Two Sides of the Same Story

I don’t know how Val does it; I never knew how much food five guys could eat in two days. I should’ve just sent them all to stay at a hotel, well, expect Zacky.

It’s been two days since the funeral, and the Avenged crew has been staying at my house. Zacky and I have been inseparable for those two days. Leah couldn’t bear to stay here in Nashville, so a few friends of hers took her to Key West to mourn for a few days.

Even with one person out of the house, it still wasn’t quiet.

I swear Jimmy could count as at least five.

I grabbed seven plates from the cabinet and set them on the counter, before going back to flip the pancakes. I heard a yawn come from the hallway, and a few seconds later, Zacky appeared with only a pair of boxers.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

He slipped his arms around my waist. “Looking to see what my lovely lady is making.” He replied, kissing my cheek.

“You’re so corny.”

He smirked against my neck. “But, you love me.”

“That I do.”

Everyone sat at the table in silence; the only thing you could hear was the clinking of forks and glasses being used. I sat between Zacky and Jimmy, with Matt across from me . Every now and then, he’d look up at me, like he was going to say something, but the quickly shove more pancakes into his mouth.

“Matt is there anything you’d like to say?” I asked him.

Everyone stopped and looked at Matt and I. Matt put down his fork and folded his hands, placing his elbows on the table, and resting his chin on them.

“You all know that we have about two months left of the tour.” He started. Everyone nodded. “But the thing is, Loree, are you going to finish the tour with us?”

I sighed deeply. Everyone’s gaze landed onto me, and I felt Zacky’s eyes boring into my head, waiting for my answer.

The truth was I already made my decision the day I left, I wouldn’t be coming back, and after talking over everything with my father and Leah, they, both thought that it would best for me not to return.

“Well?” Matt asked.

“I’m going to stay here. You guys can go on.” I replied.

I made sure I didn’t look at Zacky, I could feel the steam penetrating off of him.

“Are you sure?”

“I think it would be best for me, Matt. Don’t think I’m ready to go back out there. I need some time on the down low.”

He nodded. “We leave this Friday.”

Suddenly, I heard the screeching of the chair next to me on the hardwood floor. Zacky pushed back his plate and stormed out the back door into the backyard.

Fucking great.

“Um, I’m not Albert Einstein or anything, but I think he’s pissed.” Jimmy stated.

Surprisingly, I laughed, lightly. I had a feeling he’d be upset, well, I knew he’d be upset.

“Let me go talk to him.” I sighed, taking my dish to the sink.

I slipped on a pair of sneakers and stepped outside. I knew where he was exactly. It was the only place that I had shown him on our land.

The lake.

We had spent all of yesterday, relaxing by the waters edge, and playing volleyball.

I followed the worn down path that we had made over the years, until I reached the lake, and there in all his glory was Zacky, sitting down looking at into the lake. I quietly walked up and sat next to him, and he continued to look out into the water.

“Zack.”

He didn’t say anything, nor look at me.

“Zachary James Baker, look at me.”

The full name trick gets ‘em every time. He finally looked over at me, his pools of green boring into my blue.

“I need this time off, Zack. You can’t expect me to get myself back out into the music world so fast.” I paused, wiping a stray tear. “I’m just not ready.”

He quickly took me into his lap, and rested my head on his leg, and silently cried. I only had one more full day with him, and I was going to make it, as best as I possibly could.

“I just don’t want to lose you again, Loree.”

“You’re not going to lose me, I promise you that. I don’t want to lose you again, either. And I’ll tell you what, tomorrow, we’ll go out in town, just you and me.”