbecue later and everyone's coming," he said, biting down on his lower lip lightly for a moment. "Your brother is too, and it would be great if you could come." He said with a little shrug.

Zacky sighed and watched her pay for her things as he put his up to pay. "Look I know what I done was horrible. That don't begin to describe it. I really am sorry." He apologized a little. He saw her ignoring him and sighed as he took and handed the woman the money for her groceries, "Consider it a sorry gift or whatever." He told Charlotte.

---

Ariana sat in her vehicle and sighed. She didn't have to work tonight she just made that as an excuse. She sighed and shrugged, "Maybe." She said looking at Matt. "I really have to go, sorry." She said lightly shutting her door and backing out. She headed to her home and sighed closing her eyes a little. God she was a mess now.

Charlotte nearly saw red she was so angry when Zacky handed the money over for her groceries as a sorry gift. "Do you really think this makes up for what you did to me?!" She snapped, her voice loud, making Christian jump and whine. She placed her baby back down in the seat in the cart before turning to look at Zacky. "You have no idea what you and your friends put me through." She said, her voice softer and sadder. She blinked the tears away from her eyes before pushing the cart out of the store.

---

Matthew only nodded, letting out a quiet sigh when Ariana repeated that she had to go. He watched her drive off doubting that she would show up later that night, but it was worth a shot. He was even thinking about calling Brian and convincing him to persuade Ari to show up to the barbecue. Of course he'd had other girls while on tour, but being back home and seeing Ariana made him feel loads of regrets about fucking up the relationship in the first place.

@ Jackson Teller;

Zacky quickly paid for his and sighed. He rushed out and looked at her, "I am sorry. Yeah it doesn't make up for the awful damn thing I done." Zacky looked at her. "But let me try. I really do think you're amazing and all. I'd really like to make it up to you some how." Zacky said following behind Charlotte. It dawned on him about her just dropping out of school. "Did I get you--" He paused a second and shook his head sighing. "Look I am having a barbecue tonight. Your son and you are welcome to come. I mean, I know it's whatever. But I really am sorry for the shit I put you through. I really am." Zacky said sighing and walking over to his charger and putting the bags in.

---

Ariana pulled into her driveway and took her food inside and put it up. She saw the workers done and cleaning up their mess. She smiled glad she'd get to be in her house tonight. She headed up to her room seeing everything in order. The house looked amazing. She sighed sitting on the bed and leaning forward. If she took and went, it'd be like she was giving in. She took and laid back on the bed not knowing what to do.

Charlotte sighed quietly as she listened to Zacky talking, looking down at her son who was just so oblivious of everything going on. She looked over at Zacky when he left and walked towards his car before she headed to her own. She was scared about going to Zacky's, about him finding out that Christian was his. She was pregnant for nine months on her own, and then raised him on her own, she didn't want some guy showing up and taking her son from her. She put Christian in his car seat before loading the bags into the car and getting in herself. She didn't know what to do, really.

---

Matthew waited by Zacky's car after Ariana had left, watching his friend talk to some girl with ginger hair and a baby. The same baby that he called cute earlier. "Who was that?" He asked, helping Zacky load some of the bags into the car. "She kind of looks familiar," he mentioned, before getting in the passenger seat of Zacky's car.