Tell Me You Love Me
Tell Me You Love Me
“Oh my gosh! Dakota! It’s so great to see you again!” My friend, Cameron Quiseng kindly greeted me when I saw him for the first time in many years in Starbucks. “Yeah it’s great to see you again Cameron.” I hugged him and then we sat down at a table. “So how’s it been?” I asked Cam once we got over the shock of seeing each other. “It’s been great actually! The band is really started to get famous. We’re going on our first Canadian tour next month as a matter of fact.” “That’s great Cam! I’ve seen your progress on Disney Channel.” I admitted. Yes, even though I am 21 years old I still occasionally watch Disney Channel. “So what’s been going on in your life?” Cam asked eagerly. “Well, I’m a police officer actually.” Cam’s face looked shocked. I was never the one to act tough in high school. “Really?” “Yep! My partner Bruce and I are the youngest ones. I’m 21 and he’s 23. They call us “Finding Nemo” actually.” I exclaimed. “Why? That’s so weird!” Cam commented. I laughed. I get that reaction a lot when they find out my nickname. “Well since my partner’s name is Bruce and I’m young so I quote Finding Nemo a lot. And when I first started I used to always say “Hello Bruce” and Bruce would say “Hello Dory.” So then the other officers started calling us Bruce and Dory which then became Finding Nemo.” I explained. “Why did they call you Dory?” I took a sip of my Frappuccino. “Well Dakota is close to Dory.” Cam nodded. “So if you ever get pulled over and you hear the officer say “Finding Nemo” into the radio, you know that it will be me and my partner Bruce.” “Good to know.” Cam said. We talked for a while after that, catching up on what had happened over that past years. I’m so proud of Cam and all of the other guys in Allstar Weekend that I knew in high school. Eventually the subject I had been dreading came up. “Have you spoken to Zach since what happened?” Cam said unsurely. What Cameron was talking about was the huge fight Zach and I had in high school that broke us up for good. Oh ya, Zach and I used to date and I was madly in love with him. Actually, I still am. “No. And I don’t really plan on it.” I said, looking down at the table. “Okay, I’ll try not to mention that I saw you when he’s in the room.” Cam assured me. “Thanks Cam.” I looked at my phone. “I actually have to go. I hope to see you around.” I got up and gave Cam a hug. “I’ll call you sometime. It was good to see you again Dakota.” I walked out of Starbucks and got into my cop car. My shift was about to start in 5 minutes. I drove to the station to pick up Bruce. “Hey Dory, what’s up?” He asks as he gets into the passenger seat. “Nothin’ much. I saw my old friend Cameron in Starbucks.” Bruce raised his eyebrows. “Cameron eh? Does that happen to be the Cameron as in Zach Porter’s best friend?” “Yes” I muttered under my breath. I looked over at Bruce and he had a smirk on his face. I smacked his arm and then started the car.
Cameron’s P.O.V
I watched Dakota walk out of Starbucks and get into her police car. I got up and threw away my cup. I walked out to my car and drove to Nathan’s house. I arrived at Nathan’s house and found that Michael and Zach were already there. “Hey guys what’s up? I asked as I walked into Nate’s living room. “Nothing much bro. What’s up with you?” Zach asked. “I just came from Starbucks and I ran into someone from high school.” I admitted. “Who?” Michael asked anxiously. I hesitated, “Dakota Wright” Zach’s head shot up at the sound of her name. He looked at me in disbelief. “D-Dakota W-Wright?” He stuttered. I nodded. “I miss Dakota!” Nathan stated, totally unaware of what Zach was going through right now. “Yeah me too!” Michael agreed. “W-what did she say?” Zach asked nervously. “We just caught up on what happen in the past couple of years. She’s doing well. She’s a cop actually.” I said, matter-of-factly. “Really? I would never have pictured her as a cop. She was always way too nice.” Nathan pointed out. “Yeah I know but she’s happy and that’s all that matters.” I look over at Zach who looks like he’s just seen a ghost. I know that he is ruminating over everything that happened in high school with Dakota. I decided to text her.
