Denial

"So do you think she knows he's there?" Val asked, as she stood in the doorway of the spare bedroom next to Jimmy that next morning.

"I don't know. But odds if she did she's not gonna remember it. You know what happens due to her being such a heavy sleeper." Val nodded and but her lip.

"True, very true."

"So should we wake her up just incase or...?"

"I say we let 'em be. That way if she wakes up and freaks, we can here the big explosion." Jimmy laughed and Val smacked his arm.

"No! That is so evil, now get it together Jimmy."

"Alright, alright. But in all honesty, I think we should just leave 'em be. They look peaceful."

"No you don't, you just want to hear her yell as soon as she wakes up." Val protested.

"Yeah, yeah you're right. Now let's go!" He grabbed her arm dragging her out of the room and slamming the door a little too hard on the way out.

"Oops!"

"You idiot." Val smacked his arm again.

"Sorry!" He whispered.

"Ugh. Just go." She ordered.

"Hey why are you placing orders when this was my idea?"

"Go."

"Agreed."

Leny's Point Of View...

My eyes gently fluttered open at the sound of a slamming door. Probably just Jimmy. He has a tendency to do that. I thought to myself, closing my eyes again before taking notice of someones arm draped over my waist. I relaxed when I remembered that Jimmy had stayed with me last night so that I could sleep through out the night. I turned over on my other side and snuggled into him trying to go back to sleep. Suddenly I had a thought, an epiphany, something hit me. If Jimmy just walked out slamming the door...Then who am I getting cozy with? I slowly unburied my head from the impostor's chest and drug my eyes up to meet the face of Zacky. I nearly screamed and shoved him out of bed.

"Hey, hey! What's wrong?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Will you relax?"

"Let go of me."

"Just chill okay?" He said, rubbing his eyes ans sitting up. I guess he was still trying to put his brains together too. I scrambled to the other side of the bed preparing to dash out of the room. "Helena." I stopped in an instant as he called my name. I just sat there, one foot off the bed, ready to run, but froze, immobile.

"Can you please sit down for a minute?" when I didn't moved I heard him sigh. I cried out in surprise when I felt him grab my arm and pull me backwards on the bed. He then leaned over me.

"You calm now?" He asked. I simply just nodded. "Why do you act so huddled up and terrified of me? Last night, you were sleeping peacefully in my arms." He stated. I was? And then I started having sudden flash backs. Jimmy left, something to do with Leana and her sister I think Zacky said. So he stayed here with me so I could sleep. Yeah! I remember now! Uh oh. "Yeah, exactly." Zacky said, looking down at me. I guess he must have noticed the look of recognition on my face.

"Yeah well, um, thanks for...For staying with me so I could sleep." I said, getting up off the bed.

"What's the rush? got somewhere else to be?"

"Kinda." I lied.

"Fine." He sighed, laying back down and rolling over facing the wall. What is with him? I started to turn and leave but I had a gut feeling that told me to do otherwise. I sighed and sat back down on the edge of the bed.

"Zacky..." I managed to say, but nothing else. And then another silence fell over the room, once again. I didn't know what else to do at the moment, so I simply leaned over and kissed his cheek before getting up and leaving.

I sighed as I walked through the kitchen where Val sat reading a book and Jimmy sat reading the news paper.

"Since when do you guys read anything?" I asked. Walking over and taking a drink from Jimmy's coffee.

"Good Morning to you to My Little Senori-Hey!! That's mine!" I laughed lightly as I set his mug back down on the saucer in front of him.

"Good morning sweetie." Val said, looking up from her book and taking a drink of her own coffee.

"Morning."

"Sleep well?" Jimmy asked with a big grin that I caught out of the corner of my eye.

"Slept fine."

"So I take it you knew Zacky was with you?" Val inquired.

