Had he been gone so long that he forgot she worked on weekdays?
She finished with Toby and had an hour before her next student, a new little girl with physical limitations because of a brain tumor. She went to the edge of the field and leaned on the old fence. Her fingers flew over the virtual keyboard.
She lowered her phone and stared out at the hills. The sooner she cut things with Zack, the better. In some ways it was good he’d gone to the audition, good he’d made it through this far. That’s what her dad had told her last night when he got home and saw the segment. “Tough situations have a way of showing a person’s true colors.” He had sounded sad. Her parents both liked Zack. “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t see this coming.”
They had all thought Zack was different, with a deep devotion to God and the rare kindness of a gentleman. But no one thought it more than her. She had laughed with him as they rode horses through endless Kentucky hills and worked beside him while he fed homeless people in Costa Rica on a mission trip. They had talked all night about their love for God, their belief that He had great plans for them. She’d seen Zack take Grandpa Dan’s arm to help him walk or sit for hours reading to AJ. Yes, Reese had known the very best of Zack Dylan. But the guy featured on last night’s show was someone Reese didn’t know at all.
Zack’s text response came a few minutes later.
Part of her wanted to celebrate the way she usually would because this was Zack texting her, Zack sitting somewhere near Carnegie Hall reaching out to her. The Zack she loved and missed. But she couldn’t think of him that way. He had become someone different. She read his message again. Since yesterday she had dreaded this conversation, dreaded it more than any in all her life. Sure, she could wait ten minutes.
Again his response was instant.
She stared out at the fields again. She could no longer see her future here. In a few weeks she would move to London and discover what God had for her there. But first she had to end things with Zack. Not because he was caught up in the show or because of the kiss or because he’d allowed the producers to find enough material for their Romeo and Juliet piece. But because he had done the one thing he had promised he would never do.
He had changed.
ZACK WAS DESPERATE and angry and scared.
That morning when they had gathered in pajamas in the new living space to watch the show, Zack saw for the first time the Romeo and Juliet piece. Until then, the twenty contestants had been upbeat and vocal, running a constant commentary about how talented this one or that one truly was and wishing all of them could stay even after tonight’s kickoff show. But when the piece on Zack and Zoey came on, an uncomfortable silence settled over the group.
The entire time it played, Zack felt like he was falling. Falling into a deep, dark, bottomless pit. The image in his mind flipped from what was playing on the big screen to flashes of moments from last night, when the kiss had almost gotten out of control. The footage was contrived, no doubt. Everyone on the show knew how he felt about his girlfriend, no matter how he’d failed her. But the photos didn’t lie. Clearly he had shared those moments with Zoey or no camera could’ve caught them.
The judges had been in the room. Halfway through the piece, Zack glanced at them. Kelly and Chandra stared straight ahead, unsmiling. Only Cullen seemed to enjoy himself, grinning as the segment played on. Zack felt his fury begin to build. Which of them had encouraged this? Was it a judge or William Gaines? Or maybe even Samuel Meier? Zack felt betrayed by everyone, somehow even Zoey.
She was seated beside him again, leaning over her knees, seeming as shocked as he was. When it ended, she looked at him, like she wanted to see his reaction before showing her own. He couldn’t talk to her. Not after watching their kiss play out for all of America. Without waiting another moment he stood and walked to the back of the room where Gaines was standing. “Whose idea was that?” Zack’s voice had been more of a hiss. The show played on for the rest of the contestants, although the mood in the room had definitely changed.
Gaines folded his arm and looked toward the door. “Mr. Meier is out there. Talk to him.”
Zack stormed into the hall and found the producer surrounded by a team of assistants. Zack didn’t care. He waited till the producer looked at him, puzzled. “You and I, we need to talk.”
Samuel Meier stared at him, unrushed. “Zack.” He excused the others with a nod and then sauntered closer. “Something on your mind, son?”
“Why’d you do it? The Romeo piece?” Zack’s breaths came fast, his forehead beading with sweat.
“What do you mean?” Meier relaxed and allowed a gentle laugh. “That was you in the pictures, right?”
“The way you played it . . . that isn’t the truth.” Zack’s anger stayed barely controlled.
“You didn’t walk with her and talk to her and hug her?”
Zack clenched his jaw, trapped. “You know what I mean.”
“Was that you kissing her or not?” Meier’s tone grew harshly cool. He didn’t allow time for a response. “Really, Zack. You are what you spend your time on. You’re supposed to be this strong Christian, right?”
“Yes.” Zack thought about last night and conviction shot arrows at his soul. “My faith is important to me. That’s why this segment makes me so—”
“Hold on.” The producer raised his voice. He came a step closer and pointed at Zack. “If your faith was so important, why didn’t our camera guys get shots of you reading your Bible?” He leaned back, studying Zack. “By the way, you’ll be doing a duet with Zoey next week.” He shrugged, his eyes hard. “Don’t complain about the segment, Zack. You gave it to us.”
With that he turned and walked at a determined clip down the hallway where the assistants had gone. He didn’t look back once.
In some ways, Zack wanted nothing more than to run back to the hotel and grab his things and head home to Kentucky where he belonged. But he’d been hit by a strange and stark reality. He didn’t really want to go home. Not yet. Regardless of the Romeo and Juliet piece and the producers manipulating his time with Zoey. Even after what happened last night, he’d come too far to quit.
When the ride was over, he would talk to Reese and work things out.
He kept to himself the rest of the morning and into the afternoon as the group did another Jeep commercial and a photo shoot in Washington Square. Zoey tried to talk to him once, but he shook his head. “Not now. Please.”
After that she left him alone, finding her place amid the group. With every passing hour he thought about what he’d say to Reese, how he’d explain the piece with Zoey, their time together, and the kiss. Not just that one but the one from last night. Especially that. On the bus ride back to the practice hall they were given permission to use their phones. Zack texted Reese immediately.
Now that she’d finally answered, he was desperate to find a way to Skype her. That way he could look into her eyes and explain at least some of what had happened. They filed into the building for what was supposed to be another rehearsal of the group numbers. Zack found Gaines at the back of the practice room. “I need thirty minutes. It’s an emergency.”
Gaines narrowed his eyes. “We don’t have thirty minutes. We tape in two hours.”
“I’m sorry, sir. I have to make a phone call.”
Ten full seconds passed and then Gaines slowly picked up his megaphone. “Take twenty, everyone. We’ll meet here after that.”
It was the first real break of the day and Zack thanked him as he sprinted for the door. He grabbed his laptop on the way out but was stopped by a line of bodyguards at the door. “Hold up.” One of them stood in his path. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Across the street.” He pointed to the Starbucks. “I need to make a call.”
“You have permission from Mr. Gaines?” The guy peered past Zack into the building.
“I do. Please.” He checked the time on his phone. “I don’t have long.”
“All right, then.” The bodyguard nodded at one of his peers. “Let’s do this.”
Zack couldn’t believe he’d need two bodyguards to cross the street and Skype from Starbucks. But he didn’t have time to argue. The hot sun beat down on his shoulders as they walked to the nearest intersection and
