For Fair Love
twenty two
I toss the ring back and forth between my fingers. He nearly had me fool... Saying all those romantic things… I’m almost certain that Karen had him rehearse those words last night. They seemed almost too good to be true. Harry? Harry doesn’t come look for me and enchant me. He usually waits for me to crawl back into the penthouse. I sigh. My heart fluttered a little too quickly for him at that moment, but now my head is back on my shoulders. This is all for the publicity. It’s impossible that Harry meant those words. I’m not a sexy model and I’m not a hot actress. There’s no way Harry would ever find me interesting. I’m boring as can be. I stare at the blue ring and flick it somewhere where I don’t care. ‘Think of me’ my ass.
Suddenly, there’s a knock on my door. I walk up to open it.
“Zayn?”
“Hi,” he says, “How’s it going?”
“You won’t care,” I say, feeling a bit snappy.
He frowns, “That’s not true.”
I look behind him.
“Where’s your Perrie?”
Zayn pauses, realizing where my sudden anger originates.
“I don’t know. Don’t be upset. She and I are just friends, you know,” he sighs.
“Why are you telling me that?”
He simply walks pass me and enter the house. I’m still caught up on why he was reassuring me. Did I sound jealous or something?
“Have you watched the game?” Zayn changes the subject
“I missed most of it,” I say, accepting the bait.
“Lou has a game coming up. You want to come? It’s this Friday.
I shrug, “Sure, I guess.”
I watch Zayn walk into the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of orange juice freely.
“Niall was smashed last night and woke up cranky only to go back to bed,” Zayn says, “Liam is taking a jog. I’m quite lonely,” he takes a gulp.
I scratch the back of my neck, feeling suddenly awkward.
“Well, you certainly don’t want to waste your time being with me,” I say, hoping he’ll leave after putting his glass into the sink.
He walks up, “But I like being with you.”
I hold still.
“Zayn…”
I can’t take it… having boys playing with my feelings—not that I have any for them. It’s just frustrating that I don’t know if he’s being genuine. Though, I doubt he’d lie to me. On the other hand, I’m nobody. So, it’s not like he has to be honest with me. I hardly even know him.
“What?”
“Don’t say that.”
“Don’t say what?”
I sigh and sit in the foyer. He simply follows and sits right next to me.
He asks, “Chas, what’s wrong? Why you look so down?”
I shake my head. I can’t speak. I’m too busy beating myself up.
“What’s it going to take for me to see you smile?” he asks.
I shake my head again.
“Need a hug?” he laughs a bit, petting my head with his hand.
I don’t know how, but his laugh made me want to laugh. I forgot what made me upset.
“O-oh, someone does need a hug!” Zayn exclaims, wrapping his large arms around me. I try to pull away, holding in m laughter at his silliness.
“No, I don’t need your hug. Especially not from you,” I say back.
Zayn exaggerates taking offense and squeezes me anyway.
“Why you little—” he squeezes me firmly.
My breath escapes my lungs as I try to move out of his strong hold.
“Sto-op it, Zayn! You’re squeezing the life out of me!” I laugh.
He finally lets me free, making me fall back. Our giggles dissipate and we fall silent. He stares in my eyes for a moment. It’s like the world stopped turning. He smiles sweetly, brushing his fingers on my face.
“Only if you never say that you’ll never need me,” he whispers.
I stare at the lashes above his eyes, noticing how close we are.
“Alright,” I whisper.
Suddenly, there’s a knock on my door. I walk up to open it.
“Zayn?”
“Hi,” he says, “How’s it going?”
“You won’t care,” I say, feeling a bit snappy.
He frowns, “That’s not true.”
I look behind him.
“Where’s your Perrie?”
Zayn pauses, realizing where my sudden anger originates.
“I don’t know. Don’t be upset. She and I are just friends, you know,” he sighs.
“Why are you telling me that?”
He simply walks pass me and enter the house. I’m still caught up on why he was reassuring me. Did I sound jealous or something?
“Have you watched the game?” Zayn changes the subject
“I missed most of it,” I say, accepting the bait.
“Lou has a game coming up. You want to come? It’s this Friday.
I shrug, “Sure, I guess.”
I watch Zayn walk into the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of orange juice freely.
“Niall was smashed last night and woke up cranky only to go back to bed,” Zayn says, “Liam is taking a jog. I’m quite lonely,” he takes a gulp.
I scratch the back of my neck, feeling suddenly awkward.
“Well, you certainly don’t want to waste your time being with me,” I say, hoping he’ll leave after putting his glass into the sink.
He walks up, “But I like being with you.”
I hold still.
“Zayn…”
I can’t take it… having boys playing with my feelings—not that I have any for them. It’s just frustrating that I don’t know if he’s being genuine. Though, I doubt he’d lie to me. On the other hand, I’m nobody. So, it’s not like he has to be honest with me. I hardly even know him.
“What?”
“Don’t say that.”
“Don’t say what?”
I sigh and sit in the foyer. He simply follows and sits right next to me.
He asks, “Chas, what’s wrong? Why you look so down?”
I shake my head. I can’t speak. I’m too busy beating myself up.
“What’s it going to take for me to see you smile?” he asks.
I shake my head again.
“Need a hug?” he laughs a bit, petting my head with his hand.
I don’t know how, but his laugh made me want to laugh. I forgot what made me upset.
“O-oh, someone does need a hug!” Zayn exclaims, wrapping his large arms around me. I try to pull away, holding in m laughter at his silliness.
“No, I don’t need your hug. Especially not from you,” I say back.
Zayn exaggerates taking offense and squeezes me anyway.
“Why you little—” he squeezes me firmly.
My breath escapes my lungs as I try to move out of his strong hold.
“Sto-op it, Zayn! You’re squeezing the life out of me!” I laugh.
He finally lets me free, making me fall back. Our giggles dissipate and we fall silent. He stares in my eyes for a moment. It’s like the world stopped turning. He smiles sweetly, brushing his fingers on my face.
“Only if you never say that you’ll never need me,” he whispers.
I stare at the lashes above his eyes, noticing how close we are.
“Alright,” I whisper.