“I told Zach that I saw you.” Instantly I got a reply.
“WHAT?? WHY?? What did he say?”
“He asked what we talked about. He looks like he saw a ghost.”
“Now he knows how I feel. Well I have to go, arresting someone. Text ya later!”
“Alright bye ;)”
Dakota’s P.O.V
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney….” My partner Bruce babbled on. I walked back to the car and thought about Zach. Did he miss me? Does he want nothing to do with me? My mind was racing with these thoughts. Finally my work day was over and Bruce dropped me off at my apartment. The rest of my night went like this; I made myself a small dinner, watched reruns of stupid shows, chatted with people of Facebook, and read a few chapters in my book. I hate being single and having a steady job at 21. It’s boring. I feel like middle aged woman. Right as I was about to climb into bed, Cameron called. “Hey Cam, what’s up?” I sat down on my bed. “Hey Kota, I was wondering if you wanted to come to our concert tomorrow night?” My mouth dropped to the floor. “You mean your concert with Zach.” “And Nathan and Michael who are dying to see you!” I thought for a minute. I haven’t seen Nate or Mikey in a while. I guess I could ignore Zach the whole night. “Alright Cam, I’ll go.” “Yay!” He shrieked. “I’ll see you tomorrow! Bye Kota.” “Bye Cameron.”I hung up and crawled under the covers. I can’t believe I just agreed to see Zach. On that note, I fell asleep.
Cameron’s P.O.V
I haven’t told Zach that I invited Dakota to our concert yet. I hope he doesn’t kill me. I guess I’ll tell him when we go get lunch later. I’m not sure how he’s going to take it. “Ready to go?” Zach asked as he walked into the kitchen where I was. “Yes, just let me get my wallet and phone.” We walked out to Zach’s car and he drove us to Chipotle. After we got our food we sat down and started eating. “What’s wrong Cam? You’re really quiet.” Crap he noticed! I guess I have to tell him. “Umm…well…you know Dakota…” His head shot up. “Spit it out Cam!” He said, angrily. “Well I invited her to come to our concert tonight and she agreed to come.” Zach sat there in shock. He dropped his food and said, “I’m not hungry anymore, let’s go.” He got up and threw his food away. Then we walked out to the car. I quickly followed him, not knowing what his reaction will be. He started driving in the opposite direction of my house. He got on the highway and he speed starting creeping up. “Where are you going Zach?” I asked nervously. He responded by going faster. Pretty soon we were speeding down the highway and of course, with our luck a police man spotted us. The lights started flashing and Zach reluctantly pulled over. “This is the last time I let you drive when you’re angry.” I remarked. The officer got out and walked up to the driver side. “Sir, do you know how fast you were going?” “Yes” Zach said grimily. “License and registration please.” Zach got out his license and handed it to the officer. “Zachary Porter eh?” The officer questioned. Zach nodded. The officer stepped back from the car and spoke into his radio. “Hey Finding Nemo, you gotta see this.” “We’ll be right there Chuck.” A voice responded. I smiled to myself. I knew who was coming and what would happen. Zach saw me smile and gave me a weird look. I just ignored it. A few minutes later a police car came and pulled up behind the other one. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw Dakota get out. I smiled when I saw what she was wearing. It was definitely against her dress code. She wore the regular shirt but with black short shorts and black converse. Her wavy brown hair was down and her aviators were resting on the top of her head. She started walking over to our car. Zach was in for a big surprise.
