The beach lake house was another house that Diane suggested we look at, it had a crazy layout with an awkward view of the lake. No balcony, no porch, and the guest room had the nice view overlooking the water instead of the master bed room. Inside, you could smell the water better than you could see it.

The only good thing about this house was when Zach stood outside on the concrete deck looking at the water, his eyes brightened. "I'd like a holiday by the water."

Diane jumped all over the gleam. "There are lots of interested parties for this house. You'll have to act fast with a strong bid to win this one. We can put down earnest money right away and close by early next month."

Bitch back off. "He's only begun to look." I shook my head. I wasn't sure what earnest money was, but I was definitely sure Zach wasn't ready for this decision. "This isn't it," Zach said.

"Now, don't be too hasty. You need to think about what you want, not what your girlfriend wants." Diane piped in.

"It isn't what I want," I protested, "The layout of this house is ridiculous."

"It has character and charm." Diane rolled her eyes at me.

I did not come to play and I did not come to let Zach, who was just genuinely unsure, get walked no. Not today. I bit out firmly, "He doesn't want it."

Zach shot me a sideways look and quirked up a corner of his mouth. Oh, he liked me being defensive of him? Cute.

Zach was the first to turn back to the car, his arm slung over my shoulders. Traveling north on the empty high was in the rural part of the area, I pulled out my note book and sketched highlights of what I'd seen in houses Zach had shown me pictures of, combined with what I liked and create sketches of houses Zach would like so much more than the ones we were looking at, all while Zach and Diane argued.

"I'll know it when I see it," Zach said. "That's not tremendously helpful."

"It is to me," Zach said. "Isn't it, Cammie?"

"Yes. Don't rush the decision."

I knew Zach was spending a fortune by anyone's standards, but he reasoned with me earlier that he wants a forever home and wants to invest a lot into it as a place he looks forward to coming to after filming or after a mission. Diane pushing him wasn't helping.

"Fine," Diane said. "Call me when you at least pick an area of town and I'll find out what's available there. You can't sit on things out here. I even tried the California market, obviously that goes quicker than anything, it is not like the market in Virginia."

We had met Diane on set earlier that morning. It was now four o'clock. Skipping lunch had fueled everyone's annoyance.

We were finally at our respective cars and I pulled the door handle to my drivers door, "Want to eat dinner at home?" I asked Zach. "We can go over the photos on my laptop. I took a lot of interior design and architecture classes, I have some design books at home. You can flip through and see which styles you like." He nodded.

"I'll follow you home; I need to stop by my trailer real quick to pick up your clothes we left there the other day." I felt myself blush a little, that was a day, "Ya know, Gallagher Girl, I could rent, and you could draw blueprints for me."

I smiled. "I couldn't draft you a tent. It'll be like seven years before I could design something for you."

"There is no advantage to building new," Diane said stiffly. I forgot she was still here, sitting in the drivers seat of her car, window rolled down watching Zach and I talk.

Diane glanced from Dad's car that he bought me, an Audi R8 back to me and back. She didn't realize who my dad was probably and how I, who looked like an average girl, had an expensive car. Diane spoke with her head tilted and her gaze glued to the expensive car and my Gucci sneakers. "Anytime you want to go out again, let me know. Zach has my cell, and you both can reach me twenty-four, seven."

"Thanks."

"So nice to meet you, dear, I know you were a great help to Zachary today."

"Cam!" Zach called out as he walked through the hall way that connected the garage to the kitchen. He held up a sort of see through cloth bag with my clothes from the other day neatly folded.

"Damn I was walking out to my car to drive here and Tina would not leave me alone. She was asking if I was free tonight then asking what sushi I like and if I wanted to come to her loft tonight."

I was mixing a butter and lemon shade together to put over the salmon for dinner and I just looked up at Zach and cocked an eyebrow.

He continued, "She was all, why are you talking to that girl who is just an assistant if you live a better life? I bet the intern doesn't get paid pay that much. Why do you talk to her."

"I'm an unpaid intern." I piped up.

His eyebrows rose high on his forehead, meeting the edge of his lighter blond, caramel bangs, and he said, "You take a lot of crap for a volunteer."

"Don't I know it. Ashley kisses the ground Tina walks in and Tina just wants to say she's slept with you." I rolled my eyes and opened the fridge and removed a covered dish holding some salmon.

"Salad or some veggies?" I asked Zach.

"I'll grill the lettuce, and the salmon if you'd like. I used to love the grilled salads they served at Gallagher when I camped out there."

I grinned and carried the dishes through the French doors to the tiled patio and set the food on the outdoor counter and Zach turned the grill on.

"Do you want a new house, historic, or somewhere in between?"

"I don't know." He used the handle to raise the lid on the grill.

"Okay, let's go at this from a different direction. Do you like farm house or modern and sleek?"

"Uh...maybe something in the middle?"

I grinned, we're getting somewhere. "Do you want it build to your taste or do you want to find something that you like and that fits?" I asked as I fiddled with the knobs to get the grill to the perfect temperature, Zach placed the the salmon, and tossed some of the lettuce on the grill to sear. Marinade dripped; the fire hissed and emitted a smoky, citrus aroma.

I hand Zach the barbeque fork, she said, "Turn them after six to eight minutes. Then the second side only cook for about two minutes." He nodded and held onto the fork when his phone went off. Zach lifted the phone in his left hand so he could read the screen. He frowned and his fingers tightened. "What? We're needed on set?"

