Chapter two hundred and six:
Becky was
checking her email on Zac’s laptop. She switched into one of the Hanson forums
where she was snooping around the forums and randomly clicking links in
signatures. She was following links through fans’ sites to other links.
Somehow she ended up in a site she’d never seen before. She recognized the two
letters on the header at the top of the page. HH.
Becky scrolled
down the page and noticed her name next to Zac’s. She clicked on the link and
it led her to an open forum with two subjects: ‘pictures’ and ‘what we know’.
She clicked on
‘pictures’ and it took her right into a forum filled with pictures of her and
Zac.
They were
completely candid and random, the first photo showed her and Zac walking to the
venue from the bus nearly a week before. Zac had been teasing her about the
wind messing-up her hair and she was laughing.
The second
picture was from their date a few days ago. Zac was behind her with his arms
around her, hunched over trying to show her how to throw the ball at the
bowling alley. Again, Becky was laughing hysterically.
In complete
horror, Becky scanned through the pictures.
She heard the
front door open and close and Zac’s loud footsteps in the pool house.
“Zac!?” She cried.
“Yeah, Becca,
it’s me!” he called back. “I just picked up eggs, I didn’t have any in the-“
“Can you come
here? Please?”
“Sure, can you
give me a sec? I’ve got my shoes on-“
“No, Zac, I need
you.”
“Uh, ok.”
Zac sauntered
into the bedroom. “What’s up?” He asked casually.
“Look at this.
Look!”
“What, what is
it, babe?” He leaned on the back of her chair. “That’s a nice picture of us.
Jen take it?”
“No! It’s on
this website! A Fan’s website!”
“Becca, relax.
Maybe they were just trying to get a photo of me and you were-“
“No, Zac, look.”
She scrolled down. “There’s a picture of Jen and I when we went to the store in
the airport. We were looking for magazines for the plane. You weren’t even
there!”
Zac furrowed his
brow.
“And
this one.” She moved
the browser down several more photos, to one of Becky standing outside the
venue talking on her cell phone.
“Did you notice
someone was taking your picture?”
“No… I didn’t
even…” She hesitated. “I don’t think so. If I had, I would have asked them not
to take my picture, or I would have gone inside. I know how you are about
keeping this relationship quiet, and I feel the same way, I wouldn’t walk
around with a sign on my forehead saying I’m your girlfriend…”
“I
know, I know…” Zac
sighed.
“And look at
this.” She clicked on the link labeled “information” and it opened. She read it
out loud “Rebecca Lynn Carter, commonly goes by Becky.
Zac often calls her Becca or babe. Daughter of Robert Carter
and Marie (
She turned and
looked up at Zac. “These are the people who have been calling us. They’re
stalking us! They know everything!”
“Okay.” He
sighed, “Come here,” He pulled her to her feet and closed the laptop.
He embraced her
tightly, just as she began to cry.
“Shhh, Becca, it’s ok…” He soothed.
She sniffled. “I’m
scared.”
“I know, Becca…
why you try and take a nap, okay? Calm down for a bit and I’ll take care of
it.”
She nodded and
released him slowly. “God, I’m such a baby.”
He held her at
arms length. “No, you’re not a baby.” He gently cupped her chin and pushed away
her tears with his thumbs. “You’re upset. You’re scared. I am too. But I’m
going to take care of this, okay? I promise.”
Becky nodded and
hugged him again briefly.
“Put your pjs on and I’ll be right back, okay?”
“No!” She
grasped the front of his t-shirt. “Please stay… just until I fall asleep?”
“Of
course.”