Dakota’s P.O.V
I walked over to where Chuck was standing. “What’s up? Why did you call us here?” “Go take a look at the driver.” I walked over to the driver side of the car and up to the window. “Good afternoon sir…….Zach?” I was at loss of words. “Dakota?” He asked, as surprised as I was. Zach and I stared at each other for a good amount of time. “Hi Dakota!” Cameron said, breaking the awkward silence. “Hi Cam.” I gave him a weak smile. “Well I have to get going.” Chuck finally said. “I’ll let you off with a warning son, actually I think this is a good enough punishment for you.” I rolled my eyes. Chuck waved good bye and got into his car and left. “So how have you been?” Zach said after another awkward silence. “Good. How about yourself?” “Good.” I gave him a weak smile. I looked over at Bruce and gave him a “help me” look but all he did was laugh. I mouthed “FU” to him and he got in the car. I looked back at Zach who was looking down at the steering wheel. “Umm….how about we do something later? Maybe we could go to the coffee place we always used to go to?” Zach suggested. “Yeah, sure.” I checked my watch. “How about in 20 minutes?” “Sounds great.” “See you then.” I walked away with a feeling of relief which quickly went away when I realized that I now have to go talk with Zach, alone. “I have to meet up with him later.” I told Bruce once I sat down in the passenger seat. He smirked and we continued patrolling. Shortly after my 20 minutes was up and Bruce dropped me off at a coffee shop in Poway, where I used to live. I walked in and saw Zach sitting at our usual table with a bottle of water. I took a deep breath and walked over. “Still only drink water?” I asked as I sat down across from him. “Only water.” He smiled. We sat there in another awkward silence. “Want anything?” He asked. “No I’m fine.” Another silence. “So you’re a police officer.” “Yep and you’re in a band.” “Yep” I decided to speak up. “Alright enough of this awkward small talk. We both know what needs to be said and we’re both avoiding it. I’ll go first. Do I miss you? Yes all the time. Do I still think about you? Constantly. Do I still love you?” I paused. Zach waited for my answer. “Yes and I always will.” Zach got up and walked over to me. I stood up as well. He cupped my face in his hands and kissed me. He kissed me like never before. I wanted to melt in his arms right there and then. After about a minute or so I pulled away. “I still love you Dakota and I always will.” Zach admitted and kissed me again. I smiled and pulled away. “Let’s go back to my place.” Zach nodded and we walked out to his car, hand in hand. When we got to my apartment I decide to change out of my police uniform. I pulled off my shirt and was standing in front my dresser when I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and a hot breath on my neck. “I missed you.” Zach whispered into my ear before he started kissing my neck. I turned around and faced Zach. He pulled me closer and started passionately kissing me. We made our way over to my bed and I put my hands under his shirt and started pulling it off. Pretty soon we had very little clothing on and you can guess what happened from there. Afterwards when I was cuddling with Zach my phone started to ring. I picked it up and answered.
“Hello?”
“Hey Dakota!”
“Oh hey Cameron. What’s up?”
“How about I pick you up in 20 minutes.”
“For what?” I sounded stupid.
“The concert.”
“Oh right. Yeah I guess 20 minutes is good. Take your time.”
“Alright. See you then.”
“Bye”
“Bye”
Then I hung up the phone and looked at Zach. “You have a concert tonight.” I reminded him. He pulled me in closer. “Can’t I skip it? I want to stay here with you.” He whined. “As much as I want to stay here with you, we have to get up and get ready.” “I love you.” Zach whispered. “I love you too.” I whispered back. Then we got up and got dressed. We had about 10 minutes before Cameron would show up. “I have to go.” Zach said, walking over to the door. “Why? Cam can take you and then drop you off after. Then maybe we can have a repeat of what just happened.” I reminded him. He smiled. “As tempting as that sounds, I really do have to go. But I will definitely take you up on that offer later. Bye.” He kissed me one last time. “Bye” A few minutes later Cam was knocking on my door. “Hey Cam!” “Hey Kota!” He said as he walked into my apartment. “Do you know why Zach left?” I asked curiously. “Yeah I saw him in the hallway and he said he had to take care of things.” I thought about what he could be doing for a minute but decided it wasn’t important. “Ready to go?” Cam asked, grabbing his keys. “Yep!” We got into Cam’s car and drove to the venue where we met up with Nathan, Michael, and