As Time Went By

Sliding down the banister, Kaidence ran full force to the ringing door bell. Quickly smoothing down her hair before she pulled the door open, she took a deep breath. Hesitating a fraction of a second, she slowly put her hand on the knob as the sound of the doorbell pealed once again through the house. Yanking it open, she found herself to be scooped up into two strong arms as the air she had sucked in was smacked out of her lungs. Squealing in delight, she held onto the strong frame that was twirling her around in the tiny foyer of her home.

Breathing in her fresh scent, Zacky caught the whiff of the fabric softener that she had always used and the perfume that he had sent home for her that he had bought in France. Stopping his mad spinning, he slowly let her slide down his body. “Hey, Kaidence.”

“It’s so good to have you home!” Framing the face of her best friend in her hands, Kaidence’s natural violet eyes roamed the face of the man that she hadn’t seen in almost eight months. Taking in the pleasure that was shining brightly from his vibrant glass-green eyes, she moved her gaze towards the lips that always spoke words of encouragement, kindness and friendship to her. Reaching up, she tugged on one of the snakebites that graced their bottom fullness.

“Why do you have to do that?” Curving into a smile, the lip that she had just tugged on moved as he spoke.

Shrugging, Kaidence grinned. “I always do and if I hadn’t, you would’ve wondered why.” Michevious tone to her voice she stared at his face once again. “Where did the other hunk of metal go? I was hoping the pictures I was seeing float across the net weren’t true.”

Touching his nose briefly, Zacky smiled. “It was just time for it to go.” Remembering the day he had gotten it pierced, he grinned at the memory of Kaidence laughing at him as tears had run down his face—not at the pain of the piercing, but due to the nerves that ran though the body part. “I still have the ring, though.”

“Good.” Nodding once, Kaidence turned around and snagged his hand. “Come on in; I have some things for you.” Dragging him through the living room of her modest home, she took a look around hoping that nothing was out of place as she had done a final walk through last night before heading up to bed where she had lain awake for most of the night with anticipation knowing that he would finally be home.

“You didn’t have to do anything like that, Kaidence.” Following her up the stairs, Zacky stared at the framed photos that lined the stairwell. Grinning at the photos that had been taken throughout her life, his eyes lingered on some longer than others. Stopping at the top of the stairs when he lighted on a new photo, he stared through the glass and at the photo.

Grouped together on the beach that was only a few blocks from where they were currently, he saw that it had been taken just before the band that he was in had left for tour. Grinning like quicksilver, he stared at the way Kaidence was balanced on top of his shoulders, her arms in the air holding a beach ball on the top of her head and at the four guys surrounding them, his tattooed arms looped over her knees. “You’ve never sent me a copy of this one.”

Turning around with her hand resting on a doorknob, Kaidence smiled. “I know; I wanted you to see it framed and matted.” Letting go of the doorknob, she took the five steps back to where Zacky was standing, poised at the beginning of the hallway. Staring at the photo herself, she studied the picture, almost wanting to touch the sand that rested in the bottom of the shadow-box like frame that she had bought specifically for the photo.

“You’ve got sand and seashells and a tiny paper umbrella in the frame.” Staring at it in amazement, Zacky leaned closer. “Is that a tiny beach ball in there, too?”

Letting out a laugh at his tone of voice, Kaidence nodded. “Yeah, I managed to find one at a doll shop.”

“That damn thing got us into so much trouble that day!” Laughing along with her at the memory, he caught glimpses of it in his mind and could picture it like it was yesterday.

“I think the best part was when it landed in that snobby lady’s lunch and left sand matted all in her food.” Leaning on Zacky as she laughed, Kaidence took in the scent that was uniquely him. Always finding comfort in it, she turned her face and buried it in his shoulder, inhaling. “You smell good.”

Rolling his eyes, Zacky sighed. “It’s nothing new; I wouldn’t dare use different cologne on the first day that we’re home.”

“You had better not considering I had to pay a pretty penny to have that last bottle shipped over to you.” Nudging his shoulder, she took his hand again. “Come on, I want to show you something.”

