49. Zayn
Zayn
I didn’t make it.
Fuck.
And now I have to go to this damn party.
Alone.
Kiley offers to tag along when I call her on the drive back to the apartment, but I tell her I want to be alone. Or at least not have to entertain her at the party. I figure I could use this evening to think about my plan to talk to Annie.
Maybe I’ll fly to New York. Maybe I’ll just call her tomorrow, tell her immediately that I want to try to work it out. The deal I made with her can be null. I don’t want us to wait until we are in the same place. I just want her.
The door to my apartment opens and Emmett strides in, followed by Max, Lane, and Tyler. I’m confused for a moment until I remember I told Emmett we could go to the party together.
“You could have knocked,” I say, glaring in his direction.
Even though we are starting to be friends, I still find myself reverting to my old habits. Grumpy, defensive, the opposite of friendly.
“Why would I do that when the door was unlocked?” Emmett smirks, walking to my fridge like he’s been in my apartment before.
The rest of the guys huddle around the island, taking up the seats and asking Emmett to find some snacks.
Once everyone has their snack of choice (various types of chips), they all turn to look at me.
“What?” I take my time looking at each of them, glaring in their direction.
I ended up getting home from the airport shortly after one p.m. and luckily had time to take the much-needed shower, so I’m feeling somewhat refreshed after two weeks of sulking around.
Having the guys over was meant to be a distraction from Annie, because everything in this damn apartment reminds me of her.
Even these fucking chips that they got out do, because she’s the one that picked them out. In every recent memory I have, Annie exists.
“You’re just extra grumpy today,” Tyler comments.
“Annie did just leave him,” Max says.
“She didn’t leave me,” I say right back, trying to defend her.
“They chose to take a break,” Emmett says. He’s the only one who knows the entire story, since Cassie keeps him informed.
“Ah, the infamous break.” Lane leans back in his stool, slowly nodding at his remark.
“It’s not a break,” I say, because I don’t want it to fucking be a break. “I mean, I don’t want it to be a break.”
“Then why are you here?” Lane asks, eyebrows raised.
“Because we have this party?” I lean against the counter, crossing my arms. “And I tried to go to her, but her flight already left, if you must know.”
Everyone nods and sighs like they are all collectively sad for me. I parrot them, sighing right back and moving my head in an exaggerated nod.
“So, I figure I’ll take tonight to think through my plan of action,” I say, grabbing my keys from the table.
“You could fly to her,” Emmett says.
“Or just call her?” Tyler says.
“Or text her?” Max says.
“Why not all the above?” Lane smiles, wanting a say in this conversation.
“You all are too fucking much sometimes,” is all I say, shaking my head, joining them in laughter as the conversation strays to other topics. Topics that I’d much rather talk through to distract myself from Annie.
An hour passes before we decide to head over the January Studios for the party.
Everything is different now when I go to my place of work.
I have people surrounding me that I can talk to, eat lunch or run dialogue with.
This circle of friends is not something I had in the past, but I think deep down I craved it.
After Marissa left me, and I shut everyone out, I was lonely.
Maybe I didn’t realize it, or maybe I didn’t care, but either way I’m smiling now because of everyone around me.
Emmett and Cassie. Tyler and Lucy. Marcy, Lane, Max, and Ed. People that seem to care about me a little bit because of Annie. She brought me back into this world, and I need her here.
“Zayn, you want a drink?” Lane leans over to make sure I hear him over the music in the studio.
They’ve turned where the sets are built into a makeshift event venue—a dance floor in the middle, two open bars, plenty of seating options.
I nod and follow him to the bar across the room, the one nestled in the back corner.
As the music fills the room, I find myself seeing Annie every time my eyes close. Every time we went to a gala or an event, we danced. I grip the glass in my hand, trying to reign in the memories, but it doesn’t work.
They overtake me, so much so that I have to put my drink down. Every song reminds me of my hands on Annie’s waist, her head resting on my chest, our breaths mingling with the thick of the air.
I lean against the bar back, taking a deep breath and trying to smile at the people around me when I make eye contact.
I close my eyes one more time and inhale. The smell of cinnamon and vanilla surrounds me, but I don’t remember seeing any pastries tonight. Bumps line my arms as I feel the presence of someone close to me. Can’t they see I’m trying to stick to myself?
My eyes snap open to find the last person I expected to see.
“Annie.” Her name tumbles out of my mouth as a whisper.
My gaze stays locked on hers. Is she actually here right now? Or is my mind playing tricks with me?
“Hi, Z.”
Nope, she’s undoubtedly here.
Neither of us move. The music and people around us fade into the background until it’s just the two of us in this room. I take one step forward, finding her hand with mine to interlace our fingers together.
Two weeks have gone by since I’ve been able to touch Annie. Two long weeks not being able to see her, hear her laugh, smell her cooking. And here she is, in front of me. Smiling like a goofball, wearing...
Holy shit.
She’s wearing the same dress from the first gala.
My eyes rake her body. Dark green, thin straps, slit in the leg. This dress haunted my dreams for weeks after the gala, where instead of her storming away from me, she fell into me and I dragged her off the dance floor for other reasons.
“You’re here.”
“I’m here,” she replies, her voice quivering. “And I’m where I want to be.”
I tilt my head in confusion.
“I, um, have a job offer that I’m going to entertain.”
“You have a job offer.”
“Yes, Zayn, try to keep up.” She smiles and the ache in my heart is no longer. It’s healed by her presence, her smile.
“And I’m needing a place to stay for a little while,” Annie says as she pulls me closer to her, wrapping her other hand around my waist.
“I might know a guy who has a spare bedroom that’s hardly been used. Though his last roommate left a bunch of things in there, will that be a problem?”
Closer. I need her closer.
Annie shakes her head, “I need something furnished anyhow, as this might turn into a permanent situation. Do you think your friend would be okay with that?”
“More than okay with that. He’d be thrilled actually.”
Annie untangles her hand from mine and slinks it around my waist, tugging me into a hug. She breathes into me, our chests rising and falling at a matching pace.
“I missed you,” I mumble into her head.
“I missed you more,” she argues.
“Impossible,” I say as she laughs. “So, what now?”
Annie lifts her head from my chest and takes a step back.
“Well, I’m here, I’m single, and I’m where I want to be. What about you?”
“Me?” I ask, partially shocked that she’s repeating the deal we made to each other just two weeks ago.
Annie simply nods.
“Well, I’m also here, single, and where I want to be now that you’re here.”
“And you know what that means...” Annie says, smirking. Her eyes smile, a soft red tint blooms on her cheeks, and the way she’s staring at me is having me fall in love with her all over again.
“Time to try this thing for real.”