Chapter 34
Paranoid Hannah sat biting her nails in her office as Zach was reading the news paper. ‘This is a disaster,’ she thought to herself. Nick thinks it’s Zach’s child and Zach…well he didn’t even know she was pregnant. ‘Hmm, I have to get out of here,’ she figured but then she didn’t want to go anywhere.
“You look tired,” Zach said looking up at her.
“Huh?” She hadn’t been listening to him.
“I said you look tired.”
“Oh,” she nodded, “Yea, I uhh…haven’t been able to sleep well lately. I think maybe I should leave work and go take a nap. I have a big exam tomorrow.” Is it a bad thing to get so good at lying?
“Yea? What in…I can help you study!” he perked up and she shook her head no.
“I’m already prepared for it…I just need to get my rest. Do you think Melissa would mind if I called it a day?”
“Doubt it,” he shrugged. “Hey, are you thinking about moving?” he noticed a circled ad in the paper for a new apartment complex built in San Fransisco.
“I dunno,” she shrugged, “I always wanted to live in San Fransisco and the ad caught my eye. Just something to dream about...”
“Good,” he said settling even more into his chair. “I wouldn’t want you to move, cause that’d mean I’d have to move too and I love LA far too much.”
Ignoring him she spun around and looked out the window hoping to find something appealing about the city’s skyline. Whatever it was she was supposed to be seeing…she wasn’t seeing. To her it all looked like bars around her cage. “I feel so trapped,” she confessed.
“Let me help…”
“No!” turning back to him she shook her head in refusal, “I don’t want your help Zach, can’t you see that? My whole life has been spent trying to do things on my own but no one ever lets me! Is it because everyone thinks I’m incapable of living my own life?!”
“Uh, I dunno…but I doubt it. Who says you can’t have your own life?”
“Nevermind, it’s not important. Do you mind leaving?”
“Now? I just got here…”
“Yea, so…I wanna be alone now. I have to figure things out.”
“What kind of things?”
He was relentless and making her skin crawl. Gee these mood swings were a trip. “None of your business Zach. And while I’m at it I just thought I should let you know that I don’t want things between you and me to go anything beyond friends. I just thought I’d tell you that before you started getting any wrong impression. As great as you are, you’re not my type. I need someone more…”
“Like Nick I’m guessing. You’re back caught up on him aren’t you?” he looked at her shaking his head. “When are you going to understand that it’s over between the two of you? If it’s not, he’s just playing you again like he always did and always will until you stand up for yourself.”
“I’m standing up for myself…right now!” she yelled, “You’re just mad because it’s with the wrong guy. I’m telling YOU that it’s not going to work, ok?! God, and you say that I’m pathetic and can’t read the signs.”
People had a serious way of getting on her nerves anymore and it was becoming more then annoying. Since she was tired of talking to Zach she just ignored his presence and returned to her work wondering…thinking, ‘How many hours is it to San Fransisco from here anyway…’
He washed his face with crisp cold water. What was she thinking? There was no way that he, Zach, was better then him. He loved her, he did…not him.
Remembering what it was like to lose he held onto himself and their memories. There was a time when they loved each other; he found it hard to believe that they’d never find that again. “If only we could trust each other,” he sighed deeply and buried his head in his hands.
The hotel room was stark and empty. Never before had he truly felt the absence of her presence. She was the type of girl that lit up the room no matter what happened. She was heavenly and he was alone without her.
“Do you think you’ll ever get over her?” his bodyguard asked, the first time he had ever casually spoken.
“No,” he answered, “She’s it. She’s the one.”
“You know what always helps me after a hard break up?” he spoke again. Nick wished he wouldn’t. He is much more entertaining when he doesn’t talk.
“I don’t feel much like talking,” Nick told him as politely as possible.
“Sorry, I was just trying to cheer ya up. But you know…you’re get over her. She’s not all that great. I mean, yea, she had a nice body and a pretty face but--”
“Don’t talk about her like that! You’re not even worthy of knowing her name!” Nick blew and stormed towards his own bodyguard. “What do you know about anything You’re nothing but a big stupid bodyguard. Hannah, she’s amazing! She’s smart. She’s funny. She’s free-spirited. She’s beautiful. She can make even the worst day seem like the best.”
