Chapter 25
The label didn’t waste any time. Zack was back in rehab for most of September and they had all future legs of this tour booked.
As soon as Zack was out—looking healthy and strong again—we were back in Europe in October.
Originally, we’d been scheduled for another leg in the U.S.
, but when the label had canceled those dates, they’d completely changed the plan.
But it worked out well. We got to go to a couple of new spots supporting a British band while we traipsed over the continent.
After only a two-day break, we then headed to Australia for three weeks in November. We were excited to go to a brand-new place and even more eager because it would be warm while back home would be getting some of the first snowfalls of the season and growing considerably colder.
Even Mick had never toured “down under.”
But even though the tour was exciting, I couldn’t help but keep a watchful eye over Zack. He seemed okay…but he had the last time too. I wondered how long this stint with rehab would stick.
The day before Thanksgiving, we flew home.
We had a break that would last through New Year’s when we would have one last leg in the U.S.
to squeeze out every last drop of juice from our third album.
The label told us they were ecstatic with the success and hoped we’d put out another album in the summer. “After the honeymoon, of course.”
Like they really cared.
Braden and I spent Thanksgiving day with his family and that evening with mine. My grandma and grandpa had driven from Limon and planned to stay overnight—and they fell in love with Braden.
My poor mother kept trying to get my input into wedding preparation—but it felt overwhelming.
Finally, though, with Braden’s help, we chose the invitations—and mom got right on it.
She sent out matching Save the Date cards instead of Christmas ones.
She also kept wanting to pay for everything, but my mother had never had a lot of disposable income.
Even though our band wasn’t wealthy, we were finally making decent money—and, when Braden and I insisted she let us pay for all things involving the wedding, she agreed.
About a week before Christmas, Zack invited us over for dinner. I hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but I was looking forward to seeing him. I hoped for visual confirmation of his continued sobriety—and I knew Cy, still living with him, would be able to assure us if anything looked amiss.
When Braden asked what we should bring, Zack said drinks—preferably non-alcoholic. There was no question as far as we were concerned. We would not drink alcohol around our friend ever again. After all we’d been through with him, we knew we’d never miss it.
The sky was light and snowflakes were starting to fall when we pulled up to his house. I hadn’t been here in a while, not since Gabi had lived there—but I didn’t know as Braden and I walked up the path to the front door that it hadn’t reverted to a bachelor pad.
When we knocked on the door and a young woman answered, I figured it out. “Hi,” she gushed, all teeth and hair. “You must be Braden and Dani. Please come in!” Our confused faces prompted her next few words. “I’m Elisia—Zack’s girlfriend. Um, but you can call me Ellie.”
Of course. But why the hell did I care? I was holding my fiancé’s hand, for heaven’s sake. And, I had to remind myself, I’d grown to despise Zack…so none of the shit he did should matter to me.
“Nice to meet you,” I said, echoing Braden’s words.
“I’ve heard so much about you guys. I’m hoping to get to know you better, Dani.” I nodded as we walked toward the dining room. “Zack and Cy went to the store to get cheese. I completely forgot to get it when I was shopping yesterday.”
Braden asked, “Where do you want this?”
“Oh,” she said, eyeing the twelve-pack of Dr. Pepper in Braden’s hand. “You can put it in the fridge if you want.”
Nodding, he headed toward the kitchen. I said, “It smells good in here.”
“I’m so glad you said that. I made my mom’s green chili recipe. And she gave us a dozen tamales too.”
Braden, coming back from the kitchen, said, “I love Mexican food.”
“Yeah, me too,” I said, feeling awkward. This girl seemed nice enough—around our age, but maybe a year or two younger and, in a lot of ways, she looked like me: slim build, brown hair, short. The biggest difference was that her skin wasn’t pale like mine, and her eyes were a darker brown than mine.
I hated to admit it, but she was much prettier. I could see why Zack was attracted to her.
Braden, noticing the chips and salsa on the table, asked, “May I?”
Our gracious hostess beamed. “Please.”
“Thanks.” As he scooped a chip into a bowl of pico de gallo, Braden said, “Zack told me you guys met at the gym.”
“Yeah. I was his personal trainer…and I guess we got a little too personal.” She laughed at her own joke.
Why I asked the question I felt compelled to, I didn’t know. “Has he told you about his past?”
