***ONE MONTH LATER***

Never in a million years I'd thought I would be living in a completely different city. New York felt like a whole world away from home. I never felt a vibe like this before. One month in and it was slowly starting to feel like my new home.

No matter the time, the streets were filled with an overwhelming amount of people. It had a life of its own and often I found myself drowning in the array of people.

The city was bursting with life. Vibrant colours mixed with the morning light, lit up the streets. Cars constantly zooming down the roads with the endless chatter of people around me.

I found myself perched against the large window of my tiny flat, which looked out on to the lively streets below me. My eyes slowly moved from side to side, as I watched the world go by, like I was watching a movie.

The dark night sky clouded the entire city. The mixture of hues emitted from the cars, street lights and building made up for the loss of stars. After retrieving my phone, I proceeded to go into my camera and take photos of the sights below me.

I couldn't help but drift my mind to Zac, thinking about how he would enjoy taking photos of the landscape of this breathtaking city. One month had floated and I still found myself thinking about him. Part of me wished I had never told him to go that night, but I also felt like it needed to be done. The incident from the party made me feel numb.

A sharp ring startled me out of my thoughts. My face flashed with happiness at the sight of my phone coming to life. I balanced my phone against the windowsill and proceeded to accept the three way video call from Ava and Ruby.

"Hey!" Both Ava and Ruby chimed in unison.

"Hi guys! How are you?" I excitedly replied back, as I adjusted myself in my chair.

"Missing you." Ruby pouted in a jokingly way, with Ava rolling her eyes.

"I'm missing you all too, how is everything there? How's mum and dad?" I asked, as a pang of sadness hit me at the thought of missing my parents.

As Ava began to respond to my question, I found myself thinking about Zac. I felt the need to ask about him, but I knew I couldn't. The big move to New York was my opportunity to put everything behind me, but for some reason I found my thoughts ricocheting back to him.

"What about you? How's New York?" Ruby asked as Ava fell silent.

"New York is amazing!" I rejoiced snapping out of my thoughts. "You guys have to come visit one day, it's so hectic and busy, but I love it-"

My words were cut short by the sound of a light knock from my door. My head jerked back and I swivelled around on my chair, facing the door to make sure I heard right. Few seconds went by and the knock lightly hit my door once again.

"Is someone at your door?" Ava asked.

"Yeah, I guess so. That's strange, I'm not expecting anyone at this time." I peered over to my phone, which indicated it had just gone ten at night.

Another light tap echoed into the room. An aspect of me started to get worried, thinking who could be outside at this time. Another aspect was drawing me to open up the door and check, like a little voice inside my brain urging me to go.

"I'll speak you girls in bit." I proceeded to hang up after Ava and Ruby said their byes.

Luckily my flat was confined in one space. With my large window overlooking the city, my desk and wardrobes towards the left, my bed on the opposite side, I only had to walk the odd ten steps, past my small-knit kitchen on the left and my bathroom on the right to get to the door. Without thinking to look through the spyglass, I yanked the door wide open.

In a split second an abrupt gasp ruptured from deep within me. Slowly my mouth hung open, with my eyes popping wide. My fingers splayed out in a fan against my chest, for a moment I had to feel my heartbeat to ensure I was still alive, and this was real life.

My eyes began to shine with water and I didn't know if the tears that were threatening to fall, were because of happiness or pure shock.

"What the hell are you doing here?" My voice trembled.

Those angelic yet alluring deep green eyes, flashed all the beautiful memories of being devoured in to a blissful gaze.

"I couldn't carry on with how we left things." That dangerous low tone vibrated in my ears and woke up the butterflies from their slumber.

"Zac," I let out in a quiet breathless voice.

Automatically I started to back up as he made his way into my snug flat. It felt like a lost connection had finally made its way home. I didn't know what to do; shout for him being here, question him or embrace him for being right in front of me.

"It's been a month," I pointed out in a monotone voice, still not believing that he was right in front me.

Zac started to close the gap between us and the familiar feeling of him being so close, injected on to my skin. It was almost as if I was deprived of his presence.

"I shouldn't have turned around that night, I should have stopped you at the airport when I had the chance. You left for New York and I didn't know what to do. You weren't responding to my messages so I thought I'd come here to you." Zac eyes were slowly softening to show his sincerity.

He was only a breath away and I wanted to embrace him in a hug, but something inside of me was stopping me. I felt like a rabid dog on a chain, pulling to get away from whatever was stopping me. Slowly the barriers of protection were coming up and my instincts were doing the very best to avoid getting hurt.

"Which idiot travels three thousand miles and for what-"

"The idiot that bloody likes you."

The words that left Zac's mouth echoed around me and into my ears, causing me to yelp. For a moment it felt like I forgot how to breath, my chest started to rise and fall in an uneven way. I tightly shut my eyes, trying to compose myself. When my eyes adjusted back to the room lighting, Zac stood right in front of me like an angelic being.

"What?" Is all I could muster the courage to let out as a response.

"I've wasted a lot time," Zac sighed. "Hannah, I like you. I really like you. I should have never let you go. I should have told you everything that night. I regretted with how we just left things and I couldn't carry on. You're all that I think about. When I close my eyes I see you. I just want to be near you... shit... look, I really, really like you."

