Pictures and Some Memories

Zacky POV

"It's so cool that you've traveled so much for a 25 year old," Amelia gushed sincerely, placing a hand onto my arm. "But I guess being a musician has its benefits, eh?"

"That it does, that it does." I gave the blonde a small smile. While I may not have been up for Jimmy and Cara's get together earlier tonight, I certainly thought differently now. Violet had sent her my way about an hour ago and she hasn't stopped asking me questions ever since. It was nice to talk to a woman who wasn't purely interested in talking about herself or how much money I now had. She was equally as ambitious as I, as she had planned to finish her last year of grad school and was soon to start as a teaching assistant at UCLA. Compared to the women I usually went for, she was a bit more lax. And still, in the back of my mind, I still compared her to Andi, despite my best efforts to just let her go.

After that fateful day last summer, I'd taken the liberty of looking her up and try to get a feel on who Andi was now. According to her blog, she was as busy as I was, or even more so since she also balanced her art career on top of touring. Her public portfolio was outstanding, too. Still, as I casually browsed her site, I also stumbled across several pictures of her and what I assumed was her new boyfriend. She looked so happy, glowing next to the tall man beside her in every photo. Even so, that pit of dread formed in my stomach as I realized a second chance with her was probably never in the cards for us. Since then, I've been trying to move on, with little luck at that.

Right now, for instance, I was listening to Amelia talk about a trip she'd taken to New Zealand for her study abroad program, yet the shape of her lips didn't capture my attention like Andi's once did. Her short blonde hair didn't seem as thick as Andi's, nor did her slender figure compare to Andi's curves. Not to say that Amelia wasn't beautiful, because she was. For some reason, I just couldn't stop being a dick and comparing her to a woman I didn't have a chance with.

I nearly choked on my drink when she brought up that Cara had already mentioned my son to her. "Where is he, anyway?" she asked lightly.

A large whoop interrupted my first attempt to reply, so I took a long swig of my beer before trying again. "This isn't exactly the place for a two year old, at least, not with alcohol around. He's with my parents for the night."

"Makes sense," she nods in agreement. I look just past her shoulder, curiously observing a sudden rush of people into Jimmy's entryway.

"Let me get the door, Cara," I heard him tell his fiancee as they approached the large oak door.

"No way, loser, I get to see her first!" Cara shot back, sticking her tongue out at him when she beat him to the knob. "It's been months, after all."

"So, what did you say the name of the building you stayed in was again?" I asked, looking back to Amelia briefly.

"The Prosper. Such a beautiful and old building, really," she began. I tried to focus on her again, but after hearing Cara and Violet both screech loudly with excitement, any hope of even pretending to listen to her was lost.

I looked over at the commotion and sharply inhaled, surprised to see the group that had arrived. There she was, in the flesh, the same redhead I couldn't get out of my head, flanked by her older brother, Ryan, his fiancee, Maya, and our friend/her stepsister, Serena. I had sworn Serena had been here earlier, but I didn't try and think about where she'd been in the span of time leading to now. I just couldn't keep my eyes off of Andi. As fresh faced as ever, she looked stunning, even if she wore simple black jeans and a white vneck. Her thick red hair cascaded in its natural waves down her back, reaching to just below her waist. A large smile had found its way onto her features, the same one that had held mischief only years before.

I sighed, unable to help the "Damn," that fell from my lips. Thankfully, Amelia was turned toward her phone, and hadn't heard what I'd just said, thankfully.

"Who's that?" Amelia asked, returning her focus back to me as the four of them disappeared into the crowd on the other side of the living room.

I opened my mouth to answer, although I couldn't think of anything that wouldn't be incriminating for me. She took me having a child better than expected, but if I told her a former flame had just entered, I was sure she'd make for the hills and never look back. I didn't have to answer, though, because I noticed then that my bottle was empty. With my new opportunity presenting itself, I offered to get her a refill and made my way into the kitchen, stopping to say hello and talk to people along the way.

"So, where's Mr. Fancy-Smancey?" Cara's voice echoed from the kitchen.

"He's on his way over right now. He went up to Long Beach with my dad to help him get his furniture for his new office."

Chills pricked on my skin as I heard her voice for the first time in years. There was no doubt about it now. Andi was still as fresh as ever for me, and I haven't even approached her yet.

"Can I offer you anything in the meantime, then?"

"Y'all wouldn't happen to have a bit of whiskey for me, would ya?" I didn't have to see her to know that she'd have the sort of smile that was hard to say no to.

"Don't do it," Violet warned quietly from beside me suddenly. "She's got a boyfriend now, Zack. You should go back to Amelia and talk with her some more."

I held up the empty bottles to my best friend, to which she sighed. "I'm serious, Zacky."

"Do you really think I'm going to be able to stand another story about New Zealand without another beer?" I asked her honestly.

She chuckled. "I suppose not, that's the whole reason why I passed her onto you. Still, Zacky, don't try anything stupid, okay? She. Has. A. Boyfriend."

"I'm. Not. Stupid. I know that. I just want to talk to her, see how she's doing, if this guy is treating her right. Then, I'll back off. You can even hover if you want so you can swoop in if you think I'm too strong."

