Chapter two. The drawing of a dream.
Amber walking to her car it’s been almost two weeks since she left Zane and his mother at the hospital and all she’s been able to think about is Zane. “Is he ok?” “What really happened to him?” “Is he coming back to school?” “Could he tell that she was more concerned about him then she should be?” “Does he even care?” “How do I really feel?” “Even if he does care, it can’t happen he wouldn’t be accepting of her secrets, could he?”
Then a voice came out of the blue shocking her out of her internal monolog, “Ms Amber.” She looks up and leaning against her car was Zane. She was shocked a second time by how quickly he seemed to be healing. His eye was still black but it wasn’t swollen anymore, he still has the bandage on his face. his right hand was still partially bandaged and he was standing straight up.
Amber then ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him without thinking about how it looked. Also did he even want a hug from her? She stepped backwards quickly after realizing all that. “How have you been Zane?” Amber says while clearing her throat. “I’m much better now, but I’m here to say.” He paused and look away from her beautiful dark green eyes. “To say, Thank you for saving me and, and goodbye.” Zane said while straightening up and turning away. He took two maybe three steps before he felt his arm being grabbed stopping him in his tracks and turning him around. “What do mean, goodbye?” Amber said starting to tear up a little, surprising herself with the strong emotions rushing through her whole body. “I’m dropping out, but don’t worry I’m going to get a G.E.D, so I’m not graduating but still it’s something, ya know” Zane stammered out while trying to hide the fact that he is almost completely losing himself from her hug and now her caring and concerned look on her face. “Why Zane? Can we at least talk about this and I still want to know what happened to you.” Amber said with a sad desperation in her voice. “We can talk about what’s going to happen but as for the other stuff, no.” Zane says while starting to feeling like he’s going to tear up. “Ok let’s go get coffee or something.” Amber said while unlocking her car and waiting for Zane to get in, unsure if he’ll actually get in. He does get in and it makes her heart jump. She gets in and pulls out onto the street going to a small coffee shop that she frequently hits on the way to work. During the car ride Zane couldn’t stop himself from staring at her this time, his heart is pounding harder than it’s ever done before, even more than when he lost his virginity to his first girlfriend. After that thought he realized that he’s not just interested in her physically but he maybe, in love with this woman. The whole ride over to the shop nothing was said between to two of them. Amber kept glancing over at Zane and noticed that he was stuck in a staring competition with her whole body. It was in that moment, a state of cold realization washed over her. She knew at that second, she has been looking across the classroom at him for months and has had him on her mind more than anyone else has in her life. He is kind of a mystery to her. How is he able to barely show up for class but when he does he get 100% on his tests and has never gotten a question wrong when called on? What does he do to get so beat up all the time? She can never tell what’s going on behind his bright hazel eyes. What happened last summer when she started noticing the dramatic change, not just to his appearance but also his attitude and speech? What happened to the kid that was quick to make a joke? She has so many questions to ask him, she doesn’t know where to begin. Is she in love with him she thinks in a moment of complete honesty with herself. All the while, not knowing that Zane is having the same conversation in his head about her.
