zac

"Yeah. It's not necessarily for my addiction. but more form my anxiety disorder. But it all comes together. Addiction and mental illness. But yeah, you need to stay in it. I won't ever go a week without it." Thankfully it was once a week and most of the time now it was done through phone if he couldn't make it into the office. "We have rice. we could make some chicke fried rice?"

She was glad that he was taking the steps to keep himself good physically and mentally. That he knew the dangers and what he could lose if he messed up. Some people wouldn't care but he did and that was one reason that she loved him. "I'm proud of you. Proud that you recognize that and take care of yourself. I wish more people did. " Her eyes lit up as he said they had rice. "Perfect, chicken and rice it is!"

“i’m glad that you’re proud of me.” and he was, a lot of people were proud of him. he just hoped he could keep them proud of him rather than hang the pressure of disappointing them all over again. the couple made their dinner and then got into bed to watch their movie before they fell asleep.

"Therapy sounds like more one on one which can only be a good thing. Are you still in therapy for it. It seems like something you would need to stay in to stay the course." She was trying to learn as much as she could about all of this so that she knew how to help him if he needed her to. "Do we have chicken? I could go for something with chicken." She said but she wasn't picky on what they had. She grabbed some waters from the fridge and went to check the refrigerator. "We do have chicken. Do you want want a stir fry, a pasta dish or what?"

"Yeah. It's not necessarily for my addiction. but more form my anxiety disorder. But it all comes together. Addiction and mental illness. But yeah, you need to stay in it. I won't ever go a week without it." Thankfully it was once a week and most of the time now it was done through phone if he couldn't make it into the office. "We have rice. we could make some chicke fried rice?"

"I can't say that I have. I have been offered it before but I turned it down. I smoked weed before but it didn't do anything for me...like nothing at all." She wanted to say that was sex for her but she didn't. IT was no time to joke around when he was confiding in her about serious things. "Did you learn how to deal with that in rehab? Rehab helped a lot of my friends." She thought about telling him that Barry might be someone to hang out with since it had helped him but then putting the two men together as friends might but a very bad idea. One might lead the other off the path both were on. Giggling she leaned into him. "IF I get scared will you promise to save me?"

“No, more in therapy over Rehab. I never wanted to go into rehab so I always had a hard time in there. I was more willing to work through therapy with my therapist.” Zac explained. Rehab didn’t work for everyone, and he was one of those people. He never liked being stuck in one place or having a routine. “Of course I’ll save you.” He pulled himself up from the chair, and then took her hand. “Let’s figure out dinner first.” He murmured and then walked back into the villa and started looking through the cabinets in the kitchen.

"The adrenaline rush doesn't do it for you?" She found it would overtake anything she was feeling. "I know things probably affect you differently then they do me. I never had to deal with addictions other then my addiction to lifting and wrestling." She cupped his face in her hands and gave him a long kiss. "Nothing you have ever done will change the way I look at you. You're a good man and you're my man. We can get through anything together." And they could. She looked at this as an opportunity to prepare herself for mother hood as well as help him in the process. "I would love to. I like having you to myself as much as possible." Fans were always trying to catch a glimpse of the man and she was understanding but right now she felt they needed alone time to just enjoy a night together. "Sounds good. What do you want to watch?" She asked as she thought about what to cook.

“It might for a minute,” Zac shook his head. “But it doesn’t give me the numb feeling or adrenaline that coke gives me. It’s hard to explain unless you’ve done coke. The feeling that you get, the feeling that sometimes I crave more than I should.” The man shrugged. He was getting better at handling those cravings and find other things to keep him busy when they would make their way around. And even Zac had to admit that they were coming on less as the time went on. He returned her kiss, his hand resting against the back of her head, fingers curling into her blonde locks. “I don’t know,” he pressed his lips together in a fine line. “Figured a comedy or rom com. Horror if you want to get scared.”

"I would miss you if I drowned you." She said quietly and let out a small sigh. It was a lot to deal with but she didn't see it all as a negative. "Zac had a child and was excited about it, she had another child to steal and couldn't wait to meet and spoil her. " The biggest thing to her was that he hadn't cheated on her. Cheating was something she wouldn't be able to forgive. You don't cheat on someone you love and she knew he loved her. "I think she will too. She didn't seem to mind me stealing her as long as I give her back." A smiled curled onto her lips and she brought her hand up and played in the back of his hair. "Just let me know when and where and I'll be there." She was glad that he thought enough about her and their relationship to stay busy with her and not fall back into his bad habits. "It's easy to get bored with life and want to do something to shake it up. I feel the same way at times but I just do something fun like bungee jump or something more tame and go camping. Things to challenge me not things to potentially ruin my life. It's more about learning and practicing self control. I will always help you find ways to have fun and not lose yourself in the process.

