Slowly and quietly, I closed Zach's front door behind me. I knew no one was home but I still felt his presence, his scent. He was everywhere.

My hand ran through the sofa. Memories flooded my mind. For the past months, I tried to pretend everything was okay and fine.

I stood for a minute, taking in the familiar surroundings. The word "Arthur" escaped from her lips.

I remembered Arthur, barking and wagging his tail immediately I returned from shoots.

How I missed that dog.

Slowly, I headed towards my temporary bedroom I used while I was here. Zack might have already packed all my stuffs in boxes already, I said absently.

As I walked. Unconsciously, my eyes drifted to the kitchen, the pool and the patio. Everything was still the same.

I was tempted to walk towards Zach's room but I turned away too quickly.

I didn't want to be reminded of what I was leaving behind.

Soon my feet stopped as my gaze landed on the very familiar door.

My room.

This is it, I murmured to myself. I had been dreading and dreaming of this, coming back to Zach's penthouse. In my dreams, he was waiting for me at home with his arms open wide for me to burying myself in him and never let go.

My dread was taking the easy way out and trying to erase myself from Zach's life without him knowing about it. Which I obviously picked.

I always knew he didn't like me the way I like him. He tolerated me for the media, for the press. Zach cared about his public image and I want to make things easier for him by making it look like I vanished from his life.

I swallowed hard. I shut my eyes as I took deep breaths and counted from one to five.

I couldn't stay around him anymore. My heart broke at the thought but I didn't want to get hurt.

I was nervous. Which surprised me. I was never nervous except when I had to audition for roles but never this. No guy had ever been with made me feel this way.

I gasped. My hands over my mouth. Had I....

No, no, no. I cautioned myself. I couldn't think that way. It was impossible.

I pushed my thoughts to the back of my mind. I couldn't think that way, I cautioned myself again.

Without giving it another thought, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The room was just how it had been. The only difference was the change in bedspreads and all of her things in place.

There wasn't any box or suitcase lying in the middle of the bed waiting for me. Swiftly, I open the wardrobe to see my clothes still there, arranged.

What was going on? My thoughts tried to come up with a reasonable answer but none made sense.

Had he been expecting me? Did he know I was back in L.A? Surely the gossip columns had spread the news and he was bound to know but had he known sooner? He didn't look that powerful to do that, I thought. My thoughts resurfaced again.

Had Jersey told him?

Or he wanted to be reminded of you all this time you have been gone, a small part of me whispered.

I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply. I tried to calm myself down and push back suggestive thoughts. I wheeled my suitcase out of the wardrobe and stuffed my clothes inside.

It was nighttime by the time I was done. I raised my phone to my face. I frowned, 7:45 how did the time fly?

I zipped up my suitcase and made a note in my head to tell Penny to get the rest of my things from Zach's.

Taking last look at the room, I gently closed the door behind me and began to run.

My legs ceased to moved instantly as I reached the large french windows, overviewing the city. The city lights had been lit up to light up the streets giving the already fading sun that orange glow.

I could stay here for hours, I thought gleefully. Other than the library and the patio, this window spot was one of her favorite places in the world.

"I'll stay for a minute," I said to myself, smiling, blocking out the warning bells already ringing in my head.

I don't know how long I stood but my heart seized for a second when I heard him.

"Ruby!?"

I squeezed my eyes shut. How had I lost track of time. I looked at my phone 10: 29

Great. Just great.

I spun around to meet him and I almost melted on the spot. Zach looked great, too great. His eyes pierced through her. He looked like he couldn't believe I was standing in front of him.

"Are you okay?"

It was at the tip of my tongue to say I wasn't fine. My eyes filing up. I had to put on a bold front this past few months for my family. I had to be strong for all of them. At times, people shot pity looks and not one person apart from her family members and Jersey asked her how she felt daily.

It was too late, my lips trembled but I put out a bold face. "I am fine. Thank you," I said instead, avoiding his eyes.

Silence soared for what I swear looked like years but it was only minutes.

Slowly, I tilted head back to meet his face to find him staring at me.

I realized as he stared that he had observed my movements, my face. He had seen me tremble.

But I wasn't going to tell him anything.

His hand rose as he stepped towards her. My heart lurched. Suddenly, I wanted to move to him and close the distance between us but I stood still.

I looked at him and my mouth watered. He looked so good. He looked great. I didn't understand how it was possible but he looked manlier than a few months ago. He had been going to the gym, I realized. He had let his hair grow out a little that it was now reaching his shoulders. His hair was slicked back fashionably. I wanted run my hands through it so much. He was wearing a dark blue designer suit. The color made him stand out more than ever.

