"Alright.." Laura spoke softly. "Now tell me what happened.."
Vanessa took a deep breath in as she stared down at her hands, beginning to play with her fingers while tears fell from her cheek.
"I slept with him.."
Laura arched her eyebrows as she squeezed Vanessa's hand a little tighter. "Who, V?"
Vanessa tightly shut her eyes as pieces of that night started to come to mind. She sighed while she looked up to the ceiling, she soon looked back at Laura. "Zac."
Laura's mouth dropped slightly as she loosened her grip on Vanessa's hand. "Oh babe, what happ-"
"I don't know," She exclaimed abruptly as she quickly sat up from the sofa and rushed to the middle of the living room with her hands over her face.
A bit startled by her actions, Laura quickly ran her fingers through her hair as she watched Vanessa pace back and forth nervously. "Alright, okay calm down babe, just.." She sighed as she noticed Vanessa started to run her hands down her face. ".. tell me what happened.."
Vanessa soon stopped in her tracks, as she brought her thumb up to her mouth and bit at the tip of it. "I barely know." She mumbled in her thumb.
"Just tell me what you remember." Laura said, as she hunched over and rested her elbows on the top of her knees.
"It's in pieces Laura." She sighed. "I just remember going to his place after the party, and.." She trailed off, staring at the floor for a bit. "... things got carried away right away." She looked at Laura. "Like right away."
Laura nodded, not really knowing what to say.
"He said he wanted to talk.." She mentioned. "And I, not being in a fucking coherent state started to take his damn shirt off.."
"Shit, Vanessa." Laura finally uttered.
Vanessa gave Laura a serious look. "But you know what's so fucking wrong?"
Laura looked at her, confused. "What?"
"It felt so right." She whispered loudly.
Laura looked at her with amounts of shock on her face. "Vanessa, what are you saying here?"
Vanessa started to tear up again as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Just seeing him again.. after 6 years. " Vanessa shook her head softly. "It just.. ignited something, I felt this spark that I had when I first met him." She shook her head. "God, what the fuck am I saying?"
Laura sighed, trying to empathize desperately with her best friend.
"I think.." She thought. "... you need to go talk to him."
Vanessa shot a look to Laura. "That didn't work the first time."
Laura shrugged.
"I mean I still care about him, Laura." She admitted.
"It sounds to me you still love him, babe."
Vanessa looked at her deeply, hearing those words brought her to a new perspective.
"But I can't."
"Are you happy with Austin?" Laura asked, sternly looking at Vanessa.
"I mean.." She scoffed a bit. "Yeah, it's just.."
"Just what?" She tilted her head, smirking a bit.
"It's different, Austin's different.." Vanessa said softly, as she looked over to her.
"Vanessa, I never thought in a million years I would have to ask you that, but if this mistake is making you question your relationship with Austin, then.." She trailed off, shaking her head.
Vanessa viciously shook her head. "No.." She said as she continued shaking it. "I love Austin." She stated. "This is just messing with my emotions and I'm not gonna get all caught up."
Laura bit at her lip as she nodded her head, taking Vanessa's word to heart. "Okay then.."
---
the next morning..
Vanessa walked out of her favorite coffee cafe with a drink carrier full of grande hot caramel macchiatos in one hand, and her phone and wallet in the other. She struggled to make it to her car that was parked just right in front of the cafe as a swarm of paparazzi desperately tried to capture a picture from every angle of her.
"Vanessa, so is Zanessa a thing again?"
"Come on Vanessa give us something, we saw the photo."
My head quickly turned back to one of the cameraman who said that, almost dropping my drink carrier, I rushed to my car, bumping a few cameramen on the way there. I was freaking the fuck out..
About 5 minutes from my house I quickly dialed Laura number hoping she'd pick up right away. I groaned loudly when she didn't answer and threw my phone roughly into the passenger seat.
----
I opened up my front door, dropping my things off along with the drink carrier on the table next to it, before shutting the door behind me, letting out a breath of exhaustion. I soon turned to start heading toward the kitchen with my coffees in hand before I suddenly noticed Austin standing behind the island, staring intently down at his phone that was sitting on the counter.
"Hey." I spoke up and smiled as I continued walking toward him ready to bring him into my arms for a hug.
Austin quickly slid his phone toward me on the counter, eyeing me hardly to take a look what was on the his screen.
I quickly stopped, leaning my face down to look at his screen before my heart sank into my gut from what my eyes witnessed.
The photo.
