Nora

The next couple of weeks are spectacular; having Zack back in my life has been completely amazing. We’ve spent nearly every day together – alone and with friends. I haven’t heard from my parents since I found out how they tore Zack and me apart, but I hear from Liam on almost a daily basis.

“Liam,” I groan into the phone. “Please let the movers in so they can pack up my shit and send it to me.”

“No,” Liam says. “Come get it yourself.”

“Seriously, Liam, I’m going to call my lawyer if the movers don’t get my stuff tomorrow.”

Liam sighs into the phone. “I just want to see you. Please, Stella. I miss you and I know I fucked up…”

“I’m not listening to this,” I say. “Let the movers do their job.”

Liam is about to respond when I feel the phone being tugged from my hands. “Dude, if Nora doesn’t get the phone call that her stuff was picked up and is on it’s way to my house, I’m going to call the cops and make them give it back,” Zack says into the phone. He stands beside me wearing his boxers, holding the phone with one hand and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes with his other. “I’m not fucking playing dude, it’s been weeks…no, she doesn’t want to see you. Hell, she doesn’t even want to talk to you but you still insist on leaving her voicemails every god damn day begging her to come back to you…well, fucking come kick my ass, then. You know my fucking address…just send her shit and move the fuck on, dude.” Zack hangs up and sets my phone down on the counter in front of me. He leans over and pecks me on the lips. “If the movers call you tomorrow and tell you that he refused to let them in the house, let me know. We’ll go straight to my lawyer's office and get some legal action done.”

“I have my own lawyer, Zack,” I smile, pulling him back into a kiss. “Did you sleep okay?”

He nods, walking across the kitchen floor to the refrigerator, pulling out the orange juice. “Yeah, except the spot next to me was awfully cold when I woke up.”

Zack and I haven’t exactly put a label on what we are. I guess you could say we are dating except it was never made official. I think we are just both incredibly happy to have each other again.

“Sorry,” I reply. “I woke up to like a dozen voicemails from Liam. I think I'm just going to have to buy new stuff, he’s not going to give me my stuff back.”

“Fuck him,” Zack says. “We’ll get your shit back.”

I hop off the stool. “What do you want for breakfast?”

Zack shakes his head. “I’m grabbing breakfast with Matt and Larry before we go to that meeting with the label.”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot,” I say, sitting back down.

“You’re coming to the show tonight, right?” He asks, draining his glass of orange juice.

“Are you kidding?” I ask, grinning. “My first Avenged show since we were teenagers? Of course, I’m going. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Zack grins and kisses me. “Alright. I better go jump on the shower,” he kisses me again. “Any chance you want to come join me?”

I smirk. “Matt will kick your ass if you're late.”

“Very true,” he smiles, pulling me off the stool and leading me upstairs.


After Zack leaves for the breakfast and meeting I get comfortable on the couch and log onto Zillow. I enter my login credentials and click on the notification that there were several more houses added since the last time I logged in.

I click on a house that is in Laguna Beach and scroll through the photos briefly before clicking on the next house, which is located in Costa Mesa. I click on the ‘request a showing’ button and confirm my phone number before going back and scrolling through the photos. I’m halfway through when my phone rings, and I answer it.

“Hello?”

I cheery voice replies on the other end. “Hello! My name is Myra Nourmand with Nourmand and Associates. May I speak with Nora Saint-Clair, please?”

“Hi Myra, this is she,” I reply.

“Hi, Nora! I’m calling to set up an appointment with you for a showing of 2065 Mandarin Drive in Costa Mesa.”

“Yes, I would love to set up an appointment as soon as possible,” I tell her.

“That sounds excellent! My clients are very eager to sell. I can meet you today if you’d like!” Myra says.

I sit up, eager as well. “That sounds excellent. I live about fifteen minutes from Costa Mesa, so I can meet you as soon as it’s convenient for you.”

“Okay, let me just check my schedule really quick…” she says, and then a moment later she replies with, “I have an opening around 12:45, will that work for you?”

“Yes, ma’am!” I smile into the phone. “Thank you so much, I’ll see you then!”

“Alright, See you then, Nora!” Myra says cheerfully into the phone before we hang up.

I play on my phone a little bit longer before hopping off the couch and heading upstairs to get ready. I pull off the Vengeance University tee I put on after mine and Zack's shower and dig in the closet for my white and yellow dress. As I’m sliding on my heels my phone dings and I look over at it.

It’s a text from Zack. Boring meeting. Send nudes.

I laugh before typing back a quick reply and checking my reflection. Grandmother Saint-Clair would have been proud of my outfit and that almost makes me want to change. Instead, I head downstairs before I do and grab my purse and car keys.

When I pull up to the house, it’s even more gorgeous than the pictures online. A car is already parked in one of the two spots in front of the two-car garage and an older blond woman is standing on the porch as I turn off the car. Myra waves at me from the porch as I make my way up to her.

“Hi, Nora! I am so excited to be showing you this property today,” she tells me.

I nod. “I’m happy to see it. Hopefully, this is the last house I look at,” I tell her as she unlocks the door.

“Been in the market for a while?”

“Not really,” I tell her. “Just about a month or so but…” I trail off as we walk inside.

Myra shuts the door behind us. “Well, this place is gorgeous and priced to sell. It has five very spacious bedrooms and three full baths. This home was built in 1967 and has been upgraded and hand designed by a celebrity chef, so the kitchen is especially beautiful.”

