How I Love You (Zac Efron & A Non-Famous Girl)

Chapter 15

The doctor explains how Zac needs to rest for at least a month and asks Mark to meet him in his office later. Mark agrees. Grace was more than happy to hear that now Zac can come out of the Intensive Care Unit and his health is actually stable.
Grace: I'm really happy that you're finally leaving this room. This room suffocates me from inside.
Zac: Imagine what I must be feeling. I'm practically tied to this bed.
Grace gives him a dirty smile.
Zac blushes " Get outta here" He says playfully.
Mark: Alright love birds. Listen up. I'm going to the doctor's office now. I'll be back in a few minutes. Grace? Can you please take Zac to room 143?
Grace: gladly...
Mark: Cool...I'll see you guys.
Grace looks back at Zac and smiles.
Zac holds her hand and kisses her palm. Grace goes weak in her knees and almost falls down. That's when Zac holds on to her hand even tightly and says "watch it, Grace " softly.
"Next time you'll kiss me,we need to sit" says Grace
"No, we don't have to sit...I can kiss you against a wall" says Zac with a smirk on his face.
Grace pictures kissing him and it makes her blush.
Zac looks at her in awe and says "When you blush, it's almost impossible to not to look at you " says Zac in a husky and sexy voice.
Grace blinks nervously . His voice sends chills down her spine in a good way. She enjoys that feeling as he is the only one who has a ever made her feel this way.
"I wanna kiss you right now" says Zac in his sexy tone.
Grace becomes a bit nervous and says" Not now. Not here "
Zac frowns "why?" He asks
Grace holds his hand explains "I don't want our first kiss to be in a hospital "
Zac bursts in laughter "Okay that makes sense " He says.
"I'm glad I amuse you " says Grace smiling.

Mark goes to the doctor's office. He knocks the door.
Mark: May I come in?
Doctor: Yes, Mr.Preston. Please take a seat... I'd like to discuss something very important about Mr.Octavia's case here with you.
Mark: Please go ahead.
Doctor: The injuries that he's had were not just because of a mere car accident.
Mark: What do you mean?
Doctor: He has his back,thigh and some other parts of his body stabbed. He has been hit very badly.
Mark: WHAT??? BUT HE WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT. THAT'S HOW GRACE GOT HIM, RIGHT?
Doctor: I want you to calm down. I have a superintendent who happens to be a very good friend of mine. He will investigate who did this to Zac and how this even happened. Okay?
Mark: Sure... Thank you so much doctor, I cannot thank you enough.
Doctor: Please call me Grey. And don't worry about it. Your friend is in safe hands.
Mark: Thank you.

Grace brings Zac to room 143. She helps him sit on the bed and gives him some orange juice to drink.
Zac: Grace,it's 10 already. You should go home. Mark is here to take care of me.
Grace: No,that's okay. I wanna stay. With you...
Zac: But you need to sleep. You look weak and you've been here from morning.
Grace: okay.. I'll call Meg. She'll come and pick me up.
Zac: good.
Grace calls Meg and asks her to come to the hospital.
Meg finishes bringing all the stuff from Grace's house to her new apartment. She not only shifts stuff but also organizes her place and cleans it.She did that to take her mind off of from her painful break up. She is not just hurt from the break up. That's not it. She is hurt because she didn't know why. That's the worst part. Not knowing why the person you love and care about the most doesn't even give you a valid explanation of why they wanna end things with you. That ached Meg's heart. So,organising Grace's apartment not only kept her mind off of things but also a sense of peace within herself. After the whole organising. She takes her car and comes to the hospital. She walks slowly but steadily. Mark suddenly sees her and joins her.
Mark: Came to pick up Grace?
Meg: Yup! How's Zac?
Mark: He's pretty good. He's doing well now. Grace really takes care of him.I never saw anyone taking care of him before like that.
Meg: Yeah.. She's awesome.
Mark: She loves him a lot.
Meg: yeah she does. It's like they met barely but they're inseparable already.
Mark: How people fall in love like that? I mean... Isn't it crazy to just fall in love?
Meg: Love is not crazy. People are. And no it's not crazy. It takes courage and your everything to fall in love.
Mark: How does it feel to be loved like that?
Meg: I don't know, Mark. Maybe that's what Grace and Zac are learning.
Mark: Maybe.
Meg: Which room?
Mark: What? Oh! Yeah...143.
Meg: Excuse me?
Mark: pardon. Did I say something wrong?
Meg: You don't know what 143 means?
Mark: Um...no,I guess.
Meg: It means "I Love You"
Mark: WHAT? how does that even make sense?
Meg: I'll explain that to you later.
Mark: How about you explain that to me while having a coffee?
Meg: Sure...
Mark: tomorrow?
Meg: Sounds great.
Mark and Meg smile at each other. "We're here",says Mark
Mark opens the door for Meg. "Thank you " says Meg with a smile.
Grace: Hey Meg!!!
Meg: Hey!!! You ready to go?
Grace looks at Zac and smiles at him. Zac is sleeping.
Grace: Yeah...
Meg: we'll come back tomorrow bae. Besides, we have holidays because of the end of 1st semester.
Grace: Sounds fantastic.
Meg: C'mon let's go now.
Grace was about to leave that's when Zac holds her hand. Opens his eyes.
"I wanna come with you" says Zac with his baby eyes.
Grace immediately melts. "But Zac.. You--"
"No I don't wanna stay here. I hate hospitals. They make me feel sick inside out" says Zac childishly
Mark: It's okay. I'll ask the doctor if we can discharge you now. Hold on.
Mark makes the call and confirms that Zac can leave but needs to avoid over strain and stress. needs rest.
Zac: Finally!
Grace: That's wonderful!
Zac: Grace, come with me. You can stay with me for a while.
Grace: Um... Okay.
Zac: Cool.
Zac winks at Grace and she smiles.