Following her once again, Zacky stared at the closed door that was in front of him once she stood to the side. “A closed door?”

Looking at his raised brows, Kaidence shook her head. “You’re not that dumb, Zack. Open it.”

Reaching out, Zacky slowly turned the knob not knowing what he’d find behind it. Considering the years that they had been friends and all of the practical jokes that they had shared, he was half afraid of what would come rushing out at him. Hesitantly stepping inside when nothing came out, he looked around as he let out a low whistle. “Damn, Kaid.”

Nerves coursing through her body, Kaidence reached up and shoved a lock of multi-colored hair behind her ear. “Do you like it?”

Running his eyes over the interior of the room, Zacky slowly nodded. “I do, but why?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Kaidence stepped around him and farther into the room that she had slowly made his over the past six months. “Because I wanted you to know that you can stay here as long as you’d like.”

Feeling tears gather behind his eyes at the unselfishness of her tone and actions, Zacky reached out and pulled her into a hug. Holding onto her, he shut his eyes and rested his chin on her shoulder as her arms slowly wrapped around his middle, head resting comfortably on his chest. He had never expected that one middle of the night phone call from England would result in this. “Is this because you know I don’t want to go back to my house?”

Nodding against his chest, Kaidence felt tears gather behind her own eyes when she heard them in his voice. “I knew that you wouldn’t want to and that it would be hard for you to face.”

“It was and it is. Just the thought…” Shivering, Zacky opened his eyes and stared around the room as he pulled back from her slightly. “I know that she didn’t fuck the whole place up, but I just don’t want to face it, you know?”

“I know. I’ve been over there whenever I can cleaning shit up, trying to straighten it up for you. Me, Val, Michelle, Lacey and Leana, we’ve pretty much got everything in order so you can sell the place or have it razed or whatever.” Stepping back from his arms, Kaidence chewed on her lip.

Letting out a laugh, Zacky reached out and grabbed a lock of her hair, twitching the end of it over her nose. Smiling when she sneezed like always when he did that, he shook his head. “What would I want to knock it down for if you girls have been cleaning it up?”

“Too many bad memories, I don’t know.” Shrugging again, Kaidence turned around to avoid the pain in his eyes and to shield what she felt from him. “Anyway, this is what I’ve done. I’ve left the organization of it up to you, but you can move shit I have set out to wherever you want to put it. The bathroom is pretty much set out, but I know you have a particular order to things, so I didn’t do too much.”

“Hey.” Putting a hand on her shoulder as she kept her gaze locked on the wall opposite them, Zacky turned her around. “Don’t worry about it; everything looks great in here. You’ve got the bed away from the window as you know I like it, you have Ichabod’s shit set out where it usually is, you’ve got my shit set out on shelves, hell, you’ve even fucking repainted in here. Chill out.”

“I had to put your damn Vengeance University shit somewhere, and as the room used to be a wretched shade of pink from when Leana lived here, that had to go. I just don’t see your VU shit hanging in tandem with magenta walls.”

Shuddering at the thought, Zacky grinned. “Yeah, I guess you would’ve had to have done the painting, but you really didn’t have to do anything at all. I made arrangements to stay at Brian’s until I found another place.”

“Yeah, and you know that Brian and Michelle are going to be wrapped up in each other since she flew home five months ago and they haven’t seen each other since. All they’re going to do is probably what they’ve done since you all got in last night.”

Smirking, Zacky’s snakebites caught the sun glinting through the windows. “Yeah, you’re probably right. That’s all I fucking heard last night.”

“You could’ve come here, you know. You know the door is always open and has been for the past fifteen years of our lives.” Rolling her eyes, Kaidence stepped away from him as she caught the way his eyes darkened. “I’m going to go downstairs; do what you need.”

“Kaid?” Catching her hand as she walked by, Zacky tugged on it, stopping her. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome, Zack.” Trying to free her fingers, she cocked her head. “Uh, I need to go start lunch.”
Pulling on her hand, he tumbled her into his arms once more. Hugging her tightly, he set her back a fraction and lowered her face towards hers. Watching as her violet eyes widened, he kissed the corner of her mouth and then let her go. “Thanks for this, I really mean that.”

