Current location:	bedroom
Current mood:	accomplished
Current music:	watching Full house

Chapter Twenty-Two Continued...
Chapter Twenty-Two continued...

Jolyn pushed open the door to the café and glanced around at the booths and tables, searching for Sophia. She finally spotted her sitting at a table near the middle of the café and made her way over to the table, smiling brightly when Sophia saw her. Sophia had called her as Jolyn made her way to her morning classes and asked if she wanted to meet for a coffee date in between classes. Jolyn had agreed immediately, excited to see her best friend and excited to partake in some girl-talk.

“Hi,” she greeted Sophia brightly, setting down her drink.

“Hey. Go get your drink, and then we’ll chat.”

Jolyn nodded and returned moments later with a white chocolate mocha. “It feels good to sit,” she laughed, plopping down in her seat.

Sophia nodded. “Agreed. Work and mid-terms are killing me.”

“Tell me about it. Professors shouldn’t be allowed to give mid-terms.”

“I’m sure that’d go over well with the education system,” laughed Sophia.

“Of course,” grinned Jolyn. “So how was your date?”

“Really good,” smiled Sophia.

“Did Jayden like the exhibit?”

“Yeah,” she nodded, surprised. “He thought it was pretty cool. He even said he’d be willing to take me to more,” she laughed.

“Wow. I almost feel like I don’t know Jayden anymore,” she laughed lightly before frowning, realizing the truth in the statement.

“You okay?” questioned Sophia, noticing the change in Jolyn’s demeanor.

“Well, it’s just that what I said is kind of true. I haven’t talked to or seen Jayden in just over a week. I’ve been trying to get ahold of him, but he never answers my calls. And he hasn’t returned any of my messages.”

“Yeah, he’s been pretty busy with school and work,” said Sophia, offering a small smile and looking a little uncomfortable.

“Too busy for his best friend?”

“Come on, Jol, you know it’s not like that. He really just has been busy. I’ve rarely been able to see or talk to him.”

Jolyn nodded, forcing a smile.

“You’ll talk to him soon,” comforted Sophia, patting Jolyn’s hand. “Enough of this depressing talk. How was the party?”

“Ha, well, so much for getting away from the depressing talk.”

“What happened?”

Jolyn sighed, filling Sophia in on the beginning of the night at Zac and Isaac’s apartment and the party at the bar. She then told her about the minor confrontation they had about sleeping together followed by her breakdown over her unborn daughter’s birthday coming up.

“Jol, that’s not depressing. It’s sweet…everything Zac said and did for you.”

“I ruined the night though.”

“I highly doubt Zac thinks so.”

Jolyn shrugged, taking a sip of her coffee.

“Jol,” started Sophia. “Zac knew about your past when he decided that he wanted to date you. He knew how much your past has affected you. He knew what he was getting into, and still he wanted to date you. If Zac was ever worried or scared by your past, he would have left a long time ago. The fact that he’s stuck around, I think, says a lot about him and the kind of guy he is.”

Jolyn mulled over Sophia’s words, realizing she had a point. “I guess you’re right.”

“Of course I’m right,” smiled Sophia. “I’m always right. I’m the best friend.”

“My best friend. I sure know how to pick them,” winked Jolyn.

“You know, I can’t argue you there," toasted Sophia, raising her coffee cup in the air.

----------------------

The morning of the twenty-first, the day her unborn daughter would have been two years old, Jolyn awoke a little after eight, groaning when she realized the time and when she remembered what day it was. Sophia had already left for the day. She had three classes to attend and had to work from noon to eight. The night before, she had told Jolyn over and over how guilty she felt and how sorry she was for not being able to miss class and for not being able to get off of work to spend the day with her. Jolyn wrote it off with a wave of her hand, knowing that Sophia had mid-terms and had done everything she could to get off of work.

Knowing that Jayden wouldn’t care if she woke him up, she grabbed her cell phone from her desk and scrolled through her phone list before she found his name and hit the “call” button. He, too, had class and hadn’t been able to get off of work, but she knew he had a few hours yet before he had to be to class. She waited impatiently and with tears in her eyes as five rings resounded in her ears followed by his standard voice message.

She hadn’t seen or heard from Jayden in the last two weeks when he had first visited after she had returned from Minnesota, but it felt like years. No matter how many times she called him, he never answered and never returned her calls. By now, she was convinced she had done something wrong, and even if she had, she thought for sure Jayden would have answered today of all days, regardless of how upset he was with her.

Upset and angry, she tossed the phone onto her desk and lay her head back down on her pillow. Pulling the covers back up to her chin, she let the tears flow freely from her eyes. The two people she needed most were nowhere to be found, and she had never felt more alone than she did in that moment. Letting the sobs take over her body, she finally exhausted herself into a restless sleep only to be woken up just a few hours later.