"Well I flipped at first, loss of memory I guess." Jimmy snorted. I glared over at him and he just raised the news paper higher in front of his face. "Anyway...I started to flip and run out, but he stopped me and then I had a recollection of last night so it's all good." I smiled, raising my own cup of coffee now. Val smiled back.

"Good."

"Not for me! I was hoping to hear a good argument. Haven't heard one lately and they excite me. I got used to Matt and Val's consistent arguing on a daily basis and then you had to go and take it away from me little missy! He pointed his finger at me accusingly. The least you could do is give me a good argument from you and Zack." I rolled my eyes setting my cup down on the counter top.

"Jimmy, nobody asked for your input."

"Oh trust me, you'll be begging for it one day."

"Sure, sure."

"You watch."

"Lies."

"You two cut it out." Val said, looking down at her book. Jimmy and I just smirked at each other.

"He started it."

"Nuh uh, she did."

"Jimmy that is such a line of-" I stopped mid-sentence as Zacky walked in the room and immediately poured himself a glass of orange juice.

"Morning Zack." Val spoke, not looking up from her book.

"Morning." He said, setting his glass down.

"Morning Z-Man."

"Morning Jims." I shook my head at the two childish men.

"So, you stickin' around for awhile or headin' home?" Val asked Zacky, finally putting her book down.

"I don't. Whatever appeals to me most after I go to the bathroom." He said. She just laughed and shook her head.

"Whatever floats your boat, Love." I couldn't help but feel a slight stab in the heart at this scene. I used to be able to have conversation like this with Zack when he'd come to my house. And now, here I was watching my best friend do it. Bad Karma maybe? I sighed.

I guess Zacky must have noticed the pained expression on my face because as he was headed toward the bathroom, he stopped abruptly by me, and all went silent. He leaned over and kissed me gently on the cheek.

"Just returning the favor." He said, before walking on. I finally breathed as soon as he was out of sight.

"Somebody's got it bad." Jimmy said.

"Excuse me?"

"I said, that's-that's kinda sad."

"That's what I thought." I sighed.

"I think I'm gonna go to Matt's now Val." I said, walking over to hug her.

"You sure hon?"

"Yeah, I miss him. But I definitely know where to go if I ever need to get away."

"Of course sweetie, my doors always open for you." I laughed.

"No! To Leana's Zacky's gonna suspect me here now!" She laughed.

"I'll keep that in mind." I walked over to Jimmy and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek which he greatly returned.

"Make anymore smart remarks about me and you're a dead man." I said, kissing him one more time. "I'll keep that in mind." He laughed. As soon as I walked to the front door I could hear Val talking to Jimmy.

"You're such a horrible liar ya know that? The whole, I said that's kinda sad. I could've come up with better than that." She laughed. I just shook my head and walked out, closing the door behind me.

I ended up taking a cab home, forgetting that I came with Val. I payed the man his money and stepped out of the car heading straight for Matt's house. But I caught something on Zacky's porch out of the corner of my eye. I stopped abruptly and turned in the direction of his house. I marched right up the front steps and onto the porch which I hadn't stood on for so very long do to the distance between Zacky and I. But nothing was gonna stop me now.

"Hello." I said, crossing my arms over my chest and sticking my foot out a little, mocking the movements of the person standing in front of me.

"Hello." She replied in that fake, annoying voice of hers.

"Mind if I ask what you're doing here?" I asked.

"Actually I do. But I could ask you the same thing."

"Oh the reason I'm here is none of your business." I replied. Never giving her straight answers, she didn't deserve one.

"Well, incase you haven't noticed, I'm in front of Zack's door so I'm obviously here to see him." She stated.

"That's kinda what I thought. See, he didn't want to see you in Tahiti, and he doesn't want to see you now."

"How did you know it was me?"

"A woman's instinct, something you wouldn't understand." She glared at me. I smirked.

"By the way, I heard about that accident you were in, I'm sorry." I said, putting on a fake sympathetic look. She stared me down.

