Zachary & Ciara Ch. 04

Sorry it took me so long to update fellow members, but I'm still working on Unusual Beginning, getting it ready to be published. These two kept getting in the way of my concentration, so I wrote an update. I hope they're happy and everyone enjoys it. Leave me some feedback. I love hearing what you think of what I've written.

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Colin walked into his flat, slammed the door shut, threw his winnings from the racetrack onto the coffee table and plopped down onto his couch. He leaned forward, rested both his elbows on his thighs, his head on his hands and began rubbing his temples trying to relieve a headache that had taken up residence in his head.

'She was right,' he thought to himself falling back on the couch, 'she was bloody right.'

The anger he felt at himself for not making the wages on the list of horses from the drawing Emilee gave him raged through his body.

"I didn't believe her!" he screamed out picking up an ashtray from his coffee table and throwing it across the room. "Why didn't I listen to her?!"

Colin knew why he didn't bet on the horses from Emilee's drawing it was because she gave him the numbers of the horses that would win the races and not the names. After doing some checking up on the horses he found that some were longshots and some of the horses' records didn't impress him enough to risk his money on them. So he took all his money and placed a wager on the horse with what he considered the best odds of winning, and that was the horse in the second race.

Then he went and sat in the stands and watched the races. When the first horse on Emilee's list won its race Colin chalked it up to luck. When his horse won the second race, he chalked it up to his common sense.

But when the third horse won its race Colin's confidence in his decision to ignore Emilee's selections began to wane. By the fourth race, he was calling himself all kinds of asses. As the winner of the fifth race crossed the finish line Colin was on his way to collect his winnings, anxious to leave the racetrack disgusted with himself and his stupidity.

"There will be no more secrets, mama."

Emilee's words popped into his head. 'I hope she didn't mean that was the only tip or drawing she was going to give me.' Colin thought to himself, 'because if that's what she meant I'm going to have to come up with some way of changing her mind. Starting now as a plan grew in his mind.'

He pulled out his cell phone about to call Zach's condo, then changing his mind; thinking of a better way to put his plan into motion closed his phone, picked up his winnings off the coffee table and made his way out of his flat. He had some shopping to do.

******************

"Did you have fun yesterday?" Zach asked Emilee as he, Ciara and Emilee sat down to eat dinner.

"Yes, I did," Emilee replied. "Can we do it again tomorrow?" she asked almost jumping out of her wheelchair.

"No," Ciara replied before Zach could answer, "you have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, young lady."

"Oh, yeah," Emilee said her smile disappearing. "I forgot."

"It's going to be alright, sweetheart." Ciara said knowing that Emilee was nervous about seeing a new doctor going over and giving her baby a hug, "you don't have to be nervous we're going to see the doctor that Dr. Chambers your doctor in Atlanta recommended. Remember he gave us a copy of your medical files to give to the doctor here so that he would know all about you and how he's been treating you and your legs, and he sent a copy to Dr. Burke. I'm sure he's going to give you the best treatment he can."

"And you seemed to like him when we visited his office," Zach remarked coming to stand next to Emilee's wheelchair.

"I do like him," Emilee said. "I'm just nervous about seeing a new doctor. "I'm use to Dr. Chambers being my doctor."

"Dr. Chambers is in Atlanta." Ciara said snuggling her nose against Emilee's, "And you're in London, and you need to continue having your legs treated so that you can have your casts removed soon."

"I can't wait for that day," Emilee said her smile returning. "I'll be able to stand, walk, run and go to the bathroom by myself once again."

Ciara and Zach laughed.

"It's not funny," Emilee said a hint of anger in her voice. "I feel like a baby every time I have to go to the bathroom because someone has to help me."

"You won't be in that chair too much longer," Ciara said trying to comfort her daughter.

"I wouldn't be in it at all if you had listened to me that day," Emilee mumbled under her breath.

The truth of Emilee's words pierced Ciara's heart like a knife and the guilt she felt about Emilee's accident wrapped its arms around her and lay heavily on her body like a gigantic weight almost causing her legs to collapse under her.

"I'm sorry," she told Emilee tightening her hold on her.

"I didn't mean what I said mommy," Emilee said hugging Ciara and crying. "I know it's not your fault that I'm in this chair and my legs aren't working. I just get so mad sometimes. I hate being in this chair."