“Jol, wake up,” came the soothing voice, their hand slowly rubbing her back.

Jolyn slowly reached consciousness, groaning into her pillow.

“Come on, wake up,” the voice urged softly.

Turning to face the source of the voice, she blinked the sleep out of her eyes and saw Zac kneeling beside her bed, smiling tenderly at her. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought you might want some company today,” he answered, brushing back the bangs from her eyes. “Is that okay?”

Jolyn nodded. “Yeah, I’d like that. Sophia and Jayden both have classes, and neither of them could get off of work today.”

Zac smiled sympathetically. “Well, I’m here.”

“Good,” she replied, trying to force a small smile.

The two spent much of the day curled up on her futon, watching mindless tv and movies. Jolyn’s mom called mid-morning, just as she did every year, asking how she was and talking about how she felt. Jolyn spent a good half hour talking to her mom, and out of respect for Jolyn and her privacy, Zac left, going to the nearest café to get some coffee and then to the nearest Chinese restaurant to grab some take-out for them for lunch. He made one last pit stop for one last pick-up before returning to Jolyn’s dorm, and upon his return, he found Jolyn curled up on the couch right where he had left her.

“Hey,” he greeted, slipping through the entryway.

“Hi. Goodness; you stopped everywhere.”

Zac shrugged, handing her a coffee and setting the bags on the floor.

“So what’d you get?” she asked, attempting to peer in the bags.

Zac bent over the bags, opening them. “Chicken fried rice, white rice, chicken and broccoli, honey chicken, crab rangoon, egg drop soup, and fortune cookies,” he rattled off, pulling carton upon carton from the bag. “And this,” he said, gathering up the other bag and setting it on the chair near her desk, “is for later.”

“A surprise?”

“I suppose so.”

Jolyn moved to the floor to join Zac and grabbed a pair of chop sticks before digging into all of the food. The two ate in relative silence, enjoying the food, stuffing their bellies full, and watching the ABC Fox Family afternoon line-up of Step By Step and Full House. Long after they had eaten and let their stomachs settle, Zac stood up and grabbed the bag he had set aside from her chair.

“Think you have a little more room?”

“Zac,” she whispered, noticing the name on the front of the bag and her hand reaching up to cover her open mouth as tears sprung to her eyes.

He offered a small smile, setting the bag on the floor, and reaching inside with both hands, he pulled out a box of candles, a box of matches, and a box containing a round chocolate cake with French vanilla frosting. “Happy Birthday” was written in pink frosting, following the curve of the cake, and pink flowers adorned the cake sporadically. He pulled back the cover on the box and inserted two candles in the middle of the cake, careful not to ruin the simple writing. Zac struck a match, lit the two striped candles, and blew out the match, leaning away from the cake. Sitting back on his heels, he finally glanced at Jolyn to see tears streaming down her face.

“Is this okay,” he questioned, cautiously.

She nodded. “No one’s ever done this for me. It’s beautiful.”

“Blow out the candles,” he whispered, moving the cake closer to her. “And don’t forget to make a wish.”

Jolyn gathered her hair in her hand, holding it to the side, and closed her eyes, relaying her wish to her daughter. She opened her eyes, leaned towards the cake, and blew out the candles in one breath, watching the smoke capture her wish and carry it away. Rising to her knees, she pushed the cake to the side and crawled over to Zac.

She placed her lips on his, kissing him lightly. “Thank you,” she whispered, pulling away a couple of inches.

“You’re welcome,” he murmured, pushing back her bangs and cupping the back of her head with his hand.

Jolyn smiled softly at him through her tears and leaned into him, placing her lips upon his once again. Hesitantly, he returned the kiss until she increased the pressure and crawled into his lap. They continued kissing, a million thoughts running through her head and in complete awe of the man before her.

Never had Jolyn pictured herself as a young mother. She was sure not many girls did, but she found it strange to think that she could have had a daughter who was two years old today. Her life would certainly not be what it was. She would still be living in Minnesota, close to her family, and raising a two year-old daughter. She hadn’t been afraid to have a child. She knew her family was there to help and support her. She would have had all the support and love she would have ever needed to make it through the exhausting and lonely days. She wouldn’t be attending school in New York, pursuing a degree in sociology. She wouldn’t have met Jayden or Sophia, two of the best friends in the entire world, and she most certainly wouldn’t have met Zac.