"What accident?"

"Oh? You mean you were born that fake? Gee, I thought you got nose surgery, not a nose job!" I exclaimed. Now she was shooting daggers my way.

"There is nothing wrong with my nose!!"

"Nope, absolutely not. If you like fake." I laughed.

"Shut up." She spat.

"I don't have to. But would you mind telling me exactly why you keep making these failed attempts to see Zack?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because he's not here. And I have the answers as to where he's at. But if you don't talk, neither do I." She was actually dumb enough to fall for that line. Did she really think I'd tell her where he was?

"I want to try and fix things between us. I know I really messed up." I laughed. I mean I really, really laughed. I was doubled over laughing. I stood up in front of her red faced and trying to contain my laughter now.

"Zacky..Would..Never! Get back with a lying, cheating, skank, such as yourself!" I laughed again. "Why do you think he ditched you in the first place?" She clenched her fist and her teeth.

"Shut up and tell me where he is!"

"In your dreams honey! I can't help it if your that easy." I think she was about to explode.

"Now if you don't mind, you can excuse yourself from this porch. Zacky's girlfriend is here and she doesn't know hardly anything about you, and quite frankly, I don't want her to. So if you'd be so kind.." I gestured for her to leave. She huffed and marched down the porch steps. I'm surprised her heals didn't leave holes the way she tramped along. She suddenly spun around on her heal and glared at me.

"This isn't over Little Miss Helena." I just smirked and crossed my arms over my chest, leaning against a post on the porch as I watched her make a fool of herself.

"Yeah. It is." I said. She just stomped off once again and peeled out of the drive way squealing her tires. Suddenly the door flung open and I turned around to meet Tihana.

"Who just whipped outta the drive way like a maniac?" she asked, with her eyes bugged. I laughed a little.

"No one important sweetie."

"Was it Zacky?" She asked, accusation clear in her voice.

"You two have been fighting a lot lately, did you make him mad?"

"No! it wasn't Zack okay? I said it was no one important and I meant it. Now can I come in?" She eyed me skeptically for a minute.

"Oh my- It wasn't Zack alright? Ya wanna call him?" She sighed and opened the door to let me in.

I walked over and flopped down on the couch and sighed.

"Sorry." She apologized.

"I just thought ya know-"

"Yeah, yeah. It's fine."

"So what are you doing here anyway?"

"I was actually headed to see Matt, but got kinda held up."

"Yeah I heard you stayed at Val's last night. That's why Zack went over there. That's why I figured it was him."

"Yeah. But it wasn't." We got silent for a second. I felt bad. Sitting here next to someone who was supposed to be one of my best friends and going on pretending like I didn't cheat with her boyfriend. She'd probably hate me.

"Hey Ti?"

"Yeah?" She looked over.

"What would you do if Zacky ever cheated in you?"

"What?" She laughed.

"Where did that come from?" I shrugged.

"Just curious I guess."

"Huh. Well, I dunno. I never really even thought about it. I mean, you don't-You don't think he would do you?" I stayed silent, trying to avoid her gaze.

"Because you know him a lot better than I do and...I mean he wouldn't right?"

"Well normally no. He's not like that." I said, being very truthful.

"Tihana, there's something I think I should tell you." I said, biting my lower lip.

"What?" She asked, looking somewhere between confused and worried.

"Um..Well...Za-" Before I could even begin my sentence, the front door flung open to reveal Zacky. Does he have a radar on him or something?

"Hey what's u- Leny." He said soon as he realized I was sitting on his couch.

"Hello Zack." I said, averting his gaze.

"Hey Babe, Leny was just about to tell me something seemingly important." Tihana said staring at him.

"Okay." He broke his gaze from her and caught my own. I immediately looked away. This told him something. "Um, Leny. I just remembered that Matt called and said he needs to see you." Okay, now I had two choices.

I had an escape to get out of this whole mess right now.

