(3) Not the Same: An All Time Low Fanfiction Romance

Chapter 31: Content

        Still clutching my phone in my hand, I ran my fingers through my hair, closing my eyes as I sighed deeply. I hated lying to him. I hated lying in general. My life revolved around it now, lying to Zack, lying to Craig, lying to everyone else. I was digging myself deeper and deeper into a grave, at a rate where there was no chance of me ever making it out alive.

        The sudden, loud sound of Jack screaming out Stella's name made me jump, almost dropping my phone. I turned quickly just in time to see Stella rush into the room, slamming the door shut and locking it behind her. She didn't look surprised to see me standing there; she just smiled and held her phone up to her ear.

        "Sorry, Kar," she laughed into the phone, still watching me as my attention was drawn back to her. Jack was banging on the door, screaming that he wanted to talk to Kara. I looked back at Stella but she just shrugged, listening to whatever Kara was saying.

        "Great, I can pick you up from the airport tomorrow," Stella said excitedly, grinning. So, Kara was coming to visit Stella and the guys? Did she know I was here, and would she be as forgiving as everyone else? She was friends with the guys a few years before Stella got to Baltimore, and there was no denying that she'd been angry about what I'd done.

        I must've looked worried when I was thinking, and I hadn't noticed Stella hang up her phone and slip it into her pocket, eyes on me.

        "You don't need to worry, Lauren. Kara already knows everything that's going on. She's looking forward to seeing you too," Stella said, reading my mind. "But that's not all that's bothering you, is it?" she asked.

        Jack's pounding on the door stopped, and his footsteps sounded heavily as he stomped down the hall, creating a momentarily silence in the room.

        "I'm fine, honest," I muttered, "It's just.." I held up my phone, wiggling it slightly in my fingers. Stella nodded, autonatically knowing.

        "First time talking to him since the voicemail?" she wondered. I nodded slowly, remembering that when she'd call me wanting to know what was going on between Zack and me, I'd said everything, even mentioning Craig's voicemail from the previous night.

        "And?" she pushed, and I shrugged heavily, slipping the phone back into my pocket.

        "And nothing. I said I had to go." I said, not bothering to mention that I'd told him I'd call him later. It wasn't worth mentioning; especially if I wasn't even one hundred percent sure I wanted to.

        "Okay," she said softly, and then pointed at the door. "You coming back to join us?" she asked, smiling softly.

        "Yeah," I said, but before either of us took a step, the bedroom door finally swung open and Jack stumbled in, holding the door key in his hand. "FINALLY!" Stella started laughing and I smiled wider.

        "Where's your phone? I want to talk to Kara!" he demanded, arms crossed immediately over his chest as he stared at Stella.

        "We already hung up, Jack, maybe you should have gotten here quicker," she teased, watching his face fell. "I guess you'll just have to wait until I pick her up from the airport tomorrow."

        We watched as he grinned and ran, screaming about Kara and tomorrow.

        "Is that going to be okay for her and Rian?" I asked Stella, curious.

        "I think they'll be fine," she said, seeming hopeful. "You and Zack are," she smiled softly before disappearing out of the room. I followed making it only a few steps before Zack's figure appeared in the doorway.

        "You okay?" Zack asked, walking to me. I nodded, not needing to force a smile because it seemed to come naturally when I was around him.

        "Yup, I'm fine," I smiled, letting him wrap his arms around me and pull me into his chest. I wrapped my arms around his waist, tilting my head back to look up at him.

        "You know you're kinda beautiful, right?" he muttered, making me smile even more as I felt blush creeping onto my cheeks. He chuckled softly at the pink I was sporting, but if anything, it only made it worse.

        I turned my head away and leaned my cheek to his chest. "Yeah, and you're kind of amazing," I mumbled, feeling his lips press against the top of my head lightly. Too amazing for me, I wanted to add. I hated that gnawing feeling in the put of my stomach, the worry I felt for how things could turn out.

        "I don't think we can stay in here forever," I said, looking up at him. His eyes fell from whatever he was looking at to meet mine.

        "Why not? I"m pretty content right now," He said, pulling my body tightly to his. I grunted softly as my stomach pushed against his and then laughed, grabbing his hands to pull them away from my back.

        I stood facing him, still holding his hands with both our arms outstretched. I took a few steps backwards, pulling him with me, but he was stronger when he wanted to be and after a few steps, he kept his feet on the ground and pulled me gently forward, back against his chest. He bent his head down and pressed his lips softly against mine.

        I didn't hear Jack run back towards the room, but he had, and I flinched, ducking away from Zack as Jack yelled for us to get a room at the top of his lungs. I shifted, standing next to Zack, his hand wrapping around mine.

        "We are in a room, moron," Zack said, rolling his eyes. I laughed softly beside him, my side brushing Zack's.

        "Well, whatever. Get out of the room then, it's your turn to play," he said, and underhand threw the game controller he had been holding. Jack caught it easily with his free hand as Jack disappeared from the room again.

        "I guess he got tired of losing," I said softly, and Zack chuckled softly, looking down at me. He kissed me quickly before walking out of the room, keeping me next to him with our joined hands, back to the crowd of people I'd been crazy enough to leave and lucky enough to have back again.