“Wow.”

Myra and I walk through the house and I listen to her as she tells me about every room. The ceilings are high, and the walls range from a warm beige to white. “Four of the bedrooms are upstairs, and one is downstairs,” Myra tells me, opening a door to the bedroom. “This can, however, be used as an office. That’s what the previous owners used it for.”

“I’m a huge fan of that fireplace,” I tell her as we walk through another room.

Myra nods. “There’s one here in the family room and there’s another in the living room.”

Myra takes me through the beautiful kitchen – double oven, granite countertops and a walk-in pantry, and the dining room – which looks out to the gorgeous pool. Myra takes me out there next.

“The saltwater pool, as you can tell, is huge. It has a waterfall and the heated element along with the colour-changing lights makes for an amazing late-night swim. The oversized jacuzzi also has colour-changing lights.”

I look around the backyard. Like Zack's backyard, trees and a fence makes it private. “Huge fan of the privacy,” I tell her.

“And it’s quiet, isn’t it?” Myra smiles as we make our way back inside. Myra and I make our way back inside and up the stairs. “Do you have kids? All of the bedrooms are huge, and Adams Elementary School, as well as Estancia High School, are less than a mile away. There’s also a Golf Course nearby for your husband,” she tells me as we enter the first bedroom.

“Oh, no. No kids or husband and it’s just me,” I tell her.

“Oh,” Myra looks surprised. “I’m sorry. I just assumed. It seems like such a big house for just one person.”

I nod. She’s right – the house is huge for someone that has a handful of friends and no family. “Well, I’ve been kind of smothered for my entire life, so…I could really use the space to breathe.”

“I understand that!” Myra tells me.

We enter the master bedroom and my mouth nearly hits the ground. The dark, hardwood floors are in perfect contrast to the cream and white walls. The windows are huge, which allow natural lighting to pour into the room. I walk further in and off to the side, there’s an additional sitting area before you walk into the Master Bath. I imagine Zack sitting there, strumming his guitar as he looks out into the yard and then shake the thought from my mind.

The master bathroom is huge as well with His and Her sinks, a stand-up shower and huge jacuzzi tub. I walk out of the bathroom and into the walk-in closet.

“I want it,” I tell Myra. “I can pay the full amount in cash if that will move things quicker. When would the sellers like to meet for paperwork?”

---

Zack drapes his arm around my shoulders as we make out way closer to backstage. The chatter from the crowd awaiting their favourite band is loud and constant, as everyone grabs their instruments.

“Are you completely stoked?” Zack asks.

I nod, smiling. “I’m so excited. I also have some news after the concert.”

“Why after?” Zack asks, giving me an odd look.

I shrug. “Because I think if you guys stay back here for one more second, your fans are going to start climbing the barricades.”

Zack laughs. “You’re probably right.”

I step up on my tiptoes and peck his cheek. “Alright, go out there and let all the girls swoon over you.”

“That’s what I’m good at,” Zack smirks before walking out onto the stage,

The show is amazing. It’s so amazing, I kind of hate myself for missing out on all the shows over the last several years. The entire crowd hangs on Matt’s every word and nearly faint during Brian’s guitar solos. At the end of the show, when Matt tells them he wants to see a huge ass mosh pit, the crowd obliges, and Unholy Confessions kicks off.

After the show, the five guys run backstage. Zack raises his shirt, using the bottom of it as a towel to wipe the sweat from his face.

“Well,” Brian catches my attention. “Was the show everything you dreamed of?”

“You guys…that was so fucking good. I think I’m your biggest fan,” I tell them. “Remind me to get your autographs later.”

The guys laugh and begin talking about their favourite parts of the show and fans that caught their attention. We make out way back to their dressing room and they begin to strip from their sweaty clothes and head to the showers.

“Hey, what was that news you wanted to tell me?” Zack asks as the room empties.

“Oh,” I turn to him, smiling. “I found a house!”

“I told you that you could stay with me. I thought you stopped looking,” Zack says.

I shake my head. “I feel like I overstayed my welcome. Plus, it’s like you said this morning, Liam knows where you live – so that means he knows where I live, and he’ll never leave me alone as long as he knows that info.”

Zack frowns. “Nora, I’m literally telling you that you haven’t overstayed your welcome and fuck Liam.”

I sit down on the couch and Zack sits beside me. “Come on, I thought you’d be happy for me.”

Zack sighs. “You’re right. Where’s it at?”

“Costa Mesa. It’s beautiful – five bedrooms, a pool, and this amazing kitchen,” I tell him. “I’m filling out paperwork for it in the morning. You should come with me, so I can show it to you.”

Zack chews on the bottom corner of his lip. “What…what do you think about me moving in with you?”

“Wait, what?” I ask, thrown off guard. “Zack, you love Huntington Beach. Your entire family is here, your friends…”

Zack shrugs. “Costa Mesa is fifteen minutes away. We record there sometimes. Plus, I bought the house I’m in right now with Gena. I’m ready for a change anyway.”

“Are you sure?” I ask him.

Zack nods. “Nora, you’re my girl. My days would feel empty without you there every day.”

I grin. “Okay,” I smile. “I would love for you to come with me.”

Notes

Thank you guys for being so patient! Chapter 20 will be the last of this story! Thank you so much for reading and commenting!

Title credit: Julie Miller "I Will Follow You"