A Story to Remember

Chapter 22 Breaking

Chelsea-

I retreat to my bed with my laptop after unlocking my door and opening it for Zach. “What do you want Zach?” I ask him not looking up from my fan mail.

“Are you okay?” Zach asks sitting down at the foot of my bed watching me.

“Yeah, why shouldn’t I be?” I answer faking every word and the confidence in my voice. I answer some more emails to my fans.

“Chels, just level with me here.” Zach says, “I know what you’re going through.” He shuts my laptop and takes it from me he slides closer and sets it where he was sitting. “But if you don’t level with me, I can’t help you.”

“You think you know what I’m dealing with?” I accuse him, “I get calls, texts, messages, letters, emails, and people coming up to me with dead end leads to my best friend. I've had to change my number and email three times to get it to stop and it won't!” I look at him anger and pain in my heart, “Sarah and I were best friends, and we grew up on set together. She was the closest thing I had to a sister in a family of men. I’ve known her since I was five and a half Zach. Five and a half. Mist of Dreams was our series. In the sixth season, you come along and things changed. I was second rate to you and Sarah’s new series. We were best friends before you came along before everything started happening with your new series with her. Then when things started in season eight, the second to last season that we did. Sarah changed, again. I changed. Now I don’t even know if she’s alive.” I bite back the last few words, tears stinging the corners of my eyes I stare back at Zach.

“Chels, you don’t think I’m going through the same thing?” Zach asks, “I’ve known Sarah my whole life, we were neighbors since we were babies. Best friends before we became actors.”

“She used to talk about the cute boy she lived next to. I guess that was you.” I tell him with a smile, “She did get one thing right about you when she described you. You’re eyes they are a brilliant beautiful golden color with the hint of green.” His eyes watch me, the intensity of the sun trapped in his gaze.

“Sarah described me as cute?” He asks with a surprised voice.

“Well, she described you, I made the final decision on cute,” I answer, “Considering all I had to go by is our friend who can't describe anything right, and the fact that we were eight I think it fit.”

“Now what do you think.” Zach says standing up to his 5’9 height his blond brunette mop waving around his face, he shakes his hair back into place, and it’s kinda adorable.

“Now, you’ve surpassed cute and taken it to a whole new level.” I tell him, just overlooking the specifics, no need to go into detail. Right?

“How far,” He asks, knowing I wouldn’t say without him forcing me. I remain silent just looking around the room, avoiding his eye, “Chels?”

“What?” I ask innocently.

“Answer my question or suffer my wrath.” He says stepping closer.

“Zach,” I step off my bed so I’m on the other side of the bed.

“Tell me,” he climbs over the bed so he’s in front of me, as he advances on me, I back up. “Tell me Chels, or suffer the consequences.” He tries so hard to keep an evil air about him, but fails as a smile slips on his lips for a second.

I sigh and start talking, “Zachary James Cameron, you are the most gorgeous super star on this side of the world.” I give a smile and look up at him. He’s only a few inches taller than I am. I let him close the rest of the distance between us.

“Now, was that so hard?” He asks me folding his arms around me.

“No,” I answer simply pulling back, “I just like giving you a hard time.” I give him a devious smile and head for the door, “I think dinner’s ready.”

We both head back to the kitchen where Gavin and Austin hover over the oven. “Boys back please. Dinner will be served in the dining room after you boys wash up.” Not needing me to tell them twice Austin and Gavin head off to wash up, Zach doesn’t budge, as usual. “Zach that means you too.”

“What? You get to stay around here, but we have to go wash up for dinner?” he asks.

“I’m going to wash up as soon as dinner’s on the table.” I tell him, “Now go, you’re just wasting time.” I continue setting the table and finally get him to leave the kitchen. I put the last dish on the table and head to my room to wash up. I turn my phone back on and find calls and texts from David, John, Seth, Kelly and about a dozen unknown numbers. Out of pure frustration, I throw my phone out the door and it slams against the wall of the walkway. “No more, no more, no more” I repeat to myself collapsing against the far wall of the room shuddering sobs.

Gavin-

Austin, Zach, and I race to find out what happened and while the first thing Austin and I see is Chelsea’s phone on the ground in pieces Zach, doesn’t even stop to see what we’re staring at he just heads right into her room. By the time we get in there, Zach is sitting with her on the ground his arms around her and she’s crying.

“Chels,” Zach’s soft voice barely audible to Austin and me, “What happened?”

Chelsea remains quiet but stands up wiping her eyes and grabbing her laptop. She pulls up her phone account. Zach studies it, “John, Seth, John, Kelly, David, Mom, Dad, Unknown, Msg. David, Unknown, John, Seth, Unknown, Unknown, Msg. Seth, Kelly, Unknown, Msg. John, and Unknown.” Zach reads out the rest of the list of calls and texts she received within the past few hours. “Chels, stop running.” He tells her, “I miss her too. We can’t keep this up forever. You and Me. It’s just us now. We can’t keep hiding. Even if we have to lie to them and tell them, we found her. We quit looking for her. What’s it going to take Chels?” he begs her.

“Winding back the clock and going for a jog with her instead of running lines with you.” She answers, rather harshly, but Zach seems unfazed by it. “I was with you instead of my best friend. I should’ve told you ‘no’ that I was busy. I should’ve gone for that jog with her.” Her eyes still bright with the unshed tears and her voice is harsh and grief stricken.

“Chels! It’s. Not. Your. Fault!” Zach says, almost yelling at her she shrinks back and he calms almost immediately. “Stop blaming yourself.”

“I need to clear my head. I’m going for a walk.” She heads out after grabbing her sweatshirt from her bed.