She cocked her head slightly but didn’t miss a beat. “You mean his struggles with addiction? Yeah…that’s why he’s trying to get and stay healthy—not just in mind but in body too.”
I wondered why I’d never met her before.
Even though she was probably slightly younger than our group, I felt like her face should have been familiar to me.
Dalton High was small enough that, even as a kid from Nopal who hadn’t grown up here, after a year or so, you got to know everyone—even if you weren’t friends with them all.
“Did you go to school here?” I asked, unable to contain my curiosity.
Although her eyes showed that she didn’t understand my line of questioning, she answered.
“Just my senior year. My family moved back here three years ago. I went to kindergarten here and then we moved to Pueblo. My dad taught at the university there—but then he applied for an admin position here at the community college so we could be closer to family. My grandparents aren’t getting any younger. ”
I nodded. That sounded so familiar.
She took a deep breath in through her nostrils.
“I took a few classes at the community college, but I knew I wanted to do something athletic—so I became a certified trainer and I’ve been doing that ever since.
My dad keeps trying to talk me into becoming a PE teacher so I could earn a pension, but…
well, I guess you guys know all about following your dreams.”
“Yeah,” I said, nodding. I hated that I was really growing to like this girl—and I could understand why Zack had fallen for her.
And then we heard the front door open, the sounds of Zack and Cy laughing about something. It felt almost like old times.
After they entered the dining room and we all greeted each other, Braden said, “It takes two guys to buy cheese nowadays?”
Cy said, “I tagged along ‘cause I needed a few things,” he said, holding up a bag filled with items. “And I had to get out of here because it smelled too good.” With that, he continued walking to the kitchen.
“Aw. Thanks, Cy,” said Ellie. Then she snuggled up next to Zack and, getting on her tiptoes, kissed him. Even holding the bag of cheese in one hand, he wrapped one hand around her neck and gave her a passionate kiss—and I averted my eyes, grabbing a chip.
When they finally finished, Zack said, “I’ve got my best friends here and my best girl…so let’s eat.”
“Your best girl?” Ellie teased. “I thought I was your only girl.”
To answer her question, Zack swatted her on the behind playfully as she darted off to the kitchen. It was like him and Gabi all over again. Zack said to Braden and me, “Let’s go fill up our plates.”
Soon, we were all seated around the dining room table, enjoying the meal Ellie had prepared for us—and I had to be honest. “This is all really good, Ellie. Thank you.”
“Aw…thanks! I can’t really take credit, though. The tamales are my mom’s and I used her recipe for the chili.”
“Don’t be so modest,” Zack said. “You started those goddamned beans yesterday. She’s been slaving in there all day.”
Her lips were pressed together but her eyes were all smiles. Finally, she said, “I didn’t want to disappoint your friends.”
Braden reassured her. “You haven’t.”
The only disappointment I was sure anyone at that table felt was me over the emotions I couldn’t release—the feeling of Zack belonging to me and here he was already in another relationship.
Why couldn’t I just be happy for him? He deserved to feel loved and fulfilled and live a good life, and if it kept him sober, all the better.
I tried to tap back into the friendly love I’d had for him in high school before becoming smitten, and I told myself maybe what I’d felt for him later had and would always be an immature love.
Maybe I’d never learned how to selflessly connect with him—and the dysfunction of our previous relationship spoke to that.
Braden put down his fork, reaching for his glass of Dr. Pepper on ice. “I wanted to ask you guys something.”
Although none of us were sure who you guys were, Zack said, “Shoot.”
“Well…the wedding is getting close. And, uh, I wondered if you guys would be in our…” he paused, looking at me, “wedding…party?”
“How do you mean?”
“Zack, we’ve been friends for a long time, and I always considered you my best friend. I know we’ve had some rough spots over the past few years, but I still think of you as my best friend—so would you be my best man?”
Something quickly flickered over Zack’s eyes, almost as if I’d been looking at the sky and a hummingbird had flown past so quickly, I’d barely seen it. I had no idea what had caused that or what it meant, but it was gone as soon as he spoke. “Hell, yeah. I’d be honored.”
“And Cy,” Braden continued without missing a beat, “would you be my groomsman?”
Cy nodded. “I wouldn’t miss it. I’ve heard it’s a great way to meet women.”
“Oh!” Ellie nearly squealed. “This is so romantic!”