Heart beating wildly, Kaidence nodded and tore out of the bedroom. Trailing her hand down the banister, she rounded the corner and into the kitchen. Yanking open the fridge door, she stared blindly at the contents and willed her heart to settle and her lungs to expand normally.

She knew how much it meant for Zacky to have a place to come to that he could call his own since his wife had decided to leave him in the middle of their European tour taking the things that she wanted with her and destroying the rest of the things that she didn’t want, including the house. Walls had been spray painted, and where they weren’t painted wildly, they had been punched, kicked or torn apart. Never would she forget the feeling that she had had when she had first walked through the wide open door after Zacky’s panicked, heartbroken and enraged three a.m. call.

Fingers trembling in rage when she thought of the destruction that his now ex-wife had left behind and of the way she had used the band’s constant busy business and touring schedule for charges of abandonment, she thought of the hell that she herself had put the woman through after what she had done. Knowing that there was no way in hell that she should’ve been able to use his work as charges against him and that she should’ve had to have paid for what she did to the house, Kaidence slammed the door shut after not removing anything. Hearing her name, she turned and stood at the bottom of the stairs. “What?”

“Gates just called and wants us at the spot!” Walking out of the room that Kaidence had made his, Zacky stared down the stairs at one of his oldest friends and felt his heart tug at the expression on her face. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Shaking her head, Kaidence forced herself to smile. “Nothing—just got to thinking about Queen Bitch.”

“Forget about that cunt.” Rushing down the stairs, Zacky wrapped his arm around Kaidence’s waist and tugged her along with him as he walked. “Let’s just go out and have a good time and we can talk or think about that shit later, okay?”

Barely managing to grab her purse off the hook beside the front door, Kaidence nodded as he pulled them out of the door. Shrieking when he started down the steps, she snaked out his grasp and ran back up the stairs to lock the door as he grumbled. “I’m coming, chill out!”

“I need a key, Kaid.” Catching the key she tossed at him over the roof of his car once they had gotten to the driveway, he grinned. “Thanks. Now, get in, the guys want us.”

“Us or just you?” Snapping her seatbelt, she jolted when he turned on the engine and music blared out of the speakers. Nudging the volume button down, she stared over at him.

“You know they want to see you, too.” Tearing down the road, Zacky mechanically drove down the needed streets, the route from the house that Kaidence had lived in since she was a child familiar. Thinking of how her parents had died due to a car crash five years before when she had been twenty-one, he reached over and squeezed the tan and firm thigh that was bare due to the shorts she wore.

“What did you do that for?” Turning to look at him as he pulled into the parking lot of the city’s park, Kaidence raised a brow.

“’Cause I wanted to. What’s the problem?” Getting out, he walked around to her side and opened her door for her. Turning around, he hunched down allowing her to climb on his back.

Anchoring her legs around his waist and looping her arms over his shoulder, Kaidence laughed as he pretended to struggle as he stood. “I haven’t gained any weight in the past eight months, so don’t even go there!”

Placing his hands under her knees after he finally stood, Zacky jumped slightly. “No, I think you’ve lost it. Working too hard?”

“Yeah, creating new scents in a perfume lab will do it to you.” Rolling her eyes as she spoke with a sarcastic tone, Kaidence felt his thumbs brush the undersides of her sensitive knees. “Don’t you dare tickle me while I’m on you!”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Chuckling, Zacky set off across the park to where a secluded section still remained, the group having met there for years. Hearing Brian’s voice ring out demanding a quality smoke, his lips curved up in a smile. “Sounds like they’ve beaten us here.”

“I’d say if Brian’s already harassing Johnny.” Reaching over Zacky’s shoulder, Kaidence lifted a branch out of his way and hunkered down as he did so they could get through and into a small clearing. Violet eyes absorbing the faces of her closest friends, she cried in delight. “Brian, Jimmy, Johnny and Matt!” Sliding down Zacky’s back as they all looked up, she barely had time to gain her feet before she was surrounded by the four other men in her life.

