"Oh, hi," I replied, returning his smile.
"Is there room for one more?" he asked, motioning to the bench. I nodded and moved over to make some room.
"There is always room for you," I answered. Isaac sat down beside me, careful as to not sit on my dress at all. He looked over at me, and I could see in his eyes how tired he was. This whole wedding had drained him, but for good cause.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Nothing. Just watching," I answered, looking out over the yard again. The people that had just been there were now disappearing into the house, preparing to leave. The DJ had long since packed up his things and left, and seeing as the caterers were running in and out of the house carrying trays, Isaac and I were practically alone. I turned to him, blinking slowly, as I too was tired. "Did you have fun today?"
Isaac nodded. "Surprisingly, yes. I didn't really think…" he trailed off, shaking his head then looking away. Concerned, I put my hand on his arm, willing him to continue with his thoughts. "Can I tell you something? Something that I've never told anyone else before?"
"You know you can," I answered softly. Isaac sighed, laughing a little before looking back at me.
"Taylor, Zac, and I made a pact when we were little, just after we got signed to our record deal," he told me, his voice strained and slightly shaky. "We promised each other that we would always be together, no matter what. No matter how many albums we made, or how many countries we traveled too, or how many girls came and went in our lives. We promised that, even if we weren't physically together, we would only be a phone call away. I don't know… I just feel that we're slipping apart. I mean, I love Megan and she's a great person; she makes Tay so happy. And Reagan too. She belongs with Zac. But I just feel that things are changing, that the three of us are growing apart."
He paused, but didn't continue. Instead, he shook his head again. I put my arm around him and put my other hand into his. He looked over and I offered him a smile. "Things are changing, Ike. They have been for a while. But like you said, just because you and Tay and Zac won't always share the same bedroom, you'll only be a phone call away. I have doubts that they would ever try to shut you, or each other, out of their lives."
Isaac didn't say anything for a moment. Then he sighed and pulled me closer against him, resting his head on top of mine. "Thanks Willow. I'm glad I have you to lean on and talk to. I don't know how I ever got along without you."
I tilted my head a little and smiled up at him. "You're welcome. I'm glad that I can return the favor, although it is included in the 'Best Friends' rules," I stated. Isaac smiled and kissed the top of my head. We sat there for a while longer until it was finally time for me to go back to my house.
"Hi Zac. Reagan is up in her room resting," Mrs. St. Pierre greeted me when I reached her house. I smiled and took the stairs two at a time to reach the landing. Knocking lightly, I pushed the bedroom door open and let myself in. Reagan was lying under the covers on her bed, a box of tissues sitting beside her hand. She looked up tiredly when I entered, but managed a smile.
"Hi," she welcomed me. I smiled warmly at her and went over the kiss the top of her head.
"How are you feeling?" I asked, carefully setting the container of soup on her bedside table. Reagan sniffled a little.
"A little better now that you're here," she said, her voice sounding a little nasally. Just then she grabbed a tissue and sneezed, then moaned a little. "Please, just put me out of my misery."
I smiled and shook my head. "I'm afraid that I won't do that. But I will, however, feed you homemade soup and Gingerale to make you feel 132% better."
Reagan laughed a little at my optimism. "Only 132%? Why Zac, you're loosing your touch," she teased a little, struggling to sit up a little so that she could take a sip of the soda. I put my hand gently on the side of her face, and she cringed away. I looked at her curiously. "I'm sorry, it's just that even the slightest amount of pressure on my head feels painful. I couldn't even stand a damp washcloth on my forehead."
"Aww, I'm sorry," I said softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. I sat with her for another hour just talking and giving her soup. Once she started to fade off to sleep, I leaned down and gently kissed her forehead before sneaking quietly out of the room.
"I'm not broken, you know. I'm just sick," she told me after I helped her into the car. I made a face at her.
"When it comes to the people I love, my mind doesn't register the differences between 'broken' and 'sick'," I informed her. Reagan smiled and leaned over to kiss me. We drove across town to Isaac's apartment, and I once again helped Reagan out of the car. She pushed me away a little, getting frustrated.
"Okay, Zac, here's the deal. You can hold my hand, okay? I can walk up the stairs fine," she said firmly. I nodded, then took her hand as we entered the building. Isaac and Willow were waiting up in the apartment.
"Hi Reagan, how are you feeling?" Willow greeted her, giving her a hug.