"I know sweetheart," Ciara said tears streaming down her face also by this time. "But, like I said you won't be in this chair too much longer, just wait and see. Pretty soon you'll be strutting around like the big girl everyone knows you are."

"I can't wait," Emilee said the brightest smile Ciara had ever seen on her face.

Ciara and Emilee were heading to the bathroom to prepare Emilee for a bath and bed when someone knocked on Zach's condo door.

"I'll get it," Zach said making his way towards the door.

Zach opened the door and was surprised to see Colin standing there with an arm full of toys.

"Well, if it isn't Santa Claus," he said his voice filled with sarcasm.

"Not exactly Santa Clause," Colin said ignoring the sarcastic tone of Zach's voice and stepping inside Zach's condo making his way over to Emilee, "just a grateful friend bearing gifts to a friend."

Emilee's eyes lit up when she saw Colin walking towards her with his load of toys, but the light disappeared as he neared her when a vision appeared before her eyes. It revealed that Colin hadn't used the information she gave him and that he was very unhappy about it and expected her to give him drawings with horses on them.

Wearing a big fake smile on his face Colin placed the toys in her lap and around her chair.

"My way of saying thank you," Colin said to Emilee as he kissed her on the cheek causing her to flinch.

"But, you didn't do like I told you," Emilee replied ignoring the toys.

"I didn't do exactly as you told me," Colin admitted, "but I did use part of it and it helped me a lot. I'm very happy with the results and this is my way of saying thank you."

"I can't help you again." Emilee said letting him know that she knew why he'd come to see her. "I promised mommy that I would do it only that one time."

"I didn't come here for that," Colin said a forced smile on his face.

Emilee knew he was lying so she told him she couldn't accept the toys he brought with him.

Her refusal of his gifts caught Colin off guard. He didn't know what to do.

"I told you I didn't come over here to get you to help me again," Colin said anger and frustration rising up in him. "But I'm sure your mum wouldn't mind if you helped me one more time, if I promise to follow your instructions to the letter this time."

"No," Emilee said pushing the toys on her lap onto the floor with the rest of the toys Colin brought her.

"Look, you little ..."

"Mama!" Emilee screamed as Colin charged towards her his eyes and voice filled anger.

Ciara jumped in front of Emilee, caught Colin by the arm, threw him over her back onto the floor, took her fist and slammed it into his face stunning him. When he went to get up she took her foot and pressed it against his chest pinning him down to the floor.

"You had better think about what you're going to do before you get up," she told him standing over him in a judo fighting stance ready to hit him again, "because if your intention is to hurt my child you had better stay down there."

Zach stood in the room stunned speechless by what he'd just witnessed. It was Ciara's threat to hurt Colin if he got back up that brought him back to his senses. He went over to his soon to be ex-friend, grabbed him by his collar jerking him up from the floor and pushing him towards the door.

"It's time for you to leave," he told Colin as he opened the door to his condo and threw him out into the hallway. Zach closed the door to his condo as he followed Colin out into the hallway. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked as he stood over his former friend.

"I don't know what came over me." Colin said bringing his arm up protecting his face because he thought Zach was going to hit him. "I don't know why I behaved the way I did. Let me go in and apologise to Ciara and Emilee." Colin said making his way over to the door of Zach's condo.

"You're not going back in there," Zach told him putting himself between Colin and the door. "There's no way I'm going to let you go back inside, not after the way you treated Emilee."

"Okay," Colin said sounding contrite and apologetic, "then will you go in there and talk to them for me? "Get, Emilee to agree to help me out one more time. I'm sure you could talk her into doing it."

"Have you lost your mind?!" Zach asked him almost giving into his urge to hit the idiot standing in front of him. "You're actually asking and expecting me to not only use my, step-daughter but to talk her into helping you, when she has not only refused to help you, but promised her mother, my wife that she wouldn't help you again?"

"Please," Colin pleaded not realizing that Zach was angry with him, "i you talk to her and get her to change her mind, we could go in together and both make money."

"Do you realize how ridiculous, disgusting and dishonest what you're suggesting sounds?" Zach asked truly amazed that he'd once consider Colin to be a friend of his.