They arrive at the coffee shop but before Amber is able to get out of the car, Zane says “Amber can we just talk in your car?” Amber nodes “yes of course.” She stops and thinks about what she wants to ask him. “Do you still have the stitches in your cheek, shouldn’t the doctors have pulled them out already?” “Yeah they pulled them last week but I’m just not ready to have the scare out in the open.” “I think I know how you feel.” Amber said in response to his obvious Insecurity. “Zane why are you dropping out?” She paused and thinks does it have to do with her? That thought alone made her tear up. She sums up the courage and asks “does it have to do with me?” Zane’s eyes get wide with a surge of intense sadness. “N, no, no of course not! Your the reason I even ended up at class two weeks ago. The year is almost over, even if I kept going I would still not be able to graduate.” Zane pauses to gather his courage and reached over and took her hand lightly, praying to God with all his heart and soul that she doesn’t pull away. As if a miracle is happening right in front of his eyes she holds his hand in return. Zane can barely breathe but managed to say “I’ve never had someone totally and completely overwhelm my mind like you have been, from the moment I saw you for the first time.” “Zane.” Amber whispered trying to gather her thoughts. “I feel the same way about you bu..” Zane raised his hand in quieting gesture feeling a new kind of strength coursing through his entire being. “It’s OK I’m not even a student at the school you work at anymore and I’m over 18” Zane said hoping that takes care of her worries. “No, Zane that’s not what I’m trying to say it’s about me you need to know before we go any further down this path.” Zane then gets out of her small two door car walks to her door opens it and extends is hand to her, guiding her out of her seat and wraps hit arms around her. Amber begins to tear up again and looks up at Zane and says “I’m differ…” Zane stops her again and whispers “your perfect, I’ve been dreaming about you for as long as I can remember.” Then leans in, Amber tilting her head up to meet him. Their lips touch sending a surge electric sparks run through both of their minds and bodies. Amber’s legs buckle under her but she doesn’t fall Zane holds her up with almost zero effort. Zane thinking about how amazing this is and his mind wonders into the thought of how is she almost weightless, it’s her! She gives him a strength that he’s never felt before. Amber’s whole body is in a free fall, she’s never had kiss make her feel so safe and loved. He hasn’t even told her that he loves her but she just knew that second he did, so did she. After what felt like years they let go. Zane still in complete shock and as he comes back to reality he remembers that he told his mom that he’d be home for dinner tonight. “Amber how about you come to my house for dinner, my mom did ask you already?” “Zane I don’t know if it’s a good idea, yet.” Zane looks down into emerald eyes and laughs a little “it’s going to be ok MS Amber I can keep this to myself for awhile until we are ready.” “Well I don’t know” Amber says feeling a little afraid of what could happen. “Amber, do you trust me?” Zane says quietly, hoping for a yes. Amber nodes and says “yes Zane I trust you” Zane smiled “Ok” pulling his phone out of his pocket. Calling his mom “hey mom… yes I’m coming home for dinner, well I ran into Amber Ryan at the coffee shop and invited h… that’s great. Ok I’ll see you soon. Yeah you to bye.” Zane puts his phone away and pulls Amber back into his arms. They kiss again and again Amber’s body almost gives out under the weight of her emotional flood gates opening in her mind and body. Again Zane feels like he has the strength of ten men.
The drive to Zane’s home was much more lively with talk about each other. As Amber pulls into Zane’s driveway, she remembers what Zane said right before their first kiss. What did he mean by it “as long as I can remember.” She parks the car and says “Zane what did you mean by, the dreaming about me for as long as you can remember?” Zane’s expression changed he takes a deep breath, “Ok what I’m about to tell you is something that I’ve never told anyone.” His expression changed to a serious one. “Promise me that you will just listen and let me get through the whole thing before thinking that I’m crazy.” Amber nodes “I promise.”
Zane leans back in the car seat, looking out the passenger window. Zane takes another deep breath, “The year after my 12th birthday, I had a dream where I met a girl and by the end of the dream, her and I had fallen in love with each other.” Amber reaches over and caressing his cheek trying not to knock off the bandage “Zane that’s n.” Zane looks at her with that serious expression of his but this one is even more intense, “I’m not finished, it wasn’t just one dream. I have been having different dreams about the same girl at least 3 times a month ever since and every time we fall in love, again and again. Every dream is different. Sometimes the dream starts out as nightmare and end with her and I together.” Zane takes another deep breath. “This is the part that’s crazy, the girl in my dream, the girl that I’ve been falling in love with 3 times a month for the last 6 years is… You Amber.” “Before you say anything about this or make up your mind on whether or not I’m crazy, let me show you something in my bedroom after dinner.” Zane starts getting out of the car and pauses looks back at Amber who’s expression is of shock and confusion and says “and I don’t mean my junk.” With a small laugh.
