(Ohmigoodness yay, I am so glad people are enjoying this as a read! I love Zack, and I wanted to write something for him. This came to me and yeah, I'm gonna go with it as far as it takes me. It's good to be back and writing again I missed you guys! And I am so glad that you guys are enjoying reading. So sorry for the length of time between updates, I've been away for a while, on vacation with the fam. I'm back now, ready to start posting chapters again. This story's almost at an end, but there might just be a sequel in the future!)

Eve grumbled as she set sights on her sister and AJ, Kaitlyn all standing around talking quietly amongst themselves. Biting her tongue, because Zack was nearby, she walked past and turning the corner, collided with Jack Swagger who steadied her and then said "And just what the hell are we gonna do about this little problem, Torres? Because, see, I'm not known for being a patient guy and this is takin entirely too damn long just for a screw from your sister."

Eve looked at him, brow raised. "You're yelling at me right now? Seriously? You haven't been stepping it up, either, you spend 90 percent of your time blowing it with her, so yeah.. I'd say that if you're not getting laid by my baby sister, then you are to blame for it, not me. Besides, she's just so gross.. Why do you want to sleep with her so bad?"

Jack shrugged and said "Because I just want to, okay?" as he watched the petite brunette they were currently discussing, talking quietly, and animatedly across the hall with Kaitlyn and AJ. Whatever the three girls were discussing, it seemed to be a heated discussion.

"I'm telling you, Kaitlyn, it is not a good idea to tell him I'm the anon from Twitter. And especially not right now. You saw him sort of looking at Eve earlier when she went all drama queen. He might say he's over her, but he's not. And he might not ever be. Just trust me guys." Zara said as AJ lightly shook her friend and said "Sometimes, Z, you make me wanna scream."

"I'm just being honest with myself." Zara muttered as she added, "It's kind of why I haven't messaged him on Twitter in a few days. I mean since I saw Eve slowly worming her way back in, there's really no point, is there?"

"Z.." Kaitlyn started as AJ caught sight of Zack who kept covertly checking his phone, looking a little bit more discouraged and scowling even, when whatever it was he was looking for wasn't found.

Zack stood in the hallway, looking at his phone as he wondered why his anon had stopped texting him on Twitter. He'd sort of come to think of her as his 'girlfriend' his support system, and he was realizing now just how much he'd enjoyed talking to her. Then he felt guilty, because he'd been hanging out with Zara as much as she let him, oddly enough, she seemed a little distant lately, too, and he was conflicted.

"Fuck it. Guess the Long Island Iced Z is going it alone, again." he muttered as he realized that he had a shot to really step it up and actually clue Zara into how he felt, with this gimmick that was still ongoing. If only he could keep her idiot sister and his ex, Eve Torres out of the picture long enough to do something about how he felt.

Every time he almost had the words, he was ready to say them, Eve or Jack popped up, and he was beginning to get the feeling that something was going on with it, that they were doing whatever they could to keep him away from Zara.

He watched her intently, didn't realize he'd been caught watching her until AJ smiled and Kaitlyn gave a nod then nudged Zara who looked at him a moment, her eyes not like they normally were, expressive. He couldn't use her eyes to tell how she was feeling, and that bugged him. Normally, he could tell what mood she was in by looking into her eyes. Not for the past two weeks or so, had he been able to do that and he missed it.

Zara held his gaze doing her best to mask the sinking feeling of despair, the hopelessness of her situation currently. She'd had fun when they hung out like they had been, but Eve was really doing her best to elbow her way back in and Zara, despite everything she kept telling herself, kept feeling like she should pack it in, let Eve win yet again, even though the thought had her bitter and angry with herself and hating Eve even more.

She just knew she was too messed up by her past to really have any kind of relationship that worked, or she liked to think she knew this about herself. But damn it, she wanted Zack. She wanted to be the one who made him laugh, the one he kissed goodnight, the one he came to when he'd had a bad match or he didn't feel well. She wanted to take care of him, be in love with him, be with him, she was just too damn scared to let herself try, afraid he'd see she was nothing and turn his back, or laugh at her for assuming that maybe he did like her a little.

Biting her lower lip, she walked into catering. What she didn't realize is that she left her Iphone signed into her anon account, because she'd been dying to send him a message or something because seeing him just now only made the urge to do so surface. And she'd also left her Iphone in the very capable hands of her two closest friends, AJ and Kaitlyn.

AJ looked at Kaitlyn with a mischevious gleam in her eye, and then bit her lip as Kaitlyn said "We have to do this, for her.. Hell, for both of them."

AJ nodded and then said "Okay, so I'll send a sexier than normal message.. What's her 'excuse' for not texting for a while?

"Ooh.. She saw Eve hanging all over him when she was here backstage." Kaitlyn said quickly as AJ high fived her and Big E said with a chuckle, "You should also make it seem like she was hurt by it. Guys are suckers for the wounded girl bit." as Kaitlyn looked at him and nodded, her tongue jutting out in concentration as she and AJ quickly and covertly compiled a Twitter message for Zack that'd hopefully put some fire back in his eyes again.

AJ thought about it a moment before she hit send and then said "We just gave him a really, really big clue. I hope he figures it out before Jack pushes this idiotic 'fight for the girl' match idea with Vince and the moron okays it for the next ppv."

"Exactly, because Swagger is NOT getting our girl. Not considering what some of the guys told me his entire intention with wanting to do this storyline was." Kaitlyn said as AJ looked at her, brow arched questioningly, as Kaitlyn whispered Jack's intent into her ear and AJ growled, "That freaking snake in the grass, I swear to God, I'll kick him in the balls so damn hard." aloud, making some of the stage hands and prop handlers look at her as if she were losing her mind.

She whispered it to Big E and Big E said "Oh hell no. I'm gunning for him now. Z's like another baby sister to me."

"Exactly. She's not about to get hurt like that. She's already so damn scared of guys, that'd just end her ever wanting to be with a guy again."

Down the hallway, Zack sat in the green room. He'd been just about to turn off his phone so he'd quit looking at the damn thing, when he got a new message from his anon admirer.

He read it and something about the message nagged at him. He got the feeling that the answer to the girls identity was right in front of him, but he couldn't see it. And this made him angry. He texted back quickly and asked, "Do I know you? Can we meet face 2 face?"

Then he put his phone into his pocket. Something in his mind was nagging at him, and he wasn't going to stop until he had some kind of an answer. As he walked out into the hallway, Jack caught up with him wearing a smirk.

"We have a match tonight.. For the heavyweight contender spot. Oh and McMahon is definitely giving me the green light on my match I suggested.. Better enjoy being on top while it lasts you loser. Because before long? I'll have the belt AND the girl, all to myself, broski." Jack gloated as Zack rolled his eyes and then said "That's what you think, Thwagger.. You must not realize that there is no way in hell I'ma let you leave with her. You can have the damn belt. I just want the girl." shocking himself even when the words left his mouth, because his entire career, he'd been chasing after gold.. Now it was practically in his grasp, but he was willing to just walk away without hesitation.

He stood in quite shock for a moment, his hand in his hair as he pondered that realization, and pondered the text he'd gotten from his admirer on Twitter... Would he figure out who the admirer was in time?