"All I'm asking you to do is talk to Emilee," Colin said, "to give me one more set of winners. I promise I won't ever ask her to do it again."

"I'm not going to do it," Zach reiterated, "and you need to leave before I kick your arse."

"Alright," Colin said about to make another suggestion, "I'm sorry for asking you to talk to or trick Emilee into helping me, okay. I was wrong."

"Why did you think that I would go along with what you're suggesting?" Zach asked needing to know why Colin thought he would go along with something so distasteful.

"Because, you're my friend," Colin replied. "I thought you would want to help a bloke out."

"I wouldn't do that, Colin," Zach told him, "friend or not."

"I apologise once again," Colin said. "If I'd known it would upset you, I never would've made the suggestion."

"Apology accepted," Zach said his anger subsiding a little, "and don't ever make such a suggestion to me ever again."

"I won't." Colin said seeing Zach's body relax a little and his anger easing. "Do you think Ciara would talk to Emilee for me?"

Colin's question caused Zach's body to tense up once again and his anger to turn into rage. He was so angry he balled his left hand into a fist; as he continued listening to the idiot in front of him speak.

"Could you ask Ciara to speak to Emilee for me?" Colin asked overlooking his friend's reaction to what he was saying. "I'm sure if she asked or told Emilee to help me that Emilee would give me what I'm asking for."

"I'm about to do what you asked me earlier and help a bloke out," Zach said bringing his fist up and hitting Colin on the jaw.

Pain shot through Colin's jaw as his body hit the wall then landed on the floor.

"Why you ..." Colin said pushing against the floor as he went to stand.

"You bastard," Zach said the anger, he was feeling coming through his right fist as he hit Colin in the face once again knocking him back down onto the floor.

"You're going to pay for that," Colin shouted getting up from the floor, charging towards Zachary.

"The only one who's going to pay for anything around here is you," Zach said hitting Colin again when he was close enough, this time in the nose causing blood to spurt from it.

The sound of the two men arguing and fighting brought Ciara to the door.

"What's going on out here?" she asked surprised to find Zach and Colin fighting in the hallway, gasping when she saw blood flowing from Colin's nose.

"Don't," Zach said taking hold of Ciara's arm when she moved towards Colin concern on her face and in her eyes when she went over to help him. "He's leaving and he won't be back. Isn't that right Colin?"

"I'm sorry Ciara." Colin said coming to his feet ignoring Zach hoping he hadn't completely cut himself off from access to Emilee.

"Be on your way," Zach ordered taking hold of Ciara's hand and guiding her back into his condo, "and don't come back. He slammed the door in Colin's face leaving him standing in the hallway.

Colin stood in front of Zach's condo panicking, knowing that he'd truly messed up. Ciara wouldn't allow him anywhere near Emilee after the way he behaved when Emilee refused to help him and when Zach told her why they were fighting.

'I've got to fix this,' he thought to himself as he took his hand and ran it through his hair.

He left Zach's place but not because Zach ordered him to, it was because he needed time to think of a way to get back into Ciara's and Emilee's good graces. He went over and pressed the button to call for the elevator. The elevator arrived and he stepped on to it.

"Damn!" he said angry with himself as the doors to the elevator closed, for screwing up so badly. "Damn!" he said again this time hitting the wall of the elevator. "I've got to fix this!"

When the elevator arrived on the ground floor Colin was surprised when the doors opened to see Abigail waiting to step onto it. Seeing her standing there and knowing that the only reason she was there was to see Zachary allowed an idea to start brewing in his mind and a smile to spread across his face. He'd found a possible solution to his problem.

"Hello, Abigail," he said smiling at her as he walked off the elevator.

Abigail looked at Colin, her blue eyes seemingly looking through him, treating him, as if he didn't exist as she normally did.

Abigail Stapleton, five feet, five inches tall, weighing one hundred-ten pounds with a heart shaped face, flawless skin, a model thin figure impeccably dressed in the latest fashion designed by the latest designers, worn by the very class conscious.

She didn't like Colin. She considered him to be a hanger oner, a user, a wannabe, desperately trying to climb the social ladder that pretended to be Zachary's friend hoping the wealth that Zach grew up with would eventually rub off on him. She considered him to be a fool for believing in such a notion. Her dislike for him wasn't a secret to anyone who knew her. She showed it every chance she got.

