Chapter 5
"Are you ready to go baby?" Zac smiled as he walked into her room and
picked
up her bag off of the bed.
"Yeah. Finally, I can go home. Or at least out of this hospital. I
swear, I'm
going to be allergic to hospitals permanantly now. If I ever break a
leg or
something, just use a splint. Don't take me to a hospital, okay?" She
smiled
at him, and he laughed. He was so happy to see her smiling and making
jokes
again, just like before the night he found out.
"Okay hun. I'll get Tay to do it." He looked at his brother, who
innocently
held up his hands.
"Me? I'm not doing anything, I'd probably break it again!" They all
laughed
as a nurse walked in, rolling a wheelchair in front of her.
"Okay, miss. I need you to sit in her so that we can take you out to
the
car." Jen got up and gingerly walked over to the wheelchair and sat
down. Her
face had almost completely healed, but there were still some bruises,
and her
arms still had the stitches in them, and those would be taken out in a
week.
Her leg was still stiff and sore, but she could easily walk on it.
She plopped down in the wheelchair and looked at Zac. He smiled. The
nurse
rolled her to the elevator in silence, Zac beside her and Tay following
close
behind.
"Tay? Did you drive? Because I wanted to stop by my house for a few
things
before I go home." Zac smiled as he heard her call his house home. He
wanted
it to be home to her.
"Yeah, we can stop by quick." Tay said with a smile.
"Tyler is at our house with our family waiting for you though. So we
can't
stay long." Zac finished. Jen nodded as the nurse rolled her out to the
SUV
sitting by the doors. She got out and thanked the nurse as Zac lifted
her
bags into the back and Jen got in the backseat, Zac soon following her
in and
Tay starting the engine.
"Let's go." They rode in silence, with the exception of the radio
blaring.
Zac grabbed her hand and scooted closer, she turned to him and smiled.
"Okay, Jen. You gotta make this quick, okay?" She nodded and got out.
Zac
followed her in the house, eager to help.
"Okay, Zac, can you get my portable CD player from in my bookbag in the
living room for me? And while you're in there, grab my pillow from the
couch,
okay?" He nodded, smiled and headed toward the living room. Jen walked
up the
stairs and into her bedroom. She sat on the bed, suddenly feeling angry
and
depressed. She looked around her bedroom walls at the pictures of her
and her
family. They all seemed so happy, they seemed to be blocking out all
the
pain, ignoring what was right in front of their faces. Her face turned
to her
bedside table and saw the lamp that had been a birthday present from
her
parents. The lamp she had loved as a little girl. She picked it up,
gently
unplugged it and in an angry eruption, hurled it across the room and
sent it
crashing against the picture of her family, taken last year. The frame
fell
to the floor and landed among the bits of porcelain and blonde hair.
She
heard Zac thundering up the steps and when he opened the door, she just
started to cry. He looked over and saw the lamp and the picture and
walked
over and held her in his arms.
"I can't even stand to be in this house, Zac. It kills me. I hate him
so
much. Look at what he did to me, to my family. He ruined my life. I
hate him
so much." Her body trembling as the sobs ripped through her. Zac put
the
pillow and her bookbag down on the floor beside her bed and sat down
beside
her, cradling her head against his shoulder.
"Shh...he's in jail now Jen. He can't do anything to hurt you anymore.
He
can't hurt anyone." He smoothed her hair away from her face and gently
leaned
back, bring her head up to look at him.
"He's in jail. Right where he belongs. And your mom has already sent
him the
divorce papers. It's almost over baby. Almost. All you have to do now
is to
testify against him in court and put him away forever." Zac kissed the
top of
her head as she swallowed hard and slowly began to stop crying.
Suddenly,
they heard a loud honking noise from outside.
"That will be Tay. Are you ready to go?" She looked around her room,
grabbed
her pillow off the floor and stood up.
"Yeah. I'm ready." He stood up beside her and followed her out to the
car.
Tay said nothing when he saw the wet spot on Zac's tshirt, made from
Jens
tears, just drove home in silence. Jen opened the door and hopped out
when
they arrived, immediately seeing Zoe and Avery at the window. She
smiled at
them and waved as they grinned and waved back.
"I'll get the stuff babe. You can go on in. They're waiting for you."
Zac
said, opening the back and grabbing her bags. She nodded and walked up
to the
door, having it open without her even knocking. She peered behind the
door
and attacked little Zoe, tickling her.
"Aha! I got you now!" Jen picked her up and gave her a hug as Zac
walked
through the door with her bags.
"Thanks babe." Jen said, following Zac into the living room. She was
stunned
to see a sign saying ‘Welcome Home Jen!', a cake and gifts on a big
table.
"Welcome home." Zac said into her hair, his hand reaching around her
waist.
She leaned back into his arms and smiled. She felt safe, loved and
needed.
She would get through this.
"Hey Jen! I hope you like all this..." Diana said, walking in the room
from
the kitchen, holding a bowl of punch. Jen smiled.
"Like it? Diana...you didn't have to go to all this trouble for me!"
Diana
shook her head and held up her hand in protest.
"Don't say anything about it." She smiled at Jen and Zac, still holding
hands
and walked back into the kitchen. Zac walked her over to the couch and
sat
down beside her. She looked at him and leaned in, Zac happily recieving
a
kiss. His hand slid up to her face as the kiss deepened. When it broke,
Zac
opened his eyes and smiled.
"What was that for?" Zac asked her, still smiling.
"That was for being the best person anyone could ever have around in a
situation like mine. I love you." She said quietly. He moved his hand
back up
to her face and pulled hers toward his, their foreheads touching.
"I love you too." Taylor wandered in, eating some chips from the table,
not
seeing Jen and Zac on the couch.
"Tay..." Taylor whirled around, startled.
"Oh...sorry guys. I didn't know you were in here." He turned to walk
out.
"No, Tay, it's okay. We were just talking. You can stay." He
immediately
walked over to the food, followed by Tyler.
"Okay guys...I suppose it's time to eat." Diana shouted from the
kitchen. The
kids thundered into the living room, forming a line and filling their
plates.
Jen got in line behind Avery and smoothed her hair. She looked up and
smiled
at her.
"Jen, why don't you open your gifts now?" Diana asked, pointing to the
pile
of beautifully wrapped presents behind the punch bowl. Jen nodded,
smiled and
took a small pink and white wrapped box.
"Thats the one I wrapped!" Zoe said happily.
"Well then I'll be sure to be extra careful." Jen gingerly lifted the
tape
and the ribbons to reveal a small, white box. She set the paper down
and
opened the box. Inside was a beautiful angel, wrapped in tissue paper.
Jen
gasped.
"It's so beautiful." Jen breathed.
"We bought it because it looked like you, and because it's your
guardian
angel to keep you safe, always." Diana smiled as she took Zoe in her
lap.
"Thank you so much guys." She set the angel back in it's box and set
the box
beside her. Picking up another present, this one being much heavier,
she
groaned.
"Guys? I really don't need another weight lifting set...I've got one
already." They all laughed as Zac went over and picked up the box and
lifted
it over his head.
"Psht...show off." Jen muttered as Zac laughed. He set it down in front
of
her, taking the seat beside her.
"This one is from me and Ike, who is with his girlfriend at the
moment."
Taylor said, rolling his eyes.
"Okay. Well, thank you."
"Don't say that until you open it." Tay laughed.