Forbidden Love - Segment 31

[itztigress3]

Segment 31 – Doesn’t change anything
POV: Taylor & Emily
Word Count: 2549
Warnings: None

-Taylor-

   I got up about one, my bladder was complaining. After washing my hands I stepped to rear of the bus to check on Zac. I paused at the door though; she was laying behind him her arm over him both were sound asleep. I had heard her tell him lying with him was a bad idea, yet there was she was anyway. She was trying so hard to put that wall up, but it just wasn’t working. Isaac poked his head out of his bunk.

“It’s very quite…is he ok?”

“Yes, there both asleep.”

He got up and peaked in, stood there a few minutes. I on impulse got my camera and snuck a photo of them.

“You know they’ll both kill you for that. I’ve never seen Kate do that when he was sick before.”

“Well, Natalie told me Kate will not go anywhere near him when he’s sick. You heard him the other night when he told us.”
I eased into the room and over them to check his forehead, he moved just a little but I noticed his hand was holding hers. I returned to the door.

“He’s still warm, let’s go the front.”

I pulled the door closed and we went to the front area. We sat down with bottles of water.

“Should we cancel?” He asked.

“The show is the fifteenth; it’s possible he will feel better by then or at least good enough to play.”

Mr. Bowman sat down beside me. “Good you’re both awake. I need you both to sign off on this. It just explains our fake fuck up.”

“Fake fuck up?” Isaac asked.

“She told them she was here because of a mistake in the paperwork. I just created one, inverted a number. This explains it, but no fear there truly was no issue.”

Isaac and I both signed it and he went to the small office area behind us.

“We have to do something Isaac.”

“About what?”

“Zac and Kate. I spoke with Natalie the other day and she said Kate never mentioned sleeping with anyone and she actually claims they’ve had sex this year many times. Oddly, including days where I am pretty sure he was with Emily.”

“Right now Taylor we need to focus on getting him well. It’s not going to do any good if he’s sick.”

“We have another hotel stay right?”

“Yes. We arrive in another ten hours or less depending on traffic. Then we have a break tomorrow the show is Thursday then we have one Saturday and then were off until after Thanksgiving. There are a few shows left after that.”

“Ok. We get him better but Isaac he’s depressed and you know it. As much as I defended Kate the things he’s told us the last few weeks about how she is, I don’t even want him to go home to her. I can’t believe she wrote a fucking list of his flaws when hers are so much worse.”

“Most of the ones he said aren’t even flaws Taylor. There nitpicking crap. But I have spoken with Mr. Jones and there is nothing we
can do legally to get him out of it. So, unless they agree or he can provide some proof then he’s screwed.”

“I refuse to let her clean him out and take half of the business over a word issue. There has to be something.”

He sat back. “Actually, her phone...did you notice it has two lock screens?”

“Yeah. She uses her thumb print and a long ass digital password.”

“I asked her about how she did it and she said Craig was a tech person and before the tour started he set it up so that random people couldn’t access her phone.”

Mr. Bowman tapped my shoulder and I turned around. “She’s complained about someone on the other bus messing with her things. Her phone, diary, journal, were all moved or messed with. Darius also sent me a message that said Ariel said some inappropriate things last night. When she told her she was coming here she asked if it was because Zac was horny. He said she told Ariel she knew it was her moving the things.” He said.

“She hasn’t said anything to us.” I said.

He smiled. “We’re about to stop and I am going to get back on the other bus. I will tell them that Isaac made her stay here because it was her mistake and you wanted her to go over all the paperwork for the tour. It’s legit because Isaac made the request.”

Neither of us got off the bus here, Mr. Bowman went back and we got gas and left.

“So, now that he’s not here what were you saying about Craig?” I asked.

“What if he can help us somehow?”

I twiddled my thumbs. “Taylor.” He said.

“I talked to him during the party already. He suggested hiring a PI and gave me several. Zac may hate me but I contacted one and told him my suspicions and he agreed to watch her. He recommended cameras in the house, but he can’t put them there because I would need Gary’s permission since he lives there.”

“So, he’s trying to find proof that Kate is dating and has the chance to cheat?”

“Yes. So far she’s been careful though.”

“Ok.”

We went over a few more things that could prevent Kate from taking everything from him, we also talked about what to do if he wasn’t better.

-Emily-

I woke up around four, Zac was still lying in front of me sound asleep but I was closer to him than before. Sometime after falling asleep he had let my hand go, so I checked his forehead. It wasn’t as warm but he probably still had a fever. I could smell the raspberry scent from his shampoo, the familiar scent that I missed so much.  I finally got up as quietly and easy as possible, he adjusted just a little bit and I waited a few moments before tucking the blanket in. I quietly walked to the front; both of the others were looking at something on Taylor’s laptop. I got a soda and sat down.

“Is he awake?” Taylor asked.

“No.”

“Did you sleep well?” Ike asked.

“I did. Where is Mr. Bowman?”

“He went back to the second bus when we stopped for gas a few hours ago. He said he would tell them Isaac made you stay to go over the paperwork. Basically, he blamed you for the screw up that never occurred.” Taylor said.

I frowned, I didn’t like what Ariel could be saying about this.

“Why didn’t you tell us about someone trying to get into your phone? Moving journals and diaries? Ariel’s comments.” Ike asked.

“It wasn’t important. I never said anything to her and she cannot get into my phone. As for journal’s I don’t write about personal stuff in my journal. Actually, I’ve only been writing what occurs at shows and how I liked a city or didn’t, normal stuff. I don’t use Zac’s name in my diary and I haven’t written anything down beyond what I felt.”

“Are you sure?” Ike asked.

“Yes. Why?”

