Chapter 54

Anna's POV

After what felt like forever, Zach returned with a doctor followed by a nurse around 40.

"How are you feeling, Miss Brown?" the doctor asked, checking my pulse.

"Pain..." I answered in a duh tone earning a chuckle from him.

"Well expected answer. Your body is weak, cause of the blood you lost but, everything is under control now. All you have to do is give your body the rest it deserves."

"How long does she have to be in here?" Zach asked the doctor.

"One more night would be enough. We have to do a few more tests then she is good to go." He gave me an encouraging smile and left the room.

"Ma'am, I'm here to assist you to the washroom routine, shall we?" the middle-aged nurse asked.

I nodded my head, and Zach helped me to step out of the bed. With both of my arms being shot, I might be needing their assistant a lot more in the near future.

"Please call me Anna." I gave an assuring smile which she returned. The routine was quite embarrassing. The last time someone washed me was my mom, well except, for Zach when we were together. A sudden heat washed over my face when recalling our moments.

When she was done with the cleaning, we returned to the room where everyone, and I mean everyone was waiting.

"Oh my god!" the words felt like a pin that broke the silence.

"Anna, my god. Baby, you scared me to death." Mom rushed my way to hug me but halted her action when her eyes fell on my bandaged arms.

"Mom, Dad. What are you guys doing here?" I felt sudden dizziness, and Zach rushed my way to support my body.

"I got you," he whispered near my ear and carried me to my bed, laying me comfortably.

"When did you guys come to New York?" I asked my parents, after feeling a bit stable.

"Trust me, young lady, if you were not on this bed, injured right now, I would have smack your head, and that too pretty hard." I gulped at her outbrust. "Thanks to Mia, I got to know about this whole mess you were in." I made a checklist inside my head to scold Mia for informing Mom and Dad.

"Mom, I didn't plan my kidnapping or the gunshot. And I just woke up. Please spare me if I didn't get a proper time to inform you." She narrowed her eyes at me but held my fingers.

"I'm sorry. I just got overboard when saw you with all this," she gestured at the bandage.

"You okay, sweety." Dad finally said something, stroking back my hair. I felt like a kid again, and a tear dropped from the corner of my eyes.

"I am now," I said, honestly, and he kissed my forehead.

"Have you met the kids?"

"We came here straight from the airport. And we have so much to talk about," Mom nodded her head towards Zach, who was busy in a phone call the entire time.

I gave a shaky smile and asked them to have a rest at Zach's house. "I'm fine mom. Dad, please take her and have some rest, you guys." They finally agreed after my pleadings.

"I got you some food," Zach sat on the edge of the bed and opened the lid of the container.

"It looks disgusting." I made a face looking at the off-white colour soup.

"Well, this is all you could eat for now. So, quiet being a picky kid and eat it." I narrowed my eyes with a pout at his bossiness.

"Who were you talking to on the phone?" I asked, gulping down the bland soup.

He put down the soup on the side table before speaking, "My lawyer," he gave me a short answer. I held my gaze, and he signed, "It was about Emily. He has submitted all the evidence against her in court. Mr and Mrs Roberts were ashamed of her and didn't want to do anything for her, which I'm glad." I nodded, and he continued. "She is helpless and doesn't have anything to save her ass. We have to be there at the final hearing. It's next week. You sure want to be there and face her," I gestured him to come closer, and he did. I picked his cheek, and he grinned at my gesture.

"What was that for?" I blushed when he smirked.

"Thank you." He was confused so, I continued. "You were worried about me. You thought I might not want to deal with Emily after everything she did to me and our kids." He nodded his head.

"Baby, you don't have to be there. If it affects you." I shook my head.

"No, Zach. I want to pay back Emily for what she did to us. To Maria, to our kids."

"I love the way you said our kids."

"Chase is and will always be my first baby. I don't care what other think." I held my face high with a proud smile. He held my jaw, rubbing his thumb on my skin, making it burn from his touch.

"God! I missed you so much." He whispered before claiming my lips in a deep, passionate kiss. He held my face with both of his hands, and I wanted to do the same but, my arms betrayed me. He pulled me closer if that's even possible. I felt his tongue on my lower lips, asking for entrance, and I gave it more than willingly. A soft moan left my lips when his tongue gets in touch with mine.

"Damn! Jesus." I pulled my face away from Zach when interrupted by the unwanted guests. "Save something for the home, you guys." Mia teased with a smirk lingering on her lips. Nick was trying hard not to laugh at my beetroot face. Wait! When did he come from California? and Zach stood there as nothing happened.

