Come Back to Me - It's Almost Easy

[2 months later]

Lea was proud of herself. She hadn't caved in to either Matt or Zack, nor had Brian been able to convince her to return to Huntington Beach. Yes, she had started talking to Zack again a few weeks back, but she couldn't get herself to move back with him just yet. He had behaved like an ass and he needed to suffer...and though she loved him, she was not willing to forgive him this quickly. Even if it had only been a kiss, this kiss had looked no way near innocent. She knew that it had been driving him crazy that Matt and her had become so close again, but nothing between them had been off, there was just friendship...at least that's what she kept telling herself, trying to forget the comment he had made at the the bar that night.

"Lea? Are you listening to me?"

Brian's voice snapped her out of her day dream. He had been a great friend these past few weeks. They had been flirting heavily over the phone over the past 2 months, but she knew that it was only fun, and that he loved driving Zack up the walls whenever he was making sly and dirty remarks to her on the phone, making sure that Zack heard it. He had kept her updated on everything Zack had been up to, things that Zack had not told her. For example that he had been off the drink ever since she had left. That he hadn't joined the guys to any of their usual bar visits. And that Gena had actually had the guts to go to the police and tell them that he had assaulted her, showing off the slight bruise his slap had caused. The fact that Gena had made this step was infuriating Lea so much she was just about to fly back to Cali to get some assault charges of her own, but Brian had reasoned with her, making her see that this would not help the situation at all.

"I'm sorry, I must have zoned out, what did you say B. ?"

She shook her head trying to concentrate on their conversation again. Avenged Sevenfold had commenced their US tour 2 weeks ago, and Brian was trying to get her to meet up with all of them at their show in NYC tomorrow.

"I said we'll be arriving in New York in about 2 hours, and both Zack and Matt are already in their starting blocks, wanting to storm over to your place as soon as we get there. But what they don't know is, that I brought an extra suitcase with heaps of your stuff and that you gonna join us for the tour!"

She literally spit out some of the cool beer she had just drank, most of it landed on the floor in front of the couch.

"I am sorry...what did you say!!!! Brian, there is no way I am going on tour with you! What the hell where you thinking! I can't just drop everything here and -"

she heard voices in the background, knowing that they belonged to Zack and Jimmy. Brian changed the subject swiftly, and she had to smile.

"Lea you're such a frigging' tease! I know exactly what that bra looks like, and you're giving me a hard on only thinking about you being all sprawled out on bed half naked. I can be at your place in like 2 hours and we can-"

"Don't you fucking talk to my girl like that Haner unless you want me to tear you another hole!"

Lea could hear Zack's bark in the background. She had been amazed actually, that he hadn't punched Brian yet, this comment right now had been one of the more harmless ones! She sometimes felt bad for making Zack this jealous...but he did deserve some of his own medicine! And Brian had been the one starting all of this.

"Lea? Babe? Don't listen to this jerk, he got laid twice yesterday alone and he's being a dirty dog. Can I see you? I am dying to see you again and to kiss you and to-"

Lea cut him off straight away.

"Listen to me Baker: I am not your girl anymore! You fucked up! And you know damn well that I hate cheaters...especially you k now I do, seen that we only hooked up because of Matt cheating on me! And don't tell me it was just a kiss either, you had told me just hours before, that you loved me and that I am more of a woman then her and yet, you had your tongue down her throat and she had your balls in her friggin' hand. Yes, even though I don't want to I do love you, but I am still working on getting that fixed as well. So, my conclusion is seen that you threw me away for making out with a whore like Gena, I have full right to make out with a man-whore, Brian to be precise! I might see you at the gig, but don't get your hopes up Zack, I am still pissed at you!"

"Hahaha, she just called you a man-whore, Brian!"

She could hear Jimmy laugh in the background...ugh, how she hated to be put on loudspeaker without warning! She could only hear Brian and Jimmy giggle, while Zack's steady breath was still audible over the cell phone.

"I know I fucked up, I keep apologizing for the past 2 months and I am getting the feeling it's not getting me anywhere. I mean, if I am just making a fool out of myself by trying to get you back, please tell me Lea, because I don't know how long I can keep this up before going crazy. Damn woman, I have stopped drinking, have some assault charges up my ass because that bitch tried to get back at me for choosing you over her...and I am having the worst tour of my life so far. I can't enjoy it coz all I can think about is you, and how badly I have fucked up. Please L., I love you and I need you in my life!"

She gulped. This had been the first time he had actually told her everything that was going on, and she appreciated it. And of course she would take him back in a heartbeat, most likely even jump at him, wrapping herself around his waist and kiss him to death, but he didn't need to know this! Not until they would meet in person. She had missed him so much these past 2 months! His smell, the way he smiled at her dreamily in the morning, his calloused fingers drawing circles on her naked skin, the way he made her feel when he was deep inside her...

"I will be coming over to your place when we arrive. Are you there or where exactly are you? We need to talk about how we gonna go on."

Trying to think of an excuse not to be at home, she massaged her temples. She wasn't able to avoid him forever, but the least she wanted, was her meeting be on her own terms, not on his.

"I am actually just heading to the Playboy office here in New York, they said they have the pictures edited and wanna show 'em to me to make sure I am happy with them. Think they gonna give me some copies as well. I have no clue how long I'll be there. But your dear buddy Brian sent me over backstage passes for tomorrow's show and put me on the guest list,...something that you could have done if you really wanted to see me!"

This was a complete lie. She had gotten copies of the pictures weeks ago, and she was amazed by how good they looked. The 2 pictures that had been chosen to be printed were sexy, not sleezy, and she knew that Zack would be loving them...as might any other guy! Brian had seen the two pics that she had sent him via e-mail, and he couldn't stop talking about them for a whole 3 days! She had been coming up with a plan of how to get Zack crazy, involving the pics, she just hadn't found a good time on how to unveil them to him, seen that she was supposed to be mad at him.

Fuck why hadn't he been thinking about this himself! He should have been thankful that Brian had organized everything so that she would actually turn up at the gig, but he was kind of annoyed that he hadn't told him about it, so that he could at least pretend that it had been Zack's idea.

"It was Zacky's idea, I just executed it, so don't thank me, but him!"

Brian's voice hollered from the background. This threw her off a lot, she had assumed that it had been Brian's idea to get her the pass and all. He had been trying to push her back with Zacky since day one, so it had been natural that it would have been him doing this.

"I gotta run Zack, I will see you tomorrow, I am not sure when I come back and I don't want you to be squatting outside my place waiting for me. Just keep a low profile, there are millions of fans out here that would love to get a piece of your handsome ass. And before you even ask: No! Just because we are not technically together gives you the free pass to fuck around, if you have any real interest in actually getting back with me. And I appreciate that you don't drink and all...but babe: you're a rock star...go and get wasted! It's New York!"

This was all she needed to say, and his frown turned into a smile: she would take him back! What she had just said took an immense weight off his shoulders. When she had the break with Matt, she hadn't even talked to him for weeks, and had never told him what or what not to do to win her back. Her telling Zack now, that he wasn't supposed to fuck around if he wanted to get back with her pretty much assured him that she was just trying to make him suffer a little before she would return to him, and knowing this, he would gladly crawl a little more before he would be able to kiss her full, sweet lips again. She had never been able to resist his kisses!