Chapter 4

Vanessa's sobs shook her. She collapsed down on the spot as her legs gave out, and she wrapped her arms around herself.

How could she have been so stupid? Was all she thought about. He probably hated her, probably didn't trust her. How could he trust her, when he thought she didn't trust him?

He had left. Zac had left her standing there.

She remembered his back as he walked out the door. She could still hear him slamming the car door shut and the sound of the engine as he drove away to God knows where.

Vanessa looked up to see her beautiful house amidst her rolling tears, her beautiful empty house. How she loved that house…but she only loved it because he shared it with her.

Taking a deep breath, she slowly stood up again and walked towards the window. She needed to see if he was coming back, but he wasn't.

The gate was still closed, and the sun was setting in the sky. Soon, darkness would fill her unlighted home…silence and darkness, what a dreadful thought.

Vanessa made her way up the stairs; she grabbed the handrail tightly because she feared her legs would give out again.

She went inside her room and headed for the closet… she took one of Zac's sweaters and brought it to her nose, breathing his scent deeply. Then she wrapped it around her petite body and laid down on the bed.

She did not notice when she fell asleep.

Vanessa slowly opened her eyes and found she was still alone in her —now— dark bedroom. She looked over at the clock resting on the nightstand and realized she had slept for about two hours.

Which meant he had been gone for more than those two hours.

Reaching for the phone, she dialed his number…and got the voicemail. She needed to talk to him, not some machine. So she hung up.

Throwing the phone down on the bed, she sat up and grabbed her head between her hands. Vanessa had the most horrible headache she had ever felt in her life. It was so strong, it made her eyes roll to the back of her head when she stood up.

"Oh, fuck!" —She cursed out loud and headed towards the bathroom.

Kneeling down in front of the medicine cabinet, she took out a bottle of aspirin.

Just as Vanessa was about to put two of them in her mouth though, she closed her hand over the little pills and read the label on the small bottle.

'If you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant, consult your physician before taking'

She shouted angrily and threw the bottle along with the pills down on the floor. Just when she thought nothing else could go wrong, this had to happen!

Her head felt like it would explode if she didn't take something soon…

"Vanessa? Are you in here?" — He was calling for her, from their bedroom.

"oh my god…Zac?" —For one second she didn't know if it was real or if maybe she was still asleep and it was just a dream; until he walked through the door and, next thing she knew, he was kneeling down next to her.

She looked so pale, her eyes were red and puffy, and you could still see tear traces on her cheeks where the mascara had run down her face.

Zac took her face between his hands. He had seen the bottle of pills on the bathroom floor, and he'd heard the loud scream from downstairs when he came in the house…. Only one thought came to mind; had she been trying to kill herself?

"Van, what were you trying to do?"

"I'm so sorry Zac" —she clung to him —"I'm so sorry about everything…I didn't mean to hurt you…"

"Shhh…Shh baby. It's ok…let's not talk about that right now" —One of his hands was wrapped around her slim waist, while the other buried itself in her hair —"Just tell me, what were you doing with those pills?"

"I have a horrible headache…I feel like my head's gonna blow up"

Zac breathed a sigh of relieved. He seriously needed to stop jumping to conclusions about his wife, especially because they always seemed to be so wrong.

He held Vanessa closer to him and lifted her off the ground, carrying her. Then he placed her down on her side of the bed and picked the phone up. She kept a tight hold on his shirt as he sat next to her and called a doctor.

-- O --

Vanessa rested her head on the soft pillow and looked up into the sky-pools of her husband's eyes. He was next to her on the bed, sitting up and frowning above her beautiful face.

Half an hour had passed since he had given her some Tylenol for the pain, following doctor's orders. And now he just watched her intently, and noticed the way her face softened slowly as the headache started to subside.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you" —She bit her lower lip, a nervous habit he had come to know very well.

"Zac…I'm really sorry about before. I meant to tell you sooner, I really did…and, of course I trust you…how can you eve-" He placed his fingers over her mouth, effectively quieting.

"I think I might have overreacted a little"

"No! You didn't! You were right! I mean… I should have told you before"

"Yeah… you should have. But still. I shouldn't have walked out on you like that. We had to talk, I knew that. But I just…I felt like breaking something, you know? I felt like punching the wall or kicking something, shit I was so mad… it scared me"

He leaned down and placed his face on the valley of her breasts. It was his turn to breathe her in, deeply.

