Counting Stars

"You'd get mauled."

"I'd die a martyr, become a saint probably. Saint Niall, it's got a nice ring to it don't you think?"

There were chuckles, snickers that shut off immediately when they noticed the boy sitting quietly and hidden. They all glanced at one another, pointing at the door when it all sunk in.

Ellis had walked by them a few seconds ago, crossing the boys in the direction they were headed as if she had just come from there.

"Have you been in here the whole time?" Liam questioned.

Zayn only nodded in response.

"Did Ellis just come out of here?" Niall wondered as if he hadn't gotten it, his attempt at being smooth.

"Yeah," Zayn nodded again, running a hand over his face.

"What was she doing here?" Liam pressed.

"Checking the room, or something," he said, wanting be vague. But it didn't matter.

"Are you sure?" Harry smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I think he's hiding something," Louis added, nudging Harry in his side and getting a few chuckles in response.

"Do you think he tried it on again and she shut him down?"

"You know he did, that's why he's hiding."

"Yeah, he's had no luck with her."

They went around in a circle like a bunch of gossiping school girls, getting their digs in while Zayn stood silent. He didn't want to give them the satisfaction right now, he didn't want them to know how much some girl was getting under his skin, making him self-conscious.

While they continued to snicker and tease, the door flew open and someone from their team swooped in to gather them up, causing Zayn to sigh with relief. He had been saved, for now.

A few days slipped by faster than they had all slipped out of the unnamed city's dressing room. They had four days off in sunny California, staying at a beautiful hotel by the beach.

This was a relief to Ellis, who could have a moment alone. Someone had tipped her off about the roof, which not only had the best view in the entire hotel, but you could sneak away from any prying eyes and have a cigarette. In this line of work, a drink and some tobacco at the end of the night was the perfect way to unwind.

Right now though, she just needed some time to herself.

She started the climb up to the roof carefully, noting that the person forgot to mention the treacherous nature of the ladder. Managing to get to the top in one piece though, she took in the amazing scenery. You could see the water falling against the shore for as far as her eyes would allow. The breeze was cool, so calming that she almost forgot why she was up there in the first place.

She pulled the pack out of her back pocket, smirking to herself when she placed the stick between her lips. She had left her phone that normally sat in that pocket back in her room, there was no chance in anybody bothering her.

She searched for a lighter, groaning when she realized she had forgotten it.

"Shit," she seethed. "That's just fucking great."

"Need a light?" His voice asked, causing her to jump.

"Jesus," Ellis hissed, coming face to face with none other than him. "You scared the daylights out of me."

He laughed softly, holding the lighter up to her. She placed the cigarette that she had ripped out in shock back between her lips firmly, going to take the flame from his hand. He shook his head, flicking it for her and politely sparking the stick.

She sucked in, pulling away before she grabbed it between both fingers, tilting her head back and exhaling. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Not a problem," he returned, pulling one of his own out and lighting it so she wouldn't be alone.

"I didn't know you smoked," she commented before taking another drag.

"I can say the same about you," Zayn grinned, motioning towards a ledge so they could sit.

Reluctantly, Ellis followed him, glancing over with a bite of her lip. She stayed quiet, and so did he. It was odd, the two other times they had interacted in this manner he had been so forward, forcing a conversation with her.

Tapping the ash off the end, she took yet another drag to occupy herself. What she hadn't realized was, the boy sitting next to her had vowed to keep quiet the moment he noticed her. He was playing it cool on the outside this time, while on the inside he was a wreck.

There was something that made him nervous, something more than just her cold demeanour and the way she made him feel.

"So who told you about coming up here?" He asked, awkwardly tapping his foot.

"One of the guys, the staff…your staff," she laughed. It was her turn to be flustered. "It's nice up here," she added in recovery.

"Yeah the view is pretty great."

"It's just nice to have a few moments to myself, you know?"

"Sorry I interrupted you Ellis," he said, almost mocking how she always spoke to him.

"Oh no don't worry about that," she dismissed, not catching his teasing tone. "It's okay having company actually, share this view with someone."

This perked him up, she was being so nice to him. It was giving him some kind of hope that they could get to know one another, but only a bit.

He nodded, taking the last drag from his cigarette. "Yeah, it was a bit lonely up here before you showed up. I'm not used to being completely alone."

"Neither am I," she whispered, realizing that they were in the same boat.

For so long, Ellis couldn't remind herself enough that they were so different. Reality sunk in quickly now, they weren't all that different after all. It actually made her feel so guilty, especially over the way she had been treating him.

Her hands were tied in that area though, she couldn't do anything about it without risking everything.

It felt like a repeat every time she was around him, acting like a complete ice queen, reminding herself that this was for the best. But why was it for the best? Why did she had to keep up the reminder? Deep down she knew why, she had this naive notion that she could work and make some amazing memories with her new friends. The reality of being on this end of this type of act, well it was harsh. They couldn't risk a beautiful girl falling for a beautiful boy, it had happened already in some capacity and it was a PR nightmare.

"Is that rough?" He asked, pulling her back down to earth.

"What?" She questioned, butting out her own cigarette.

"Not getting a moment alone, how old are you anyway?"

She cleared her throat, he had asked something too personal now, completely ending the progress they seemed to be making.

She stood, brushing her hair way from her face when the breeze caught it. "Thanks for the light Mr. Malik," she said, giving him a small smile.

Zayn looked at her stunned, unsure of what he had said now to make her run away.

Maybe he should just give this up, he thought. He was getting nowhere, all hope she had built in him crashing to the ground and shattering like a glass.

But that wasn't him, he wasn't someone to just give up that easily. He would get her, in what way he wasn't sure. He wasn't about to lose.