She knew it was selfish, and she did feel guilty, but part of her was thankful that she was living the life she was leading because it meant Zac was in it. As more days passed, she found it difficult to remember life without Zac in it and wondered how she had lived a life for so many years without him in it, and now, she almost couldn’t imagine a life without him in her future. A life without him in her future scared her, and that thought alone scared her because it meant that Zac had more control over her than she usually let a guy have. It meant he was working his way into her heart, something she had never expected and the one thing she had feared the most and had spent the last two years protecting herself from. She had sworn to never give her heart away again and was working hard to keep that promise, but with Zac in her life, she was slowly going back on that promise.

So caught up in the man attached to her lips, she didn’t see Jayden, standing in the doorway, flowers in his hand. He watched them kiss before shaking his head and heading back down the hallway away from her room, believing more and more with each passing second that Zac was quickly taking his spot in Jolyn’s life.

----------------------

“Wanna come over? We can order Chinese and watch Full House re-runs all night,” enticed Zac two days after they had spent the day together on her unborn daughter’s birthday, his last night in town.

“I’ll be over in twenty minutes,” she stated and then hung up the phone.

“Bye,” he chuckled, even though she wasn’t on the other line.

And exactly twenty minutes later, Jolyn was making her way through Zac’s apartment door after he had buzzed her in.

“Right on time,” he smiled, watching her tug off her coat.

“Of course. I’m not wasting any time for Chinese food and Full House reruns,” she grinned, hanging up her coat on the hook next to the door.

“Well, gee, I’m glad to know you were so excited to see me,” he pouted.

“Shut up, you big baby,” she smiled, walking over to him and kissing him lightly.

“Mmm, come back here,” he murmured, grabbing her arm as she attempted to walk past him.

“Zac,” she laughed as he nuzzled his face into her neck, his warm breath tickling her skin. “You promised me Chinese and Full House. Now deliver damnit.”

“Well, I changed my mind. I have other plans for us.”

“Well, looks like you have plans for one because I won’t be joining you,” she contended, freeing herself from his grasp.

Zac groaned, watching her make her way to the living room.

“Can we at least watch it in my room? I would like some privacy on our last night together.”

“Fine,” she groaned, heading for his bedroom.

He smiled victoriously as he eagerly followed after her.

“Now order some Chinese,” she called out to him.

Rolling his eyes, Zac turned around and made his way for the kitchen to do as he told. Isaac was right; he really was whipped.

-----------------------------

“Ooo, I love this one,” smiled Jolyn as a new episode started while she picked at the last of the chicken and broccoli. It was the one where in an attempt to gain some privacy, DJ and her boyfriend, Steve, find refuge in a cement truck in the backyard. Only to begin making out and accidentally hitting the lever to start up the cement truck, sending the chute through the kitchen window and filling the entire kitchen with cement.

“Can we turn it off yet?” moaned Zac, rubbing his full stomach as he lie on his back on the bed next to her.

“Nope.”

“Too bad,” laughed Zac as he grabbed the remote next to him and shut the tv off.

“Hey! You promised Full House reruns all night.”

“Well, I lied,” he grinned, reaching for her.

Jolyn moved away from his grabbing hands and stuck her tongue out at him.

“Ah, so that’s how you’re going to play,” said Zac as he sat up and tackled Jolyn, pinning her to the bed on her stomach.

“Ugh, Zac, get off of me,” came her muffled voice.

“Nope,” grinned Zac, taking the carton of Chinese food out of her hand.

“Come on. You’re squishing my organs.”

“Well, that’s your problem,” he whispered, leaning down to make his chest flush with her back as he wrapped his arms underneath her body.

“Gee, I’m so glad you care about me,” she grumbled.

“No problem,” he retorted, resting his head between her shoulder blades.

“Can you please get off of me? I promise I’ll be nice.”

“I don’t know if I should trust you.”

“Have I ever given you reason not to?”

“You got a point there, sparky,” he said, finally rolling off of her.

“Oh God,” she groaned, turning onto her back. “I can breathe.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Quit being so melodramatic,” he responded, dryly, swatting at her.

“I need to go soon,” she stated suddenly.

“No, I’m gonna keep you here.”

He stretched out his arm, encouraging Jolyn to cuddle with him. She obeyed, curling on her side and towards his body. She placed her head on his chest and rested her hand close to her face.

“I’m going to miss you over the holiday,” he murmured as he reached down with his free hand to play with her fingers settled on his chest.

“We’ll only be apart for a little over a week.”

“Aren’t you going to miss me?” he pouted.

“Of course, but I do have my penguin, Bubba, to keep me company, remember?”

“Ah yes, how could I forget,” grinned Zac, thinking of the penguin she had bought on their trip to the New York City zoo. “How is he?”

“Good. He’s good company.”

“Better company than me?”

“He’s a close substitute but nothing like the real thing.”

