Lips That Need No Introduction

"Are you sure it's no problem?" I asked as Tevan waddled over to Papa Gates while I spoke to Suzy in their hotel room.

Zacky had already left with the guys earlier to do who knows what. I only prayed they didn't get into any trouble. The girls and I were going to go bar hopping for the evening just so we could relax and let loose for a bit.

"Hun we've raised four kids between the two of us. Tevan will be no problem." She insisted as she waved absentmindedly to where Papa Gates was now playing with a very excited Tevan.

"You guys go and have fun and don't worry about us here." She said as she literally shoved us out the door. I blinked a few times as she waved bye and shut the door. I chuckled lightly. Suzy knew I was sort of apprehensive about going out tonight, especially since we weren't with the guys.

"Well, off we go!" Val stated as she linked arms with me and drug me from the door and down the hallway to the elevators.

"So, just bars right?" I asked as we got into the limo that the guys had arranged for us for the entire evening.

"Maybe." Leana said as she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Oh you'll see." Michelle said.

Frankly, I hated surprises with this crew. You just never knew what you were going to get and it wasn't always what you wanted.

One by one, the list of clubs and bars we were hitting came and went. Nothing too eventful happened. I got hit on a few times but as soon as they caught sight of my wedding ring they would back off very quickly. The funniest was when they would look around frantically for my missing in action husband before shuffling away in fear. I didn't drink too much. One or two mixed drinks was the extent of my binge. I didn't feel like getting hammered and thankfully neither did the other girls. It was just a night to be chill. I had just finished another drink and was feeling a tad bit tipsy. After three was typically when things started to go downhill for me and therefore was when I cut myself off for the night.

"So where to now?" I questioned once we were back in the limo. I knew of most of the bars in the San Diego area and I honestly couldn’t really think of any major ones that we had left untouched.

"Well," Val started with a smirk on her face. She looked so much like Matt it was scary. "We're going to go crash the guys' party." My eyes widened a bit at the news but I really could only chuckle.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I asked through a light laugh.

"Yeah. Matt knows we're coming." Val insisted.

"Where are they exactly?" I asked uneasily.

"Where else? Strip club in the Sports Arena area." I lifted my palm to my head and shook it knowing full well this wasn't going to be pretty. The Sports Arena area was one of the older areas of San Diego and therefore was where the sleazy strip clubs were at. There were also a few nicer ones as well and I was betting that's where the guys were.

"Ahem… it's called a gentleman's club." Michelle said in a very good tone that impersonated her boyfriend.

"Oh yeah. Because we all know our men are such gentlemen." Leana scoffed gently making the rest of us laugh. She had hit the nail on the head. Zacky could be a gentleman when he felt like it but it didn’t happen often to be honest, especially when he was around the guys.

I was pretty quiet for the remainder of the ride, mostly from the apprehension of going to crash with the guys. Something felt off and I really was dreading it. I didn't get gut feelings often but when I did it usually wasn't good. I tried to tell myself that it was nothing and that it was really just the nerves of a group of girls going into a gentlemen's club that was giving me these feelings.

The limo stopped at our destination and I actually contemplated staying inside of it just so I didn’t have to go in. I let the rest of the girls climb out first and hoped that maybe they wouldn’t notice I wasn't behind them and just go in.

No such luck.

"You coming babe?" Lacey asked as she stuck her head in to look at me.

"Would it be alright if I said no?" With a slight chuckle she climbed back in for a moment.

"What's wrong?"

"Something just doesn’t feel right." I explained to the best of my ability.

"Everything is going to be fine. Come on. The guys are waiting for us inside." I groaned as she dragged me out of the limo and toward the waiting door of the 'club'.

In all actuality I felt as if I was approaching my doom. I really hated strip clubs and they really weren’t my thing. The rest of the girls never minded but there was just something about them that just didn’t sit right with me. Most likely it was because there were half naked women in the same room as Zacky and they didn't have the name Katie Baker. Seemed like a logical fear to me.

I walked behind the other girls and wasn't really paying attention to where we were going. The top of my head bumped into something as the person came to a stop in front of me.

Apparently it had been Lacey and I had hit my head on the back of her since I wasn't looking. She whipped around with wide eyes and grabbed me by the arm.

The look on her face told me that something indeed wasn't right and I was about to see something I wouldn't be happy about.

She tried to block my view but since she was smaller than me it was a useless attempt.