Zach took another step and for a second I thought he was going to touch me but his hand went to his neck.

In a low, calm voice he spoke, "What are you doing here?" 

The words stung a little. He could have asked me how and when I got back but he asked just a simple "how are you?" but I couldn't blame him tho. He didn't go MIA for months like the way I did.

Quietly, I realized I really wanted him to pull me into his arms, whispering sweet nothings in my ear while I try to hold back my tears. To whisper in my ear and tell me everything is going to be fine.

But I pushed the thought away. I was too proud and petty to ask.

"I just came to get my stuff from the guest room here, in your house and in your hotel. I'll be out in two minutes—no five because I haven't asked you how you are doing? But you seem fine, no you seem good. No great." I babbled. Zach's lip's twitched to an amused look. Words stopped coming out of my mouth as I stared at him.

"Great," I thought silently. Within a few minutes, I had managed to make a fool of myself in front of him.

I saw his face and a small smile lifted to my lips. Some of my sadness flew out the window.

I had to get out of here, my brain said. I composed myself and gave Zach a broad look. "I'll be leaving now. Thanks for everything."

I picked my suitcase still lying on the carpet where it slipped from my hands minutes ago.

Tears threatened to fall as I turned away from him and towards the door.

Zach stood with disbelief mirroring his handsome face.

I want to run home cry. They didn't even finish the show's challenge. He might not even like her after everything.

Heck! They didn't even have an official date together.

In a flash, my suitcase left my hands. Then, I heard a soft thud behind me.

"Where do you think you are going, Ruby? Last time I checked, we aren't done talking." He spun her around and she landed on his chest. His hands went around her waist, trapping her.

I blinked harshly, trying to stop my tears from falling. "There is nothing to talk about. The game is over already. I forfeited the challenge. Us. We. Everything is over," I said, avoiding his eyes.

My stomach's butterflies increase ten fold as he reached up to trace my lips with his fingers. I wanted to lean more into him but I resisted.

He smiled. "That's what you think, Ruby. But not what I think."

My eyes snapped up to meet his, tears long forgotten. "W-what are you saying, Zach? I forfeited the challenge.  Didn't you forfeit too?"

His long silence answered my question but I refused to believe it.

I said more slowly, giving my voice an edge. "Didn't you?"

He smirked. "Think again, Daniels because we still have a week to stay together as a couple."

A week, I remembered it was much shorter than that probably three days. What did he do?

"What did you do?" I voice aloud the question in my head aloud. "You don't even like me."

He bent his head towards mine and lowered his head. His voice turned dangerously husky. "Thats where you are wrong, Ruby. You are mine and no damn show is needed to clarify that."

He gaze down slowly at my face before settling on my mouth. Suddenly, I wanted him to kiss me. But I shrugged the thought.

I opened my mouth to throw an insult at him when one of his hands slipped from my waist to tangle in my hair, pulling me much closer that our noses touched.

I had to walk away from here. I was too afraid of opening up to him. I was afraid of been too needy and too greedy to share him with anyone else. I was afraid of getting to independent on him because if he left, it would destroy me.

"Zach, please," I pleaded. I had no idea what I was pleading for. "Let's not do this."

His lips hovered over hers. "Baby, I have missed you so much."

"I miss you too," slipped out before I could stop it. I found myself leaning towards him, I took a whiff of his smell.

Charming.

I tried again. I could not understand myself anymore. On one hand, I begging him not to steal my heart and the other, I was running towards him, my arms open wide.

"It would complicated things." Like my feelings for you, I thought.

"Happy to allow it."

Our mouths met and all my thoughts  fled. I didn't try to resist him as my hands moved to his hair, I missed his hair, running my hands through the sliky strand, pulling him much closer to me.

I moaned into his mouth, it was like an unknown dam in me had been flooded. I was floating on cloud nine.

I ripped my lips from his for a minute. He looked at me puzzled, he was breathing heavily like me.

"That was amazing," I whispered to him in between breaths. He smiled as he traced his fingers over my face, I closed my eyes unable to resist.

"But Penny said you were at an auction. What are doing here? It's a little too early for an auction to close." I hovered, pressing kisses all over his face.

"I was there but I had an unresistable urge to home then the auction got boring."

I raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Oh really?!"

Zach gave me pecks all over my face. "Yes, really," he murmured. His voice now husky.

Once again, he pulled me into another toe-curling kiss and not once did I object. I threw my hands around him, I laughed into his mouth.

Our lips never separating, we landed on the couch. I flicked my tongue in his mouth and Zach laughter rang out through the penthouse.

This was bliss, I sighed.

It was happiness.