I did as he said and removed the contacts before I left my car. Standing at his front door, I turned and placed my hand under the waterfall he had put in, smiling to myself as the cold water splashed over my hand and into the fountain below. I missed silly things about his home, the water feature, the hot tub, the balcony where you could overlook the entire garden and Vegas skyline, the metal framework on the doors and most of all, I missed calling it my home too.

Knocking, I stepped away from the front door and watched as he came to the door with a smile. "Hey."

"Hi." I replied.

"Come in."

I entered the house and felt the nostalgia, I loved this place. The feel of it and how it reflected parts of his character throughout.

"So..." I draw out waiting for him to speak.

"Do you want a drink? I want one. I could use a drink." He says before heading off towards the kitchen.

Of course I comply and follow him because why wouldn't I? A piece of me is glad that as I walk through his home, nothing has changed. But I tell myself not to get my hopes up, that woman was there with him today. He has moved on. But where is she now?

"You took your contacts out." He motions on his eyes as he says it.

I nod "You said—"

"I know. But it's just nice to see those eyes." He replies placing a bottle on the counter before me.

"Gracie with your mom?" I guess not seeing her in the house.

"Pool. It's a little hot for her. You know how she is." He laughs slightly before looking at his bottle.

"How are you, Zak? Truthfully."

He thinks the question over before nodding "I'm... Okay. Yeah I'm okay."

"But not good or great?"

"Well I'm better for seeing you." He responds making my heart lift in my chest. He always knew what to say...

I want to leave, to avoid whatever this is becoming because things between us were never awkward. There had never been silences between us until now.

"I had so much to say to you, but it poof!" I spoke making him smile.

"Yeah, it happened to me. I guess I was just too caught up in the little things to really make my brain work."

"What little things?" I reply cocking my head to the side.

"The colour of your hair in the sunlight, the shape of your lips, how you wring your fingers together when your nervous.."

I parted my fingers and held the bottle instead.

"The fact you had a shield back up."

"I had to.." I whispered causing him to nod.

"I know, I get that. But you hide behind a fabricated Delilah when the real one is pretty fucking amazing."

"She's a disaster."

"But she was my disaster." He argued making me bite the inside of my lip.

He sighed, taking my silence as it came. I was figuring out that this was the awkward breakup moment that I wanted to skip. Here was I, thinking we had managed that, but I postponed it. Now he was going to do it his way, and rightly so...

"Pool?" He suggested.

"Oh I didn't bring any clothes—"

"I meant a game of pool, on the pool table."

I nod with a frown "Yeah cool, totally, sweet uh-huh."

My reply makes him pause before scoffing a laugh and leading me out of the kitchen and to the room beside the office upstairs.

It held a large pool table as well as a smaller under counter fridge, usually stocked for Billy when he came over to review. This was his break room, a room he used to give his mind some rest and what the crew used after most of the footage was processed. Or that's what Zak had said...

Zak takes the white ball and places it on the line before removing the triangle set around the table.

Putting my water down, I collect the pool cue and dust up a little chalk on its end.

"I'll break." He speaks. Whilst I inwardly cringe knowing that the pool balls aren't the only things he's gonna break today. I just have time to prepare for the blow...

As the white ball shoots across the table, he hits the formation straight on, sending the colours across the table and potting two.

"Guess I'm stripes." He adds.

I stand to the side and watch as he moves around the table and lines up his shot, each one with full concentration as he does. I guess he's good but don't get my answer until nearly all his pool balls have been potted. He then misses and I suspect it was on purpose as he looks up with a smile and leans back off the table allowing me to join the game.

I walk around the table and find my position, before leaning down slightly to shoot when he hisses.

My eyes shoot to his face but he holds his hands up and zips his mouth. I visualise the shot before shifting my position slightly and then take my shot.

Hearing the thunk, I smile and make my way around the table slowly taking my time and trying to ignore the burning eyes.

I'm on my 5th pot when he speaks up for the first time.

"You've lost weight."

I pause "There's not much to do in California but walk."

"How is your stomach?"

"Healed. Well it's a little raised still but it's to be expected."

He nods. "You look good though. Can't deny that I haven't thought of you beating me with a cane, like some school teacher. In a kinky way, of course."

I grin and shake my head "You're trying to distract me."

"Damn, you know my ways." He returns a grin and twists the pool cue between his fingers.

I take a shot but miss and tsk. Sure enough he notices and jumps to his feet eagerly. "So where are you staying in Vegas?" He asks walking around me.

"I uh, I haven't got anywhere yet. Poppy said I could stay but one night on the couch whilst her and Trent reenact Tarzan upstairs is enough."

Zak looks at me "You've just ruined a film for me."

I laugh and take a seat.

"Yeah.. That's another thing I've missed." He smiles at me.

I swallow the rest of my laugh and look to the pool table. "The red one."

He turns back to the table and moves to the red, taking my advice. "Well there's plenty of room here... In case you wanna stay somewhere familiar. I have room and you get your own bathroom."

"Thanks but.."

"But you don't want to. I get it."

I almost flinch at the force he puts to the red ball. It's so hard that it in fact curves the ball around the pot hole and shoots back across the table.

When it's my go, I stay in my seat and watch as he pushes his fist against the outside of the pool table. Making his knuckles crack, his jaw is set hard and I know he's mad or upset.

"I- This was a bad idea. I'm sorry." I whisper getting up and leaving quickly, not looking back.