“And she’s not here,” the man irritatingly pointed out.
“That’s because she realized something I always knew…she’s too good for me.”
Done talking he looked down at the ground wondering what he could do to pass the time before he could fall asleep. He was no where near tired, except of being alone.
“What were you saying about how to get over a break up?” he asked his bodyguard more calmly.
“Meet another girl and use her to forget the one you’re missing.”
“No,” he shook his head. “I couldn’t do that.”
“Sure you can, after all…you are Nick Carter. There’s at least a hundred girls outside waiting for that chance with you.”
“That’s just it though, they don’t stand a chance…next to Hanna no one does. What do you do when the only one you want doesn’t want you?”
“I dunno man, but I doubt it has anything to do with staying in by yourself.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The music pounded into him as the alcohol took control. “Maybe you should slow down,” the bartender suggested but nick shook his head no. “Alright,” he sighed and poured him another double.
Drinking straight, no chaser, all his sorrows were drained and it became him and a bunch of empty glasses. The room was becoming hazy and blurring together. Out of the corner of his eye a distorted figure stepped up beside him.
“Fancy seeing you here,” Zach commented taking a seat. “Wow, that’s quite the collection you’ve got there Mr. Backstreet.”
“Oh buuug offa,” Nick slurred as he downed another, “Why don’t you shutout up and leeeve mes alone.”
“This is too hilarious,” he chuckled. “I used to be threatened by you but my God, not anymore.”
“Congratys on the babe…baby,” Nick groaned.
“What?” Zach said amused by his drunken foolishness.
“You and Hannah having a baby. That’s wondyful. Go ahead and steeel here from me. You’s a trapping her wif that kwid.”
Unsure if Nick was serious Zach just swallowed; afterall Nick was overly drunk. “Yea, our baby,” he laughed. “That’s a good one Nick. But typically you have to sleep with the girl to get her pregnant.”
Taking a moment Nick nodded before realizing what Zach said, “What? You didn’t slweep wif her?”
“No,” he shook his head, “Not once…not even close.”
“But she swaid…”though he was drunk he realized the truth.
***
“Angel...is this going to be a drawn out thing or are you just gonna tell me. How scary can it be?”
***
“I saw her buying a pregnancy test.”
***
“Oh, not that it’s any of your business or anything, but I was buying that for a friend. A girl at school had a pregnancy scare but it turned out alright.”
***
“Cut the small talk ok, you don’t have to stay if you don’t want to. You’re off duty from the guilty conscience. You did the right thing. You found out the truth. So just leave. Don’t pretend to be doing me favors by asking how I’ve been. I thought I was more than that to you but turns out I was wrong so just do me the favor of not wasting my time anymore and leave.”
***
“It’s Zach’s…”
***
“You’re free Nick; there are no strings tying you down to me. No pity party. You get what you wanted. You’re free.”
***
“That’s a good one Nick. But typically you have to sleep with the girl to get her pregnant.”
***
Dropping the shot glass down he pieced it together. It was his child she was carrying but she didn’t want that to be why they were together. She didn’t want to be a liability to him.
Clumsily he stood up, “Do you know where she is?” he focused and asked Zach.
“What do you mean? What’s going on? And what’s this about a baby…?”
“Are you going to tell me or not?!” he snapped and threw a hundred dollar bill on the bar.
“Not until you tell me what’s going on!”
“Forget it,” Nick said wringing his car keys.
“You can’t drive like this,” Zach protested but Nick pushed away and out the door with haste. Shaking his hands in his pocket he jumped in his Bronco and the engine started with a roar. Rain drummed on his windshield and the wipers raced back and forth.
The road was barely visible as he sped towards her apartment. There was a future for them. There was a chance. This time nothing would get in the war because they loved each other. He loved her. She loved him. Together, they loved their child. It was perfect. It would be.
Chapter 35 -- coming soon
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