24. Zayn #2
“I know I haven’t been around lately, and that I am sorry for.
But I’m not here for me, I’m here for the kids.
The Young Actors Association means a lot to me and many others, and we wouldn’t be here tonight if it wasn’t for all of you.
Every donation matters, every volunteer hour counts.
Before you leave here tonight, I encourage you to write your name down to give money or commit a few hours to help kids who just want to be given a chance.
I’m thrilled to announce that I will be donating $50,000 tonight and have accepted a position on the board.
I look forward to talking with each and every one of you. Thank you.”
Cheers and applause echo in the room. I didn’t even look at my fucking note cards, but I didn’t need to.
I knew what I had to say and I wanted to keep it short.
Deliver the news, make sure the people know to donate, and hope that it’s received well.
The idea to donate came to me in the moment, but I’m thrilled about the decision when I find Annie in the crowd with the largest grin on her face.
As I approach the table, her eyes crinkle and there’s a look of wonder, admiration maybe?
She’s still clapping with the rest of the room, and I feel like I won an award for best movie of the year.
The cheering dies out as dinner rolls around and I take a seat.
“What was that?” Annie lightly punches me in the arm.
I exaggerate a wince and put a hand to the spot to tease her. “What was what? Was it not a good speech?”
“You—” Annie stammers, shaking her head.
“Did you know you were going to be on the board when I told you what I wanted if I won our bet?” She crosses her arms, trying her hardest to be mad at me.
The pout on her lip only makes me smile more.
God, I never used to smile. What is this woman doing to me?
“I might have known, yes.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I knew I was going to win anyway.” I lean in closer until my mouth is hovering over her ear and whisper, “I can’t wait to rip this dress off and fuck you later.”
“Zayn,” she accosts me, playfully pushing me away. I laugh it off, knowing she’s loving every second of it.
“Let’s eat, Annie, and then we can have some fun.”
The rest of the evening is uneventful. There’s no dancing, just lots of talking and more talking.
It’s impossible to leave the room. Every step is interrupted by someone new.
They thank me for the donation, then tell me some story about a family they knew that was affected by the organization.
Or they’re appreciative that I’m back on the board, knowing how much impact that made.
They also ask me about my future films. Those are my favorite questions to answer, and I know Ed will be thrilled to know that this event has gone better than we both expected.
As the night goes on, I steal many, many glances at Annie. She has this side of her that draws conversation out of people.
She can be meeting someone for the first time, but by the time they are done talking, she knows the names of their entire family and where they are going on their next vacation.
Her confidence is the hottest thing. She doesn’t care that she doesn’t know a soul in the room besides me and Todd.
She’s the one leaving the most impact, helping me encourage more donors and keeping me comfortable through it all.
“You doing okay?” I squeeze Annie’s arm. For the past ten minutes she’s started to look distant, like she’s thinking about something, or maybe there’s something bothering her. “Annie?” The music isn’t that loud in here, but maybe she didn’t hear me.
Her head snaps in my direction. “What?”
“I asked if you were doing okay.”
“Oh, just tired I think. It’s been a long day.” She puts on a soft smile.
She’s holding something back, but I’m not going to push her. Instead, I stand and grab for her hand. She doesn’t fight me, which I’m grateful for. We say bye to Todd and a few others we pass as we walk toward the exit to the car waiting for us.
The sky is pitch black, flooded with clouds, barely a star in the sky.
I reach for the door handle and pull it open for Annie, letting her slide in before shutting it and moving over to my side.
When I sit, I reach for her hand, cupping it in mine.
Annie’s face is lit by the glow of the streetlights as we drive home.
I let us sit in silence, not wanting to make whatever is going on worse.
When we reach the apartment, Annie moves to open the door. Damn her independence, I want to be there for her. “Stay,” I grumble.
I give her hand a squeeze before exiting the car, walking over to the passenger side to open Annie’s door. Is her face more pale? Why is she breathing heavily?
“Are you sure you’re okay?” I ask again. She glares at me. Figures.
“Yes, let’s just get inside.”
Okay, whatever she says. I steal glances as we walk, not knowing what to say or what to do to bring back the Annie from an hour ago. The apartment door is barely open when Annie goes staggering down the hallway, into the bathroom, and shuts the door.
To give her space, I stay in the kitchen.
I make us both tea, since it’s the evening and I don’t need coffee right now.
Then, I grab some pre-portioned cookie dough that Annie made out of the fridge, place them on a tray, and plop them in the oven.
The least I can do is make sure she still has a good evening.
When the cookies are done, there’s still no sign of Annie. A loud noise comes from her direction, and I drop everything and run.
When I throw open the bathroom door, I see Annie sitting on the floor with her knees curled to her chest. She’s still wearing that damn dress. She raises her head from her hands and looks at me. Her cheeks are stained with tears and mascara.
“Who did this?”
“My uterus,” Annie jokes, but she doesn’t move. If anything, she curls more inward.
“Your uterus?” I ask with a cocked eyebrow, confused at what that would... oh. That explains why she is hunched over on the ground, irritable, and moody. I have a younger sister, I should know these things.
“Fuck, Annie,” I say, rushing to kneel in front of her.
I cup her cheeks and press a kiss to her temple.
“Is it bad? Can I get you anything? I made tea and cookies. But I don’t know if that will help.
I can run out to the store? Or send some—” She places a hand in front of my lips to stop me from chattering on.
“I’m okay, I promise. It’s not that bad, I swear. I just thought you...” She sighs, looking down at her lap again.
My hand lifts her chin back up.
“Thought what?”
“I thought you would be mad at me for ruining our night. I’m trying to be there for you. I know it’s not going the way you expected. You won the bet, after all. God. This is stupid.”
She tries to throw her head back in her hands, but I catch it, making sure she’s looking at me when I speak next.
“Annie, I don’t know what kind of men you are used to, but I would never be mad at you for telling me no.
For any reason. I’m not doing whatever the fuck this is for that alone.
It’s just an added bonus. You are what’s important.
You being here—” I wave my hands around the room before I continue, “—is being here for me. I don’t need anything else from you. Do you understand?”
She nods, and a single tear streams down her face. I lean forward, pressing my lips to catch it, using my hand to smooth over her hair and show her that I’m not mad.
“C’mon, let’s get you into something more comfortable and let’s go eat a few cookies before bed.”