As I peered around her I caught sight of my black haired green eyed husband enjoying a lap dance from a scantily clad girl who looked barely over the age of eighteen. She was grinding her hips down into his now apparent bulge in his jeans and he had his hands on her hips. To make matters worse, his lips were pressed against her neck.

Lacey was trying to pull me away from the sight but it seemed that my feet were glued to the spot on the burgundy carpet where I stood.

I could feel my eyes narrowing as I watched him enjoy what she was doing to him. Instead of the tears I was expecting to have, I was overcome with anger and I could feel it pumping through my blood very quickly.

The boys seemed to have caught sight of us, with the exception of Zacky, and were now staring wide eyed at me. With one shake I had gotten Lacey to release my arm. The other girls had by now stepped out of the way knowing that if they didn't they would simply be flattened in my rage.

The invisible glue that had been holding me down was now gone and my feet were carrying me closer to the scene before me. Zacky caught sight of me and his eyes widened immensely before he pushed the girl off of him and straightened up as he sat in the chair at the end of the table.

Brian made the mistake of standing up between us. "Katie." He said in a warning tone.

"You sit your ass back down Haner before I stick my heel so far up it you won't be able to sit for a fucking week." I snarled in his face. His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed and he sat back down quickly.

My path was clear once more and I continued on to where Zacky was staring wide eyed at me with his mouth opening and closing.

The girls stood up from the ground where she had been pushed and was now standing in front of me; yet again someone was blocking my path. I clenched my fists at my side and told myself to control my anger in front of the whore. I was saving it all for Zacky at this point.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? If he wants a lap dance then he can have one." She said in a snotty tone. I laughed lowly under my breath and gave her a vicious look.

"I'm the wife. That's who the fuck I am. And you, are the bitch standing in the way of me and my husband." I said as I leaned in closer to her. "I suggest if you want your plastic work to still be in tact you get lost before I shred you alive." I whispered menacingly.

"Is that a threat?" She asked while placing a hand on her hips.

"You better damn well believe it is." By now one of the bouncers for the club had turned up but as soon as he caught sight of my wedding ring he chuckled and decided to just hang back off to the side. I think we all knew that the guys would step in if things got out of hand but until then Zacky was all mine.

The girl gave up and shrunk off and out of sight, which was the smart move on her part.
Being tired of having people step in my way, I took a few bigger steps and was soon standing beside Zacky.

He rose to his feet and remained silent as I started at him, the malice and anger very apparent in my usually calm blue eyes.

I could feel the guilt radiating off of him. His lips quivered as he searched for something to say but he decided against anything and just kept his mouth closed. I felt my eyes water slightly at the guilty look that he was giving me.

My hand raised up and I let my open palm connect with his cheek, turning his face to the side. He straightened his jaw but accepted the slap he had very well deserved.

"How could you Zack? You said we were enough for you." I whispered as a tear fell from my left eye, taking a bit of my eyeliner with it.

"Katie, I…" I raised my hand and he quieted. He wasn't allowed to talk as far as I was concerned.

"Save it Zack. I don't mind a lap dance. But you were kissing her fucking neck. Is she better than me? Is that what it was? You just couldn't resist her could you?" He opened his mouth but I yet again shut him up. Only this time it was with yet another slap as more tears fell. He shut his eyes and tried to grab onto my arm gently but I pulled away from him with force. I lowered my eyes not even wanting to look into his green ones.

I turned to face the guys and let a solemn expression cross over my features. "Thanks guys. Thanks for watching out for me." I said lowly as I turned heel and bolted out of the club.

I heard Zacky calling my name frantically but by the time he exited the door in a hurry I was already inside a cab that I had hailed and was taking off.

"Where to Miss?" The cabby asked politely. I let out a sniff as I wiped at my eyes.

"Coronado please. Just anywhere along the beach is fine with me." I sniffed again and tried to keep my composure until I was out of the cab. I knew it would take us at least fifteen minutes to get over the bridge and onto the island however. The cab driver noticed my discomfort and passed back a tissue for me as we stopped at a red light.

"Thank you." I whispered as I wiped at my eyes.

I stared silently out the window as we drove through downtown San Diego toward the five so we could get across the bridge. My phone buzzed away in my pocket and eventually I got tired of it and promptly shut it off in the middle of Zacky trying to call me for probably what was the fifth or sixth time. More tears flooded my eyes as I looked out over the water of the San Diego Bay.

