True Love

Mia's hand tightened around the brass doorknob, her knuckles going white as her heart began to pound against her chest. "I um-" Mia studded, her eyes searching the concrete steps- for what, she didn't know. "I can't. I have to get back to the hospital and um..."

She began wracking her brain, trying to finagle some sort of piss poor excuse that would get Zack to leave, but honestly- she couldn't- she had worked herself almost 100 hours last week, she had even moved all of her surgeries up. She had been so desperate to keep distance between the two that she had actually been running a birthing class for one of her OB/GYN friends (to be fair, Mia did owe her) Mia had even volunteered to run a health seminar at the planned parenthood located smack dab in the middle of Compton to escape the possibility of having to have an actual face-to-face discussion with Zack.

"Don't give me that bullshit, Mia. We need to talk and you know it."

Mia let out a deep breath, tucking a strand of stray hair that had managed to escape her bun behind her ear.

"Come in..." Zack stepped in, his hands still deep in his pockets. "Do you um...do you want anything to drink?"

Zack shook his head before mumbling a quick 'no'.

It was then that Mia let out a soft sigh, turning on her heels making a bee-line for the kitchen. He followed quietly behind, hands still tucked deep in the pockets of his jeans.

He found a seat on the bar-stool positioned at the marble island in the middle of the kitchen, Mia bustling quietly opening a mahogany box with a glass top- pulling out a tea bag, the kettle on the stove letting out a high pitched, steamy whistle.

Zack watched her every movement- but his brows furrowed.

He wasn't sure why it hadn't hit him before but Mia was not dressed like she had just come from a hospital. She was in black trouser pants that hit just above her ankle, she had on a creme colored silk top that tied around her neck and she had on a pair of leopard print Louboutin heels that stood every bit of six inches tall.

"You don't look like you just came from the hospital..." Zack spoke, Making Mia stop as she stirred at the steaming tea mug. She turned, holding the cup in front of her lips giving a quick puff to cool it down.

"I agreed to do some work for planned parenthood today..." Zack raised an eyebrow.

"you went to planned parenthood looking like that?" Mia shot Zack a glare, "What? The point of planned parenthood is to talk them out of sex, and that get-up is far from-" Mia held up a finger, stopping him.

"Jesus Christ Zachary, would you stop your griping and get to the point?"

Zack rubbed roughly at his face before scratching up his cheek, running his fingers through his hair. He rested his elbows on the countertop, letting out a deep sighed before his emerald eyes fell to Mia.

"Why did you leave?" Mia bit at her bottom lip, clutching the cup closer to her chest.

"Because you ruined everything." she was quick and confident in her answer.

A pang shot through Zack's already broken heart.

He let out an angry grunt before standing from the stool, almost knocking it over in the process. He leaned in, fire in his eyes as he gripped the edge- his knuckles going white. "I fucking ruined everything? You're the one who fucking left! Please tell me how I ruined everything." his voice became a little louder with every single word.

Mia slammed the cup down onto the counter- the glass clamoring against the marble.

"Because you said it all out loud!" Zack felt this warm sinking feeling deep in his chest as he fought to swallow. "When I left I could at least pretend you didn't actually care."

The kitchen fell silent, Mia's arms clutched tight over her chest as the black mascara-laden tears began to stream down her porcelain cheeks. "Do you know what its done to me? Knowing that I could have had what I wanted all along? I could have been here, with you!" her heel stomped at the wooden floor as her body trembled, "I could've been married to you."

"Mia, I-" his voice trembled, but again she stopped him, her finger trembling.

"No, Zack, do you know how much hurt I could have saved my kids, our kids. They could have had a real dad instead of constantly asking when I was going to marry some guy I drug into their lives? But instead-" she stopped, letting out a loud sniff as she wiped at her eyes, "I'm dealing with Chance who literally calls every ten minutes threatening me because I've ruined his life too." she let out a helpless cry before taking a deep breath, "But most of all, I hate how I don't hate you at all. I hate myself for causing this mess, for having no faith in you- I will never forgive myself."

Zack let out a deep breath, watching helplessly as the woman he loved more than anything came unraveled right before him.

With a few small strides, he was standing in front of Mia.

"Mia..." he pleaded quietly, doing his best not to cry. "Mia, please..." his tone slightly more desperate this time around. He placed two fingers gently under her chin, but she wouldn't budge, so instead, he took her, wrapping her shaking body in his strong tattooed arms.

One arm tightly around her waist, the other around her arm, his hand pressed against the back of her skull as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

"Baby please...just..." he let out a deep huff as her arms wrapped tight around his middle, "don't cry. I am just as guilty as you are..."

It was in that moment that something finally clicked.
After all the years and all the hate, all the tears he had wasted- it was of his own stupidity. He had caused as much heartache for himself as she had caused for him.
He hadn't even tried.
He let her go.
He failed her, too...

"I should have never let you get away, I should have come after you..."

Mia pulled away slightly, her blue eyes boring into Zack. "I'm so sorry..." she mumbled as her bottom lip quivered. Zack shook his head slightly.

"I'm so sorry, too..." he took a deep breath, his heart beating against his chest. "Mia?"

"Yeah?" she mumbled through a sniffle, using her tiny, delicate hand to wipe at one of his stray tears.

"I am so in love with you..." Mia inhaled deeply, her raspberry lips parting.

"still?" he leaned down slightly, the tip of his nose touching hers.

"Still." his voice never wavering as he found a burst of confidence.

Mia ran her fingers over his neck, her fingers scratching up into his short black hair. "me too. So much..." his warm breath tickled over her lips making a warm current erupt in her chest before moving throughout her body. He leaned forward slowly, his hands brushing over her back, clasping her tight and in an instant, his lips were on hers.

Mia's hands moved, tangling into his hair.

"Does this mean you're going to try one more time?" the sound of the girls halted their kiss, making Zack let out a low groan as Mia laid her hand on his chest, which moved with each uneven breath.

Zack looked from Kenzie and Emma, who stood with their arms crossed expectantly, pleased looks on their not-so-innocent faces. His eyes quickly fell to Mia.

"Are we?" he asked, just for good measure- but Mia didn't even hesitate.

"Yeah guys, I think we are."