26. Zayn
Zayn
“You’re going where?” Logan screams through the phone.
“Why are you screaming? Where are you?” I roll my eyes, already regretting that I called him.
“I’m at the club,” he says as if he’s annoyed I asked. It’s only seven o’clock on Wednesday night.
“I’m going to Emmett’s.” I sigh into the phone.
“And you’re calling for pointers? Why? You know everyone.” Logan counters.
And that’s true. Emmett is married to Cassie, and they both work out of the studio with their giant group of friends. The same group of friends that I kind of started to hang out with when I was with Marissa.
“Yes, I know. But I didn’t know if there were any updates I should be aware of.”
“Tyler and Lucy just got back from their honeymoon. Max and Lane are both still single, I think. That’s all I know. They aren’t my clients.”
Tyler, Max, and Lane are best friends with Emmett. They’ve all been friends for close to a decade. Tyler leads catering at January Studios and Max and Lane lead casting. Ever since Emmett stepped away from acting and into writing, it’s like they run the studio with Ed.
“Thanks for your help Logan,” I say sarcastically.
“Why are you even going over there?”
“Annie asked me to,” I admit before wondering if I should have kept that to myself.
“Fuck, dude. You’re in deep.” Yep, should have kept that to myself.
“Bye, Logan.” I hang up the phone before he responds.
A few minutes later I'm at Emmett’s apartment. It’s in a gated complex, with plenty of large trees that line the property. They already have fall decorations on their door, probably due to Cassie’s midwest upbringing.
Two knocks is all it takes before it swings open and Emmett appears on the other side.
I didn’t know what to wear tonight, so I’m glad to see that he’s also in casual wear.
Women talk about being insecure over outfits all the time, why can’t guys?
When was the last time I hung out with a group of people where I had to make an impression?
I don’t have friends anymore, not since my breakup took everything and everyone from me.
Some my doing, some the natural ebb and flow of friendships dividing.
“Glad you made it, man.” Emmett steps to the side to let me through the door.
“Um, yeah, me too.” I awkwardly agree, feeling overwhelmed and unsure why I came.
Emmett points out the kitchen in front of us, the living room to the left where the others sit, and bathroom down the hall if I need it at any point.
Tyler, still blond and six-feet tall, sits on one of the couches staring at whatever is playing on the TV.
Max waves at me, his short red curls bouncing as his head turns back to the front of the room.
Lane is sitting next to him, and I can see that he still wears outfits to match his black hair.
I don’t know if I should apologize to Emmett or let what happened between us last week in my trailer be in the past. I wasn’t the nicest and here he is, opening his home for me because of Annie. Letting me hang out with his friends, because of Annie.
“Hey, I’m sorry about the other day. I wasn’t in the best mood.” I immediately feel like a weight has been taken off my shoulders.
“It’s water under the bridge,” is all he says.
“Thanks. But I just want to say it because I care about Annie.”
Emmett gapes at me.
I add, “It’s not just casual for me. And I want you to be able to trust me with her since she’s your sister-in-law.”
Emmett nods while I talk.
“You know, I reached out after things with Marissa ended,” he says. “You could have come and talked to us. That’s why we are friends, Zayn, we help with the heavy shit.”
“Yeah, I know.” I tousle my hair and avert my gaze.
It’s not that I didn’t want to talk to them, or anyone else, I just didn’t know what to say.
I was supposed to appear okay on the outside, yet I was desperately hurting on the inside.
“I guess I didn’t know how to handle it all, first heartbreak and all.
” I laugh, because even though I was twenty-nine when it all ended, we were together for a long time.
Marissa was my longest relationship and the only one to break my heart.
Also, guys are supposed to be tough, keep all feelings inside.
My dad gave me a pat on the back when I first saw him about the breakup and told me I’d find someone else.
He never bothered to ask about how I was feeling.
Because of that, it made me not want to open up to anyone.
If I kept the feelings bottled up, then they would eventually go away.
“Well, we are glad you’re here now. Let’s go sit,” Emmett says.
I follow Emmett and sit in between him and Tyler.
“So, what’s up with you and Annie?” Max asks. Lane shoves him. “What?”
“I said to give him at least ten minutes before asking,” Emmett says.