Rushing for the kitchen, I grab my bag and go to turn, to leave when his hands capture my waist making me stop.

I feel his head rest between my shoulder blades as his arms wrap around my waist. "Please stay."

"I can't.." I whisper trying to gain some control over this. I have to let him make the choice of throwing me out. For him to end this how he wants, leaving no unfinished business. I wanted to but now it was getting to painful, this was torture for us both.

"Can't or won't?"

"You've got her." I speak softly.

He lifts his head "Who?"

Turning in his arms, I look up to see his confused face "The woman.. At the court. She—"

"That's my publicist."

I frown "But I.. She—"

"I took her there because she needed to have some semblance of what was going on, she helps me run the museum too."

"Oh."

"Oh." He repeats with an amused smile.

"But I thought.."

"Thought what?"

"Well." I mumbled looking at his shirt. "I thought you found a nice girl..."

"I had a nice girl."

"What was she like?" I asked.

"A royal pain in my ass." He replied.

"Oh wow. She really that bad?"

"You tell me. Cause I'm looking at her."

I felt the heat creep up my face. "Ooh..."

"Yeah. Ooh." He smirked.

I'm about to speak when he lifts me up and drops me onto the counter abruptly. Pushing himself between my knees, I feel my heart thumping in my chest and I wonder if he can hear it, because he lowers his head and places it on my chest.

"Stay." He whispers making me frown and rub his shoulders.

"You don't want someone like me.."

"I do." He answered lifting his head to look at me.

"You don't... You don't.—"

"Don't tell me what I want."

"You're just confused and it's understandable, I've just appeared again. But listen, you'll find a woman and she will be amazing and you'll be saying Delilah who?"

"Stop. Just stop." He pulls away and leans back against the cupboards opposite.

"What? It's true, you can have any woman you want. Hell you could have a couple of women and at the same time because that's how attractive you are and these women, they won't care!"

"I don't want another woman!" He shouts slamming his hand down on the counter. "Fuck Delilah you just... Why the hell did you come here? Don't say it's because I asked you too. What is the real reason you're here?"

"To let you end this. To make me hate you, somehow. So that I don't go to bed every night wishing I was with yo—" I didn't get to finish my sentence because his lips had stopped mine from moving. It was quick but the movement of his mouth was gentle and he pulled back gently.

"Zak.." I whispered resting my head against his. "Please?"

"No." His mouth attached to mine again before he pulled back. "I've missed you."

"Stop."

"I can't. Just seeing you again makes my heart beat faster." His mouth pecks at mine again causing my resistance to shatter.

What is the use at fighting the inevitable? I came back for him, so why was I trying to fight this? What was possessing me to stay away from him? What could possible harm us now?

The answer? Nothing.

"God damn you." I whispered back to him.

He smiled "I've never been much of a choir boy, anyway."

As his mouth connects with mine again, I respond and instantly feel his hands hold the side of face. Fisting his shirt, I keep him against my mouth, his tongue seeks out mine, the familiar taste of mint and something sweet entwines on my tongue and the smell of his cologne drives me over the edge.

Moaning, I pull my body against his and wrap my legs around his waist, causing Zak to step back and support my butt before carrying me through the house.

A few occasions we fall short and he presses me up against the wall or door to help me remove an item of our clothes. The fire never leaving us, only stoking hotter, until we fall into the bedroom. Dropping me on the bed, he steps back and sheds the rest of his clothes as I unzip my skirt and push it off my hips before stripping out my underwear.

Leaping back up on him, he grins as he catches me. Spinning us around, he falls back onto the bed letting me take control whilst he runs his hands over my skin. His fingers dig into my ribs making me hiss and flinch causing his mouth to pull off mine.

"What? What is it? Did I hurt you?" He asked looking at me with worry.

"No, I uh.. it's just sore. I kinda got a tattoo." I admit holding my hand over my rib.

"What? Really? Let me see." He insists.

"No, it's silly really. It's nothing amazing—"

"Let me see. Is it a portrait of me? Have you gone crazy?" He queried making me giggle.

"No it's not of you."

"Well now I am disappointed." He replied as his fingers slowly get under mine and gently remove my hand.

"So insistent..." I roll my eyes and move my hand aside letting him see the arrow tattoo.

"An arrow."

"An arrow, is pulled back, to be released to move forward. Like me and my life I guess. I got it the day I decided to press charges, because I want to move forward."

His thumb soothed over it gently "I like it."

"The feather wrapped around it, is a Phoenix's feather." I add making his eyes shoot to mine.

"For real?"

I nod "Okay that bit might have been for you."

He grins "You're going batshit for me. Say it. Next it's going to be a back portrait of my face and matching tattoos with my name above your bikini line, saying Zak owns."

I laugh loudly and end up snorting which only makes me laugh some more as I hid my face in my hands.

With little effort, Zak throws us over so I'm underneath him and he's led between my legs smiling. "Of course it would be an honour, it's just.. I'm not much of a mural man, you know? I think your presence in my life would be enough."

"I am not having you tattooed on me."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You say that now.."

"Shut up and let's get back to doing what we were doing."

"I agree.. So just out of curiosity. Will the tattoo be in colour?"

That's when I grabbed a pillow and socked him upside the head with it. Causing him to laugh loudly, it was good to be home.

It was even better to be back beside him. Or under, if you want to split hairs!