stars and terrain (zayn malik)

Chapter 13

Charlotte

"It's my birthday."

I'm not expecting that announcement, but it works and I stop in my tracks. It's his birthday? He wants to spend his birthday with me? My head feels so heavy, full of all the weird shifts in our relationship and still reeling from the extra drinks we'd imbibed in bed with pizza.

Last night had been perfect.

Which is all the more reason to get out of here.

This isn't going to be my real life, why torture myself?

Charlotte takes over.

"Bullshit."

"It is! Google it!" his voice gets high and I keep faced toward the door while I dig my phone out of my purse.

Fuck. The internet corroborates his story. He's right. But I still need to get out of here.

"Happy Birthday, Malik. Let me know when you're back in town."

"Charlie, please."

My hand grasps the cold metal door handle as my heart warms. I told him not to call me that. My nickname in that accent crumbles my entire cool girl façade.

"Only my friends call me that," I attempt to warn, but it gets me to turn around.

"Aren't we way past that?" He smiles so sadly that I know if I don't stay I will always regret it. And that smile will haunt me.

I cross the suite in a few steps to reach him when I really shouldn't. His clothes from last night strewn about the floor are making me seriously question why I ever left the bed in the first place.

Charlie is winning. And he thinks he's won, too.

"For my birthday I'd like to be allowed to call you Charlie, Charlie." He smiles open mouthed and his tongue rests behind his teeth, taunting me.

"That's not for sale. I'll buy you a telescope."

"I have a telescope. I want Charlie rights."

"Charlie is reserved for people I see on a more regular basis than one day a month."

I'm not giving in. I will stay the morning and humor him, but I won't let my hopes get up any higher.

"I will promise to see you more than one day a month. We're going on three days right now."

I ignore the promise and stay in my lane. "I just think we shouldn't cross... you know... the line... and we should..."

I typically consider myself a pretty eloquent person but standing there and looking down at this obnoxiously famous man who has just propped himself up on his elbow and is looking at me so intently quite literally ties my tongue.

C'mon, Charlotte.

"Let's just keep this what it is," I finally stammer out, dragging my eyes up and to the left out the window of this top floor room. Sunlight is finally spilling in and the later it gets the harder it will be to sneak out of this hotel.

But he seems so much lighter in the daylight. Any nervous energy from the night before has dissipated and it feels like after last night a veil has dropped.

This is the real Zayn. Asking me to get back in bed.

And it's his birthday.

"Even after everything last night?" he asks, brown eyes peering up with the saddest pout.

He had asked for a do-over on our first night together and it was perfect. I'm pretty sure it was better than any fan could dream up for a fanfiction story. So I'm not surprised he seems so hurt by my attitude.