Dillon. We started setting up and adjusting mics when everyone wanted to know the same thing, where’s Zach. After a few minutes of us making scenarios on where Zach could be, he came bursting through the doors. “Where have you been man?” Nathan asks as he pulls Zach on stage. “Taking care of something.” He looked over at me and winked. I wondered what that was about. I would find out later. The concert was about to start so we headed back stage. Pretty soon the boys had to go on so I headed into the crowd. Throughout the concert Zach kept winking at me, especially during Here With You. He kept giving me a look every time he sang “I’m so in love with you my mind is set on you.” I mean I thought it was kind of cute but I had no idea what was in store for me later. Once they finished preforming I ran backstage and gave them each a hug. “You guys did great! I am so proud of you.” I exclaimed. “Thanks Kota. It means a lot coming from you.” Zach said as he pulled me into another hug. Upon release I stated, “Go change your shirt. You’re all sweaty.” “Anything for you.” I blushed and got a weird look from Cam. “We sorted things out.” I told Cam. “Ooooh. I knew you two would get back together the moment you saw each other.” Cam said with a smirk. “Thanks Cam.” I said sarcastically. Zach walked back into the green room with a new shirt on and stood right in front of me. The other guys surrounded us. “I can’t wait to do this any longer.” Zach said. “Do what?” I asked, confused. Zach knelt down and pulled out a small black box. “I know that you declined in high school because you said we were too young. But now that we’re older and I never want to lose you again, Dakota, will you marry me?” I was so shocked. He had kept that ring all these years. “Yes Zach! Of course!” He smiled and put the ring on my finger. Then he got up and picked me up and kissed me. The guys all cheered and I smiled. Zach put me down and put his arm around me. I looked up at him. “So what do you want to do now Mrs. Porter?”
Cameron’s P.O.V
I watched Dakota walk out of Starbucks and get into her police car. I got up and threw away my cup. I walked out to my car and drove to Nathan’s house. I arrived at Nathan’s house and found that Michael and Zach were already there. “Hey guys what’s up? I asked as I walked into Nate’s living room. “Nothing much bro. What’s up with you?” Zach asked. “I just came from Starbucks and I ran into someone from high school.” I admitted. “Who?” Michael asked anxiously. I hesitated, “Dakota Wright” Zach’s head shot up at the sound of her name. He looked at me in disbelief. “D-Dakota W-Wright?” He stuttered. I nodded. “I miss Dakota!” Nathan stated, totally unaware of what Zach was going through right now. “Yeah me too!” Michael agreed. “W-what did she say?” Zach asked nervously. “We just caught up on what happen in the past couple of years. She’s doing well. She’s a cop actually.” I said, matter-of-factly. “Really? I would never have pictured her as a cop. She was always way too nice.” Nathan pointed out. “Yeah I know but she’s happy and that’s all that matters.” I look over at Zach who looks like he’s just seen a ghost. I know that he is ruminating over everything that happened in high school with Dakota. I decided to text her.
“I told Zach that I saw you.” Instantly I got a reply.
“WHAT?? WHY?? What did he say?”
“He asked what we talked about. He looks like he saw a ghost.”
“Now he knows how I feel. Well I have to go, arresting someone. Text ya later!”
“Alright bye ;)”
Dakota’s P.O.V
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney….” My partner Bruce babbled on. I walked back to the car and thought about Zach. Did he miss me? Does he want nothing to do with me? My mind was racing with these thoughts. Finally my work day was over and Bruce dropped me off at my apartment. The rest of my night went like this; I made myself a small dinner, watched reruns of stupid shows, chatted with people of Facebook, and read a few chapters in my book. I hate being single and having a steady job at 21. It’s boring. I feel like middle aged woman. Right as I was about to climb into bed, Cameron called. “Hey Cam, what’s up?” I sat down on my bed. “Hey Kota, I was wondering if you wanted to come to our concert tomorrow night?” My mouth dropped to the floor. “You mean your concert with Zach.” “And Nathan and Michael who are dying to see you!” I thought for a minute. I haven’t seen Nate or Mikey in a while. I guess I could ignore Zach the whole night. “Alright Cam, I’ll go.” “Yay!” He shrieked. “I’ll see you tomorrow! Bye Kota.” “Bye Cameron.”I hung up and crawled under the covers. I can’t believe I just agreed to see Zach. On that note, I fell asleep.
