Zak POV

Yesterday I listed all the things I noticed about Elle, but what I haven't been able to add to the list until now, is how much I love seeing her confidence soar as her insecurities melted away, whilst we were between the sheets.

This morning I was the one to wake first instead of her, giving me chance to watch her asleep on the pillow beside me, hair across thrown back over her shoulder and a few bits around her face. It gave me a chance to move her hair back, to let my finger curve around her jaw and admire how beautiful and peaceful she looked at that moment.

Peaceful now but last night she came alive, like I expected. A hell cat in the bedroom and a quiet respectable woman during the day. She was the exact type of woman you'd take home to your mom, the one your parents would invite to dinner, the one who will be there, to support you through whatever shit got flung your way. She was a keeper.

I was a little surprised when her phone alarm went off, she did too from how she woke up and grumbled, lifting her body and turning away from me to grab her phone from her bag on the floor. Her smooth naked body hidden in the white sheets was also another thing I would add to my list.

"An alarm?" I ask as she comes back, kicking the sheet and exposing half her chest.

I'm a guy, I'm not complaining.. But it is very distracting.

"Yeah, I uh.. I have to be somewhere today."

"Oh right." I reply, going between her and the boob peeking out. "Anywhere in particular?"

In other words, anything you can cancel and we can continue doing everything we didn't get around to doing last night..

"Just an appointment that I need to keep." She answers before side eyeing me.

I pull the sheet over her, because I'm losing all will to focus. "For work?"

"You going into the museum today?" She asks changing the subject, pulling the sheet under her arms to sit up.

"I was thinking of spending the day with you-"

"Go in... The fans will be grateful to see you." She interrupts patting me on the arm.. "Is there anything new coming in?"

Like an idiot, I go into detail of what is coming in, because she has always taken an interest, however at the moment, her phone is more important...

I'm getting the impression that she wants me out the way and truth be known, it kinda sucks to feel that way. Which is why I snide comment. "Am I keeping you?"

Elle looks over at me and puts her phone down. "No. I just have to keep an eye on the time. That's all."

So I was keeping her..

"Go ahead and get ready." I mutter, rolling out of bed and grabbing my boxers off the floor.

"Zak.." She sighs.

"I'll take the guest bathroom." I add before leaving her to it.

******

When Elle steps into the kitchen, wearing fitting black jeans, a white strap top with a pale pink blazer thrown over her arm, I pause.
"Are you going to an interview or something?" I ask.

"Am I overdressed?" She asks, stopping to pick up the bowl of fruit I had chopped for her. There was pancakes too but she hadn't picked them up.

"For an interview? No."

"I'm not going to an interview." She answers putting her stuff down on an empty kitchen seat before sitting down. "It's just an appointment, nothing major."

There isn't a hair out of place and her makeup is light, for a nothing major appointment she had put some effort in...

"Hello?!" Bacon bellows from the front door.

"Come in bro!" I holler back before continuing to eat.

"Morning guys, hell I'm sorry you both are eating." Bacon says taking the bar stools at the island rather than the dining table.

"No worries." Elle smiles. "There's some pancakes on the side. I have to shoot out in a minute."

Bacon doesn't need to be told twice and I look at Elle who is picking at the fruit. The fruit was suppose to go with the pancakes, but it seems that she is too busy to even eat today.

My jaw ticks in annoyance and as I'm about to speak, she gets up. "I gotta go." She says, rushing the bowl across the kitchen and into the dishawasher.

I don't miss Bacon checking her out and give him the death stare until he looks at me and lowers his head. Then, Elle is giving me a kiss on the cheek and flying out the door, leaving me speechless.

"Everything okay bro? You look kinda lost."

"I fucked up yesterday, I thought we were okay now.."

"Women. Can't live with them, can't live without them."

I fork up a couple bits of strawberry. "You also don't check out your bosses girl's ass either."

He looks up guilty as sin. "Yo, I apologise for that. I- Where is she going dressed up?"

"She isn't.. Is she?"

"I thought she was, I was going to comment, but the Darth Vader glare made me think twice."

Scratching my jaw, I look back towards the door, I thought we were on the same page.. Guess I was completely wrong.

--------------------

Elle POV

Sitting in the waiting room, I feel my stomach churn.

I wish I asked Zak to come with me now, as a distraction. But it would have been completely hypocritical of me, especially after I yelled at him yesterday to stop treating me like a child.