How could Zacky do that to me? Just yesterday he had told me I was plenty for him and that he loved me and then tonight I found him sucking some girl's neck. I knew I shouldn't have gone in. I knew it. Yet again, my gut was telling me not to but I didn’t have a choice. Life was out to get me tonight and it did a hell of a job.

We pulled up in front of a stretch of beach a ways down from the Hotel Del and I pulled my wallet out of my purse to pay.

"It's on me tonight. You look like you've had a rough enough night." I gave the young guy a small smile and thanked him again. He nodded as I shut the door and he peeled away from the curb leaving me standing there, staring out at the sand.

I pulled my heels off of my feet and carried them out into the sand. Once I was fairly close to the water I fell down onto the sand and started sobbing. I knew there would be trials while married but I really didn’t expect Zacky to go that far. The other thing that was bothering me was how the guys could let something like that happen. How could they just sit there and let Zacky do that in front of them knowing full well he wasn't available. He had a fucking daughter no less!

Speaking of Tevan I hoped Papa Gates and Suzy wouldn't mind watching her tonight. If I had it my way I would be staying here until the sun rose. I had absolutely no desire to go back and face everyone. For all I cared I would be content with not seeing them for the remainder of the vacation.

I brought my knees up so I could rest my head on them as the sobs continued to rack my body. I stared out at the moon's reflection on the water as the water ran down my cheeks. It seemed appropriate to cry at the beach. If I felt like it I would go out into the water where my salty tears could become one with the salt water of the ocean. But frankly, I didn’t feel like getting all wet for nothing.

It was slightly chilly out tonight and me being in clubbing clothes means that I wasn’t really dressed for cool weather. When you add the fact that my body was already shivering from my crying it just made things worse.

"Katie!" I heard a voice call out from in the distance. I couldn't tell who it was but I really didn't care. I wasn't going to answer. I was far enough toward the water that I hoped I was hidden by the small hill that the sand made as the tide went out. I quieted my sobs so as not to be found as the voice neared me more.

By this point I could tell it was Zacky and it only made me even more angry and upset that he was looking for me. He needed to just leave me alone for the night.

I didn’t want to hear what he had to say because I didn’t think anything was going to be good enough. Nothing could calm me down tonight so what was the point in listening?

I let out a sigh and hid my face in my knees as I heard his footsteps get closer. They paused and his sigh informed me that I had been spotted. I closed my eyes as I heard him come closer and sit down a few feet from me. He didn’t touch me and I had a feeling it was out of fear of being hit again.

I hoped he was scared. I wanted him to be sad, depressed, hurt, and guilty. But most of all I wanted him to feel bruised and battered because that's how my heart felt.

After what I knew had to be at least ten minutes of silence my anger took over me again.

My head snapped up and I glared in his direction. "I hate you right now." I spat as I stood up. He rose his head from where it had been hiding as well and stood up in front of me. His green eyes were now blood shot and it was easy to tell he had been crying as well.

Good.

"I fucking hate you. How could you do this to me? You're a fucking douchebag Zack!" I screamed. He shoved his hands into his pockets and nodded.

"I know." He muttered lamely.

"I know? That's all you've got to say? You know? No Zack. I don't think you do know. You've got a family now Zack. What were you thinking? That you could just forget about me and Tevan for a night? Go out with the guys, get drunk and maybe get a fuck in there too?" I snarled as I took a step closer to him.

His eyes widened at my words and he shook his head frantically making his black hair shake around in the air. "No way Katie. I wasn't going to fuck her I swear."

"Oh you weren’t?" Well you sure looked like you were on your way to!" I threw my arms into the air and waved them around widely. "What was I supposed to think huh? All I saw was my husband with some tramp on his lap. You were sucking her neck and were looking pretty turned on to me." I trailed off quietly as I dropped my arms.

"I get it." I nodded. "I'm not enough for you. Do I not satisfy you enough? Is that it? I'm not blonde enough for you? My boobs are too small? What is it Zacky? What the hell is wrong with me?" I asked in a small voice as tears yet again flooded my eyes.

"Nothing! Katie nothing is wrong with you. I don’t know what I was thinking. I was pretty buzzed and I guess she came over to where we were sitting. It didn’t even register as to what was happening. I wasn't thinking straight and while I know that is no excuse it's the truth. I love you more than anything and damn it all I screwed up big time."

"You got that right." I mumbled as I turned and started to walk away from him. Zacky reached out and grabbed my arm pulling me back and into him. I closed my eyes and let more sobs escape as he wrapped his arms around me.

