Meant To Be

Chapter thirty-three

Perched in the corner of the sky, the moon shone upon Zac and Ronnie as they strolled back to the parking lot. Zac opened the passenger door, noticing the drip of black mascara staining the skin beneath her eyelashes. He held on to the handle and Ronnie stalled longer than necessary, one foot on the step of the truck, her eyes searching inside of Zac's. But she could only get so far. His gentle hand on her cheek pulled her away from the blackness. Ronnie leaned forward. Their lips parting - an open invitation. They poured everything in, the love, the loss, neither recognising the contribution of the other. All they could feel was their own emotional tsunami. Their breaths rough and uneven, on the verge of tearing each other apart.

Walking around the front of the truck, Zac dapped his mouth with the back of his hand. Ronnie climbed inside, cheeks flushed, closing the door behind her. It seemed crammed suddenly, the two of them sitting up front.

"You're home Ronnie."

Zac's voice swept Ronnie back into the moment. She lifted her head off his shoulder, wiping the warm drool that had dampened her chin. The lights of the pickup truck broke up the blackness, revealing Ronnie's little old house. Seeing the place that was hers, an eerie calmness blanketed her body. "Do you want to come in?"

"Only if you're sure."

Ronnie opened the passenger door. "C'mon."

Zac followed Ronnie up the porch steps, waiting as she unlocked the front door. The sound of her boots crossing the floorboards made the blood leave his heart much quicker. In the kitchen, Ronnie lifted the kettle and put it under the tap. "Do you want some..."

Zac placed his hand on her hips. She dropped the kettle into the sink. The water sparking his face.

"Tea?" she whispered, in a deep breath that crisped her voice.

"I didn't come in for tea." Zac lifted Ronnie up onto the worktop. She groaned as he kissed her, his mouth drifting down her neck, towards her breasts. Ronnie pushed him back, reaching behind to unzip her dress. Zac undid his shirt, watching Ronnie as she came off the worktop. The white fabric covering her body, fell to the floor.

Ronnie drifted off to sleep, separate from Zac's body. He slept for a few hours but woke in anticipation of the sunrise. Although it was guaranteed, Zac got fed up waiting. He gathered his things off the floor, creeping into his clothes. Straying across the room, he glanced back at Ronnie. She had shifted onto her side, her back facing him. He assumed she was still sleeping because it was easier and continued on his way through the darkened hallway.

Driving in the lane towards the house, Zac recognised Jacob's long figure lurking through the early morning dusk, the stars still held in the sky. He parked at the side of the house and let the driver's door close easy, glimpsing up at Helen's bedroom window. The hazy, yellow shine of her bedside lamp dimmed by the curtains.

"You only getting home now?" asked Jacob, smirking, as if he'd something to hang over Zac for the rest of his life.

"So are you by the looks of things."

"Did you stay at Ronnie's?"

"Where did you stay?"

"You can't answer a question with a question."

"I'm coming from Ronnie's."

"Please say you didn't leave without telling her," said Jacob. Zac didn't answer. "You're an idiot."

"I didn't want to wake her. I'll call later."

"You can't flipping call her."

"I'll call later."

Jacob held his hands up. "Ok Zac. You do you."

"And what about you? Where did you sneak away from?"

"I wasn't at anyone's. This is me just back," said Jacob, walking in reverse.

"Back from where?"

"Nashville. And no, I didn't see you."

"Who says I didn't see you?"

Jacob stopped. "I know you didn't."

"Huh." Zac walked past him.

"Are you going to bed?"

"I'm going to change. The horses need fed."

Jacob nodded, admiring the slither of light that was tinting the edge of the sky. "Good idea. That way, Mum will never know you were out all night."

Zac's grin came without effort. He looked over his shoulder wanting Jacob to see it.