The Anniversary

2. HEATHER

A/N:

Yayy!  i made a new cover and i absolutely LOVE it!

btw, this is a double update. make sure to check both the chappies! :D

happy reading! 

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I read it once..twice..again.

I cocked my head to the side and tried to make sense of the words written on that small piece of paper. I read the words but my mind blatantly refused to process it.

What was he trying to say?

Leaving. Where?

Forever?

No. This had to be one of those jokes which people didn't find funny at all except for the person who's telling it. I let out a humorless chuckle. Yes. It had to be a joke. A horrible one at that. That's it.

Right?

I shoved the paper back in the envelope, threw it back on the table and started pacing in front of the couch. I didn't know how to feel about all this. I didn't know how to react.

Okay heather, calm down. I'm sure he has an explanation for that..that note.

Deep breaths. Don't panic.

I looked up at the balloons that were hanging down the ceiling, making them look like a solar system. It brought back memories. Memories of us. And I panicked. I made an involuntary whimpering sound and cursed myself for it.

it's not what you think.

don't you dare cry!

i chided myself and tried to swallow the lump lodged in my throat.

I was so busy freaking out that I didn't realize that zach had entered the living room fresh out of shower... with only a towel around his hard, lean torso and water dripping from his auburn hair onto his naked chest.

Why did he get to be so criminally handsome and calm, when i feel like a mess and my ears were ringing with the cracking sound of my heart!?

My gut was yelling at me to turn around and run, run from this situation, run from him, run and never come back.

No. I love him too much. I can't run away from him. I won't run away from him.

He was startled to see me and I'm sure my face mirrored his. Although after two long seconds of staring at me with a perplexed expression, his face fell into a familiar grin. But there was also a flash of something in his eyes that lasted only a fraction of a second.

Was that guilt? Anxiety?

"Surprise!" I said in an unusually high-pitched shaky voice.

"Hey. What're you doing here?" was his hasty reply. "What's all this?" He said looking up at the balloon solar system.

"It's our first anniversary. Don't you remember?"

I knew he didn't. I had hoped he did though. It still hurt.

"Shit!" he cursed. "Shit! Baby I'm so sorry. Was it today? I thought it was next week. I swea-" I cut him off by saying

"that's okay. I get it. It's cool." and plastered a smile on my face. This whole situation was just so awkward in so many ways and for the first time in a year, i felt uncomfortable in his presence.

He looked at me with that intense look in his eyes and I turned around to the side so that my right shoulder was pointing at him. I couldn't face him like this, with my emotions all around the place.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him slowly extending his arm behind him to push the note under a book on the table. He hadn't realized that I already knew his little surprise for me.

My eyes started stinging with unshed tears. I held back.

"Baby are you sure that it's okay? Because the last time when I forgot your birthday, you were pretty upset with me. I'm really sorry though I should've remembered today of all days." he said skeptically.

"Yeah" was my lame answer.

"We just started dating back then and you forgot my birthday and I thought you didn't really care for me enough or something. I got insecure and I just-" I took a deep breath to calm myself. I knew I was rambling.

 "I just thought that you would dump me." I said looking him straight in the eye.He immediately averted his gaze and looked everywhere else but me, clearing his throat.

" I see the pattern here. Solar system huh. Our first date in the planetarium. You remembered." he smiled at me and leaned forward to kiss me on my shoulder lovingly.

I didn't fail to notice the swift change in topic. I kept silent.  

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