Silence fell between us as I was shaken out of words to say. I tried to take in everything. It was like music to my ears. All my built up feelings for Zac felt like it was all worth it. I wanted to be elated with what he was saying, but part of me felt like it was too good to be true. I couldn't deal with more heartbreak.

"Bullshit," I forced myself to say with a murmur in my voice. "I don't know what game you're playing but you can't like me. You've spent our entire school life trying to make my life a living hell. You've always hated me-"

"Hate? When have I ever said that I hated you?" Zac abruptly questioned, cocking his head to the side in a confusing manner.

"You're playing a game." I tried my very best to hold back the tears. "You were practically my enemy, you hated me, I know this is all a game."

"Hannah." Zac's soothing voice stopped me from exploding with words. "I've never hated you, in fact, it's always been the opposite. I've always deep down fancied you."

Zac's words were bouncing around me. I clutched onto my chest as my legs were beginning to feel like jelly, I just wanted to fall into his arms and have him hold me. Water streamed from my eyes as I couldn't hold back anymore. An overwhelming amount of confusing emotions were overtaking me.

"Why did you treat me the way you did, if you liked me?" I asked wondering, with a slight shake to my voice.

"Because, I always thought you deserved better. Me being the idiot that I am, I thought, if I treated you like shit and made you hate me, you'd distance yourself from me. I guess, I also liked getting a reaction from you. But, the day we were partnered up for our project, everything changed." Once again Zac's deep pupils softened, enabling me to be consumed by the butterflies in my stomach.

I wanted to accept everything, but that barrier was still up, Zac was starting to chip away at it, but I ensured to stay my ground and stay strong.

"If that's how you truly felt, then what was that between you and Melissa?" The painful memory of their relationship caused a shudder to run down my spine.

"The day I was going to tell you how I felt, was the same day Melissa came to me, telling me how she felt about me. I didn't expect it, but I thought this was my chance to push away my feelings for you, but it did the opposite. It was killing me how much I wanted you and I couldn't have you." Zac's tone was beginning to get dangerously low, to the point where he almost sounded seductive.

"Getting together with Melissa was a mistake," Zac continued. "It was always you, it was you that I wanted and I wasted too much time."

Zac brought himself closer, just a breath away from me. His strong fire like hands, cupped my cheeks, with his thumbs slowly caressing the sides of my face. He connected his forehead to mine, causing my eyes to close and take in every feeling. His warm breath was fanning on to my lips, I was starting to feel hungry to the point where I was yearning to have his soft and supple lips on mine.

"Say something Hannah, don't leave me hanging," he whispered, causing an electric bolt to jolt me in my core.

I took the moment, while being in his hold, to go through all aspects of us. What had lead us to the very moment we were situated in, with him travelling over three thousand miles for me. I backed my head, just so I could see his strikingly handsome face.

"You are a twat," I let out.

Zac's brows furrowed as this was the opposite of what he expected, but I slightly shook my head, indicating more to follow.

"You're a twat," I repeated. "But, you're a twat that I fucking like. I don't know what you've done to me, but you're all I think about. You've infected me, I should hate it but I bloody love it. I'm forever grateful for being partnered up with you becuase I got to see the real you, the real you that I really, really like."

The words finally tumbled out of me and I instantly felt light, as if a heavy dread had been pushed away from me.

Without deliberation, Zac peppered a soft kiss on my lips which fired up the surface of my skin. I was craving the taste of him. He pulled away with his scorching gaze, getting ready to devour me. Even though this was the perfect moment to give it our all, those barriers were shifting upwards once again.

It took every part of me to pull away from his grasp. He shifted his head to the side in a quizzical manner, like he had been hurt.

"I think it best if you go," I stammered, hating myself for letting these words escape my mouth.

"What?" Zac snapped. "I come all this way, spill my heart out, only for you to tell me to go?"

"So much has happened," I sobbed, with a gut wrenching feel in the pit in my stomach. "I know what happened at the party wasn't your fault, but that broke me in some kind of way. I'm scared of feeling like that again. New York was my escape, a place to start fresh. I just want to forget everything-"

"Hannah, please don't do this," Zac pleaded with sadness masked in his voice. "I know so much shit has gone on, I wish things were different, but I'm here now. Whatever I've said is true, I really like you."

There was a lingering sadness in Zac eyes. My very own eyes were rimmed with tears, that continuously fell like a river. My face contorted as I shook my head.

"I think it just too late. I think it's best if you go." The words leaving my mouth felt like daggers in my throat.

Zac inched forward trying to grasp me, but I backed myself, ensuring that I didn't get a feel of his warm embrace that I knew would make me melt.

"Hannah," Zac whispered in a tremble.

This brought a bitter pang to my heart, but all I could do, was plead with my eyes for him to leave. Zac sighed deeply, almost miserably, slowly turning around heading towards the door.

Just as he opened his way to exit, he turned to look at me, in the hope I would say something. But, with an immense sting of sadness and my heart twisted into a pulp, I stayed silent.

Without another word spoken, the door closed and I was alone in my flat.

A large wave of sadness struck me like lightening and tears were now streaming down my face. My cries turned into whimpers at the disbelief of what I had done.

What I wanted, what I craved for, what I yearned for, was within my grasp and I slowly watched it trickle out of my hands...

A/N

Okay I am sorry about this long chapter... but... Hannah and Zac finally confessed to each other!!!

And just when you think it all goes well... it doesn't...

What do you think will happen now?

Comment, vote and share!

Love _xxAMxx