The three of them after dinner are sitting in the living room at Zane and his moms tiny two bedroom home. Talking and laughing, Zane was surprised and ecstatic over how well Amber and his mom get along. Zane laughing off the embarrassmen of a kid story being told by his mother, gets up to go to the bathroom. As soon as he is out of ear shot. Ms Smith gives Amber a serious look and whispers “Zane hasn’t been in such a good place in a long time you two must be in love.” Amber’s mouth drops open “how did she see through him and I so easily, was it me? Was it him?” She thinks. “Umm” Amber struggled to say anything. “It’s OK Amber, Zane is not a normal teenager he’s been through more then most 40 year olds, he’s more than capable of being in a relationship with anyone he chooses.” Zane walks into the room to find his mother with a devilish smirk on her face and Amber’s face bright red. Zane walks in saying “Hey we.” Ms Smith cuts Zane off “do me a favor hun can you give us a minute, ya know, girl talk” Zane smiles and thinks “that old bat has already figured us out” while walking to his room.
“Ms Smith?” “Amber call me Michelle, please.” “Ok, Michelle what happened to Zane last summer?” The smile faded from Michelle’s face and turns into one of sadness. Michelle takes a deep breath “Zane’s older brother Zack died.” Amber’s face falls into her hands “I’m sorry I didn’t know that happened to your family.” “It’s ok sweetheart of course you didn’t know, he never talks about Zack. I’m sure you can tell that it’s just Zane and I who live here. It’s because Zane’s dad died shortly after I became pregnant with him. So Zack was everything to Zane, a brother, a father, his best friend and roll model.” “What happened, if you don’t mind me asking?” Amber says while trying not to tear up. “Zack was on his way to work and stopped by a store that he didn’t know was being held up at gun point. Zack scared the robber and he shot Zack without a second thought.” “What happened to the guy?” Amber said in disbelief. “Nothing, nobody saw his face or a car, nothing that could identify him.” Michelle put her hand on Amber’s shoulder. “It’s ok sweetheart I’m overjoyed in seeing Zane really smile again and I will do anything to keep seeing that again you have my full blessing to be with my son. Hell! you already saved his life once, I didn’t think you’d save it twice.” Amber looks confused says “twice?” Michelle says putting her hand back on Amber’s shoulder. “Zane has been spiraling out of control ever since Zack died, with drug use, disappearing for days and coming home all jacked up like he got hit by a bus, but now He’s been clean ever since he saw your reaction to hearing that he had drugs in his system. I was sure that Zane was going to die young, but you Amber, you have given him his smile back.” A tear falling down her cheek. “Now go and get the big tough guy back out here.”
Amber walks down the short hallway and into Zane’s room. Where he was digging into a box that he had taken down from his closet. “I found it!” He says excitedly. “Found what?” Amber smiled looking at him. Zane pulls out a large old sketch book and hands it to her. “You can just turn to the last page.” Amber sits down next to him and opens it to the first page. “Wow! Zane you drew all these?” She says flipping through pages full of extremely detailed drawings of animals, people and hillsides. “All of these are Old the dates on them are from six, seven and eight years ago.” When she get to the last page she gasped and couldn’t believe what she’s seeing. “Zane you… how did… you drew this picture 6 years ago?” Amber says looking at the date. “Yes I did” Zane says feeling nervous about what she might think. Amber can’t believe that she’s looking at a drawing of a girl wearing nothing on but a bra. It’s definitely her! the girl in the drawing has the same hair, smile, nose ring and even had her navel piercing, hes not even seen hers. The drawing is in black and white, with one exception her eyes were colored in with a dark green. “I can’t believe it Zane you drew a picture of me some 5 years before we even met?” “How is that possible?” “I told you that I’ve been dreaming about you for the last 6 years.” Zane replied in a wisper. Amber looks at the picture again and says “what happened to the bottom half of the page” “It’s been torn off?” “I don’t remember why I did that, I must of messed up that part and just ripped it off.” Zane lied he knew why he ripped it but he wasn’t going to tell her.
Source: reddit.com/r/Erotica/comments/u0qq8j/zanes_secret_life_and_ambers_secret_part_2