| It was almost midnight and Zac was already feeling the effects of the alcohol he'd consumed while his parents weren't looking. He grinned to himself as he looked out over the twinkling lights of the city below him. The memory of Ike's and Tay's faces as they'd reached for their beers and realized they were empty almost made him laugh out loud. Except he was angry. Almost midnight and still no sign of her. She was always late, but this was ridiculous. He'd managed to swipe Tay and Ike's drinks to calm his nerves and his frustration. He ran a hand through his newly short, shaggy hair and growled under his breath, then leaned out over the edge of the balcony, fleetingly wondering what it would be like to fly past the sparkling lights and leave the world behind. "Been here at LEAST half an hour Hanson." the smooth, silky sound of a sarcastic female voice behind him, jerked him roughly back to the real world. He weaved slightly as he turned to look at the face he expected to see, the one he so desperately wanted to see. Her rich chocolate eyes sparkled with the reflected twinkle of the Christmas lights that framed the balcony they occupied. He wanted to gather her up and squeeze her tight, kiss her, hold her, drag her out of this stupid New Year's Eve party and show her how he'd missed her, but he was angry. She'd kept him waiting AGAIN. Only together once every two to three months and she had to keep him waiting every single time. "Pshht. Half and hour my ass." he grumbled, looking her over and fighting hard to overcome the urge to touch her. "You do this every time." he told her. "Come on, Zac. You know I can't help it half the time. You're not the only one with a demanding job, you know." She tilted her head and tucked silky, dark strands behind one ear, leaving a silk chocolate curtain to graze against her flushed cheek. Whether her cheek was flushed from the cold or anger he could not be sure, the combination of her presence and the alochol he'd consumed was making his vision blur and his heart race. He stuffed his hands deep in his pockets and took a deep breath"Zac." she said his name softly. He thought he heard a slight lilt of laugh in her tone as he continued to look at his feet. "Zac," she urged him to look at her with just the sound of her voice. "I have been searching this damn party for you for half an hour. I DIDN'T recognize you, you geek." she folded her arms over her chest and waited for him to look at her, her eyes flashing with amusement. "Two months you dork, and NO pictures e-mailed to me, NO pictures anywhere on-line. NOTHING. Why in the hell did you cut your hair? Do you regret it? Do you hate it? WHAT?" she couldn't contain her laughter as he stood before her, hands still deep in his pockets, grinning ear to ear. "Oh yeah...sorry." he said. "YEAH." she shook her head and stepped closer to him. She reached out and ran her fingertips lightly through the short hair at his temples. He closed his eyes and held his breath. Her touch was sending pulses through his body like electricity. "Zac. What were you thinking baby?" she murmured, the used both hands to rake through his short, dirty blonde locks. "Mmm. I dunno. That I needed a change." he said, his eyes closed and his heart pounding in his chest. "That I needed to keep my end of the deal, cause Taylor's retarded ass had to go and get married and set everything back a million years...I dunno." he finished, his head tilted forward now, as her hands caressed his face and she continued to rake her hands through his hair. He leaned into her touch and she moved closer to him. His eyes popped open suddenly and he gazed intently into her warm, brown eyes. "Why?" he asked, suddenly defensive. "Do YOU hate it?" next home |