She rolled her eyes. "I really fucking hate you, sometimes."

However, when I turned back to see if she followed, she bumped into my back and shot another glare up at me, but also had no intention of letting me go on a suicide mission, either. I smirked and continued to lead the way.

As soon as I stepped in, it seemed that Andi had stepped out, the blast of air from the backyard being the indicator. "Damn," I muttered for the second time tonight.

"Did you even bother to tell Amelia that you were ditching her? She's actually a nice girl, even if she's a bit obsessed with New Zealand," Violet says as we begin to follow the elusive redhead. "She hasn't even blinked an eye about Nicholas, after all."

"I know," I replied, "but I still can't help but--"

"Compare her to Andi. What a fatal flaw you hold," she says, dropping her voice considerably once we're outside. "Do you plan on sharing who the mother of your child is with her, or is that still a secret?"

"I'm trying to get her back, not send her packing!"

"God, Zacky, she's taken!" She groaned, pulling me to a halt. "I'm just trying to save you from moping about your house when she rejects you. Are you 100% sure that you want to do this to yourself?"

"I've gotta try," I simply stated. "If I don't, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

"Don't say I didn't warn you," she finally gave in, following me once again. I spotted Ryan and Maya near the pool, sitting side by side as Maya dipped her tanned feet into the water.

"A legend in the flesh," Ryan grinned as he spotted me quickly approaching. "Dude, it's been a while! How are you?"

"You know me," I shrugged, sharing a handshake with him, "as could as I can be, I guess."

"How's Nicholas?" He asks with an earnest tone. Part of me still couldn't comprehend how strong of a friendship I had formed with Andi's Napoleon-complexed brother. He was overbearing and overprotective of his younger sister, and he and I didn't exactly see eye to eye on much when I had first started seeing her. Now, he was constantly over at my new house whenever he could show, and watched my son far too many times more than I expected him to.

"Whenever Jimmy and Cara's wedding is over with, he has a follow up check up about those ear infections he's been getting. Otherwise, he's doing great."

"Poor baby. I'm glad he's better," Maya smiles up at me, the same genuine expression on her face as her fiancé's.

"Have you seen your sister?" I couldn't help but ask shortly after, ignoring Violet's wince at how I probably sounded.

Ryan, clueless to my intentions, immediately pointed in the direction I'd just come from. I turned and spotted her on the deck, the lantern above her like a halo in the twilight surrounding. "You going to say hi to her or continue staring?" He asked after, surprising me; perhaps he wasn't so clueless after all.

"Guess I'll go say hi," I mumbled, unable to respond with anything else. I heard him chuckle as I left and knew I'd have explaining due to him the next time he came around.

"Zacky!" Jimmy called as I walked up the steps to their dark, immaculate wooden deck. "There you are, man, I've been looking for you!"

"Oh yeah?"

He nodded, his trademark grin plastered onto his face. I noticed Andi stood up a bit taller a few feet behind him, her bright blue eyes locking with mine for a nanosecond before they flickered elsewhere.

"Look at who we found," he said with a proud smile. Violet immediately skipped up the steps and brought Andi into a hug. I saw her whisper a few words into her ear before pulling back and sending a careful look my way, a warning in her eyes before she she parted from the four of us, easing into a group nearby where her husband sat and laughed. I knew she was on the lookout, ready to swoop in at any time if I wasn't careful.

I looked back to Andi, conjuring the most casual smile I could in order to make her feel comfortable. "You're back," I said, to which she immediately nodded.

"Couldn't exactly miss anymore of my friends getting married," she replied, her tone of voice sounding a bit sad.

"I..." I trailed off, unsure of how to respond.

She quickly shook her head, though, giving a wave of her hand, all mannerisms I recognized all too well. "I'm making up for lost time. I mean, it's been awhile."

"Yeah, it has," I agreed. "Cara told me that you're done with school, how are your galleries going?"

"They're good, I guess. I'm finally starting to pull people to my independent ones, so that's a plus. I have to say, though, the art scene and the music scene in New York go hand in hand with how exclusive each of them are." She gave a weak shrug, then took a swig of her drink.

"Ooh, look J, my sister made it! Let's go say hi!" Cara said suddenly, taking Jimmy's hand and leading him inside. We both watched them disappear in slight confusion, but didn't bother to question it.

I gave Andi a small smile. "You're enjoying it up there, though, aren't you?"

She nodded vigorously. "It may be three or four times a year that I'm actually able to stay there for more than a night, but it's great nonetheless."

"That's right, you're a tech now."

"And an assistant tour manager," she boasted quickly. "I, um, just got the call earlier today. How did you know I was a tech? Did one of the girls tell you?"

I nodded. "Plus, you were always destined to be one, with how often you hung around the practice garage."

She quirked an eyebrow up at me. "Are you trying to take credit for my success with my musical endeavors?"

"I mean, you didn't really know how an amp worked until I sat down with you one weekend and showed you everything on mine..." I said with a smirk, enjoying the disbelief that spread across her features.