Soaking up kisses on the cheek and forehead and bone crushing hugs, she kept the smile that had formed upon seeing them plastered on her face. After the initial round was over, she reached out and plucked the cigarette Brian had just lit out of his fingers and took a drag. “Thanks!”

“Of course, you’re welcome.” Wry tone to his voice, Brian reached out and plucked the pack that Johnny still held out of his fingers. “I need another one, Christ, Kai took that one.” Thin and expressive lips twisted into his trademark smirk, Brian’s brown eyes lined in black danced and sparkled in merriment at the old habit that Kaidence had fallen into years ago.

Staring at his empty tattooed fingers, Johnny frowned. “Goddamnit, can I not have a smoke of my own? Jesus!” Rubbing his hand over the shaven sides of his head, he stared at Kaidence. “I know we’re home since you’re stealing our cigarettes.”

Grinning, Kaidence leaned over on the log that she had sat on beside Johnny and kissed his cheek. “No, I only steal Brian’s!” Laughing with everyone else, she continued to stare at him. “Love that you have the ‘hawk back, by the way.”

Preening, Johnny grinned. “Yeah, all the girls like it; Lacey approves.”

“She had better.” Jumping when a finger was poked into her side, Kaidence turned to look at the person who had done so and grinned when she saw Jimmy’s michevious blue eyes sparkling at her. “And your hair, as always, is a hot fucking mess.” Reaching out, she tugged the hair that covered his ears and then pulled at the back pieces that stuck out from his skull.

“I like it this way; it works for me.” Shrugging, Jimmy crossed his heavily tattooed arms over the t-shirt that covered his thin but lean chest, his eyes covered by large sunglasses he had just put on. “I don’t have to do shit to it when I wake up and roll the fuck out of bed hung-over.”

“Of course you’d be lazy like that.” Rolling her eyes, Kaidence looked up as a shadow crossed her vision. “Matt.”

“Kai.” Reaching down, Matt pulled his cousin up and stared her up and down. “These other fuckers got to you first and I barely got a hug or a kiss.”

Throwing her arms around the man that had been her rock five years ago whilst she was dealing with the death of her parents and the aftermath, she felt tears gather behind her eyes. “I’ve missed you.”

Burying his face into her neck after lifting her feet off the ground, Matt squeezed tightly. “Someone else has, too.”

Pulling back, Kaidence narrowed her eyes. “I see Val everyday.”

“I wasn’t talking about Val or any of the girls.” Setting her back down on her feet, Matt nodded to a man standing a few feet away engaged in conversation with Johnny and Brian. “He did.”

Shaking her head, Kaidence looked over, following Matt’s hazel-green stare. “I just talked to them.”

“No, not those fuckers, I’m talking about the one standing there. The one that you’re going to be living with.” Watching the knowledge of what he was saying dawn on her pixie features, Matt reached up with his long fingers and tweaked her nose. “There you go, Kaid, you finally got it.”

“Zacky?” Feeling butterflies in her stomach, Kaidence turned stricken eyes back to Matt. Eyes meeting his, she tried to calm her breathing down. “We’re friends, Matt; that’s all he views me as.”

Rolling his eyes and sighing, Matt slung a muscled and tattooed arm over his cousin’s shoulders. “Okay, let’s review something here, alright?” Feeling her nod against his chest, he continued. “I introduced you to the assholes that are in front of us when you moved out here from the east cost. Who did you become friends with first?”

“Uh, you.” Giggling when his fingers tightened on her shoulder and as he growled lightly, she grinned. “Okay, it was Zacky.”

“Alright, now that you’re following me completely, who has always rescued you out of your scrapes and mishaps when I couldn’t, who has always been there for you when I couldn’t be or even if I could be, who took you to prom when that fucker that was supposed to ditched you at the last minute, who calls you constantly from on the road, who consults with you for just about every thing he fucking does?”

“That would be Zacky yet again.” Stepping out from under Matt’s arm, Kaidence narrowed her eyes. “Those are all things that you all have done for me throughout the years, Matt. You’re not making sense.”