"I'm doing better. I'm glad to get out of the house and get some fresh air," she answered. Willow turned and gave me a hug. When she pulled away, she was smiling widely.
"Geesh, next time I see you, you're going to be towering over me Zac," she stated. I grinned and puffed myself up, trying to appear bigger in size.
"Yes, and I look forward greatly to that day," I said, then I laughed and slung my arm across her shoulders. "But rest assured, I won't beat you up or anything just because I'm bigger than you."
Willow smiled, trying not to laugh. "Okay Zac, thanks. I'm going to hold you to that promise," she said. She and Reagan went to sit on the couch, while Isaac and I went into the kitchen to start to make something for lunch.
"You must be kinda bummed, huh?" I asked Isaac as I took ingredients for a salad out of the fridge. He shrugged a little, then grabbed a cutting board and knife to start cutting the chicken into cubes.
"Yeah, I guess. I'm gonna miss her, but I know that she has to go back to school," he agreed. He paused and smiled. "And I know that she'll come back soon. And when we go to play Boston on the next tour, I'll get to see her again. It'll all turn out okay."
"You're really optimistic about this," I stated, smiling. He usually was never very open minded about the future whenever friends or family went away. Ike shrugged and went back to cutting up the chicken. We talked idly for the next 20 minutes while making lunch, and then Willow and Reagan came into the kitchen.
"Mmm, it smells good in here. We should let you do this more often," Reagan commented. Will nodded in agreement, smiling. I grinned and put the bowl of salad on the table. After lunch, Reagan was feeling tired again, so we had to say goodbye.
"I promise," Will agreed. She let go of Reagan and then it was Zac's turn. "Stay out of trouble, Zac."
"Who, me?" Zac asked innocently, smiling. Then he nodded. "Don't worry about me. You have a fun time back at Harvard. Don't study too much."
"I won't," Will replied with a smile.
"We'll have to get together and have lunch or something the next time we're in Boston. You know, a refresher so you don't forget what I look like," he joked. I rolled my eyes at him, but Willow laughed.
"Oh, I don't think you need to worry about me forgetting you, Zac," she assured him. Zac hugged her again, seriously this time.
"Have a safe trip, Will," he said. Then, with a quick wave, he and Reagan disappeared out the door. Will turned to me with a little sigh, and I gave her a strange look.
"You're not gonna cry, are you?" I teased. She scowled.
"No," she insisted. I smiled and put my arms around her.
"So, are you all mine for the rest of the afternoon?" I asked. Willow pulled away from me and nodded.
"Yeah, at least until 5:00. Brad and Olivia wanted me to be home for dinner," she said, walking into the kitchen and starting to absently clean up our lunch mess. I followed her and watched for a minute before taking the near-empty salad bowl from her hands.
"You don't have to do that, you know," I said to her. She nodded.
"I know. I want to." She continued to clean up, and I figured that I wasn't doing much good just standing around and watching, so I decided to help out also. In no time we managed to put the dishes into the dishwasher, and the kitchen was clean again. Willow turned to me with a smile. "Okay, so, what's next?"
"You mean cleaning? No way. I'm not letting you clean anything else. You're all mine now," I stated, putting my arms around her in a hug. She laughed a little and ducked out of my reach, backing up slowly into the living room.
"But seriously, what are we gonna do all afternoon? Do you want to go do something, go for a walk maybe?" she suggested. I shook my head, walking towards her.
"No, I just want to stay here with you," I replied. She gave me an uneasy look as I stepped up to her, taking her hands. "I just want time with you."
"You have time with me, no matter what we do," she stated.
"But not enough," I interupted, putting my arms around her in a hug. "There's not enough time in the world for us."
"Don't be silly, Isaac. What do you mean?" she asked, pulling away from me. A feeling of disappointment rolled over me and hurt filled my eyes.
"I just... I don't know. I don't want you to go away. We've had such a good time together lately, I don't want it to end. I need more time," I explained, feeling a little awkward. I looked down at my feet for a second, suddenly realizing that Willow obviously didn't feel the same need for time as I did. I felt her hand on my shoulder and I looked up, my eyes searching hers.
"I don't want to go away either, but I can't just stay here. I have school..." she trailed off, and I nodded a little.
"I know."
"How much time?" she asked suddenly, catching me off guard. I gave her a curious look, and she repeated her question. "How much time do you want? Maybe I can-"
"Forever," I said softly, taking her hands in mine and looking into her eyes again. "I want you to be with me forever."
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