Reunited
-Chapter 12-

The next morning Chase and Zoey collected their stuff and checked out of the hotel without a word exchanged between the two of them.They both slept terribly and didn't have the energy to have useful conversation. The roads had been plowed but there was still about a foot and a half of snow on the ground.Chase handed Zoey the keys to start the car up while he scraped off the snow and ice on the windows . After they warmed up, they were on their way home.

"Hey Dana! What's this book in the hallway? I found it by your door,"Nicole held up the pink journal as she walked downstairs. Dana was heating up Grace's bottle, Michael was eating, and Logan was still sleeping.

Dana studied the journal and shrugged,"I don't know. It wasn't there last night."

"Oh, let me see!" Michael took the journal out of Nicole's hand and opened it,"I think this is Zoey's. It's written in her handwriting."

"That's strange, how would Zoey's journal get in the hallway if she and Chase weren't even here last night?" Nicole asked.

"I don't know. That's weird," Dana said wearily as she started to feed the baby. Michael shrugged and went back to eating. Nicole set the book on the table and went back upstairs to get dressed.

After an hour and a half on the road, Zoey and Chase pulled into the driveway of the big house. The snowstorm had hit Lake Geneva just as bad as it did Kenosha.Chase opened the door and set all of their bags and the stuff he got for the cafe by the front door. Then he disapeered into the kitchen.

About two minutes after they got in the house, Christine walked in. Zoey looked at her, smiled, and started to say hello until she saw the look that Christine was giving her.

"Where's Chase?" Christine demanded.

"I think he's in the kitchen," Zoey said quietly. Christine's cold stare made Zoey nervous. Christine walked briskly past her, stepping over the bags and walked into the kitchen slamming the door behind her. Yeah, Christine was definatly mad. Great, Zoey thought, All I do is mess everything up. Zoey couldn't help herself and held her ear to the kitchen door so she could hear.

"Hi, Chase," Christine said.

"Hey, Chris. How are you doing?" Chase asked absent mindedly. He reached for her to kiss her but she pulled away.

"I need to talk to you," Christine demanded.

"Can you wait for like two secounds while I change into some clean clothes?" Chase asked.

"No.We need to talk. Now,"Christine said firmly.

Chase sighed," Alright but if this is about last night, I already told you what happened and that's the truth."

"Yeah and I beleive you. It's just...Zoey,"Christine's voice trailed off.

"What about Zoey?" Chase asked.

"Lately, it seems like shes all you care about," Christine replied.

"Zoey...she's going through something right now and I'm just being here for her. Plus I haven't seen her for over three years. Of course I'm going to spend some time with her,"Chase exsplained.

"When it's this close to our wedding? I do need help planning and stuff, ya know," Christine pointed out,"It's kind of strange when my mom asks me where you are and I say you're with another woman."

"Look, I said it once and I'll proboly say it again. Zoey and I are friends. We are and never will be anything more but friends. I've realized that. She's realized that. Now please, why don't you do the same," Chase said.

"I think she has feelings for you," She said flatly. Zoey's heart sank.Oh gosh.Was it that obvious?

Chase snorted,"Yeah, right.Why would she have feelings for me? She just got out of a bad marriage."

"I know that," Christine replied knowingly.

"How?" Chase asked.

"Because..." Christine thought for a moment. How could she exsplain without admitting that she actually went in Zoey's diary?

"Because?" Chase asked again.

"Because I read something that I proboly shouldn't have read," Christine said.

"What was it?" Chase asked, starting to get frustrated and cranky from his lack of sleep.

At that moment the phone rang. "Hello?" Zoey heard Chase ask quietly as he picked up the phone. "Zoey! It's for you!" he called out.

Zoey was confused, why would anyone call her at Chase's house? And why now? She wanted to know how in the world Christine knew anything about her personal life.This was such a nightmare. Zoey walked through the kitchen, ignored Christine's icy stare and picked up the phone."Hello?"

"Zoey, it's Dustin," She heard the not so child-like voice through the old phone.

"Hi, Dustin. Look this isn't really the best time for you to-"

"Zoey, listen to me. Mom and Dad had an accident," Dustin said, his voice shaking.

"What kind of accident?" Zoey asked slowly.

"Mom's alright but Dad is in critical condition. He may not make it, " Dustin replied, unable to exsplain in detail.

"Oh, God," was all Zoey could say in reply.

"Is there anyway you can come home early?" Dustin asked.

"Of course. I'll come home as soon as possible," Zoey practically squeaked as she hung up the phone. She stared at it, in a daze. So much was going on at once, she couldn't take it.

"Zoe, Are you all right?" Chase asked.

Christine threw her hands up in the air and said loudly,"See this is exactly what I mean! Everything is all about Zoey!"

"Will you just give me a break?" Chase snapped at his fiance."Can't you see that something is bothering her. It's more serious than petty things like who really has feelings for who."

"Can't YOU see that we're getting married tommorow and we're already off to an awful start?You're paying more attention to her than me," Christine spat.

"Yeah, I do see that, Christine," Chase said quieter."And If you can't even trust me this early, than how will you be able to trust me after we promise that we'll be together forever, until death do we part."

Zoey considered that her cue to snap out of it and leave them alone. This wasn't looking good. But as she turned around she spotted a familar pink book on the kitchen table. Zoey walked quietly over there and picked it up. Sure enough, it was hers. Interupting the arguing couple,she asked with a voice louder than she knew that she had,"Is this how you knew about my marriage problems?"

Both looked at Zoey."You were evesdropping on us?" Christine asked.

Zoey rolled her eyes. This was way bigger than evesdropping."How did my diary get downstairs?" She demanded, her eyes narrowing.

Christine looked at Zoey casually and said with a slight smirk,"I can honestly say, I have no idea."

With that Zoey ran out of the room, up the stairs, and into her guest room. Someone had actually went in her room, in her drawers, and read her diary. Sure enough, the drawer she kept it in was wide open. At that moment Zoey decided that she wanted nothing more to do with these people. How could one of her friends read her personal thoughts? Why would they stoop this low? Zoey franticly shoved all her belongings into her suitcase and quickly dialed on her cell phone for a taxi company. She didn't care how much money a taxi would cost to get there from the airport. She just wanted to go home and be with her family. She just had to get out of this whole huge mess. It would be better for everyone. She never should have come in the first place. Besides, Chase said so himself, no matter how hard she wished things differently, they were and always would be nothing more than friends.

A/N: Whoa...that was intense.

Thanks for all the nice reviews!

If you ever wanna see what Chase's house looks like just click the link in my profile. It is an actual real house and my insparation for this story. Ha ha. I love Wisconsin. I am such a dork. There's also the beach that they were at when they were walking in Kenosha and a sunset from there. It's great.

But anyway, review please! It makes me all warm inside.

(P.S. Sorry for little spelling errors and stuff. No time to spell check. 11 o clock on a school night. I must go.)