She smelled like wildflowers and lavender, most likely from her soap, with a touch of something else…something that reminded him of honey, especially when he kissed her skin.

It was a scent that had never ceased to intrigue him and enchant him all at once.

"I understand Zac" —she played with his hair.

"Well, I'm still sorry. I promise to do my best not to get that way again"

He lifted his head and gave her a tiny smile. She bit her lower lip again and then whispered. —"but you do know the baby is yours, right? I would never cheat on you Zac, I love you"

"Yeah, I know." He nodded —"That's something good that came out of my little stroll. I did a lot of thinking about everything and realized how stupid it was to say that to you. Oh and, I also found this" —He got up from the bed and took something out of a small blue bag he had placed on top of her dresser.

She couldn't see what it was, until he approached the bed and sat down again; holding the new possession up towards her. It was a tiny onesie. It was all white and had a delicate printing that read: 50 percent mommy & 50 percent daddy.

She couldn't help but laugh out loud. It was so adorable, and so small.

And, above everything else, it was their baby's first belonging. And that made it all seem so much more real to both of them.

She touched it, felling the soft fabric between her fingertips. He pulled her shirt up, uncovering her flat and toned tummy, and he placed the onesie on top. Looking at him, she caressed his thick dark blond hair and listened to what he was saying.

"I think it fits" -He put one of his big and strong hands on her stomach as well and smiled widely. -"I saw it on a window store. I just… I couldn't help but think about what it's going to be like. Having someone who's half me and half you in the world. What he or she is going to look like, to be like…"

"Zac... Do you forgive me?"

"Yes, of course I do baby. But, I really just hope that it doesn't happen again. You need to tell me things like this Van…I don't want you to feel like you have to hide anything from me. Because you don't!"

He was looking straight into her eyes.

They were so different sometimes, two people completely opposite in many aspects. But they fitted together so perfectly…it just flowed.

Blue and brown, blond and brunet, light and tanned, tall and short…intense and mellow. It was just meant to be.

They both knew it… and Vanessa's emotions got the better of her once again as they finally hugged intimately.

Tears began welling up and falling down from her big eyes for the third time that day; the only difference was that these were happy tears, and now Zac was right there again to wipe them away.

"No, come on!" —Zac smiled happily. "You need to stop all this crying Vanessa. That can't be good for the baby!"

"I think I can officially start blaming it on hormones"

They laughed; and it was wonderful sound for them both. It filled their house with life again. It had only been one day, but to them it felt like weeks had passed from that morning to that night.

It had been an emotional roller coaster…but it had also been a lesson for life. And Vanessa thought it was time to patch up some wounds and make up for lost time.

She grabbed the back of his head roughly and pulled it down, kissing him with every ounce of her being. Their passion started to build up rapidly as she pushed her small tongue into his mouth to play with his own.

She broke off long enough to take a few deep breaths…

"Make love to me" —Vanessa whispered and covered his mouth with hers again.

He climbed on top of her, supporting his weight on his forearms so he wouldn't crush her. She opened her legs instinctively and wrapped themselves around his waist…his body settled comfortably between her parted thighs.

He kissed her passionately, wanting to consume her…to make her a part of him. And she returned the kiss with equal need.

Her hands were all over his body, she practically ripped the shirt off his body; if she had been stronger she would have.

Small, wanting hands traveled down his smooth back and under the waistline of his pants to grab his buttocks.

Zac sat up on his knees and stared at her.

Heavy breathing, swollen lips, flushed cheeks and perfect body… she was beautiful, she was like a dream come true, and she was his…

Vanessa admired his naked chest, tanned and subtlety outlined by his six-pack. She loved the way his legs muscles stood out underneath his tight khakis… she reached for his belt and unbuckled it as fast as she could.

And the young starlet suddenly realized, she had never been hornier in her entire life...

Soon enough, hot skin touched hot skin, tongues made patterns across necks, hands grabbed and scratched softly and lips suckled teasingly.

Together they burned…they trembled and they loved each other.

Zac and Vanessa Efron became one being again… and the universe was at peace…