Cameron’s P.O.V
I haven’t told Zach that I invited Dakota to our concert yet. I hope he doesn’t kill me. I guess I’ll tell him when we go get lunch later. I’m not sure how he’s going to take it. “Ready to go?” Zach asked as he walked into the kitchen where I was. “Yes, just let me get my wallet and phone.” We walked out to Zach’s car and he drove us to Chipotle. After we got our food we sat down and started eating. “What’s wrong Cam? You’re really quiet.” Crap he noticed! I guess I have to tell him. “Umm…well…you know Dakota…” His head shot up. “Spit it out Cam!” He said, angrily. “Well I invited her to come to our concert tonight and she agreed to come.” Zach sat there in shock. He dropped his food and said, “I’m not hungry anymore, let’s go.” He got up and threw his food away. Then we walked out to the car. I quickly followed him, not knowing what his reaction will be. He started driving in the opposite direction of my house. He got on the highway and he speed starting creeping up. “Where are you going Zach?” I asked nervously. He responded by going faster. Pretty soon we were speeding down the highway and of course, with our luck a police man spotted us. The lights started flashing and Zach reluctantly pulled over. “This is the last time I let you drive when you’re angry.” I remarked. The officer got out and walked up to the driver side. “Sir, do you know how fast you were going?” “Yes” Zach said grimily. “License and registration please.” Zach got out his license and handed it to the officer. “Zachary Porter eh?” The officer questioned. Zach nodded. The officer stepped back from the car and spoke into his radio. “Hey Finding Nemo, you gotta see this.” “We’ll be right there Chuck.” A voice responded. I smiled to myself. I knew who was coming and what would happen. Zach saw me smile and gave me a weird look. I just ignored it. A few minutes later a police car came and pulled up behind the other one. I looked in the rear view mirror and saw Dakota get out. I smiled when I saw what she was wearing. It was definitely against her dress code. She wore the regular shirt but with black short shorts and black converse. Her wavy brown hair was down and her aviators were resting on the top of her head. She started walking over to our car. Zach was in for a big surprise.
Dakota’s P.O.V
I walked over to where Chuck was standing. “What’s up? Why did you call us here?” “Go take a look at the driver.” I walked over to the driver side of the car and up to the window. “Good afternoon sir…….Zach?” I was at loss of words. “Dakota?” He asked, as surprised as I was. Zach and I stared at each other for a good amount of time. “Hi Dakota!” Cameron said, breaking the awkward silence. “Hi Cam.” I gave him a weak smile. “Well I have to get going.” Chuck finally said. “I’ll let you off with a warning son, actually I think this is a good enough punishment for you.” I rolled my eyes. Chuck waved good bye and got into his car and left. “So how have you been?” Zach said after another awkward silence. “Good. How about yourself?” “Good.” I gave him a weak smile. I looked over at Bruce and gave him a “help me” look but all he did was laugh. I mouthed “FU” to him and he got in the car. I looked back at Zach who was looking down at the steering wheel. “Umm….how about we do something later? Maybe we could go to the coffee place we always used to go to?” Zach suggested. “Yeah, sure.” I checked my watch. “How about in 20 minutes?” “Sounds great.” “See you then.” I walked away with a feeling of relief which quickly went away when I realized that I now have to go talk with Zach, alone. “I have to meet up with him later.” I told Bruce once I sat down in the passenger seat. He smirked and we continued patrolling. Shortly after my 20 minutes was up and Bruce dropped me off at a coffee shop in Poway, where I used to live. I walked in and saw Zach sitting at our usual table with a bottle of water. I took a deep breath and walked over. “Still only drink water?” I asked as I sat down across from him. “Only water.” He smiled. We sat there in another awkward silence. “Want anything?” He asked. “No I’m fine.” Another silence. “So you’re a police officer.” “Yep and you’re in a band.” “Yep” I decided to speak up. “Alright enough of this awkward small talk. We both know what needs to be said and we’re both avoiding it. I’ll go first. Do I miss you? Yes all the time. Do I still think about you? Constantly. Do I still love you?” I paused. Zach waited for my answer. “Yes and I always will.” Zach got up and walked over to me. I stood up as well. He cupped my face in his hands and kissed me. He kissed me like never before. I wanted to melt in his arms right there and then. After about a minute or so I pulled away. “I still love you Dakota and I always will.” Zach admitted and kissed me again. I smiled and pulled away. “Let’s go back to my place.” Zach nodded and we walked out to his car, hand in hand. When we got to my apartment I decide to change out of my police uniform. I pulled off my shirt and was standing in front my dresser when I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and a hot breath on my neck. “I missed you.” Zach whispered into my ear before he started kissing my neck. I turned around and faced Zach. He pulled me closer and started passionately kissing me. We made our way over to my bed and I put my hands under his shirt and started pulling it off. Pretty soon we had very little clothing on and you can guess what happened from there. Afterwards when I was cuddling with Zach my phone started to ring. I picked it up and answered.
