Following In Your Direction [One Direction: Zayn Malik Romance]

24. The Ex

                “Zayn?” I questioned, opening my apartment door and looking at my boyfriend with a furrowed brow. “What are you doing here?”

                He shrugged. “Am I not allowed to come see my girlfriend?”

                Rolling my eyes, I opened the door wider to allow him entry. “You don’t even remember ‘us’,” I muttered, shutting the door after him. “So, what’s up? Niall and Jamie are in the other room – we were watching a movie or something.”

                “Actually, I wanted to go into town and play some songs.” Zayn told me with a grin. “After all, I haven’t heard your voice yet and I thought it’d be brilliant to give fans a chance to see us preform.”

                I thought about this for a second. Go into town and preform with my boyfriend? It sounded good enough, especially with the added bonus that it might help him remember once he heard me singing. Would it bring back memories from when we first met? Fingers crossed, I nodded to Zayn and told him to wait by the door as I dashed back through my apartment to grab my phone.

                As I was passing the family room, though, a sight on the couch caught my eye. My eyes bulged and my jaw dropped as I saw Jamie in an intense make-out session with Niall, both sitting beside each other on the couch with their hands laced in one another’s hair. When I finally regained my voice and my initial shock wore off, I mentally gave a round of applause to Jamie.

                A smirk slipped on my lips. “Well, lovebirds,” I said loud enough to make them jump apart. “Zayn and I are going in town. You two just stay comfortable and we’ll give you some privacy.”

                “Rose!” Jamie managed to splutter, blushing madly as Niall did as well.

                Before she could yell at me, I dashed to my phone and out of the room, meeting Zayn by the door before grabbing my guitar in the case from the ground. He grinned at me as I giggled, opening the front door and slipping out, the news practically pouring out of me to tell him.

                “Niall and Jamie were making out on the couch,” I practically sang as we walked down the hallway side by side.

                Zayn looked at me with wide eyes. “They’re together?”

                I shrugged. “They will be by the end of the day, at least.”

                My boyfriend chuckled as a sense of security washed over me – he was easily getting back into our old routine. Zayn would grab my hand without hesitation, kiss me like he never stopped, and hang out with me like we were best friends again. Honestly, it felt good that we were like this. I loved it and frankly, I had missed it.

                As we slipped into the elevator, I noticed that there were two teenage girls already in there, faces buried in a magazine. I let out a sigh, knowing that the second they looked up, they would see the person they were reading gossip about in real life…. And I was right. The second the brunette looked up, her eyes widened as they darted from me to Zayn and I awkwardly pressed the lobby button.

                “Z-Zayn Malik and Rose Gates!” The other girl choked out, fumbling for her phone.

                Zayn chuckled, pulling me closer somewhat protectively. “Hello, love.”

                The blonde spluttered, “I’m such a big fan!”

                “Me, too!” The brunette chirped. “I’m Lucy and she’s Amy. Could we have a picture?”