"I hate you. I hate you. I hate you!" I yelled as I pounded my fists into his chest. He took the abuse and just stood there holding me as I cried. "And yet, I still love you." I whispered as I let out a big breathe.

"I love you too. And I'm so fucking sorry. No one can ever replace you in my life. I think we've all learned after tonight that strip clubs just aren’t for us anymore; especially since we have families. I just need you to know that I wasn't going to fuck her. I swear on my life." I pulled out of his arms and sat back down on the ground.

"You've got a lot to prove to me now. I hope you know that." I grumbled in self annoyance that I had sort of forgiven him this easily. I knew it was going to take time to heal these wounds and I wasn't about to go back to things being normal any time soon. No way in hell was that going to happen.

"You've done it once. What's to stop you from doing it again?" I questioned as he sat down beside me and hesitantly put his arm around my shoulder.

"I'm going to stop me from doing it again. I love you too much to lose you. I was worried sick you had skipped out on me forever earlier. I think I was in hysterics when we left the club after you. Matt told me to sleep on it and that we could work things out tomorrow but I wouldn’t have any of that. I screwed up and I needed to find you and fix it tonight." I turned my head so it was in his chest.

"I'm so fucking sorry Katie and I know saying that will never be enough. I love you and I know I did a shitty job at showing it tonight but I promise I'll make it up to you. I'll fix things. I will." He sniffed and I felt a wet tear of his land on my nose as he pressed his head down against mine.

"I'm so sorry." He kept mumbling into my hair as we sat there in the sand.

Zacky leaned down to press his lips to mine but I turned my head so that they landed on my cheek instead. I wasn't that forgiving yet. He let out a sigh and nodded admitting that he deserved that.

Zacky pulled me up to my feet and cautiously grabbed a hold of my hand. I let him do so and we started to walk back toward the hotel which was lit up against the dark night sky.

Zacky and I both knew there was still a long ways to go to repair this fuck up of his. A simple sorry wasn't all that was needed this time around. He had a lot to prove that he wouldn’t do it again and it was going to take some time for him to gain my trust back.

For the sake of the group and for Tevan I agreed on being civil and told him he could still hold my hand and kiss me. He just was going to have to put extra effort into things for the time being.

Marriage was about trust after all. I knew we would work things out. I still loved him and he still loved me. He just fucked up and now had to fix his mistake.

Bitterness still was concealed in my heart and I reminded myself to breathe and relax as we entered the halls of the hotel. A door down the hall opened and Matt's head appeared. I narrowed my eyes at him and glared causing him to gulp.

I was still pissed at them for letting it happen. I guess it was more a sense of disappointment rather than anger. Zacky released my hand and I entered the room that was across from the one Matt was still sticking out of.

Zacky turned and started talking to Matt but I didn't hear any of the conversation because I had already closed the door behind me.

As I peeled down and changed into my pajamas I continued to wonder why Zacky did it. I mean it was apparent he was pretty drunk, as I could tell from the smell of Jack Daniels that came out when he spoke. I didn’t want to be hard on him because I love him but at the same time he has to know that this wasn't alright and I wasn't going to stand for it to happen again.

Zacky opened the door right as I was climbing into bed. He let out a sigh and ran a hand over his face. He went into the bathroom while mumbling to himself and closed the door. I heard the shower water start to run and hoped maybe he would be able to clear his head in there.

I needed some time to cool off too. I honestly sort of expected this to happen. I mean he was of the male species after all. What else could you expect from a group of men who go to a strip club? It was bound to happen eventually so I don’t know why it upset me so much when in reality I had been expecting the worst. At least he hadn't slept with her; I did have to give him credit for that.

I rolled over onto my side and pretended to be asleep when he came out of the shower. I listened as he came over and sat on the edge of the bed beside me. He gently reached up and ran a hand through my hair gently. I could tell his hand was shaking which sort of made me feel bad.

"Thank you God. Thank you that I didn't lose her tonight. I don’t think I could live with myself if I did. She's the only girl I've actually really truly loved and I can't imagine my life without her. She's one of a kind and I thank you for sending her to me. She's my angel in disguise I suppose. I only hope I can find some way to make it up to her." He let out a big sigh and my heart ached at his words.

I felt the bed shift as his weight left and then returned again behind me. Still in my faux slumber I rolled over and into his chest. He wrapped his strong arms around me and placed a tender kiss on my forehead. I inhaled his scent and immediately felt at home in his arms.

We would get through this. I knew we would. We had to because I love him too much to ever leave his side.