"No," he said, "Just stuff for my dads wedding, getting my tux size and then asking about details of the wedding I don't care or need a say in. Dads been all over the place with helping her plan the wedding. Not that I don't want to help but it isn't my wedding, so I don't need that on my plate on top of acting, working out for movies and working out separately for spy life, dealing with missions from our secret spy life and dealing with my hounding agent for me to film, film, film and barely have any time for school let alone stuff I want to do. I don't need wedding stress too."

"I'm sorry..." I know he was excited for his dad but Zach didn't need any added stress. So I left him alone for a second and went Inside the kitchen, I figured he could use a second and I gathered a couple of cans of soda, sweet iced tea pitcher, and water bottle, not knowing what he'd like, and having a Southern need to comfort with food. I put the tray on the table under the umbrella and held up a glass of iced tea, waited for his shudder of rejection before taking a sip of the cold, sweet drink, Blackthorn was way up north, If they were lucky enough to get tea is surely wasn't sweet. "It's fun to eat outside. We don't get to often unless it's in the courtyard at Gallagher, for security obviously."

"We have the rain, but the temperature's mild at Blackthorn. But also they didn't care about feeding us nice fancy meals. It was more stark and just get your training in."

"No fun..."I paused, "So...Cotton candy or apple tart?"

"Cotton Candy. Although one time I ate too much of it and threw up because of it. Haven't had it since so maybe a different sweet dish."

"So tell me what don't you like about the trailer?"

That earned me a side glance from him, "Its noisy, too small, and too many visitors with keys. No privacy."

"So...Are you firing that Realtor?" I laughed.

"Absolutely."

A lean crew was headed up to the White Mountains in New Hampshire for a location shoot. They'd be gone about three or four days, and the remaining crew, myself included, would hang back and work in the warehouse. I didn't mind, though, I hate the cold and I surely don't want to see snow. I kinda hoped to spend some time with mom and dad this weekend, I haven't seen them too much as I've been on set and they've been busy with spy stuff, Gallagher, dad's Hollywood life and of course helping Agent Townsend...uh Zach's dad with his wedding. And maybe I needed a break from Zach to get my head back on straight, I mean Zach couldn't be as appealing as I was starting to think...right?

Plus the scene they were going to shoot was on the mountain, three bad guys were going to hold Zach's character hostage. After escaping, Zach's character would hike the trail and spend a cold miserable night by the lake. In reality, the cast and crew would stay in climate-controlled cabins so the trip wouldn't be as rough as it sounded, but I shuddered for the cold. Plus, it was too much of a reminder of Zach's mom and her keeping me tied up. I don't need that reminder of being so fucked up.

Also, on a less dark thought, the air thinned in the mountains and the temperature dropped—not pleasant. Even though I try to be a tough spy, I get nosebleeds too easily, anytime we were on a training mission somewhere with even slight higher altitude, I always had gotten nosebleeds and dizzy. Of course I was always told to push though it until training sessions were over for the day but I always got back on the bus or plane with my classmates ready to grab a towel and clean up my face of blood and stop spinning because I was so dizzy. I was better off in Virginia, which lay a little closer to sea level.

Today in set I sat in the usual corner, adding more shading my to sketch of the perfect house for Zach and felt eyes on her. Definitely Zach. He held a call sheet, and I saw his gaze shift from me to the assistant director.

I sprang up and hurried over. "Don't."

Zach gave her an innocent look. "Don't," I said. "I'm a sea-level, flat creature."

His perfect mouth twitched. "No." Zach turned away and I followed, stepping into his line of vision.

"Zach, look at me." He slanted a look at my from the side of his blue-green eyes. "No," I said, slowly and clearly, leaving no room for misunderstanding.

His bottom lip formed a small pout, "Next week is our last week, then shooting wraps."

"Right, so I'll see you next week and after that for several more in postproduction work."

"I need you there this weekend."

"I don't like the mountains."

"You didn't say that when we were house hunting."

"Rolling Hills of rural Virginia isn't exactly the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Besides, I want you to live wherever you want. I don't have to like the location."

Zach hooked an arm around my waist and drew me in. "Please, please come with me? Pleaseee Gallagher Girl?" He locked eyes with me and pulled me to his chest and gave me a sad look. My cellphone vibrated, delaying my refusal. I looked down and read a text message. "Unexpected meeting in New York for some movie stuff, mom will be home but mostly at school, be back Sunday, Dad."

Well shit, now with mom and dad busy I really don't have an excuse to stay home anyway. Liz went along with Macey at some political gala weekend with Preston as he his making his own moves in the political world. And Bex is with her parents wrapping up a spy mission I think in Spain? So none of them are going to visit.

I let out a sigh to Zach, "Zach I really don't like the cold and the altitude-"

"I know gives you nose bleeds." He kissed the top of my head, "Please Cam? You're my only dose of reality, the only one who knows me for me, my secret life, the only one who doesn't sugar coat things to me and who is the best person to be sarcastic and witty with."

I cracked a small smile, "I never thought Zachary Goode could be sweet."

Zach smirked, "Oh I can be a lot of things."

I rolled my eyes and laughed, I tried to pull out of his grip but he only tightened it, "Cam, please? You know I'm only asking to be polite. I could have walked over to the assistant director and put your name on the list." I just gave him a stern look, he better not just put my name on the list of those who were traveling. "Cammie I'll beg."

I smirked, "okay, if you beg I'll go."

"Dammit."

Zach sighed and got down on his knees and looked up at me, he grabbed my hands and kissed my fingers, "Cam Cam, please please go with me on the long weekend trip up to New Hampshire." He looked up and widended his eyes and looked like a sad puppy.

I laughed and rolled my eyes, "yes..." I let out, "I'll go. But you're buying me all the hot chocolate and hand warmers!"