Chapter 40: Fireworks

POV: Gabby / Zac

December 31, 2007

What woke me up out of my sound sleep was my phone, twitter was going insane and so was Instagram. I rubbed my eyes and realized Zac must have already gotten up so I sat up and got the phone. Dozens of messages complimenting the drawing, so I scrolled up and he’s taken a photo of the one I’d done last night of him as he played video games.

“Morning, just waking up?” Zac asked.

I glanced up and smiled. “I was woken up by the bazillion notifications as everyone under the sun tells you the drawing of you is fantastic.”

“Hey, you knew I’d wanted to share one for days now.”

“I told you to share the first one!”

“Sure, the one of the back of my head or my ass?”

“Both.”

The phone went off another ten times and I just fell back into the pillows. Yet, I heard his phone click.

“If you post that I swear I am putting the second one up!”

His fingers paused on the keypad. “Never said I was.”

I turned toward him and there was just something in his eyes and he took another two or three. He was turning into Taylor.

“You don’t have to worry, I won’t be posting pictures of my wife half-naked in bed. I mean I saw the comment the other day to the one you posted of yourself.”

“Jealous much?”

“Oh no, I know where you are. He’s halfway around the world.”

I turned again a bit more and again, he got a few more pictures. I finally got up and we fixed a quick breakfast, mostly cereal. I hadn’t bothered with pants or anything, the shirt was long enough and we didn’t expect company.

“You know…I kind of want to see those folders I didn’t get too last time.”

I turned a little bit toward him. “Do you?”

“Yes. You wouldn’t let me see them then, but we weren’t together and we weren’t having sex either.”

I turned and leaned against the counter, pretty sure he wanted to grab another picture with the way he eyed the phone on the counter.

“So, you want to see me having sex with someone else? I’m not so sure I’d want to see you with anyone else.”

“They’re pictures of you.”

“And him. Zac there are no face shots in those. The camera was on a tripod and he used a clicker when he remembered.”

“Surely they aren’t all that way.”

I was certain the sets with Newton were pretty much just a rear view, but there was some that weren’t of him and I.

“I can’t bargain here because there are none of me. Your face tells me they aren’t all that way.”

I walked over to the counter and leaned over, smirked at him and he smiled a bit nervously.

“There not all Newton and I, there’s a set in there with Tera. I don’t think you can handle those at all. Newton took them. It’s not that I don’t want you to see them, I don’t want you to have any expectations.”

“I wouldn’t Gabriella. You should know that by now. I want to see them because they’re you. I already know you’ve been with women, it doesn’t mean that I expect you to want that again. I don’t expect anything more than you already give to me.”

I considered it for a moment, he had a point there. He hadn’t asked for a three-some or to watch and he’d known for a while. Doesn’t mean he never would, but I don’t see him hounding me until I did.

“If you think you can handle the aftermath of seeing them, the disc is in the top drawer of the dresser you put all my underwear in. Left side. Just remember that sex is still off limits for like two more weeks.”

I giggled as he sprinted out of the room and I even started the laptop for him while I waited. He came back and loaded the disc and looked at me.

“With Tera is fourteen.”

I couldn’t believe that’s what he wanted to start with! It had been a long time since I’d even seen them.

“Is that Tera or you?”

“We both had black hair then but I’m laying down.”

“You mean you’re the one she’s using the vibrator on?” He smirked at me.

I smiled sweetly. “Like I said, how do you think I know I don’t like them?”

Even I could tell that I wasn’t into it until she got rid of the plastic. Yet, I didn’t know Newton had gotten such up-close picture of us, very close to the nether regions. Fuck, that was pornographic in so many ways.

“Is that a tongue ring?”

“Oh yeah.”

I could vaguely remember how good she was with that little piece of metal. He kept clicking pictures slowly, actually looking at them all and I saw the hesitation when we swapped placed. I saw his eyes grow wide and then he looked at me.

“You…but you...”

“I had one too, Simon made me take it out. He said he didn’t like it. No one else ever complained.”

As he got to the ones where Tera took the pictures and Newton was the other person I could see the change in his face. The excited look grew very somber and the apparent arousal also faded pretty fast. It was what I figured would happen, they might be pictures of me but the other person isn’t him.

“You don’t like them?”

“I do like them.”

“You just don’t like that it’s not you?”

“I guess.”

I expected him to view the other folders but he didn’t even bother, instead he opened some of the others again and viewed them.

“So, what time are we due to Andrew’s?”

“Anytime after 4:30. I was thinking of doing Fat Guys and then going there.”

“Sounds like a plan, I should dress warm right?”

“Yes. It’s inside but they do have like an indoor/outdoor party.”

