Second Heartbeat

I don’t want to be here almost as much as I do. I tried to convince Cam that I couldn’t get off work for this long. Of course she had seen right through it and immediately called my bluff. So here I sat the plane waiting to step foot on California soil I hadn’t seen in almost eight years. To make matters worse I’m stuck here for two weeks.

On the up side its TWO weeks I get to spend with my best friends I have been missing something fierce lately. Ever since Rob and I had broken up again I’ve been in a foul mood which is part of the reason I had been holding off coming early. I mean I was going to be the only without a date for the wedding AND I had to face Zacky.

I haven’t so much as spoken to him since the last time I saw him, the day we had broken up for the last time. For the first year in New York I would listen to his voice singing me ‘Nothing Else Matters’ by Metallica nightly, it was the only way I could fall asleep . I can’t tell you how many times I picked up the phone to call him but I never let myself dial his number. I knew in my heart I had done the right thing. He deserved to live the life he has without my interference, besides he had told me not to, he had washed his hands of me once and for all.

I had thought I had done the same. Now as I sat in my seat with a screaming infant behind me, the days that had felt like a lifetime ago before I left New York felt like they had happened last month. God this is why I hadn’t come to Cali sooner, it was filled with bad memories and disappointment.

I mentally slapped myself. I was not the broken little seventeen year old girl I had been when I had left. I was a strong twenty four year old woman who was a successful radio personality at New York’s biggest rock station. I dealt with famous people almost daily, these guys were just my friends. Oh wait they had been my friends they were just about strangers now.

I made my way down to baggage, my Ed Hardy bag hanging from my shoulder. For once no one really noticed me as I passed. I was in the state of fake beauty that was enhanced to an almost disgusting degree. No doubt that was the kind of girl Zacky was with. I growled at myself fully disgusted with the path of my thoughts.

I was here to help one of my best friends get through two of the most stressful weeks of her life and then I was heading back home. I had just gotten my bag off the carousel when I heard Dani.
“KINZI!” She screeched as she came waddling over to me. Good lord she was as big as a house! I hugged her careful not to squish her or her precious package too much. “Oh my God you’re huge!”

“Tell me about it. I sure hope Abby comes out soon.”

I laid my hand on her stomach. “Tell mommy you’ll come out when you’re ready and not before.”

Dani laughed. “If she’s stubborn like her father and older brother.”

She led me out to where she had parked, or so I had thought. Turns out there was this huge ass limo waiting instead for us. I couldn’t help but groan. This was so Dani. “A limo? Really?”

Dani giggled as we got into the back seat. “Hello. Have you not seen me? I don’t fit comfortably behind the wheel anymore. Thank God Jimmy’s been back at home to chauffer me around.”

I smiled. “Point taken. So how are my two favorite men?”

Dani’s entire face lit up when she started to talk about her boys as she liked to call them. “Jimmy is as crazy as ever and Dane is a two year old version of his father.”

I gave her a sympathetic look. “I pity you then, two Jimmy’s.” I shudder in mock horror.

Dani shook her head. “I’m just glad to have them both home for a change.”

“How’s the album coming anyhow?” The guys had been home working on their follow up album to City of Evil. I was sure it was going to be amazing; all of their stuff was, to me at least.

“They’re just finishing up recording. Jimmy is so excited to get back out and perform. I swear he was born for this life.” We both laughed because it was true, being a rock star was right up his alley.

“Awesome. So how’s Cam holding up?”

A deep sigh left her lips as she gave me a worried look. “She’s stressed to the extreme. I mean they’re keeping it relatively simple but she didn’t realize how much work went into it all.”

I nodded because I really couldn’t say, the closest I had gotten was engaged and I had screwed that one up. Maybe when I got back to NYC I would go over to Rob’s apartment and make one last effort to save our relationship.

I gave her hand a squeeze. “Well I’m here now so you guys will have an extra pair of hands to help.”

“You know if you lived here things wouldn’t have gotten this bad.”

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t even start on me I’m not moving back. New York is my home.”

Dani snorted. “You’re a Cali girl through and through, you’ve just forgotten it.” She patted my knee. “But I have full faith you’ll remember by the time you try and leave.”

I just let her go. It was easier to let her think what she wanted. She said Jimmy was stubborn; he had nothing on her when she put her mind to something. A fact I had realized a lifetime ago.
I decided I should try and change the subject. “So can we stop and get something to eat before
we head to my hotel?”

Dani waved away my words. “Pish posh you’re not staying in some yucky hotel.”

“Dani…” It came out sounding like the way Dezi would say Lucy, like I knew she was up to something. “I had hotel reservations.”

“Which I cancelled.” She replied grinning.

“You WHAT?! How could you?! Where am I going to stay now?!” I stammered.

“With us of course silly. Dane had been missing his Aunti Kindee. You’re all he’s been talking about for the past week.”

I sighed. She had pulled the kid card, not fair. How was I supposed to say no to that? I let out a deep sigh which only made her grin more. She knew she had won. “That’s cheating.”

“But it worked, didn’t it?”

“Yeah, yeah. You’re lucky I love you.” I said with a slight huff.

Dani reached over and hugged me tight. “God I’ve missed you Kinzi.”

I hugged her back. “I’ve missed you too.”

And I had.

Terribly.