“Ain’t nothing like the real thing, baby. Ain’t nothing like the real thing,” he whispered, breaking out into song.

Jolyn untangled her hand from his, laughing lightly when she pinched his side.

“Ow, woman.”

Jolyn pinched his side again. “That’s for calling me woman.”

Comfortable silence fell over the two, and Jolyn relaxed her body into his even more, listening to his calm breathing. She smiled to herself, thinking of how different it was from one of the first times they had cuddled, when his breathing had sped up, becoming erratic due to his nerves of harboring secret feelings for her.

Zac’s free hand continued to roam up and down her back and through her hair, and she breathed in his scent, trying to memorize it, knowing they’d be apart. She tried to memorize as much as she could about him. The feel of his skin against hers, the caress of his hand along her back, the taste of his lips on hers, the crinkle of eyes when he smiled big and bright. Once a half hour had passed of quiet and aimless conversation, she knew their time together was coming to an end. She had an early class and still had to travel twenty minutes back to her dorm.

“I better go,” she said quietly.

“No,” Zac whispered, tightening his grip on her waist.

“No. Zac,” she giggled as he rolled over and swung a protective leg over her body, stuffing his face into her neck.

“I’m not letting you go. I promised, remember?” he protested, his voice muffled.

“Zac, I really have to go. I have class tomorrow, and you have to get up early to catch your flight home.”

“I don’t care. I don’t need sleep. I can sleep on the flight home.”

“But I do need sleep.”

“No, you don’t,” he contested, finally removing his face from her neck to look at her.

“Yes, I do,” she laughed. “I’ll never be able to get up for class.”

“Then skip it,” he smirked. “Stay here with me.”

Jolyn groaned. “As tempting as that sounds, I can’t. I skipped it the other day to hang out with you, and I can’t miss it two times in a row.”

“Fine,” he pouted, sticking out his bottom lip. “Don’t hang out with me.”

“You look pathetic,” she laughed. “Stop it. That won’t work on me.”

“Hmm, maybe this will,” he whispered lowly, his lips a mere breath from hers.

He smirked, his hand cupping her cheek and his thumb caressing her soft skin, watching as her resolve began to weaken. Jolyn’s eyes dropped to his mouth, and he grinned, leaning down to kiss her. She immediately responded, nipping at his bottom lip, as his hand traveled down her face, over the column of her throat, and down to her waist where he gripped it lightly.

Zac pulled away from her lips, kissing over her jaw line and down to her neck, sucking lightly on her soft skin. Jolyn moaned when she felt his tongue swipe at the hollow of her throat and dug her hands into his shaggy hair, tugging. He smiled against her skin and lowered his head further to suck at her collarbone.

“You’re evil,” she whispered.

Zac laughed lowly against her skin. “I know, and you like it.”

“You only invited me over so you could ravage me.”

“Damn,” he whispered, his voice husky. “You’ve figured out my plan.”

“Zac, I really have to go,” she said, her voice weak and unconvincing. “I’ll never leave if you keep going.”

“That’s the point.”

Laughing and rolling her eyes, she pushed Zac away lightly and sat up. She smoothed down her hair and adjusted her shirt before turning to look at him.

“I’m sorry, but I really have to go.”

“I know,” he smiled.

“Come on,” she said, crawling off of his bed and slipping on her shoes. “Walk me to the door.”

Jolyn led the way with Zac following behind her. Reaching the front door, he helped her slip her coat on, zipping it for her, and pulled her hat over her eyes as she slipped on her gloves.

“Thanks,” she giggled, trying to look up at him through her hat.

Chuckling, he pulled her hat back from her eyes. “Whoops.”

“Okay,” she murmured, smoothing her hands over her stomach and hips.

“Call or text me when you get back to your dorm.”

Jolyn nodded. “Will do. Have a good Thanksgiving.”

“You too,” he smiled, cupping her cheek with one hand. “Be safe, and I’ll call,” he continued, reaching up with his other hand to cup her other cheek. He leaned down, brushing his lips against hers.

“I’ll miss you,” she stated shyly.

“I know. I’ll miss you too,” he said, leaning in for another kiss. This time a little longer.

They kissed for a few moments before Jolyn finally pulled away, placing her hand over one of his. She pulled it down between their bodies and began to step away, still holding onto his hand.

“See ya,” she murmured, slipping through the door and squeezing his hand before letting his fingers slip from her grasp.

“Bye.”

Through the glass door, he gave her one last wave and watched her walk down the hallway. Smiling, he locked the door and headed back to his room, cleaning up the mess they had made. In no time, he was crawling under his covers, more than excited to go home to his family. Surely he would miss Jolyn but nothing could compare to being home in Tulsa spending the holidays with his family.