a/n:
This chapter took a bit more time than anticipated, my apologies. Anyway, in every chapter please take note of the bits of information I drop in regards to Zac x Arden, this book is explaining that they too are a flawed couple. 

f r e n c h
k i s s e s

It was nearly eleven by the time I got home from Simone and Hermes' engagement party,  the taxi ride a full ten minutes of silence consisting of no music and short breaths. The first thing I did upon the arrival at my apartment was take off the heels I had been wearing for the past few hours and change into silk pajamas. Comfort and my best friend were the two things I desperately needed at a time like this.

I snuggled into bed and fifteen minutes passed, my phone ringing and flashing with a picture of a certain blond haired boy shortly after I had settled into bed. I accepted the video call, confused on as to why he was contacting me at such an early hour back at home. The time difference still unusual and causing for me to check the time on the clock once more to clarify.

"Zac?" I questioned, blackness showing from his end.

He moved his phone and showed his face, a large smile on it that showed almost all his teeth. He was laughing uncontrollably and staring past the camera to the right, I assumed that some movie was on the television.

"Zac?" I called out again, calling for his attention.

"Yes, Arden?" he questioned back, seemingly unaware that he was the one that called me.

I sighed. "You're the one that called me, Zac."

He laughed more as if I had said something hilarious and propped his phone on the coffee table phone stand in our apartment, we had moved in together after my first year of college. Zac was still wearing his work clothes, however, the clothes were a bit disheveled and he had three buttons to his shirt unbuttoned. He quickly unbuttoned his button up completely and flashed me with yet another wide smile.

"You like the view?" he asked, his words a bit slurred and not as clear as usual.

"Zac, have you been drinking?" I asked after a moment of silence, knowing the answer already and ignoring his question.

He picked up his phone again and walked into the bedroom, falling into the white sheets of our room, the bed clearly not having been made recently. I had worried that he wouldn't maintain the apartment while I was away.

"Kind of," he responded.

I ruffled my eyebrows, not satisfied at all with his short response.

"What do you mean by 'kind of,' Zac?" I inquired, my tone having a bit of an edge to it.

He shifted into the covers and turned on a bedside lamp, taking off his watch. Loud clanking and abrupt movements being picked up every second.

"I had a few drinks with the guys," he shrugged off as if it was nothing, as if downing a dozen drinks until reaching a state of being completely wasted was normal.

"Zac," I said, catching his attention and causing for him to stop moving for the first time since picking up the phone.

He looked at his phone directly, his eyes showing bits of red from being sleep derived mixed with drinking alcohol.

"I'm worried about you," I simply said.

"It was just a few drinks," he replied quickly, brushing it off.

"You just got home and you're slurring your words," I stated.

"It was just a few drinks," he repeated.

"But—" I began, getting cut off.

"Arden, can you just fucking drop it? I don't have a drinking problem. I just had a few drinks with the guys tonight because I fucking miss you and needed something," he sharply said, each word a bit louder.

I silenced myself, dropping my eyes from the phone screen. I knew that the distance would put a bit of a strain on our relationship and that it wasn't easy for him, but it was only natural for me to react to his uncalled for reaction.

"Fine, I'll drop it," I murmured after a little while, my eyes wide in response to him cursing.

He looked at me and deeply sighed.

"Arden—," he began, however, this time I cut him off.

"Good night, Zac," I said, not wanting to get into an argument with a drunken version of the man I fell hopelessly in love with nearly three years ago.

Almost three years had passed, our third one proving to be the hardest for the both of us. Upon getting promoted at his job he became a different version of himself, the stress of work making Zac more irritable and reliant on expensive pastimes.

It had always been my plan to study abroad in college, Zac well aware of it too. He knew my plans and I knew his plans to succeed in his business ventures, our relationship built around our individual plans. We planned to maintain our relationship when I was away and simply resume to regular life when I returned. After I graduated he wanted to get married and we would buy a house together. Before Zac turned thirty he wanted to be the father of at least one baby, myself acting as a stay-at-home mom while he would manage the finances of our family. We would be living happily ever after together and our plans said so.

However, plans don't always go as they are supposed to.

* * *

Dodging calls and text messages proved to not be difficult when exploring the city of Paris, Isla had called me at noon asking me to go out with her and I happily obliged. Isla was a fiery and outgoing person, the color of her hair reflected her perfectly.

