Chapter 1

I stare at my phone as it vibrates on my bedside table. The caller ID reads 'Dad', but I refuse to pick it up. I'm even tempted to switch it off but I'm afraid I might miss a call from Zack or Erika.

Okay, maybe just Erika.

"Pick up your phone so your father will quit calling me, Aubrey." My mom's voice sounds just outside my door.

"I don't want to talk to him right now." I mutter.

Mom asks to come in and I answer in the affirmative.

"Oh, honey." She sighs as she comes to sit beside me on my bed. I take in my mom's expression.

My dad had left us two years ago when I was 15 after apparently having an affair with one of his patients at his hospital.

They got married.

Mom always tries to look strong. In fact, she's perfect at acting like nothing bothers her, but she can't fool me. I know that dad leaving really broke her. 

"What happened?" She asks. I hug my knees closer to my chest.

"He keeps promising that he'll come visit. It's been three fucking months and he hasn't come. I just can't stand it."

I hardly see my dad. He lives in Florida with his new family. He usually comes to see me at least twice every month, but the last few months have been different.

In June, his excuse was that he had a lot of patients that day and he promised to make it up to me.

Obviously, he never did.

Mom gives me a look. "I'm going to pretend you didn't just use the 'f' word, but I'm sure your father's just busy, honey." She says, but her tone is skeptical.

"I know. I just... I wish that he'd make time for me. Neurosurgeons can take breaks, I'm sure. I miss him, you know?" I feel a familiar sting behind my eyelids and I blink rapidly so the tears don't start to fall.

Mom gives me a sad smile, pulling me in for a hug. "I'm sure he misses you too." She whispers. I notice that she's not really saying anything useful and it makes me wonder if my parents are in bad terms with each other.

Mom is okay with my dad dropping in from time to time, as long as he doesn't come in the house. She only talks to him when he brings me back home and it's usually just a formal meeting, awkward even, with head nods and small "heys."

She puts up with him for me and I'll always be grateful for that.

"Is this why you've been cooped up in here all day?" She pulls back to look at me.

"Not really." I laugh nervously. "Zack's a little mad at me."

Her eyes widen sarcastically. "You two are fighting again? Big surprise there."

I playfully glare at her. "You say that like we always fight."

She gives me a blank look and I roll my eyes. "Fine. We always fight. But that just makes us normal."

"Right. Normal. Well, I have to go to work and I know how much you hate being alone. So, I think you should go talk to him."

I tell her that I was about to leave to go see him anyway and she stands up, kisses my forehead and exits the room.

———–––

I watch my best friend, Zack, as he bounces the basketball and then throws it into the net, his back muscles rippling at the motion.

"Come on, Zack. I'm sorry." I say for the umpteenth time since I got here. But he ignores me. Again. 

Zack is mad at me because I've been too busy to spend time with him since the past week.

I feel guilty, but maybe he needs to understand that I have a boyfriend. Kinda.

"Zack." I call out again, but his shirtless back is still facing me. He loves coming to the gym to play basketball, especially if he's frustrated or he needs to think. Instead of taking a walk or punching a wall or something like normal people, he comes to play basketball.

Between you and me, I'm glad he's not a 'punch the wall' kind of guy.

I run a hand through my jet-black hair, getting frustrated with him. We both have that in common, and well, we get frustrated with each other a lot.

"Seriously, Zack? The silent treatment is so 7th grade. Just talk to me."

He bounces the ball even harder until he eventually misses it and it bounces over to me. I catch it. I know what he wants me to do, and I also know that I'm going to regret the outcome.

"Okay, I'll make you a deal." I go to stand in front of him and he finally makes eye contact, looking amused.

I knew he wasn't really mad. Asshole.

I look at the ball in my hands and then my eyes dart to the net. "If I make this shot, you have to forgive me."

Zack laughs. Actually. Laughs at me. But it's happened enough times that I'm actually unbothered that he's making fun of my 5"3 height.

"I think it would've been safer to say if you don't make this shot." He says, still laughing. I glare at him.

"Hardy har har , Zack."

"And if you miss?" His voice is dangerously low and it sends shivers down my spine, even from where he's standing.

I shrug."I'll go home and leave you alone until you're ready." 

Zack shakes his head. "Too easy. If you miss, you have to break up with Cody."

I gape at him. He wants me to break up with my almost boyfriend?

He shrugs. "What? It's not like you care about him."

"Whatever. It doesn't matter anyway because I won't miss."

"Okay, munchkin." He grins. "Shoot."

I take a deep breath, raise the ball over my head, close my eyes and throw.

Yeah. Probably a bad idea to close my eyes. I missed. Zack's laughter confirms that bit.

"Looks like you're breaking up with Cody. Didn't see that coming." He says sarcastically. It's not the first time I've missed. Basketball's just not for me.

"That's not fair." I protest. "You're not even mad at me. You're just faking it."

"It was totally worth seeing you embarass yourself. I'm not even sure you want to know where the ball went." He walks towards me, body glistening with sweat.