Mark and Meg wait at the main lobby to arrange and settle the bills and take prescriptions and stuff. While Grace helps Zac to walk. Zac has his arm around her shoulder.
Grace: Yeah... This is my car.
She opens the door for him and helps him sit it the car. She closes the car door and says bye to Meg and Mark. She puts on her seatbelt and starts driving.
--------------------------------------------------------

Zac: I didn't know you had an Audi. Is this the same car that you brought me to the hospital?
Grace: yeah...
Zac: where's the cushion?
Grace: You remember that too?
Zac: Of course I do.
Grace: it's in my house. It had a lot of blood. I had to send it for dry cleaning.
Zac stares at Grace's face. Asks her to stop the car.
Grace: but why?
Zac: just pull over.
Grace does as she was asked
Zac: this is the same spot that you saved me from the crash.
Grace: Yes...
Zac opens the car door and gets down. He walks in his black jeans and light blue shirt, slowly but steadily.
Grace gets down too.she walks beside him.
Zac: it's a place I'll never forget. Especially because it involves you,Grace.
Grace smiles and looks into his eyes.
Zac: At first,I thought you were gonna leave me and were going away. Then you came back. That's what I don't understand. How on earth did you even know?
Grace: know what?
Zac: That I was in trouble... That I needed you. That I was writhing in pain until you came. That you came in my life when I least expected it.
Grace looks at him with tears in her eyes because she was moved by what he felt for her.
"I didn't know... All I knew was, if I didn't save you, there's no point after it. Like there is no meaning for my life if you aren't in it. I thought I'd have you or I'd die." explains Grace holding Zac's face close to hers.
Zac puts his hand around her waist and pulls her closer. Grace rests her hands on his chest and bows down her head. Zac puts his hand on her head and tucks her hair.
"I love you so much. I love you beyond explanation " she cries into his chest. Zac feels his heart pounding as her warm breath touches his chest. Zac lifts her chin towards him. Grace looks into his eyes. He puts his hand on her neck and pulls her close gently and looks into her eyes deeply.
"What are you waiting for? " asks Grace.
Zac presses his lips against Grace. He kisses her passionately feeling every second of it. Grace was enveloped by Zac's arms. She couldn't move and she liked that.. She liked how safe she felt into his arms and how intensely hey kissed her and how mesmerizing the whole feeling was. It's as if all the twinkling stars in the sky are the chandelier for the night. The passion between Zac and Grace was was driving them intensely. The more he kissed her,the more deeply she fell in love with him. He sucked her lower lip gently which tickled her and she smiled. His grip on her waist was now more confident, strong and wanted. They're both felt a million butterflies dancing in their stomach as they kissed. They took a break from the kiss for some air. They looked at each other breathlessly. They both were irresistible for each other. This time,Grace pulled him closer and kissed him on his right eye then on his left eye,then on his chin,finally bit his Lip gently and pushed him away.
"I can't trust myself with you " she said breathlessly.
"I guess I could say the same " says Zac catching breath.
"I can't ever lose control with you... I'm falling faster and deeper than I thought I would.You don't get it. I'm not falling for you now. I fell for you long time ago and I don't know if I'll ever recover from you and what I feel for you " says Grace

Zac swallows a lump in his throat because her words made him cry.

"then don't recover. Because I don't wanna recover either. You can lose control with me because I'm right here to catch you if you're gonna fall and hold you if you need me." says Zac assuring
"What if I get lost?" asks Grace wiping her tears
"You won't. Because no matter where you go, that path will lead back to me" says Zac stepping towards her.
"I'm not going anywhere, Grace. I wanna know everything about you. I wanna talk everything stupid and still have meaningful conversations with you. I wanna bring you coffee every morning and buy chocolate to you every evening. Bring you a flower everyday and kiss you until you ask me to stop " says Zac opening up.
Grace hugs him strongly and cries against his chest.
Zac holds her warmly and brushes her hair gently. "I think I'd like that too" says Grace softly.

Zac smiles and stares into the dark sky. Thanking the stars, thanking God, thanking that particular place for bringing them together. That's when Grace says "Oh Zac! I LOVE YOU "
She cries to him.