Awkward Beat [H.S]

Chapter 22

After one last searing glare in Niall's direction, I stalked toward the sliding door of the house with my plastic cup. As soon as I pulled the door open, Lola was beside me again, slipping through ahead of me.

Long legged bitch.

"Sorry, didn't mean for you to get away," she apologized with a smile as I stepped into the warmth of the house and closed the door. "I wanted to ask you how that film shoot went before Christmas. The one you acted in for Niall. He said it went well, but I wanted to hear your perspective. Have you acted before?"

I act like I don't want to rip out your hair and shove it down your throat all the time, was my preferred reply.

"Not unless you count the role of Innkeeper Number Two in my Sunday school's nativity play when I was seven," I replied with a slight arch of my brows.

"Wow," Lola replied, for some reason impressed. "Niall told me the concept for his film and... wow. I can't believe you and Harry did all that, having never acted before. I would have been so squeamish."

"Well, we were piss drunk," I answered, boredom in my tone.

"Ha!" she cried, placing a hand on my upper arm for support. "Oh, that would have been hilarious."

She seemed to think I was joking. I said nothing.

"At least Harry was your partner, though, right? If he wasn't your boyfriend, I can't imagine how awkward it would have been."

"Hmm... yes," I droned, taking a large gulp of beer. "Well, not anymore. We broke up."

"What?" she asked, tightening her grip on my arm. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea. When?

Why?"

Discussing my fake relationship with Lola was quite literally the last thing I wanted to do, but when I craned my neck to peer down the hallway and learned that Zayn was deeply engaged in beer pong with other friends, I took another swig and settled in.

"After the holidays. It was nothing dramatic. We're better as friends, that's all."

"I don't believe that for a second," Lola said. My eyes darted this way and that. She, out of all people, could see straight through the scheme? "You and Harry were fantastic together.

Absolutely perfect. It was so natural for you two. I would tell Zayn so all the time."

Or maybe she was just as blind as everyone else.

"Mm hmm, mm hmm," I hummed while nodding, not really listening yet never more convinced that Lola's purpose on Earth was to sabotage my relationship with Zayn. "Now, speaking of Zayn..."

Lola shrugged. "It's the season of breakups, I guess."

"And are you hoping to..." I trailed off mid sentence to take another sip of beer, "... patch things up tonight?"

"Oh, no," Lola said, fervently shaking her head. "I mean, I like him very much, and it was sweet of Niall to introduce us last term... and talk about fit, right?"

"Hmm? Yes." I forced a chuckle, subsequently downing the remainder of my cup. "Yes, I know all about that..."

My eyes scanned the perimeter and landed on Zayn once again. I watched as he lined up a shot, let the ping pong ball release, and shook his head dejectedly when it bounced off the rim of a cup. Even when he was a disappointed failure, he was beautiful to me.

"To be honest, I'm sort of hoping we don't run into one another tonight," Lola continued, leaning in as if this was our little secret. "I know it's not entirely realistic, and it's not like there was a blowout at the end, but it's awkward, you know? To run into someone you used to shag only a few weeks later..."