“It’s fine, I figured I was coming over for an interrogation.” I try to joke, hoping that it lands well. Thankfully it does, everyone laughs back. “Annie and I are... dating, but not? It’s complicated. But I like her.”
“Well no shit, anyone can look at a photo of you two and see that.” Tyler glances over again, rolling his eyes in the process.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, trying to defend the little bit of secrecy I have left.
Lane speaks next. “You’re always looking at her when she’s looking at the camera. I’ve seen that same look on Emmett. Even in the first time he and Cassie were photographed together by paparazzi.”
“You two were photographed?” I look at Emmett and he nods.
“Yep, outside a club for my thirtieth birthday party. Except her face wasn’t in it, so I didn’t have to pull whatever stunt you and Annie are trying to do.”
“Trying? I think the media would say that we are meant to be,” I reply, throwing a knowing look in Emmett’s direction.
“Well, let’s just say it’s not exactly a stunt. I care about her, but it’s going to be over at the end of the year. That’s what we agreed on,” I tell them for some reason. And my chest feels lighter, like I can breathe, having told someone something that I’ve been holding in for the past few weeks.
“Shit man,” Emmett says. He doesn’t push me for more, which I’m glad about. We all sit there for a moment, the sound from the TV filling the silence.
“Anyway, enough about me, I need to hear some shit about you all. Who’s first?” I ask.
“Tyler just got back from his honeymoon,” Emmett comments.
“Oh, yeah?” I ask.
“Yep. We spent fourteen days traveling up and down the west coast. I even convinced Lucy to camp off the Pacific Coast Highway, which I think was my favorite stop. Camping right on the cliff, overlooking the ocean.” Tyler closes his eyes for a moment.
“And of course we had lots of sex, which is always great.”
“Fuck, man.” I shove him and he just laughs. Glad to know that Tyler hasn’t changed over the years. Still as blunt and talkative.
“Hey, just being honest.” He shrugs.
“Mhm, honest,” I say and we all laugh.
“The casting business is going well,” Lane comments.
“Yeah, we started taking on work for a second studio that mostly focuses on smaller indie movies. Emmett writes and directs some of their short films sometimes,” Max says.
“Oh, that’s awesome. So writing is going well?” I turn to Emmett.
“It’s keeping me busy. I haven’t been able to act much all year. My dad is not the biggest fan of that.”
Emmett’s dad was an A-list actor before he retired.
“Ah, still hurt that you chose writing over acting? Hasn’t it been like three years?” I grimace.
“Four, but I don’t think he’ll ever get over it . He and my mom still attend every red carpet event. And they love Cassie. So I can’t complain.”
“Well, that’s good,” I say.
“And how’s acting stuff for you? Any update from Ed on the trilogy?” Emmett asks.
“You’re trying to land the trilogy role?” Tyler asks, grabbing Lane and Max’s attention.
“Yes, that’s kind of why I’ve been working on my image. But you probably haven’t noticed because it was great to begin with,” I joke.
“Yeah, destroying the reporter’s camera did great for your image,” Tyler chides.
“And don’t forget cussing out that one reporter for looking at him wrong,” Max jokes.
“That’s not—” I press a palm to my forehead and laugh. “You guys must have missed me, huh?”
“We’ve been waiting for you to come back and give us all the juicy gossip now that you have a publicist for a girlfriend.” Tyler says it so nonchalantly that I just grin and shake my head at how ridiculous they all are.
For the next few hours we play video games and watch a movie.
“Shit, it’s late,” Lane comments.
“Yeah, Cassie just texted me to let her know she’s on her way back home,” Emmett says, nose in his phone.
“Cool, I’ll head out. Thanks guys for inviting me. This was...” I hesitate. “Fun.”
“Aw, don’t go soft on us now Barnes.” Tyler punches me in the shoulder. “Kidding, please hang out with us again. I’m getting tired of these guys.” He points to Emmett, Max, and Lane and they all laugh.
“Thanks, man.”
On the drive back to the house, I can’t stop thinking about how my life is so different from six months ago.
Six months ago I had no Annie, which means I had a quiet house, no media or press to worry about, and no one to talk to besides family.
And Logan. But he doesn’t count. Now, I have a roommate that I’m falling for, people that I can see myself being friends with, and a future in acting.
My dream is coming true and it’s all because of the woman waiting for me back at home.