"I have to take this," Zach said, waving his phone at us. Saved by the phone, every time.

"Ahem!" I turned my attention to Mia and Nick.

"Nick! When did you get here?" I asked.

"Yesterday night. Mia called, and the next thing I know, I was on my way to New York."

"Mia, you have to stop calling people like that, first Nick and then my parents."

Her jaw dropped, and she began to scold me, "You get kidnapped, and almost got killed by that bitch. And you wanted me to stay calm and not to inform anyone." She turned her back on me, and I signed at my mistake. She did what she thought was good for me.

"Hey!" I called but, she didn't respond. "I'm sorry. I should have done the same if I was in your place too. I get it now. Can I have my best friend back?" I pouted, waiting for her to face me. She rushed to the bed and hugged me, careful to the wounds.

"I was scared to death, Anna. I thought I lost my only friend." Her sobbed made me cry even more.

"Hey! cut these tears out. I don't want my girls to waste their precious tears anymore." Nick made us chuckle, and Mia whipped her tears as well as mine.

"We met your parents on our way here. John has helped them settle in the mansion, they are taking care of the kids."

"You should have brought them here. I wanted to meet them," I pouted at the mention of my kids.

"Your both hands are wrapped in bandages, and it was not good for them to see you suffer like this. That's why we didn't bring them here." I nodded my head, agreeing to her.

"Yeah, you are right. I don't want them to see me like this either."

"So, you guys are together huh," Mia teased me, wriggling her eyebrows.

"Yeah, we are. I can't believe we are back together."

"I told you so. He would be stupid not to fall for you."

"I agree." Nick shrugged his shoulder, and I laugh.

"So, when is the wedding?"

"Mia!" I gasped at her sudden question.

"What!" she reacted as if what she said was as causal as a morning wish.

"Nevermind," I said in between the yawning.

"Let her rest, M. We will visit you later." I nodded my head, and they left the room. I heard the sound of fading footsteps before I fell asleep.

The Next Morning...

"All set to go," Zach asked, taking the driver's seat. I nodded my head eagerly, the hospitals make me sick.

I'm feeling much better now and video calling kids last night, just made me want to leave this hospital as soon as possible.

After 40 minutes, Zach parked the car at the entrance and rushed to open my side of the door.

He helped me with the stairs and rang the bell. Soon, John opened the door with the sweetest smile, and I returned it. "Welcome home, Anna."

"Thank you, John. I really missed this place." I answered honestly.

After few more steps inside into the hall, I heard the loud bang, and everyone came ahead from their hideouts shouting "Surprise."

"Welcome home, baby," Zach whispered, kissing my cheeks.

"Mommy!" the kids rushed my way, hugging my body.

"What did you just called me?" I asked Chase, holding my breath.

"M-Mommy..." I chuckled, tears running down my eyes. "I'm sorry Anna. I won't call you mommy if you don't like it." he worriedly said, staring at my tear-filled eyes.

"No, honey. I'm just too happy to called mommy by you." He grinned and was whipped by tears.

"Welcome back, Anna," A different sound greeted me.

"Mason!" My eyes went wide looking at him. I turned at Zach, waiting for his outburst but, it didn't appear.

My already wide eyes went even wider when he hugged me when Zach stood beside me with a sweet smile.

"Am I missing something here?" I asked, looking back and forth to Zach and Mason.

"I think you guys should tell," Mia suggested.

"Tell her what?" My parents asked, as clueless as I was.

And then it all happened. I felt like I was in a movie. Everything was going around in slow motion.

"All this happened, and you didn't tell us, Anna." my parents asked, knowing the real reason for our break up.

"You took that pain all alone and suffered the heartbreak. I always felt something was fishy in your break-up, but I never imagined that to be this." my mother walked ahead and hugged me. And as for me, I was still shocked, it was not my fault. Mason and I were innocent all along. I never betrayed, Zach and it was all Emily who did dirty in our relationship.

"Anna." Zach held my hand, jerking me from my thoughts. "I know what you must be feeling right now. Trust me, I felt even worse. I doubted you and my friend for the thing you never did, and no matter how many times I apologize, it will never be enough."

"It's not your fault Zach. I might have reacted the same way if I was in your place. I'm glad the truth is out, and there is no more misunderstanding between us." He pulled me in a hug and kissed my forehead.

"I guess our timing was perfect."

"Indeed,"

A new pair of voices came through the door, taking us all by surprise.