Zac nodded, “I do things like that too. But sometimes it’s more of a wanting to numb whatever I’m feeling.” He explained. He wasn’t sure if she would understand it or not since she wasn’t a recovery addict. But he hoped that he made sense about it. “I know you will always help me, and I’m glad. I never wanted my past, or the things I have done, to cause you to not look at me the same way. Or make you want to wak away from me.” She had always been good for him. Anyone in his life saw that stability that he created since the two of them got together. Last thing he wanted was to lose her. “Do you want to stay in today? We can cook something in the villa’s kitchen and watch a movie?”

“You could have drown me too. But I’m glad that you didn’t.” He said softly. She could have taken it a lot worse than he expected. But it wasn’t like he was asking her to become a step mom, or that he hid a child from her this past year. If he would have found out or even known about Tove before he got with Tiffany, he would have been completely honest with her from the get-go.  “I tink Lily will let me see her and be part of her life. But once things settle down and I get to know her, I’d love for you to meet her.” He smiled warmly at Tiffany. He shrugged, “no. but that’s because I kept myself busy with you. And normally when I start trying to be sober, I’m good. I start struggling a few months in.” Zac explained. “It’s like I get bored with my life and want the drama.” His mom had made the comment once. Said Zac just didn’t like the stability, and how her divorce with their father caused a lot of turmoil for him.

"Just started talking about her daughter and you know me, baby thief.. so I was talking about stealing Brina's baby when she gets here and said I would steal Tove too and she started telling me how she had her and everything." Tiffany made friends easily due to her sweet and giving nature. She and Sabrina joked about how much alike they were and a lot was probably due to them sharing a zodiac sign and being born so close together. "I'm glad you were the one to tell me. I think communication is very important with couples. Having secrets and telling lies never did anything for a relationship or even a friendship. It all boiled down to trust and she trusted Zac. The man had never given her a reason not to and after Marcel's cheating as well as his mental and emotional abuse, Zac was a breath of fresh air. "I'm not surprised. The entertainment industry as a whole including sports is rampant with drugs and alcohol abuse. His body language told her that he was nervous but there was no reason for him to be. "I can understand why she didn't tell you but I hate that's how you had to find out. Poor little angel but she's fine and now you know and can work on being her father." She wasn't sure how much he would get to see her or what Lily's husband felt about all of this but she would be by Zac's side to help him navigate it all. "I'm glad you're getting to see her. I would tell you I would go with you as emotional support but I feel like it's something you need to do alone." I can come to LA and when you're done, you can come and tell me all about it. Take some pics if you can, so I can see if she favors you." He would make cute kids, she had always felt that. "You're a good man and a sober man. We have been together over a year without you wanting a drink or drugs. You haven't even looked at another woman. You're not that old Zac anymore, you've grown up and see that you have people that love you and you don't have to do all that to make them want to be with you." She knew what he meant and smiled before leaning in to kiss him.

“You are a baby thief.” Zac agreed. He knew she loved kids, so he didn’t know why he thought she would take badly. But tiffany was proving that she was taking it all with stride. “I’m glad I was too. I didn’t want you to hear about her from the media or someone else. I knew it had to be me. I found out right before your birthday, and I would have told you right away, but I didn’t want to ruin your day if this made you upset. At least being on the beach, you could go cool down somewhere else.” He laughed. “I also think I had to wrap my head around the idea of having a daughter and how I missed her first year of life.” He wasn’t bad at Lily for it. Zac knew he wasn’t in a good place to step up and be a father. And the chance that Tove wasn’t his and was her husbands, there was no reason for Lily to blow up her marriage for a little one night stand. “I don’t know if I’ll take pictures the first time. I just want to focus on her and not pull my phone out.” Zac explained. “And then once she’s use to me and Lily and I figure this all out, hopefully you can actually meet her. A lot is going to change in her life, and I don’t want to toss two new people into her life.” Zac was enough change for the one year old. “That’s because I don’t go to parties anymore, or anywhere where drugs or alcohol is around.” He reminded her. He was careful about not going to parties in this world of his. He knew if he did, he would be at a higher risk of relapse. So he just stayed home, he couldn’t remember the last red-carpet event he attended.

