Hello! :D Thanks once again for the reviews! I really enjoy hearing what people have to say.

A couple of things:

1) Zac did indeed go to the strip club. It was just a rumor, but he confirmed that it was true during his appearance on Jimmy Kimmel. Check out the interview if you haven't seen it already. :)

2) Part of this chapter is very, very loosely based on candids of Zac and Vanessa from last Thursday. You won't be lost if you haven't seen the pictures, but you'll probably be able to appreaciate it a little better if you have. ;)

3) Just a reminder that this story is fiction. Although some of the events really did happen, I promise you all of their conversations are completely made up. :p

Anyway, hope you enjoy reading this chapter!

*I do not own HSM or its characters (and obviously not the actors in the series) :p*


After talking on the phone with Ashley, Vanessa was off to rehearsal again, giving her minimal time to plan out exactly how she was going to talk to Zac. But luckily for her, Zac was also busy that day with both the taping of Lopez Tonight and Jimmy Kimmel Live! She decided that for that reason, bringing up the topic that was constantly on her mind would have to wait until they had some free time.

And when Zac came home from his final show that night and joined his sleeping (or so he thought) girlfriend in bed, Vanessa knew that tomorrow had to be the day. There would be no turning back.


"Where is he?" she mumbled to herself. "I figured he'd be here by now."

Waiting by the side of the building and trying her best to stay hidden from the paparazzi, Vanessa flipped through the inbox on her phone making sure that she hadn't missed any texts from Zac saying he would be late.

That morning he had eagerly offered to pick her up from rehearsal and take her out to lunch. He was thrilled that his promotion had finally finished, giving him more time to, in his words, "spend with my girl."

And Vanessa figured that although they may not be totally alone, casually bringing up the strip club stress she was feeling over lunch might be the way to go.

Just as she was starting to get impatient, out of the corner of her eye she caught her boyfriend's Audi and couldn't help but smile when she saw him get out of the car.

Zac too lit up at just the sight of her, and began grinning from ear to ear.

Damn it. she thought. How am I supposed to be mad at him when he looks so happy to see me?

In no time at all they had met up with each other in the parking lot and stole a quick kiss before anyone was around.

"Missed you," Zac said with a smile.

Just as Vanessa was about to say the same thing, Zac slid the Aviator sunglasses she was wearing off of her face and placed them on his own.

"Hey!" she yelled with a giggle, then playfully smacked his chest. "I was using those!"

"Except they're my sunglasses," he said, laughing.

"And you gave them to me," she added with a whine.

Zac smiled when he saw the pouty look Vanessa had on her face. "Well, I'm pretty sure you stole them from me. But I'll forgive you." He kissed the top of her head. "Come on, let's go grab something to eat."

Zac took hold of her left hand as they began walking back to the car and held it next to his chest. "I can't believe how much I missed you today." He squeezed her hand tighter and chuckled. "And it's only been, what? A couple of hours since you left? When did I become so needy?"

Vanessa's mind was elsewhere. She wasn't really paying attention to what he was saying. Not because she was bored with the conversation, but because she was focusing on the conversation that was soon to come.

I can't do this. I really can't.

She heard him happily humming.

Not when he's this giddy. And I really don't want to argue, especially not in public.

Zac was starting to notice how quiet she was. "Babe, if you really want the sunglasses back that bad, you can have them. Especially if that means you'll start talking again..."

It took a moment for Vanessa to realize that he had addressed her directly.

"What? Oh, no you can have them. It's fine."

There's that word again: fine. I really need to expand my vocabulary.

She almost laughed at her own thought.

Once again, Zac was aware of the fact that something was indeed bothering his girlfriend, but he was totally clueless as to what was on her mind.

He knew that once they got to the restaurant, he was going to find out what was going on once and for all.


"Okay, we're sitting down, we've gotten our sushi and our drinks," Zac began, "Now are you going to tell me what's going on?"

Vanessa took a bite of her salmon skin roll, but didn't say anything.

"Vanessa?" he asked as he rested his hand on her left, which was laying on the table. "What's going on?"

She swallowed. "It's...it's nothing, really."

Zac raised his voice, but was careful not to distrub the nearby customers. "Vanessa Anne Hudgens, tell me what's going on. I'm not a mind reader, you know. So unless you let me know what's bothering you, I'm never going to figure it out."

Vanessa lifted her head to finally look into Zac's eyes, and she saw that he was very serious and concerned. It was almost intimidating, so much so that she had to look back down at her plate.

Zac was getting incredibly frustrated at her lack of cooperation. "You haven't acted the same since I got home. Was it something I said?"

Yes, she thought.

"Whatever it is, Vanessa, you can tell me. Okay? I'm not going to get mad."

He saw her take a deep breath. Oh God, she's pregnant isn't she?

"Vanessa.."

She dropped her fork on her plate. I can't take it anymore.

"Why did you do it, Zac?"

He was stunned by the tone of her voice. She sounded...furious.

"Do what?"

"Go to the strip club!"

"Wait, what?"

Vanessa forgot that the two were not at home, and started to get up out of her chair. "Why the hell did you go?"

Zac couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You said I could go!"

Their arguing stopped for a minute when the two realized they were not exactly in the best place to do it.

"Would you just take me back to rehearsal?" she said bitterly.

Zac was also out of his chair at this point. "Now? Don't you think we should finish this conversation?"

"Just pay the check and let's get out of here," she paused, "And we will finish this conversation...later. The last thing I want to do is go back to rehearsal pissed off and take out my frustrations on the cast."

And with that Vanessa grabbed her purse and started to walk to the door, but first stopped to grab Zac's sunglasses on the table and put them back on her face.

Their fight was far from over, and yet, with that move, she already felt a little bit better.


That night Vanessa had hitched a ride home from one of her fellow castmates after texting Zac that she wouldn't be needing his transportation services this time around. She seriously doubted that he would be wanting to provide them anyway, so she was sure it wouldn't be a problem.

For the first time since Zac's return, Vanessa was very eager to give him a piece of her mind. Their little dispute at the restaurant finally gave her the confidence she needed to tell him how she really felt, and this time she could yell as loud as she wanted without having people stare at her.

Perfect.

When she walked through the door, Vanessa saw Zac patiently waiting for her on the couch.

"Hello," he said calmly.

She didn't reply yet, but instead chose to sit on the other end of the couch and face him.

"So, are you going to explain to me why you went to Flashdancers?"

"Once again because you said I could go."

Vanessa rolled her eyes, annoying him.

"Okay, what the hell, Vanessa? What is your problem? Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to call and ask for your permission?"

It didn't take long for her volume to increase. "What do you think is my problem, Zac? How do you think I felt getting a phone call from my boyfriend of nearly five years asking if it's okay if he goes to see a bunch of naked women?"

The distance between them on the couch seemed to have increased.

"I wasn't the one who wanted to go to the damn strip club! The idea never even crossed my mind!"

Vanessa let out a big groan. "It doesn't matter! You still went, didn't you? I'm pretty sure Corbin would have forgiven you if you had said NO."

"It was one night! And it's not like I cheated on you or something! And once again to remind you, you said IT WAS FINE!"

Vanessa felt her eyes starting to water. "God, Zac do you know me at all? Did you really think I was FINE with it? Why would I be FINE with it? I have to watch girls throw themselves at you on a daily basis, but I've learned to live with it because I trust you. But when you go looking for attention, especially that kind of attention!"

Tears were now streaming down her face. "I'm obviously not filling your needs. Sorry that I've been disappointing you all these years."

She started to hurry into the bathroom. "And glad to see you really cherish our relationship."

"Vanessa, wait!"

But she had already slammed the door shut.