Status: Complete! Merry Christmas! ❤️
Home for Christmas
three - let me make it up to you
Shannon texted her the next day. They talked briefly and then made plans to meet at a standalone Starbucks down the street from her parents' house.
Zane was nervous as she got ready. Some ridiculously immature part of her needed to make sure that she looked as good as she possibly could before she saw him. She put on the nicest outfit she'd brought with her and curled her long red hair tightly, which was how it looked best in her opinion. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous to see him; she wasn't even sure what was going to come out of it, if anything. Mostly, some insecure part of her just had to make sure he didn't have anything to make fun of her for. She knew she was probably worried about nothing; they were adults now, after all. She couldn't seem to push the anxiety down though.
She pulled up to the Starbucks early, surveying the parking lot and what she could see of the inside through the windows to see if she could see him yet. She decided to sit in her car for a little while and try to calm herself down. As she sat there, a loud black motorcycle pulled into the spot right next to her. She watched as its driver got off and stripped out of a thick leather jacket. He threw the jacket over the seat of the bike, his back still to Zane. She recognized him instantly and hated herself for thinking that he was absolutely gorgeous, even from behind.
He turned around a moment later and smiled brightly when he saw her sitting in her car watching him. She whipped her head around the other way and she heard him chuckle through her cracked window.
"Hi, Zane," he said, coming to the window and standing in front of it.
"Hi, Shannon," she said, still looking away from him and hoping she wasn't blushing. She pushed her car door open and stood in front of him. She glanced up at his eyes and was instantly slightly overwhelmed with how breathtaking they were. She didn't remember him having such pretty eyes.
"Shall we go in?" he asked, motioning to the coffee shop. She nodded silently and followed him inside.
By the time they were seated with their drinks, she was finally feeling a little less overwhelmed by him. She just kept remembering that she was supposed to hate him.
"Did Jared tell you how sorry I am?" Shannon asked her, looking her directly in the eye.
"He told me," she said stiffly, being careful not to let him in too much.
"Well, I'm so incredibly sorry. I can't even believe the things that happened to you in high school, Zane. I can't believe I stood by and let those awful kids treat you so badly. I know it's been a long time, but believe it or not, I've tried to get a hold of you a million times over the years and never been able to," he said, sounding solemn.
"That's because I made Jared promise to never give you my number," she whispered, and he nodded.
"I figured as much."
"I appreciate your apology, I do. But I just don't think I can forgive you," she said, and she knew she sounded like a little kid. She knew she was holding onto the grudge too hard. She could tell just by looking him in the eye that his words were honest, but for some reason something inside her brain just wouldn't let it go.
"I thought you might say that. I want to make it up to you, though. Will you let me try?" he asked, and she hesitated. She didn't know what exactly 'making it up' would entail, but she could guarantee that most of it would make her uncomfortable. "Please, Zane. I've been holding onto this guilt for years. I've been dwelling on it and letting it make me angry and ugly inside. Please let me let it go. And then we'll work towards that whole 'forgiveness' thing," he said, his eyes sparkling much like his brother's did when he was trying to get her to do something she didn't want to. "C'mon, Freckles. Let me make it up to you," he said, smiling devilishly and winking at her in a way that she normally would have thought to be incredibly douchey. For some reason, when he did it, though, it made her stomach flutter.
"Fine. But don't call me 'Freckles'," she said after thinking about it for a minute. He smiled at her again, making her stomach involuntarily do flips once more.
"Deal," he said, sticking his hand out for her to shake. She did so hesitantly, noticing acutely that his hand lingered on hers for a just a half a second more than it probably would have on someone else.
Zane was nervous as she got ready. Some ridiculously immature part of her needed to make sure that she looked as good as she possibly could before she saw him. She put on the nicest outfit she'd brought with her and curled her long red hair tightly, which was how it looked best in her opinion. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous to see him; she wasn't even sure what was going to come out of it, if anything. Mostly, some insecure part of her just had to make sure he didn't have anything to make fun of her for. She knew she was probably worried about nothing; they were adults now, after all. She couldn't seem to push the anxiety down though.
She pulled up to the Starbucks early, surveying the parking lot and what she could see of the inside through the windows to see if she could see him yet. She decided to sit in her car for a little while and try to calm herself down. As she sat there, a loud black motorcycle pulled into the spot right next to her. She watched as its driver got off and stripped out of a thick leather jacket. He threw the jacket over the seat of the bike, his back still to Zane. She recognized him instantly and hated herself for thinking that he was absolutely gorgeous, even from behind.
He turned around a moment later and smiled brightly when he saw her sitting in her car watching him. She whipped her head around the other way and she heard him chuckle through her cracked window.
"Hi, Zane," he said, coming to the window and standing in front of it.
"Hi, Shannon," she said, still looking away from him and hoping she wasn't blushing. She pushed her car door open and stood in front of him. She glanced up at his eyes and was instantly slightly overwhelmed with how breathtaking they were. She didn't remember him having such pretty eyes.
"Shall we go in?" he asked, motioning to the coffee shop. She nodded silently and followed him inside.
By the time they were seated with their drinks, she was finally feeling a little less overwhelmed by him. She just kept remembering that she was supposed to hate him.
"Did Jared tell you how sorry I am?" Shannon asked her, looking her directly in the eye.
"He told me," she said stiffly, being careful not to let him in too much.
"Well, I'm so incredibly sorry. I can't even believe the things that happened to you in high school, Zane. I can't believe I stood by and let those awful kids treat you so badly. I know it's been a long time, but believe it or not, I've tried to get a hold of you a million times over the years and never been able to," he said, sounding solemn.
"That's because I made Jared promise to never give you my number," she whispered, and he nodded.
"I figured as much."
"I appreciate your apology, I do. But I just don't think I can forgive you," she said, and she knew she sounded like a little kid. She knew she was holding onto the grudge too hard. She could tell just by looking him in the eye that his words were honest, but for some reason something inside her brain just wouldn't let it go.
"I thought you might say that. I want to make it up to you, though. Will you let me try?" he asked, and she hesitated. She didn't know what exactly 'making it up' would entail, but she could guarantee that most of it would make her uncomfortable. "Please, Zane. I've been holding onto this guilt for years. I've been dwelling on it and letting it make me angry and ugly inside. Please let me let it go. And then we'll work towards that whole 'forgiveness' thing," he said, his eyes sparkling much like his brother's did when he was trying to get her to do something she didn't want to. "C'mon, Freckles. Let me make it up to you," he said, smiling devilishly and winking at her in a way that she normally would have thought to be incredibly douchey. For some reason, when he did it, though, it made her stomach flutter.
"Fine. But don't call me 'Freckles'," she said after thinking about it for a minute. He smiled at her again, making her stomach involuntarily do flips once more.
"Deal," he said, sticking his hand out for her to shake. She did so hesitantly, noticing acutely that his hand lingered on hers for a just a half a second more than it probably would have on someone else.