Running his finger down the side of her cheek, Matt shook his head. “All I’m trying to point out to you is the fact that the man has been there faithfully for you.”

“He can’t like me romantically—we’re best friends! And besides, even if he did and has for awhile, as you’re intimating that he has, he got married to Queen Bitch.”

“And you were with who throughout high school and then after he fucking left you at prom?” Raising a brow, Matt continued to stare down at his cousin that stood ten inches below his height. “He never would’ve married her if you had been available or would’ve been able to see him as more than a friend or brother or hadn’t broken his heart when you announced that you and that asshole were engaged.”

“You’re making no sense, Matt.” Shaking her head vigorously, Kaidence refused to see where he was going with this. “I don’t see it; it’s Zacky for God’s sake!” Mind whirling with Matt’s words and that maybe what she felt was returned, she stared into his eyes.

Head whipping up from where he had finally sat down, Zacky stared at Kaidence and his band mate. Wondering why he was being brought up in the conversation, he started when Brian leaned across Johnny and shoved on his shoulder. “What?”

“You still staying at my place or did shit work out with Kaidence?” Tossing his cigarette butt, Brian stared at Zacky.

“I’m staying with her; she actually had a room ready for me and shit like that.” Ducking his head, Zacky plucked up a blade of grass.

“You didn’t have to ask her to let you stay? Damn, you got lucky then.” Knowing that his fellow guitarist had been nervous about asking the girl that he had secretly loved for years to stay at her place instead of his, Brian shook his head. “Did you tell her how you feel yet?”

“Nope, haven’t had a chance to.”

“Pussy.” Uttering the single word, Johnny smiled when Zacky glared at him. “What? You’ve been planning on doing so ever since she broke up with that dick of an ex-fiancée and since your divorce was final.”

“Jennifer took you to the damned cleaners and you didn’t fucking care because it made the divorce go faster, dude.” Pointing out this fact, Jimmy whipped off the sunglasses that were protecting his eyes from the guy’s traditional drinking night when they returned home.

“Yeah, well, how do you tell your best friend that you don’t want to fuck up a friendship with that you’ve been in love with her for years, that you settled for a tramp because you got her knocked up and then she aborted it after all and you were still stuck to her because she didn’t want to let your money and fame go until she got tired of it?”

“Damn, that was a long breath, Z.” Shaking his head and smirking along with Johnny and Jimmy, Brian let out a breath. “I think you even made me winded.”

“Well, how do I tell her?”

“Why don’t you ask her that? Shit, you all talk about everything to begin with as it is. Just sit her down, tell her that you like this person but you don’t know how to tell her—or even make someone up—and that you want to know what she would want to hear as a girl.” Shrugging his thin shoulders as he beat a tattoo on his knees, Jimmy turned to look at Zacky. “Makes sense, right?”

“Actually, it does, Zacky.” Nodding Johnny agreed as he stubbed out the cigarette he held.

“I guess I could do that.”

Walking up to the group with a silent and thinking Kaidence behind him, Matt rubbed his hands together. “Alright, let’s leave here and hit up the beach; I heard Val talking to Michelle, Leana and Lacey about it before I left.”

“A beach day?” Brightening, Kaidence peered around Matt’s back. Seeing everyone nod in agreement, she clapped her hands together and waited while arrangements were made as to who would bring what. Following Zacky back to his car, she walked silently beside him. “So, um, the beach.”

Grinning and opening her door, Zacky stowed her inside. “Yep, the beach.” Driving towards what was now home, he walked in the door behind her once they had reached the house. “Meet you back down here in fifteen?” Seeing her nod, he took off up the stairs knowing that she would gather what she needed from the kitchen.

Heading into his room, he rummaged around through drawers that she had put together for him trying to find his trunks. Doing so, he quickly stripped and put them on. Grabbing the towels and the bag that Kaidence always kept at the ready for beach-days out of the hall closet, he hurried back down the stairs. “Kaid?”