"You're unbelievable," she laughs before she hiccups, a grimace replacing her careful expression from before. "Oh, jeez. I think my pregame Bloody Mary's are coming back to haunt me. I knew my dad put in too much celery salt..."

"Pregame? Why do that when you know you'll be in a house with an abundance of alcohol?"

She gives me a coy look. "Do I really need to explain that one to you, of all people?"

I let out a quick simper of a laugh. "No, I guess not. You're nervous?"

She nodded quickly, so fast that I was sure that it hurt her neck. "Are you kidding? If I didn't have liquid courage I wouldn't have spoken at all tonight."

"Well, we're all adults here. There's no need to be so anxious, Andi," I assured her, giving her a reassuring smile. "So, where have you toured so far?"

And just like that, Andi's careful (although sloppy, due to her 'pregame') movements were banished and instead replaced by the girl I knew she was. She had changed, of course, but I'd be concerned if she hadn't-- six years is more than enough time to grow as a person, and she had seemingly done just that. Her laugh was still infectious, though, and drew in people from the party as she made their heads turn. If I wanted to look away from her, I couldn't. Her captivating eyes dared me to, but I refrained. I was still in shock, too, that she was standing here in front of me, showing me her tattooed forearm with a shy smile.

"I should've known you of all people would choose a fucking cassette tape as your first tattoo," I said as I observed the Americana style tattoo on the knuckle of her thumb. "How New Yorker of you."

"Well, from what I remember, not all of us want to have a big ass Misfits fiend on our arms as our first, either," she retorted before taking a sip of her drink, a smile playing on the edge of her lips yet again.

"You were the one that had begged me to show you after it was finished, remember? Does your man have any ink or is he too scared of the needle?"

She groaned. "More like he lectures me every time I come home from tour with a new one. He's not a big fan of them. Maybe it's because he grew up going to a Catholic private school."

"You're with one of those guys, Andi? Really?" I couldn't help but exclaim. "You tour with a bunch of dudes, have travelled the world, and you settle down with a guy like that?"

"I don't think it's any of your business to have an opinion on who I decide to be with," she murmured, a wrinkle forming between her brows.

"Forget I said anything, then," I spoke quietly, looking away for the first time since I began speaking to her.

"What's this?" She asked suddenly, pointing at my chest. "Oh, don't shut up just because it got a little awkward. What's this?"

I glance down to where her delicate fingers now rested between the buttons of my flannel shirt, where my deathbat was just barely peaking out. My heartrate quickened and I knew she felt it, too. I swallowed carefully.

"Can I see it?" She asks after I explain, her voice low and sultry. I knew better, though, and shook my head as I gazed toward the doorway.

"I don't think that's a good idea," I murmured to her as I recognized the angry figure. She turned to follow my expression and sighed when she saw her boyfriend standing only a few feet away now, both hands curled into tight fists at his sides and a livid expression on his face.

Sharp jawline, tall stature, and aristocratic nose? It was obvious why she was so attracted to him-- he almost reminded you of a celebrity in that aspect. He looked important, and as a fledgling artist in New York, it was exactly who she needed, too. I took a deep breath, stood up straighter, and extended a hand despite how much I envied him at the moment. "You must be Larkin--"

"Yeah, her boyfriend, in case you forgot," he snarled, his accent strong. "Or did she even bother to tell you about me?"

My blood boiled in reaction to how he spoke about her. Truthfully, she hadn't said much about him, but I attributed that to the fact that the conversation wasn't centered on him in the first place. When it was, she chose not to say much about him. But there was no way in hell that I'd let him talk about her, or to her, like that.

"She did, actually. We were just having a friendly conversation, dude, don't get worked up," I told him as coolly as I could manage.

"Yeah, babe, calm down. Everything's fine--"

"I know what I saw, and that wasn't friendly. He flirted with you, and you flirted back without any hesitation!" He looked at her so angrily that she shrank back a step. She was scared. "We need to talk. Now."

Just before he grabbed her arm, I pushed myself between them. "Treating her like shit won't get you anywhere, man. Take a step back and calm the fuck down."

"Back off. I could kick your ass for what you just did. I knew I couldn't trust her around you."

"Excuse me?" Andi exclaimed, an incredulous look on her face. "Why couldn't you trust me? You know I'm committed to you. Why do you always do this?!"

"Back off of her, man," I said again, pushing him back a few steps. "She didn't do anything--"

He charged at me then, his fist connecting with my jaw briefly before he's suddenly gone, replaced by Matt and Brian, who were both barking at the both of us to calm down. I sit in a nearby chair while Matt pushes Larkin inside. I closed my eyes and swallowed, rubbing my jaw and feeling for anything out of place. Nothing. Just a good sucker punch was all the fucker got.

I opened my eyes to see Andi crying, stuck at the French doors. I instinctively wanted to get up, to go comfort her, to tell her to get the fuck out of a relationship with a freak like him. Just as I tried to push past Brian to get to her, I heard the same words that had grounded me six years before. "I'm sorry," she called out to me before Cara lead her inside, assuring her that it'd be alright.

The French doors closed again, leaving me with an adrenaline rush, throbbing jaw, and one thing set on my mind: I had to get her away from Larkin, no matter what came at me while I tried.