“Hello?”
“Hey Dakota!”
“Oh hey Cameron. What’s up?”
“How about I pick you up in 20 minutes.”
“For what?” I sounded stupid.
“The concert.”
“Oh right. Yeah I guess 20 minutes is good. Take your time.”
“Alright. See you then.”
“Bye”
“Bye”
Then I hung up the phone and looked at Zach. “You have a concert tonight.” I reminded him. He pulled me in closer. “Can’t I skip it? I want to stay here with you.” He whined. “As much as I want to stay here with you, we have to get up and get ready.” “I love you.” Zach whispered. “I love you too.” I whispered back. Then we got up and got dressed. We had about 10 minutes before Cameron would show up. “I have to go.” Zach said, walking over to the door. “Why? Cam can take you and then drop you off after. Then maybe we can have a repeat of what just happened.” I reminded him. He smiled. “As tempting as that sounds, I really do have to go. But I will definitely take you up on that offer later. Bye.” He kissed me one last time. “Bye” A few minutes later Cam was knocking on my door. “Hey Cam!” “Hey Kota!” He said as he walked into my apartment. “Do you know why Zach left?” I asked curiously. “Yeah I saw him in the hallway and he said he had to take care of things.” I thought about what he could be doing for a minute but decided it wasn’t important. “Ready to go?” Cam asked, grabbing his keys. “Yep!” We got into Cam’s car and drove to the venue where we met up with Nathan, Michael, and Dillon. We started setting up and adjusting mics when everyone wanted to know the same thing, where’s Zach. After a few minutes of us making scenarios on where Zach could be, he came bursting through the doors. “Where have you been man?” Nathan asks as he pulls Zach on stage. “Taking care of something.” He looked over at me and winked. I wondered what that was about. I would find out later. The concert was about to start so we headed back stage. Pretty soon the boys had to go on so I headed into the crowd. Throughout the concert Zach kept winking at me, especially during Here With You. He kept giving me a look every time he sang “I’m so in love with you my mind is set on you.” I mean I thought it was kind of cute but I had no idea what was in store for me later. Once they finished preforming I ran backstage and gave them each a hug. “You guys did great! I am so proud of you.” I exclaimed. “Thanks Kota. It means a lot coming from you.” Zach said as he pulled me into another hug. Upon release I stated, “Go change your shirt. You’re all sweaty.” “Anything for you.” I blushed and got a weird look from Cam. “We sorted things out.” I told Cam. “Ooooh. I knew you two would get back together the moment you saw each other.” Cam said with a smirk. “Thanks Cam.” I said sarcastically. Zach walked back into the green room with a new shirt on and stood right in front of me. The other guys surrounded us. “I can’t wait to do this any longer.” Zach said. “Do what?” I asked, confused. Zach knelt down and pulled out a small black box. “I know that you declined in high school because you said we were too young. But now that we’re older and I never want to lose you again, Dakota, will you marry me?” I was so shocked. He had kept that ring all these years. “Yes Zach! Of course!” He smiled and put the ring on my finger. Then he got up and picked me up and kissed me. The guys all cheered and I smiled. Zach put me down and put his arm around me. I looked up at him. “So what do you want to do now Mrs. Porter?”