Chapter one hundred and twenty-five:

“Here, careful” Isaac said, easing Christy off his back and onto the bed. He had carried her on his back from the car to the bed, even though she insisted she could walk and was feeling fine.
Christy removed her arms from around his neck and let herself fall into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. She watched Isaac as he set her suitcase and purse down on the desk.

She kicked off her flip flops.

“Do you want to take a nap, C?” He asked. He couldn’t help but feel responsible. If he had just kept his promise…

He glanced down at the desk and sat Christy’s notebook and stack of bridal brochures.

“No,” She said. “I slept most of yesterday.” She didn’t want to admit it, but she felt like hell. Her throat was killing her, her stomach felt like a tsunami and her head pounded.

Isaac gathered the brochures, and her notebook and climbed onto the bed next to her. “Okay. Well, why don’t you and I spend the whole day together? In bed.” He paused. “Err, I mean, we can look at all this wedding stuff. I could help.”

Christy blinked slowly, letting her eyes close for a few seconds. “I don’t feel up to it right now… I think I’d like to take a bath.”

“Yeah? Can I help you?”

She smiled slightly at that. “I think I can bathe myself.”

“I know… but… I thought maybe…”

She gently laid her hand on his. “It’s okay.”

He smiled at her. “Just humor me? Let me feel like I’m helping, even if I get a little weird about it?”

“Okay. You can help.”

“Great.” He got off the bed and disappeared into the connected bathroom, immediately running the water.

Christy pushed herself up on unsteady feet and quickly walked to the bathroom before the dizziness had a chance to set in.

“C? Honey? Are you okay?” He asked, his arms circling her waist before she could even answer.

“I’m just a little woozy.” She smiled “Don’t worry, okay? I’ll soak in the tub for a bit, and then I’ll nap.”

“Okay…” He removed his arms from around her waist and picked up two bottles of bubble bath from the edge of the tub. “Passion fruit or… mango melon?”

She laughed.

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Becky walked along side Zac as they walked down the main street. After seeing Christy was safely home, he suggested they go to a movie, and spend some time alone to get their minds off what had happened.

“That movie was okay, right?” Zac asked, walking next to Becky with his hands shoved deeply into his pockets.

“Yeah, it was good. Funny.” She smiled.

When the movie had ended, Becky claimed she didn’t feel like going home. Zac compromised with suggesting they go to the local McDonalds for ice cream.

Becky smiled and looped both her arms around Zac’s. “I’m sorry… I’m just a little… shook up.”

“That’s okay, babe. You have every right to be upset.” He stopped and put an arm around her shoulders.

She smiled slightly. “Thanks, you’ve been so sweet through all of this.”

He held open the door for her. “Becca, it’s no problem. You know I’m here for you. You can tell me anything.” He lowered his hand to the small of her back.

Becky smiled. “Thank you.”

“Okay. What are you in the mood for?”

“I think maybe… just an ice cream cone?” She narrowed her eyes at the menu boards.

“Great. I’m getting a Big Mac.”

She laughed. “You just ate a ton of popcorn! You’ll burst!”

“No I won’t. I’m a man. Man needs meat!” He thumped his chest loudly.

She giggled.

He placed their order, paid and waited patiently, eyeing her carefully.

She looked around the empty restaurant, wrapping her arms around herself.

He handed her the ice cream cone with a smile, took his tray of food and followed her to a booth in the far corner of the restaurant.

“What’s on your mind?” He asked, unwrapping his burger as she tentatively ate her ice cream.

“Nothing… just… I try so hard to be positive through all this, you know? I want to put the best face on things, but its getting harder and harder to do that. I mean, those awful people came after Christy in a house full of people, and with the body guard right downstairs. I mean, obviously they know what they’re doing. And they have made a specific point to prove that they won’t let anything get in their way… I just… I can’t help but be scared, you know?”

“I know… and I promise that you don’t have to be scared, okay? I promise to take care of you.”

Becky smiled. “Thank you, that’s sweet.”
She returned to her ice cream cone, but knew that even though Zac meant well, he wouldn’t be able to keep that promise.

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