“Kate called at three and said we should investigate your e-mail and phone.” Taylor said.

“You have access to my company e-mail, view it all you want.”

“Her emphasis was your phone.”

I sat back in the seat. “I’m not giving you my phone to go through. Craig’s mom is an attorney and I know my rights. It’s not a company phone you provided therefore none of you have any legal right to view it.”

“This is what we told her, we know she is trying to find proof on the two of you but she’s asking the wrong people really. Taylor and I both denied seeing anything fishy, even though we both you asleep behind him this morning.” Isaac said.

“He wouldn’t stop crying.”

I took a sip from the sofa and stretched my arm.

Taylor looked at me in his serious face. “You do love him.”

It was not a question but a statement, a plain statement that no matter what I couldn’t deny. I couldn’t smooth it over and lie about it, because no matter what he felt. I did love him.

I sat the can down and looked at them. “I would have never said yes if I didn’t love him.”

“You knew in March? How could you know that you loved him in March?” Taylor asked.

I smiled, remembering back to the very first time I saw him. “Taylor, I have known that for many years. I just never thought I would be in a position to tell him and let’s face it, he’s married to that bitch.”

Both of them looked at me and waited.

“I attended my first concert on the Albertane Tour in 1998. Daddy bought me front row tickets to apologize to me for hitting me too hard. I knew the moment I saw him on stage, but I was thirteen and really, I never believed I would get closer than that. When I got the meet and greet pass I about fainted, I would finally get to meet him. I saw him coming toward me four years ago and I also saw Kate grab his hand and drag him out of the room. “

I drank more of the soda, they both just waited, was this some kind of test?

“I was stupid in March to believe that he would love me like he does Kate. There talking about nurseries and renovations and I am not part of that. It does not matter how much I love him, it doesn’t matter that being away from him aches so badly. Nothing matters because he used me because Kate said no. I am here because he is sick and he needs to get better. But, after that I have no reason to stay.”

Both of them frowned and exchanged looks.

“He misses you. He spent most of the time on his computer writing something but we cannot find anything on there. He is depressed and I think he got sick because he wasn’t taking care of himself, he wasn’t sleeping well and looking back he wasn’t eating right either. He answers Kate’s calls, but he just sits there. She talks and talks and he just listens.” Ike said.

“Maybe he found someone else already. In any event, I am not going to keep discussing it. I will stay with him until we reach the hotel, then he will be yours unless you have an interview. As much as I love him, as much as I miss him, I can’t let myself fall again.”

They both nodded. “Your e-mail is clear. We will say your phone is, but I am sure there are pictures.” Taylor said.

“Dozens of them, it’s why Craig made me use two passwords.”

I finished my soda and then went to the back, Zac was waking up some. I sat down beside him and he finally turned back to me.

“Do you feel any better?”

“Not really.”

“Do you think you can hold some soup down if I heated it up?”

“Maybe.”

I had him sit up, used the new thermometer to check his temperature, which was still fairly high but it was back in the 101 range. I then heated up the soup and took it back, I didn’t like that he was still kind of shaky and when the bowl was shaking, I took it from him.

“You don’t have too.” He said.

“No, you are eating this and not wearing it.”

He seemed content to let me fed him, but he hated the dose of medicine I gave afterwards. Complained about the nasty one but eventually took it.

“We’re about five or six hours from the next hotel, you should probably try to sit up some.”

I left him sitting there while I took the bowl back, both of them looked at me and smiled.

“Don’t even.” I said.

They giggled some but didn’t say anything. I got a cup of the pedialyte and took it back, had him drink some of it too. I found a movie from the list and sat down with him. He sat quietly for an hour before he laid his head on my shoulder.

“Zac.”

He didn’t move, just curled up beside me, he kind of reminded me of how Ezra acted sometimes. I wasn’t sure if I found it cute or if I found it weird.

“Do you want to lie back down?”

“Yes.”

I moved to the end and he lay back down, putting his head back on my leg. He laid watching the movie for a little bit then turned toward me, his hand snaking behind me and getting a hold of my shirt. I moved some of his hair from his face and he just drifted off. I laid my head back, leaving him in a few hours was going to hurt like hell. I left him laying there; Taylor came back once the bus was parked.

“Did he fall back asleep?”

“A few hours ago, yeah.”

“If you can get up I will wait for him to wake up.”

“I can’t get up without waking him up.”

“Sure you can.”

“He has the back of my shirt, right on my side. If I move, it will wake him up. I will wait for him to wake up, you guys go check in. If anyone says anything just say we were both asleep because Isaac kept me up all night.”

“I’ll phrase that better, but ok.”

I heard them leave the bus, heard the door close. “I have slept beside you and below you enough to know when you are actually asleep. While your eyes are closed and your breathing is steady, I know you’re awake Zac.”

I felt his hand tighten up. “I don’t want you to go.”

His voice was so different; it was almost like he was losing a parent or a brother.

“I have too.”

“No, you don’t.”

He finally looked up at me, warm brown eyes but his face was flushed again, but it was the way he looked that was breaking my heart again. But, I recalled the two hours of hard sobbing, the night Craig held me because I was free to cry.

“I can’t Zac. You need to let go and get up.”

“But…you…”

“Came to the bus because Taylor begged me, I am sorry you don’t feel good, but it doesn’t change things Zachary.”

He sat up finally and I got up.

“I’ll walk with you inside. Taylor took your bag inside already.” I said.

I got my bag and we both went inside, I left him in Taylor and Isaac’s care in their room and went to mine where I sat on the foot of the bed and cried all over again. The way he looked at me was so heart breaking; it was like I was walking away. But, he was married and using me, but what if they were wrong? What if he wasn’t using me after all? Why would he look that way if he was using me?