Or I could sit hear and tell her the truth. Tell her what Zacky and I did together.

But did I want to? Did I really wanna take a chance of messing up the best relationship Zack's had in awhile and losing a best friend?

"Yeah, right. I was headed over there anyway. I got a little sidetracked." I stated, getting up from the couch and walking to the door.

"I'll see ya around Tihana."

"I'll walk you out." Zacky offered for all the wrong reasons and we were outta there before she could even blink an eye.

I sighed with relief as soon as we were outside. But as soon as we made it to the end of the sidewalk, Zacky grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him.

"You were gonna tell her. You were gonna run your mouth and make me lose the only good thing I really have left." I swallowed and looked down.

"It wasn't like that."

"Then what was it like Helena?!"

"I just thought she deserved to know the truth!"

"Oh alright. So let's say I think Matt deserves to know the truth. Maybe I should go and tell him! Huh?"

"That's different."

"It's no different, Matt's been good to you. if Tihana deserves to know the truth so does Matt." I sighed, crossing my arms and looking down.

"I'm sorry, okay? it's just, I got to thinking, and feeling bad. Putting myself in her shoes. I mean, how would I feel if I were in her place? If you were cheating on me? I'd be hurt! I'd want to know! I'd think I deserved to know!" He completely blew off all thoughts of Tihana then and there.

"Wait a second, you basically just said that you've thought about being with me." He smirked the slightest.

"I never said that." I protested.

"But you implied it." I rolled my eyes, sighing for at least the millionth time.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is Zack, I don't know why you keep cornering me into positions like this where you make it sound like I love you or I said something that I didn't but-"

"You do love me."

"Zacky-"

"You do and you know it."

"I'm leaving now. Tihana's gonna wonder what's taking so long."

"Leny!"

"Good bye Zacky." I called over my shoulder as I walked towards Matt's house. I couldn't help but noticed Zacky hit the hood of his car in frustration and was probably saying a few choice words. But it wasn't my fault. it just wasn't.

I opened the door and found myself wandering through Matt's house and into the living room where he was asleep on the couch. I smiled at the sight. I walked over and sat down next to him resting my head on his chest.

"Hmm?" He mumbled, starting to wake up. I looked up into his bright yellow eyes.

"Oh, hey baby."

"Hey." I smiled.

"Sleep well?" He just grinned and pulled me closer to him.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too, Matt."

"Did you have a nice night at Val's?" I tensed up a little wondering,

A) How did he even find out I was there?

and

B) Does he know Zacky was there?

"It was good. How did you know I was at Val's?"

"Well when I went to your house and you weren't there, I went to Jimmy's to see if you were there where you would normally be. And Leana explained the whole situation." I sighed contently knowing that he didn't know about Zacky being there, and nodded.

"Yeah. It was good to just get away from everything for awhile." Unfortunately everything didn't include Zacky, but I wasn't gonna tell him that.

"The guys are coming over later and we're all gonna hang out. we haven't done that in awhile." I laughed.

"You mean we haven't done that in three days since we were in Tahiti." He laughed a little at this too.

"Well you know what I mean." I snuggled up closer to him and closed my eyes. I missed the feeling of being next to him and it was good to be back.

"By the way baby?"

"Yeah?" I let my eyes flutter open again to look up at him.

"Sorry to disturb you babe, but I had to ask you something."

"It's alright." I smiled.

"Your favorite holiday is your birthday, correct?" I grinned.

"Yup, cause it's all about me." I yawned.

"Great. You realize it's coming up next month right?" I nodded resting my head against his chest again and closing my eyes.

"I'd never forget my favorite holiday! What are you gonna get me?"

"Oh don't you worry, I've got something real special planned." I sighed contently and fell asleep to the feeling of Matt stroking my hair, the sound of his gentle steady heartbeat, and the curious though of what in the heck he was planning for my birthday? Regardless it was always the most extravagant day of the year.