It was a lot to take in but he hadn't cheated on her, it was the woman that had done the cheating and a child had came from it. Jess loved kids and always spoiled those around her. She couldn't wait to spoil Sabrina's and she was already joking about stealing her new friend's child. Lily. Her head cocked to the side as he said her new friends name. "Lily. I made a new friend named Lily who has a daughter that's one. She said she didn't think she could have kids till she had her." This could be a good thing or an awkward thing. "I'm guessing she's the married woman that cheated on her husband and got pregnant with your kid. She never told me all that but then I wouldn't have either if I were her." Tiffany sat quietly as she thought of what was said between her and Lily and what Zac was telling her. "You weren't the married one plus you were drunk and from what you told me of your past, not the nicest guy when under the influence. "I'm glad Tove is fine now and she has an amazing father. As long as he doesn't try to keep you from seeing your daughter then I don't think it matters what he thinks." She went silent again but only briefly. "So are you able to see her? I think you should." He hadn't asked her what she thought or where this put them but she figured that was the reason for the talk. "It doesn't change how I feel about you. It's not a bad thing having a kid even if the way you got her wasn't the best. It's not her fault and I think you should get to know her."

“That would be her, Lily Collins.” Zac responded. “Didn’t realize you two had became friends.” Maybe it was a good thing the two had, it would make this transition a whole lot easier on him. “No, I’m sure she didn’t want to be the one to tell you. Not her place, it had to be me.” Zac would have hated if he didn’t get a chance to tell his girlfriend about Tove and she had found out through Lily, dylan, or even some greedy news outlet once they found that out. “I was high, probably on coke. Drinking was never my issue, it was drugs.” HE realized she probably had no idea what his demons were since he kept all that private. “But either way. Getting high has gotten me in a lot of trouble. Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time it has happened. Sleeping with a married woman and getting her pregnant. Lucy thought I was the father of her daughter Delia, but thankfully I wasn’t.” His hand dropped from his face, and cupped his hands on his lap, fingers lacing against each other as he tapped a foot against the ground. “I’m glad Tove is fine. And I’m kind of glad she got sick, so I found out about her. If they hadn’t done those blood tests, who knows when and if I would have.” He hoped Lily would have told him at some point, but he was glad it was while she was still young. “Yeah, I’m actually going to go meet her when I get back to LA. And I hope he doesn’t try to stop me, I never asked Lily if he’s staying around or not. I have to talk to her about all that, I have no rights to Tove, technically. I’m not on the birth certificate. But I do know I want to be in her life and watch her grow up. I want to be her dad. And that’s a feeling I’ve never had before.” He paused for a moment, his thumb running against the back of his hand. “I’ve never wanted to be a dad. I always felt to fucked up to be one. Like I couldn’t stay sober for longer than six months. I was constantly at rock bottom. But now I have people that I want to stay sober for.” He made sure to say people in hopes that she knew that he wa also talking about her and not just Tove.

“I am nervous. It’s nothing bad, it’s just big.” He said softly as they got situated outside. He told her what was going on, his hand resting against his face as his eyes watched every facial expression to see if she was going to be mad and want to leave. “I mean, she was born right before we got together. But Lily and I hooked up nine months earlier. I just wanted you to know that I didn’t cheat on you.” He didn’t want to go into this with her thinking he had some affair with Lily, since it wasn’t true. “I don’t know what was going on through Lily’s head at the time or why she was okay with cheating on him with me. We didn’t talk about any of that back then, nor did I care.” He was different when he was drunk or high, he wasn’t the Zac that Tiffany knew now. Zac nodded, “yeah. Sounds like she’s fine now. I never asked her about him, I was more worried about the fact that I have a daughter.”

"Breakfast in bed with my hunky boyfriend. I sure do feel special, baby. Best birthday day ever." As she inched slowly toward thirty she wondered if she would feel any different. The last few years she had definitely matured and partied less, worked more but then WWE didn't give you the option because they worked you hard when you signed with them. She savored the taste of his lips against hers as she returned it and deepened it slightly before he moved off of her. "Food, presents and my man. I hate I have to work but shouldn't be there long." She pressed a kiss to the side of his face as she took his hand and walked with him to the table. "I do love the beach and bought several new bikinis for you to enjoy and me to look hot in." She took her seat and closed her eyes in happy bliss as she smelled the food. "It smells and looks so good." She said as she soon started to eat. "And tastes even better."

He chuckled softly, moving to kiss her softly. Zac’s hands resting against her waist as he moved to hover over her. “You smell food. I ordered us some breakfast. It’s your favorite breakfast.” He mumbled against her lips. “Happy birthday, baby.” Zac kissed her once again before he pulled himself off her. “Let’s go eat and then you can open your presents.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her up off the bed. “Let’s eat, and then we’ll do whatever you want to do until we have to head to the arena.” Zac told her, it was her day and she wanted to have fun. “And then once you’re out of the ring for the night, we’ll head out on a little beach vacation.” He pulled her chair out for her so she could sit down and then he took the cover off of her meal before he sat across from her.