Falling For You

003

"Zuri," I called when I walked into our apartment, making my way to the kitchen where she usually spent most of her time in. 

"Hi," her face held in no expression as she looked up from the papers in front of her.  

"Hey, I'm so sorry, I was at -"

"Luna's, I know. One would think that after one year, it's a different story," she shrugged. "I hope the sex was great."

"I really am sorry, Zuri. I-"

"It's whatever, Bailey. Honestly," she got up from the high stool. "You always do this. Blow me off and the things important to me just so you can go be with her. It's alright."

"Can we talk about it?"

"I really don't want to talk to you," she rounded the table to pick up the papers scattered around it. "I'm so sick of waiting for you to come through for me even when I know you wouldn't."

Defenceless, I watched her as she walked out of the kitchen with teary eyes. I didn't expect to feel as hurt as I did, but I felt very hurt. I wasn't hurt because of what she said, I was just hurt because I'd clearly hurt her. Not that I didn't know when I'd hurt her in other times, but this time, it hit differently, and I wasn't sure why. 

A notification sound took me out of my thoughts. It was a text from Luna.

Luna
Hey, how'd it go with Zuri? I hope she wasn't big mad

Me
She's really upset. I should have been there for her.

Luna
It's fine
Pretty sure she'll get over it

I rolled my eyes at Luna's text. It was so tone deaf and it left me feeling irritated. If there was anyone who needed me to be there, it was Zuri. Apart from being alone here with her family away in France, Zuri had come through for me in ways that no one else had ever done. The least I could do in return was to show my support for her.

-

If there was one thing Zuri loved, it was donuts. She was obsessed with Krispy Kreme donuts and Oreo frozen mocha lattes.

It probably won't take away what I did, but I hoped she would be happy to have them, so I drove to Krispy Kreme to get her a box of a variety of donuts, and an Oreo frozen mocha latte.

"Zuri?" I knocked on her door, but there was no response. I eventually opened the door to see that the room was empty.

There was only one place she could be, then. We had a little outside room, and we would stay there sometimes late into the night talking about different things.

"Zuri," I called. She was seated there, her arms folded as she stared into space. I let out a breath and moved to the long couch where she sat. I sat beside her, but she didn't look at me. I stared at her, hoping she would acknowledge my presence at least, but she didn't. I didn't stop looking at her. Her upturned nose and the freckles that spread across it to her cheeks were two of the cutest things about her.

"I'm sorry," I started. "I was unfair to you, and I should have been there for you, but I wasn't. And I really am sorry.

I nudged her a bit with my shoulder. "I got you some Krispy Kreme and an Oreo latte."

"I don't want it," she still didn't look at me, and my heart sunk, "Really?"

"Oh, no... no, I do want it," she nodded before looking at me.

I couldn't help my grin as I placed the box of donuts in between us and opened it. I watched her eyes light up when she saw the donuts and it made me happy.

"I'm going to ensure this doesn't happen again-"

"If I were to earn a pound for every time you've said that, I would be like forty pounds richer right now," she took a donut. "I don't need you to make these promises, Bailey. Honestly... honestly, I just thought I would be used to it by now, but clearly, I'm not.

"You're my best friend, Bailey," she started. "You're the only one I share all these exciting stuff with. And sometimes, you spend so much time away from here. It does get lonely. Is it really too much to ask you to be there for me when I really need you to?"

It only just hit me as Zuri spoke that sometimes I could spend a week at Luna's without bothering to come home. It had happened on different occasions. On different occasions, I'd picked Luna's needs above Zuri's.

We weren't even dating.

"You know, I'm just realizing how bad of a friend I've been to you," I paused. "You know what? Let me make it up to you. I have an idea.

"So, it's a weekend," I continued when she didn't say anything. She just sat, staring at me while chewing on her donut, "it's Saturday tomorrow, so how about you take me to the gallery where your work is at and you give me a personal exhibition. I want to know everything.

"And we can go wherever you want. It'll be on me."

"W-will it be from your savings?"

"Yeah, but don't worry about it," I told her, "I've got enough for you to go crazy."

"I just want Nando's," she had a small smile on her face.

"Only Nando's?" I knew she loved Nando's but not this much.

"Yeah," she shrugged. "I love Nando's."

"Okay. So we get Nando's, and then on Sunday, you'll do absolutely nothing while I bake you something, and then we watch a movie."

She was quiet for a short while before she smiled softly, "I'd love that."

"Come here," I pulled her into my chest. "I'm sorry I haven't shown how much I actually care about you."

We remained like that for a while.

"Do you think stars die?" Zuri asked after a long moment of silence between us.

"They do," I answered. "It happens when they run out of hydrogen and shed their outer layers."

"This is why you're still in uni and I'm not. I don't know anything," Zuri joked, laughing.

"That's not true," I chuckled, instinctively holding her tighter. "You've just always been more of a visual student."

By the time midnight had come, the box of donuts were finished. Zuri had made me eat some with her, and now she was falling asleep in my arms. I looked down at her as her eyes closed slowly, and I was tempted to lay down her full, unruly eyebrows.

"Hey, Zuri, we should go in," I told her softly.

"Mhm," she groggily nodded before lifting herself off of me. "Can you stay the night with me?"