Emma woke suddenly, her face wet with tears. It took her a minute to get her bearings and realize where she was, but she breathed a sigh of relief when she felt Zac's heavy arm draped over her and his slow even breathing. Her mind was racing as the flood of memories she never wanted to relive again came back to torture her, and she experienced fear, sadness and all out rage within the course of just a few minutes as she laid in the dark and listened to Zac breathe. Zac. Poor Zac. She should have known better than to let herself fall so deeply in love with him. Then it dawned on her what she needed to do to make everything alright. She thought about what he'd said, his promises that he'd stay by her, love her forever, the HE would make everything okay and the determination to take care of herself, make everything okay for HIM drove her to get out of bed and get herself dressed.
Zac rolled over and reached for Emma, only to be met with the cold empty space she no longer occupied. He suddenly sat straight up and ran his hands through his hair. "Shit.." he groaned and jumped from the bed, pulling his jeans on quickly. "Emma?" he called and looked around the corner into the bathroom that no longer had a door, but there was no answer and no sign of her. He stood and thought for a minute and then realized the conversation he thought he'd dreamed must have been real. "DAMMIT EMMAAA!!!" he roared, quickly bringing Tay and Jen running. "She's gone..." he said through gritted teeth as he tied his shoes. "Zac? Where did she? I mean..." Jenny stammered, confused. "I though I was dreaming." Zac told her. "She said something about making everything alright..." he said. "DAMMIT!!!" he roared again as Jenny's eyes widened. "Oh no.." she breathed as Zac grabbed his keys and wallet. "If you're coming with me get your asses moving. I don't have time to screw around. She's gonna get herself killed.." Zac said, grabbed his ballcap and headed for the door, Tay and Jen hurriedly slipping on shoes, grabbing keys and wallets in their frenzy to keep up with Zac.
Emma ran her hand through her hair, checked her lipgloss in the rearview mirror and made sure no one could tell she'd been crying, then stuffed her keys, ID, and cash in her pocket, though she knew she'd have no problem getting in.
"DAMMIT TAY!! HURRY UP!!" Zac roared again as he gunned the motor on his truck. "Zac, I'm moving as fast as I can..." Tay complained as he gave Jen a gentle boost into the truck and slid in beside her. "Sorry.." Zac muttered, "Dammit..she's gonna wind up dead.."
"Take it easy Zac," Jenny tried to calm him as he sped along the highway, "She's not drunk or drugged, she can handle herself.."
"Yeah...no shit..." Taylor murmured under his breath, remembering what she'd done to Danny before he'd hauled her out of the bar. Zac shot both of them a disgusted look and kept driving.
"Hey sweetpants!!" A voice behind her startled her and she whirled, ready to fight. "I thought you didn't work here anymore, goofball."
"God, Bob.." she rolled her eyes and let out the breath she'd held when he startled her. "I don't.." she said and looked past him still scanning the crowd. "Ummm....hey Emma...you lookin' for someone? Where's Zacstud?" he asked, confused at her uncharacteristic behavior. She was always so lighthearted and outgoing. "Zac was asleep when I left.." she said and ran a nervous hand through her hair, still searching the crowd. "What are you doing here then?" he asked her. "Unfinished buisness.." she said and gave him a lame smile. "I'll be outta here and back in bed next to Zac before he knows I'm gone. It's no big...really." she said. "Excuse me okay?" she said and moved away, grabbing a beer off Candie's tray as she passed and giving her a look that put the fear of god in Candie immediately. Emma gave her a wicked, cat-like, cold smile. She tipped the beer bottle at her in challenge, but Candie hurried off. Emma took a long pull of the beer and watched Brit as she counted in her head. "Three.....two....." She whirled on the count of one to see Danny standing right in front of her, smiling coldly. Emma took a pull off the beer to keep him from seeing her swallow back fresh waves of nausea. "Whazzup, sugar baby? Come to your senses, didja?" he asked folding his arms over his chest. Emma laughed sarcastically, "Yeah....you could say that. Dance with me..." she jerked her head toward the small, empty space between the tables and the stage, and smiled. "Well, well.." Danny relaxed and follwed her. As they began to move to the music that played while Brit came off stage to make room for Candie, Emma surveyed the tables near her and spotted exactly what she needed. She kept it in view at all times as she talked with Danny.
Zac came to a screeching halt in the parking lot at Danny's, right next to Emma's car. "Son of a..." he muttered and jumped out of the truck, Tay and Jen close on his heels. The bouncer almost didn't let them in until Jenny threatened him with a fate worse than death, making Taylor smile to himself as he looked at the ground. He certainly didn't want Zac to see him smirking, he was already angrier than he'd ever seen him. Not that he couldn't understand it, he was seriously considering wringing Emma's neck himself. Once in side Zac scanned the room, Taylor and Jen doing the same but a little less conspicuously.
"Zacstud!! My man...have a nice nap?" Kid asked, sneaking up on him the same as he had Emma. "Oh..hey man.." Zac said absentmindedly. "If you're looking for your woman..." he nodded toward the stage and then all three of them saw her. Jen's mouth dropped open, Taylor groaned and Zac's blood boiled, his body shaking with rage.
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