“So, what do you want to do for the next four hours?”

“You haven’t played much and not with me in a while. We can do that or whatever you want to do.”

“Playing is fine.”

We spent the next several hours playing both the new racing game and the kill the aliens one, I did better with that one and made an effort not to blow him up. It was nice to have this mind-numbing time, but knowing I would need extra time to get bathed and ready I cut out about 3:30. I showered good, got dried off and was standing in the closet deciding what to wear when he came in and got in the shower. I went with black blue jeans, new ones he’d bought so they fit perfectly. A white spaghetti strap undershirt and the grayish blue sweater his mom had gotten me. I wanted to wear my mid-calf boots but after bandages and getting ready, I couldn’t get them on because the bending would hurt. So I waited on him. He came out in dark blue jeans and the long-sleeve Beatles shirt I’d found, I was certain there was a t-shirt under it too.

“All bandaged?”

“Yep. Just need assistance with the boots. The pants are a little tight and when I lean over they dig into the sensitive part of my cut.”

He got his shoes on and then helped me into mine.

“Is that the shirt my mom got?”

“It is.”

“Mom did good, it lands just the right way on your hips.”

“Well, let’s hope everyone else thinks that too.”

We got dinner at Fat Guys Burger’s, something totally different from the normal and made it to the party at 6:30. Andrew greeted us with hugs which mine was gentle, Jack did the same thing and I did stay right beside Zac as we moved through the crowd. I didn’t know anyone here. I met Marcus who was handsome with his dark brown eyes, little chin goatee, and brown hair that he had cut with some length around the top. I also got to meet Lucas, who had the prettiest blue eyes and his very short clipped blonde hair fit him great. Zac introduced them as friends he’d had for a few years now, we were talking to Lucas about my drawing which he’d seen on Twitter when I heard a girl’s voice behind me.

“Hey Zac, where have you been?” She asked.

It sounded low, but not low enough as I turned around as Zac was removing her hands from his waist. He had to be fucking kidding me.

“Hey Kayla. I’ve been around just busy.”

“Sounds stressful, you should really let me take care of that.”

I blinked. She was blue eyed and blonde, his perfect type with pink lips. She was the typical Zac girl according to everyone else.

“I’ve already told you no Kayla. Besides, I’m married now. This is my wife Gabriella.”

I stepped in front of him. “Hi, I don’t believe we’ve met.”

“No, we haven’t.”

“Well, I’m Gabriella, Zac’s wife.”

“Kayla, a friend.”

I gave her my best smile but I can guarantee you she wouldn’t be a friend very much longer if she kept that shit up about relieving stress. She didn’t hang around long before she disappeared among the crowd of people. I turned to Zac.

“Friend huh?”

“Not a very good one. I haven’t known her long and Andrew told me she was bad news, so I’ve stayed away.”

“She’s a slut. She can charm the pants off anyone really, well except Zac. He’s never fallen for her tricks.” Lucas said.

“Then she can’t charm the pants off anyone.” I said.

“I guess that’s true.”

We did more mingling and dancing, he was smiling and I was having a good time. About 11:30 he got my hand and I just followed him, the party was in full swing there was a countdown clock and everything. But, Zac was leading me away from everyone.

“Zac?”

“Trust me.”

He grabbed a blanket by the door and then we headed outside across the yard and out the back gate, onto a path behind the house that followed the river. He didn’t let my hand go, which was fine. The river was rushing by and despite the chilly night it was clear and quiet.

“It’s quiet out here.”

“It’s one of the things I like about his place, being on the river is quiet. He throws awesome parties as you can see.”

“Totally, much better than my normal, everyone would be naked by now.”

“Exactly what kind of parties did you attend?”

“Very wild ones apparently.”

This was nice, just walking by the river, kind of romantic actually. He lead me to a covered bridge and it was perfect, provided a break from the wind, which wasn’t bad.

“This is pretty, do you bring all your New Year’s dates here?”

He giggled. “No, just you. I have come here alone a few times.”

“Taylor and Isaac didn’t show up.”

“They sent me a text earlier. Stella wanted to visit her new nephew Michael and spend time with them. Isaac and Nicole went to her friends instead of his.”

I turned and leaned on the railing, looking down at the river. I was certain he couldn’t resist the picture and I heard the click.

“You are turning into Taylor.”

He moved behind me, put his arms underneath mine and I leaned my head against his, perfect picture and I was sure it would get uploaded somewhere eventually. The blanket was across the rail and he laid his phone there too, so we could see the time. I really did like the way his arms were around me, when it got cooler though he wrapped the blanket around us both, made our own little cocoon.

