When I wake up, I'm met with a cool breeze across my face from the window that's been left open. I don't remember opening it myself, so presume it's the work of Zak. Yawning gently, I undo my belt and look around to see Zak stood at the back of the pick up.

For him to be out the car, I presume we are here. Getting out, I approach him slowly, seeing him in some trance. People use that saying 'miles away.' Only I think he really was. But as I get closer, he snaps out of it, taking away my opportunity to see him in a different light.

"Hey."

"Hey."

There's silence between us as I wait for him to speak, but when it doesn't happen, we go again.

"Hey."

I giggle "Hey... Again."

"Are you okay?" I ask moving to his side to see what he's been looking at.

He nods. "Yeah. So we are here to film our last chapter of this place."

His hand swoops up in gesture to the building. The Washoe Club.

But instead of wanting to burst with excitement and be a part of something that he grew from the ground, I feel sadness and instantly take the hand that's at his side.

He lowers his head and shakes it gently before squeezing my hand back.

"It's okay to feel sadness. To show emotion. I won't judge you."

His hand drops mine and he folds his arms in a protective stance "I couldn't give a fuck if you did. You haven't been here for 5 minutes so you wouldn't have a clue about any of this."

"Zak I–"

"Why are you even here anyway? You haven't been much company the whole way down here and you are nothing but a fucking tease. Drunk or not, that guy had a point!"

His answer is harsh, his tone is resentment, but instead of fuelling the fire and snapping back, I simply pinch my lips together. This was his way of coping, lashing out.

I'm no psychologist, but I had a feeling that by him snapping back gave him a little more control than what showing emotion would. Emotion equals a weakness in some men's eyes...

From what I knew, and I maybe wrong. But this was the first time they were coming back to Virginia City, after the Murder- Suicide of Debby & Mark.

I knew each and everyone of them would have some emotions bottling up and maybe spilling out, I just had to remember not to take anything to heart.

Nodding my head, I back away. "I'll leave you alone..."

Removing myself from the situation is better than forcing myself into it. I didn't know Zak that well to demand anything from him. I didn't know how he coped with emotions, maybe he was someone who fought them, maybe he stewed in them? Hell maybe he didn't even care for them?

But this has changed him. I could see it in him, before the rest of them had arrived and maybe he wanted to be here first to deal with whatever he knew was impending. That if he dealt with it now, then he wouldn't appear weak in front of the rest of them.

I went to the front of the truck, not a huge distance, but enough for him to know that I was there if he wanted to talk, or not. But it was also because I had no idea where to go, so staying close by meant that I wouldn't get lost or be left behind.

+++

The sun was blazing down on me, making each and every inch of my skin burn as I led on the front of the truck, sunbathing.

It seemed Zak was dealing with a lot of shit and disappeared before coming back. His mood hadn't changed and he dropped the tailgate to his truck to sit on it. So I grabbed the hood, put my foot on the oversized wheel and pulled myself up on to it. Where I've been since...

You didn't have to tell me that sunbathing whilst he was troubled was a heartless. I knew it was, but how can you help someone who doesn't want your help? I had to let him deal with it himself, not to mention the fact he agreed with the guy back at the gas station..

So does that mean he agrees that I should be attacked too?

Or was he agreeing with the guy because of last week? We hadn't broached the subject. Yet.

It seemed that this place really was a ghost town as the small street was quiet and hardly a soul in sight. I was ready to either move to the shade or flip onto my stomach when I heard shuffling and felt a pull on each foot.

I sat up as I slid down the car until I was perched on the edge of the hood. Zak was stood in front of me, between my knees.

Not knowing which way this was going to go, I kept quiet and like an unspoken apology, he wrapped his arms around me and gave me a hug.

"This is harder than I thought..."

"I get that." I answer quietly rubbing his back before detaching from the hug to look at him. "I know what you're going through."

He scoffs "Do you? Did you know half the things she told me? Do you know she confided in me and I did nothing? That I–"

"None of this is your fault."

"How would you know?" He frowns looking around us.

"You were not part of that relationship, no matter what she loved him and for whatever he did, she would forgive him... For better, For worst."

"Till death do us part. He fucking made sure of that!" He snapped slamming his fist against the hood of the truck.

"Shush.... Just breathe it out." I spoke calming rubbing his shoulders as he looked at me following my breathing.

His head sank forward and with a little persuasion, he twisted around letting me have full access to his shoulders.

I went in for the kill, massaging his shoulders and neck. "You need to do this when I'm laying down." He groaned.

The filth in my mind went instantly to him being under me, butt naked.

Jack.. You have to remember Ja—

Oh shut up.

"What do you dream about?" He asks in a soft moan. When I don't answer, I hear him scoff a laugh. "You were dreaming about me, weren't you? Cause I heard my name."

My smile drops slightly as my face turns crimson.

Good god, what did I say?

"I don't dream, I have nightmares, and if you think you heard your name... It couldn't have been good." I lied biting my tongue after because of it.

[25]

Zak decided he could stand here for a life time, between Delilah's legs as she massaged the tension out of his body. He could spend a life time between Delilah's legs, period.

He hated how he snapped at her earlier but felt relief when she accepted his form of apology and found himself back on familiar turf with their playful banter.

Asking her what she dreamt about was a little intruding, but he remembered distinctively hearing a moan and his name soon after it.

Nightmare, my ass. He thought and turned back around to face her.

She gave him a smile and lifted both hands to tug on his ears gently. Her face scrunching up playfully when she did.

His heart warmed and he felt a sense of relief that she was here, with him. The infuriatingly, stubborn, closed off woman who could wage a war as well as finish one had comforted him when he needed it most. He noted how she calmed him, that very few people could when his temper got the better of him.

"Bop." She tapped her finger on the end of his nose causing him to laugh gently. "Oh I got a laugh too. I must be really special." She giggled.

"Starting to think it." He commented back causing her laughter to die down.

God there's something about her... He thought to himself.

He felt the moment. The intense urge to pull her mouth against his, whether she welcomed it or not. He wanted to feel her body close to his again, as if the last 7 days hadn't existed because that's all he's thought about. That and the fact she gives him as good as he gives her when they argue.

He sees her eyes drop to his mouth as her teeth take her bottom lip. His mind is arranging his decision and he's just around to grab her face...

When a car horn begins to honk from behind his truck.

Zak looks around it and sees Billy and the rest of the crew. Trying to act pleased, he sighs harshly with a fake smile.

"You should smile properly. What you're feeling, they will feel too." Delilah spoke making his eyes move up to her.

"I sure hope that they don't." He replies still thinking about kissing her.

He steps back slightly and lifts her down off the hood of his truck, her body coming dangerous close to his.

Once her feet set onto the floor, she looks up at him. "Remember, she wouldn't want you to be unhappy at her memory. So grieve, but also smile."

He nods back at her, causing Delilah to reach out and squeeze his arm before she heads off to meet the rest of the crew.

Walking her walk away, he tries to get his thoughts clear, pure and controlled. Not about some raven haired vixen in a pair of denim shorts and cowboy boots...