She picked me up at the front of my building with a large grin, she was wearing denim cutoff overalls with an off the shoulder striped top. Her red hair was placed into two messy braids, Isla effortlessly beautiful with a smile.

Our walk to our first destination was filled with organic conversation, a natural flow and liveliness between Isla and I. The way I could easily talk to Isla was almost like how I could talk to Ellie.

"How's Paris treating you?" she asked along the way.

"It's rather daunting to be completely honest, it's a big move for me and school starts for me in a little over than a week, I'm thousands of miles away from home and I can't say that I'm completely fluent in the language," I admitted, Isla giving me a small reassuring smile.

"It takes some time to adjust, but once you do I'm sure you'll be perfectly fine. In addition, you will have me if you ever need anything," she finished, continuing to lead the way.

First Isla took me to a café, the two of us taking a seat outside in the chilly weather and being served by a boy that looked no older than sixteen. Both of us ordered our drinks and food, Isla ordering a cappuccino and I ordered a water.

"Would you care to explain where you ran off to in such a hurry last night? Midnight rendezvous with Laurent?" Isla questioned, sipping her hot cappuccino with grace.

I shook my head rapidly at the second question.

"I got tired all of the sudden and went home, I'm sorry for leaving without saying anything. Also, Laurent and I are just friends, I actually have a boyfriend," I answered, wanting to clarify the situation between Laurent and I.

Isla's mouth formed an 'o' shape and she realized my circumstances as they were. Both complicated in many ways and yet simple to explain.

"Back in America?" she asked, referring to the boyfriend I made sure to mention.

"Yes, Zac's in California where I'm from. I met him my senior year of high school and we have been together ever since. We actually share an apartment," I explained with a smile.

"Sounds like a serious relationship," Isla simply replied.

"It is I suppose, Zac's actually twenty-four," I stated, feeling the need to clarify his age.

Isla gave a small smile. "You seem happy."

I returned a smile because I was happy in my mind, stability in my life and myself living out the life I had wanted as a little girl.

"Laurent knows of Zac right?" she asked.

I nodded rapidly, wanting to clarify that Laurent indeed knew that I was dating someone.

The server came back with the food we had ordered and we ate quietly for five minutes, concentrating on our warm full plates. Anytime I looked over at Isla I was greeted with a smile.

"Are Laurent and you close?" I finally asked.

She sat down her fork and finished her chewing, being utmost polite.

"I don't know if I would say that, things are still a bit awkward between the two of us," she answered.

"Awkward?" I asked, her answer seeming to not be complete.

"Laurent and I dated for a bit," Isla said, creating a slightly sinking feeling in my chest.

I said nothing and just stared at her, a bit shocked. It made sense though, Isla was a beautiful girl and Laurent was very charismatic, the two of them making a picture perfect couple.

"It really wasn't that serious, we only dated for about three months. He was still in university and I had just begun my first job in the fashion industry. We had met for the first time two years previous when I came to a family party as Simone's friend from America, nothing really happening between us until my birthday party when I turned twenty-two. I ended up kissing him drunkenly and he kissed back, the two of us taking it from there. However, at the time we didn't realize that we wanted different things. I was looking for a serious relationship and he still was having his fun, myself not enjoying college parties like he was and him not one for galas with sophisticated people. We had the spark, but that was all and it died down after two months, the last two consisting of us in denial," she explained casually, as if she has told their story time and time again.

"I had no idea, I'm sorry for asking," I said, hoping it wasn't too much for her to have to tell.

She shook her head. "It happened in the past and it was a mutual breakup, everything happened the way it should have. Sometimes things just don't go the way they seemingly should."

I nodded, understanding what she meant.

"When I saw you and Laurent together last night I assumed you two were dating because of the way he looked at you, it was in a way he never looked at me while we were dating," explaining her presumption last night.

I continued to eat, unsure of as to what to say. I stared out of the restaurant's patio and looked at the boutique stores that lined the road. Each store was painted with a sign of various colors, bakeries filling the air with their sweet pastries and calling in customers. Isla spoke as I stared, my ears having a hard time focusing on her words as they were hearing the sounds of France.

"There's something that tells me that you're the one he has been waiting for, you just happen to be out of reach," she finished with a bittersweet smile.

I returned a smile.

"Laurent just might be the one I have been waiting for," I said, the words falling out of my mouth.