So here I was, stubborn as ever, trying not to throw up with worry. Alone.

It always happens when I come here, anxiety grips my stomach, making it impossible for me to think about anything else other than what might happen in the next hour. But I try and force myself, because worrying doesn't help anyone.

This morning, I was shocked into reality seeing the reminder on my phone, with everything that had gone on, I had forgotten but now I was here, thankfully and with my essentials.

I know I should have spent some time with Zak, I was going to as well, but nothing seemed to look right this morning and I didn't want to role up here, dressed in anything. I had always shown myself to be in control, cool, calm and collected. Rocking up looking as though I had just escaped prison was not good enough.

Seeing the questioning in his eyes as I rushed around before leaving upset me a little, but this impending appointment took centre stage. It always did...

"Elle." A calm voice spoke making my head whip up. "On your own today?"

I smile at my doctor and stand up, bag on my arm. "I am."

I'm pleased that he had taken the white coat off. I hated the freakin' thing and he knew it only added to my anxiety. Stepping into the room, I sigh at how much cooler it felt and took a seat when he offered.

"So..." He says, steepling his fingers together. "How is it going?"

I had a choice here. I could lie and say everything was great, or I could tell him the truth and as much as I want to tell him that things are posivitely great right now, I can't.

"There has been a change." I tell him, pulling out the seizure diary from my bag and handing it to him.

He opens it up and begins flicking through the pages, taking a chance to stop and read some of the information on the page.

"I see.." He says looking just as disappointed as I felt. "What a shame, I really thought we nailed this."

"I know.."

He looks up. "How are you feeling, about this change? The acceleration and volume of these seizures?"

"Not great..." I pause and sit forward. "I've met a guy and I really, really like him. But my friends, they don't approve."

"This has caused stress." He notices.

"A lot. Which is why I think the number has risen. My seizures were not half as bad. Now they come out of nowhere."

"I see you had one yesterday, an atonic."

I nod. "I was shooting too. This guy, Zak. He knew instantly. Stopped me faceplanting the floor."

"So he is aware of your condition?"

"Yeah, he is pretty amazing about it too."

"Well that's good." The doctor says making me nod.

"What I've noticed, just flicking through, there's a variety of seizures. Do you have the auras? The warning signs?"

"Sometimes. But yesterday, I didn't."

He nods at my reply.  "How is work?"

"I've been off for the last two weeks, because of the tension from my new relationship. Mia, she was with me last time, she really doesn't like Zak and I felt I needed to take myself out of that environment, only for a while. Just until the dust settles. I had holiday to use too."

"But other than that? You managing okay?"

"Yeah. I still have the flexibility to work from home, my boss is understanding."

"That is what I like to hear." He says writing a few bits down on a piece of paper.

We then go on to discuss things like my lifestyle, my diet, sleeping, hobbies, driving as well as my periods and if they could contribute to my seizures.

Thankfully, I am a diary fanatic and have wrote everything down when it comes to my periods, when the seizures happen, what type they are, the aftermath of them, literally everything.

This yearly review was important, as much as I dreaded it, I hoped to come here one day and be told that I can stop taking the medication because my seizures have stopped.

"So there is a few options we can go..." He says. "We can continue down the medication route, we can do the Vagus nerve stimulation-"

"What is that?"

"It's a pulse generator, which is inserted into the body, and connected to the left vagus nerve in the neck. It sends electrical stimulation through the nerve, to help relieve the irregular brain activity which causes the seizure."

Surgery....

"Or.." He says seeing my reaction. "We can think about the brain surgery..."

"No." I tell him immediately. "I don't want to do that until it is absolutely necessary."

"There's also Cannabis but you didn't like that idea either..."

"I don't smoke, I don't want to either."

"Would you consider the oil?"

"Is that as affective?"

"It can be. Depending on the strength and how often you use it."

I give a non commital hum making him smile "Let's look at changing your medication, I will give you some reading material too for the Vagus nerve stimulation as well as the brain surgery and cannabis oil."

"More reading?"

"Information is key and I know how much you enjoy the leaflets." He jokes.

We talk about a few more things as he finds which medication would suit me best. Once he has found one, he gives me the ticket for a new prescription.

"Now, with all medication there are side effects, from drowiness, mood changes and sleep disturbances. Read the leaflet inside and make yourself aware of these. I want you to write them down if you experience them too, if you cannot cope with the side effects, I want you to ring the office, we will have you back in and re-evaluate the medication."