“I’m in here!” Shouting to be heard over the roar of the dryer in the laundry room off the kitchen, she turned around when she heard him walk into the room, freshly laundered bikini on under her clothes. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Wondering why things were awkward between them now when they hadn’t been until she had spoken to Matt, Zacky crossed his arms. “Listen, if you don’t want to go or don’t want me staying here, I can handle that.”

Perplexed as to why he was talking about her not wanting him around, Kaidence looked at him. “Why would you think that?” Brow furrowed, she pushed past him and entered the kitchen. Grabbing the bag that he had brought downstairs, she pointed to the cooler. “Food’s in there if you can grab it?” Leading the way to the car, she popped his trunk and waited while he dropped it in. Slamming the hatch, she then slid into her seat.

“You’re distant now.”

“Not really.” Shrugging her shoulders, she leaned her head back against the seat as he let out a sigh. Looking out at the familiar streets as he drove, she felt excitement wash through her. Checking her purse, she saw that she had her camera inside it. Looking at him out of the corner of her eye, she took in the way his hair blew in the breeze that was created by the open windows and sunroof. Taking a quick picture, she laughed at the scowl he made when he realized what she had done. Waiting until he had parked, she leaned across the seats and kissed his cheek. “I’ll go get our spot.”

“Of course you will.” Chuckling as he climbed out of the car and saw her take off across the warm sand, he watched until she faded from view around a lifeguard shack and pulled the cooler out of the trunk as he heard the other band member’s voices.

“So, I hear that you’re finally going to tell Kaidence that you love her, huh?” Slinging an arm around Zacky’s waist, Valary looked up at him with sparkling brown eyes, her sunglasses pushed up on her blonde hair. Adjusting the hold she had on the chairs she had for herself and Matt, she waited for him to answer.

“Jesus! Does everyone know but her?” Mumbling under his breath as he hefted the cooler to his shoulder, he sighed.

“Zacky, it’s evident and has been since you and Jennifer went through that divorce.” Setting down the things she held once they reached their usual spot on the wide expanse of sand that bordered the almost teal-blue and sparkling Pacific, Valary yelped when Matt tickled her side as he walked by. Checking to see that Kaidence was out of earshot, she looked back at him. “That girl has been throwing herself into your house like mad trying to get it ready for you to sell. She went off on Jennifer a few times to the point that Jennifer has a restraining order against Kaidence and to top it all off, she’s worried herself sick that she just assumed that you’ll stay with her until you find your own place.”

“Seriously?” Raising a skeptical brow, Zacky looked away and found Kaidence with his green eyes. “If you say so.”

“If you don’t tell her, I will.” Looping her arm through her twin’s when Michelle joined them, Valary smiled evilly. “Or I’ll get Chelle, Lacey or Leana to do it.”

“No. I’ll do it.” Growling the words, Zacky shrugged off his shirt and strode across the sand, suntan lotion bottle in hand. Catching Kaidence around the waist as she ran from a water-gun brandishing Jimmy, he peered down into her eyes. “Did you get lubed up?”

Breathless from running through the thick sand, Kaidence leaned against Zacky and shook her head. “Nope, wanna do the honors?” Dropping down into the sand in her red and black bikini, she shielded her eyes from the sun as she looked up. “I forgot my sunglasses.”

Taking his off, Zacky handed them to her as he sank down beside her. Squirting the lotion directly on her shoulders to make her scream due to it being cold he laughed when she turned around and slapped him. Moving the straps of her bikini, he rubbed the lotion onto her skin as Valary walked by and muttered under her breath. Knowing that she was serious about telling Kaidence herself, his mouth went dry. “Hey, can we talk?”

“Sure. What about?” Eyes following the others as they headed towards the water behind Zacky’s glasses, Kaidence felt her heart start to hammer.

“There’s this girl that I’m friends with, and, well I like her.” Hesitating, Zacky sighed when he felt her shoulders stiffen. “I don’t know how to tell her.”

Chest constricting, Kaidence looked over her shoulder. “And why not? Just tell her.”

“It’s not that easy. We’re friends; I don’t want to ruin the friendship that we have by telling her what I feel if she doesn’t feel the same way.”