"That's not my point." I snap at him. "You're making me break up with my boyfriend."

He rolls his eyes. "He's not even your boyfriend. You've just been hanging out with him a lot recently. You're just worried you'll hurt his dorky feelings. Stop sulking." He still looks amused while I'm trying not to pull my hair from its roots.

I'm not sulking, I want to say, but instead, I snap. "He's not a dork, and I have feelings too, you know."

Zack barks out a laugh, and then wraps his strong, sweaty arms around me. I try to ignore the warmth that spreads all over my body from his touch and push at his chest. He doesn't budge.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I also know that you don't have feelings for him."

He's right. As always.

"Go shower, Zack. You stink."

He places a quick kiss on my cheek. "You love me anyway." He releases his hold on me and jogs towards the shower.

Zachary Norway and I have been bestfriends since we were ten years old. We met for the first time when my family and I moved next door to his family. He was this super friendly cute boy with dark brown hair and dark blue eyes, the complete opposite of his brother, Chris, who's three years older.

Our parents became instant friends, and we hung out everytime. Our parents always seemed to think that Zack and I would end up together. They still do.

But we don't see each other that way. We're just bestfriends.

He kisses me a lot. Sometimes even on my mouth, but I don't give too much thought about it. I smack him for it sometimes though, and he laughs it off.

"Wanna get food on the way home?" Zack asks as he approaches me.

"Always." I grin and he rolls his eyes, throwing an arm casually around my shoulder and pulling me closer as we exit the gym.

"I missed you." He admits, making me scoff.

"Didn't seem like it when you were ignoring my fucking calls."

Zack shrugs. "I wanted you to miss me as much. Looks like my plan worked."

"Um. No, it didn't work because I didn't miss you one bit. I didn't even think about you."

I'm fighting a smile and he knows it, because he laughs.

"Liar." He mutters. "It was fun seeing you grovel, though. Who knew I mattered more to you than your boy toys?"

I smack his arm as we enter a restaurant. "Of course you matter more. You're my best friend, dumbass."

Zack suddenly halts in his steps, grabbing my elbow and placing me in front of him.

"Don't. Move." He whispers, crouching down to my level.

"What? Psycho ex?" I laugh at the terrified expression on his face.

"Worse. I'll tell you about it later. Just let's go home. We'll order pizza or something... Wait. I know that look you're giving me right now. Whatever you're thinking, Aubrey, don't do it." He says when I smirk at him.

Zack's eyes dart nervously to two girls standing behind the counter, and when I scrutinize them, I know exactly who he's hiding from.

Well, I don't know her know her, but the blond hair and intense perky boobs tell me all I need to know. I turn back to Zack and grin at him.

"Consider this payback for today." Then I walk up to the counter, knowing he'll follow because he can't awkwardly crouch in restaurant.

"Um, excuse me. My friend and I would like to order..."

"Hey, hot stuff," hot stuff? "Fancy seeing you here." She totally ignores me, twirling her hair strands around her finger and blinking at Zack.

He laughs nervously. "Hey, Sandra." I don't need to look at him to know he's cringing.

"Sandie." She corrects. "So what have you been up to these past few weeks? Chris tells me you have a new girlfriend. Is she better than me at..." She waggles her brows "you know?"

I stifle a laugh, but that totally disappears the moment Zack says, "Actually, she's right here." He wraps his arm around my waist, planting a kiss on my lips. Despite how quick it is, it sends shivers up and down my spine. Stop it, Aubrey. Stop it now. "She can answer all your questions. Right, babe?"

Wow. That backfired quickly.

"Right." I resist the urge to punch him. Asshole. Sandra's about to say something but I beat her to it.

"Um, you know what? I think we'll just go."

"You haven't placed your order." She states as I begin to pull on Zack's hand.

"We're not hungry anymore."

When Zack and I are outside, I stomp on his foot so hard, he curses.

"That was for kissing me. I can't believe you did that."

"It's not the first time you've pretended to be my girlfriend. And it's also not the first time I've kissed you." He defends.

I sigh exasperatedly. He's so frustrating.

"Yeah. But it's the first time that both has happened at the same time. Plus, you've never kissed me in public." I mutter that last part out as heat crawls up my neck.

Zack smirks. "Well, if that's the problem, I have no problem fixing it." He puckers his lips and I huff out a frustrated breath, walking away from him.

Zack laughs behind me, and a few seconds later, I feel his arm around my shoulder.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Forgive me?" He pouts playfully and I ignore the way my stomach flutters at the sound of his voice. Again.

I roll my eyes. "Whatever. Let's just go home and order pizza 'cause I'm starving."

Zack chuckles, kissing the side of my mouth. I refuse to read too much into the warmth that spreads all over my body. It's just Zack. Yep. Just my goofy best friend who loves to annoy me. 

I block other thoughts–impossible thoughts–out of my mind and just simply enjoy hanging out with Zack.