Then I'm free to go, back into society having been given the green light, for now.

Walking across the parking lot, I decide to make Zak dinner tonight, as well as apologise for my distance this morning and to inform him of what today was about. I felt a little proud that I did the appointment on my own, but I also missed having someone to talk things through with.

"Elle."

I turn at the sound of my name and find Sophie stood next to her car looking sheepish. My eyes turn for Mia, because where there is one, there is another.

"I came alone."

"How did you know?" I ask.

"I was with you when you made the appointment.. I put the reminder on your phone."

Oh..

I nod "Right.."

"How did it go?" She asks before frowning "Sorry, you don't have to tell me. I was just... It's not the right time."

"You're never one to be stuck with words." I say making her look up from the ground.

"I've never messed up this bad... I want to apologise, I was also wondering if you want to go somewhere and talk?"

"The last time I did that, I was ambushed.." I recall.

"I promise you, that is not why I am here. Please Elle?"

I feel my resolve and nod "Fine."

****

Call me paranoid, but I keep my eyes out for Mia when Sophie arrives at the diner. I wouldn't put it past her to have text Mia. I hope she didn't but I can't be too sure...

I order a coffee and listen as Sophie orders a coffee with all the fandango bits that she adds.

One pump caramel.

Two pumps witches thumb and all that bullshit.

When we get our drink, Sophie begins.

"I am so sorry. I never thought it would have gone so badly."

"You ambushed me, with a file about Zak.."

"I know you're gonna find it hard to believe, but it wasn't my idea. I'm not blaming Mia here, but she told me to invite Ed, said that you'd want someone reliable after she gives you the lowdown on Zak... I didn't expect her to have a freakin' file."

"Me either." I mutter.

"I told her to leave it when she said she had dirt. I could see that you like Zak, and why the hell shouldn't you be with someone who makes you happy, you know?"

I nod in agreement.

"I invited Ed because I thought I had read you wrong, I thought I was helping.."

"You didn't."

"I know that now.." She pauses to sip her coffee "I wish I spoke up that day, made Mia realise how underhanded and awful she was being, but I didn't because there was so much going on, I didn't know what to do... I wanted to protect you, especially after.. After Cole. But I also wanted you to be happy. So I shut up, which was the worst thing I could have done."

"It's always been us three girls, before any man. But Mia has a serious hate on Zak."

"I heard the police went to Zak's home too..."

"Yeah. Imagine being questioned with the police wondering if the man you really like has taken you hostage..."

"Jesus." She whispers. "I tried ringing you loads and in the end, I figured you probably don't want to talk to us. But Mia... I'm not saying it all her fault either."

"I know what you mean though." I reply. Sophie was a fence sitter, she didn't want to take sides and I respected that, it showed loyalty, even after everything..

"I asked you here, because I want to tell you how sorry I am. That it should have never have happened and that your happiness is my happiness. You're old enough to make your own choices and I respect them. What I did, what Mia did was out of line."

I can see Sophie means it, and it's a relief to know that I still have a chance of friendship with her.

"Can't help who you like huh? Even if he likes weird haunted things." She laughs.

"Yeah but he's amazing and supportive."

"You're smitten." She comments with a happy look.

"Oh I am definitely smitten."

We both feel the pause in our conversation, normally the part where Mia would fire in about something. Do I miss her? Yes. Could I forgive her? I don't know yet.

"Mia is concerning me.." Sophie says quietly.

"Why?"

"From how far she has taken this... You know her and Henry came to blows last week?"

I shake my head.

"I don't know the full details but apparently she was using the company computer to do her digging and Henry found out. He pulled her in the office about invasion of privacy."

"Doesn't surprise me." I mutter.

"I've never seen her so obsessed with bringing a man down. She really hates Zak..."

"Yeah, I don't know why either. She hit him yesterday, slapped him. Left a huge mark on his face and fucking pissed about that."

"Of course she hit him... He hit a nerve."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"He didn't... Zak hasn't told you?"

"Told me what?"

"He found out why Mia is acting up so bad. He pretty much nailed it, I couldn't believe I hadn't seen it myself."

"Nailed what? What did he find out?" I ask impatiently. Sophie had a tendency to drift off subjects sometimes. Now was not the time!

I wanted to know why Mia hit Zak. I needed to know why.

"He worked out that Mia is in love with you, Elle. Romantically obsessed with you. A Peach and Beck, according to Zak."

My jaw drops. "She's what now?!"