“Who are you talking about?” Turning since he was done her shoulders and back, Kaidence swiped the lotion bottle out of his hands and squirted some out. Plastering it on her face, she rubbed it in. “Well?”

“It doesn’t matter; I just want to know how I should tell her. You’re a chick, so I figured that you’d know a way for me to tell her.”

“I already did.” Standing, Kaidence looked down at him and dropped the lotion bottle into his lap. Adjusting the side straps to her bikini bottoms, she dug her toes into the sand. “Just let me know who she is so I can tell her a thing or two about you and so she knows that if she turns into another Jennifer I will kick her ass.”

Staring after her and then quickly standing as she had delivered the words and started to walk away, Zacky jogged down to the water’s edge and ignored the looks from everyone else.

“Dude, what the fuck did you say to Kaid?” Stopping him with a hand on his arm, Matt whirled Zacky around. “She strode right by me with a look of murder on her face and wouldn’t even stop.”

“I just did what Jimmy and Johnny suggested and she took it the wrong way.” Shaking off his hold, Zacky stepped into the water. “Evidently, it’s not going to be as easy as I thought.” Walking into the waist high water, he spotted Kaidence talking to Valary, Michelle, Leana and Lacey. Heading towards them, he spotted the dark look on Val’s face. Groaning inwardly, he snagged Kaidence and pulled her away. “I think you took me wrong.”

“How did I do that?”

“You did, just listen.” Jamming his hands through his choppily cut hair, Zacky let out a sigh as waves formed and broke around them. “You’re not going to be a Jennifer; I can assure you of that.”

“What are you talking about?” Twisting out of his arms, Kaidence crossed hers and stared at him, finally figuring out that what Matt had told her earlier was true. “You’ve always been able to tell me everything, so why not just tell me that?”

“Because I don’t want to ruin what we have already or lose you. It’s a huge gamble, Kaid, don’t you see that? What if something happens and we don’t have each other anymore?”

“Zack—we have fifteen years behind us.” Feeling warm inside as his green eyes were staring at her in a way that they always had but finally understanding what the look really meant, Kaidence reached up and framed his face again. “I love you, too.”

Heart swelling at her words, Zacky placed his hands on her hips. “I love you more than a friend, Kaid, I always have.”

“Then why did you get married?” Standing in the ocean with the water swirling around her legs and waist, the sun glinting down hotly onto her head, Kaidence stared into the eyes that were shining with love. “What were those five years of hell that you went through for?”

“I was trying to get away from you. You went with that fucking asshole again, you got engaged to him, said that you all were going to get married. I went out the night that you told me, got drunk, and fucked her.” Shaking his head, Zacky reached up and took his sunglasses off her nose. “I never told you the reason why we got married—she got knocked up that night, found out who I was, used it against me. She had a fucking abortion two weeks after we went to Vegas.”

Heart breaking for him, Kaidence blinked at the sunlight. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be; it was my fault. I should’ve seen it; I didn’t.”

Placing her head on his chest, Kaidence stared at the tattoo that was inches from her nose. Reaching up and tracing the wings that graced his skin, she sighed. “So, what do we do?”

“Get married?” Letting out a laugh when her head whipped up in surprise, Zacky grinned down at her widened eyes, face a mask of shock. “I mean, we have fifteen years invested already, why the hell not?”

Ten hours later, Kaidence stared down at the ring on her husband’s finger as champagne was popped all around them. Staring up at the face of her best friend now turned lover, she grinned. “Why the hell not, indeed?” Pulling his head towards hers, her mind whirled as their lips met, the coolness of the metal hoops in his lips making her shiver.

Breaking apart when everyone around them started to gag, Kaidence narrowed her eyes at her cousin. “You and Val are like this every damned day.”

“Yeah, Sanders—when are you going to make her an honest woman?” Twining his fingers in Kaidence’s, Zacky wiggled his brows at the almost horrified look on Matt’s face as Valary giggled next to him. “I mean, we’re already in Vegas, so why the hell not?”