Normally, when he said hello to her, she would walk by him without responding, as if he wasn't speaking to her. But, since Zachary had married Ciara, and he wasn't willing to speak to her or be alone with her so that she could talk to him about his decision to marry someone else rather than her to claim the inheritance his father left him. She decided that she should change the way she treated him, since he might come in handy if she needed someone to talk to Zachary for her.

"Hello, Colin," she replied smiling at him.

"Are you going to see Zachary?" Colin asked.

"Why do you ask?" Abigail replied.

"Because, if you are I suggest you visit another day," Colin suggested, "things aren't going to well for the happy couple today."

This bit of news garnered Abigail's attention. She came by to visit Zachary because she wanted to know how his marriage to his southern belle was doing. She was hoping that their relationship was beginning to show signs of crumbling.

Abigail knew that hoping to see signs of trouble so soon was wishful thinking, on her part, especially since the woman and her child had only been in London for a week or so but she couldn't help herself. She wanted Zach's charade of a marriage to end so that she could send the Georgia peach and her child home, and she could take her rightful place at Zach's side as she wife. And the quicker that happened the happier she would be.

"What happened?" she asked Colin.

"I don't think it would be proper for me to answer that question." Colin said turning away from Abigail. "I only told you what did because I didn't want you to go up to Zach's place and hear him and his new wife having a row."

Colin loved the flash of anger that flashed in Abigail's eyes and the shade of red that spread across her face when he called Ciara, Zach's wife. He could almost smell the jealousy she felt for Ciara being married to the man she always considered to be her future husband.

"Wait a minute," Abigail said going over to him and placing her hand on his shoulder to stop him from leaving. "You can't tell me something like that and just walk away from me without offering me a bit more information."

"I told you, I'm not going to discuss Zach's personal affairs with you." Colin said turning to leave knowing that she wouldn't let him leave, not until she had the information she wanted, which on he could provide.

"Wait," Abigail said stepping in front of Colin preventing him from leaving. "Why don't we go somewhere, get a drink, sit down and talk?"

Colin almost laughed out loud at the come hither she wore on her face and the sensual smile she had pasted on her lips trying to entice him with promises of things he knew she had no intention of keeping.

'I hope she doesn't think I'm going to fall for her little act.'' Colin thought to himself. 'I know what she thinks of me, although, shagging her might be an interesting prospect indeed.'

"Where do you want to go for a drink?"

"I'll let you choose," Abigail said her smile growing bigger because she thought she'd drawn Colin into her web, "I trust you to choose the perfect place."

******************

"Is he gone?" Emilee asked her mother as she and Zach walked back into his condo.

"Yes, baby, he's gone." Ciara replied going over to comfort and reassure her daughter. "He won't be back."

"I'm sorry," Emilee said her eyes turning watery.

"None of this is your fault," Zach told her walking over to her wheelchair and kneeling down beside her. "You're not responsible for the way Colin behaved."

"It's my fault that he's unhappy," Emilee said. "I told him what to do, but he didn't do it."

"What kind of picture did you draw for him?" Ciara asked.

"It was a picture of horses running races," Emilee replied.

"I see." Ciara said arching her brows and looking at Zach, both understanding why Colin was angry.

"Did I do something wrong?" Emilee asked.

"No, baby," Ciara replied. "Why did you draw him a picture of horses running races?"

"Because that's the vision I had," Emilee replied, "and it was for Colin."

"What were you doing when the vision appeared?" Zach asked trying to see if he could figure out when Emilee's vision's appeared.

"I was wishing I could think of a way to thank Colin for holding mama's hand on the plane." Emilee replied, "And the vision appeared."

"I see," Zach said. "Has this happened before?"

"It happened when I wished I could help mama find someone to help us." Emilee replied. "I felt sad watching beg her sister to let us stay with her, so I wished that I could help her and a vision of the hotel appeared, and I told her to go there and that's when we met you."

"Do you always have visions when you wish for things?" Zach asked.

"No," Emilee replied, "sometimes they just appear to me."

"I think it's time I gave you a bath and put you to be," Ciara said. "You've had a pretty exciting day young lady.