He apparently had no plans to return to the party and honestly I was fine with that, the warmth of his body against mine was pleasant, but I felt the little kiss to my cheek and turned some.

“I love you.”

It took me several minutes to register the words, the way he’d said them was unlike anything I’d ever heard before. I felt the chill run through my body as I realized that the way he said them, sounded sincere and that he’d actually meant what he said. Even when I looked at him, the look on his face said he meant those words and I wasn’t even sure if anyone had ever said them to me in that tone.

-Zac-

I’d planned everything very carefully, down to the blanket. Andrew wouldn’t miss us, because he knew we weren’t there. The words had been on my mind for a few weeks now, I was just never sure when the right time was and as we stood here under the covered bridge, wrapped in a blanket, snuggled up waiting on fireworks, well, it was the perfect time. I was nervous as fuck because what if she laughed? What if she didn’t believe me? What if she ran? I would have to deal with those if they occurred. As she stood here in my arms, the warmth of her body against me. I couldn’t think of a single reason not to say the words.

“I love you.”

I could tell by her face that she hadn’t expected them and I felt the little shiver as it coursed through her body, so I pulled her in a little tighter. Her eyes held this strange look almost like she was confused, like she wasn’t sure she heard me right. I could almost feel that pivotal moment when I was absolutely certain she was about to run like hell.

I could see the emotions playing across her face, but I couldn’t detect which one was which.

“I love you.”

Her voice was like velvet to my ears, soft and soothing and it really sounded like she meant it, just a moment later the fireworks began to explode over the river, shit I hadn’t even seen the time but it was the perfect time to capture her lips with mine. It felt like fireworks were going off right here with us. The warm fuzzy feeling. She looked at me utterly confused when I dropped to one knee.

“Gabriella, will you marry me?”

She just smiled. “Yes, I will.”

I lifted her up and did a spin, the blanket coming with us. But I was quite glad she chose to kiss me instead of punching me for the spin. When she got her phone I knew it was for a picture, she put the fireworks behind us and took really great photos of us, I was shocked at times at how she could take the best ones. She got one of her kissing my cheek and then an actual kiss, that one turned out well with the explosion of fireworks behind us.

After that it was just watching the rest of the fireworks show, which always lasted like 30 minutes and I know she got some good pictures.

“So, did you plan this little private getaway?”

“I did. It occurred me at Christmas when Isaac asked Nicole that we did things a little weirdly, no proposal was done before we got married.”

“That wasn’t quite your intention.”

I pulled her against me tightly. “Not all of it. Mom and Dad asked me when I told them and I am sure Shawn has asked too. I wasn’t entirely sure but I am now, I’m pretty sure if I was honest with myself it would be sometimes between the fair and Halloween when I knew. I didn’t really expect return words.”

“If I had to be honest, when I woke up and you were there. No one else would have stayed there day and night, no one else would have cared about me that way. It’s new to me. Shawn said it was obvious, guess to us it wasn’t that obvious.”

“Unconventional order here. But the proposal was actually planned, I was going to wait with the rings but Christmas was the best time for them. It just occurred to me that we didn’t have that memory or that experience. Now we do.”

Her arms went around me and she gave me a tight squeeze. “Thank you.”

I didn’t quite understand why she was thanking me, but I figured it was related to this moment in time.

“You wouldn’t mind if I posted those pictures would you?”

“No.”

“Maybe later.”

We headed back to Andrew’s after that, he was waiting in the backyard for us to return.

“Well? Did your little plan work?”

“She said yes.”

“I would certainly hope so. Glad I could assist. Now, come and party until the sun comes up.”

We returned to the party where we mingled and talked to Lucas and Marcus some more, Jack was even being talkative. She posted only two of the three, the one of us together and the one kissing my cheek, I expected the last one to be posted too but when I asked her about it she said some things were better kept to ourselves. I couldn’t say I disagreed with her. Kayla kept her distance which was good, I’d turned her down several times before and I would always turn her down, because I had no desire to be with her in any capacity. Although, her version was just sex.

About 3:30 Gabriella and I headed home, she was tired and her side was hurting some as well. When we got home we both got ready for bed, I checked the bandages which were fine and then we curled up under the covers.

“I do love you Gabriella. I want you to know that.”

“I love you, guess we shouldn’t have put it off so much.”

I kissed her. “Well, we have all year to continue proving it.”

She snuggled closer. I know she didn’t want to admit to it, she did love me and I did believe her but I wasn’t sure she really did trust me not to be stupid and not to do stupid things. I’d just have to prove to her that I loved her enough that she is the only woman I needed. Sometime around five she fell asleep and it was closer to six before I let my eyes close.