stars and terrain (zayn malik)

Chapter 29

Charlotte

I wake up and my head feels too heavy to lift off the pillow, but I know I need to throw up and I don’t want to do it in this warm bed. I’m not sure how, and I don’t know where I am, but I spot a light on someplace that looks like a bathroom and get myself in there before everything in my stomach makes a reappearance.

I’m kneeling on the tiles of the bathroom floor and I feel like I’m never going to stop puking when I feel gentle hands scoop my hair off my neck and hold it in place behind me.

Once the vomit stops I wipe my mouth with the back of my hand and fall back against the legs standing behind me.

“Are you okay?” the voice is gentle and I’ve never been happier to wake up with no clue where I am now that I know he’s here.

“Oh my god,” I groan, as another round of vomit comes up.

“I’ll take that as a no,” he says softly, gently playing with my hair as I continue to retch.

Finally when I feel like there’s nothing possibly left in my body, I lean back again and look up pitifully above me.

He’s so pretty, even with worry etched on his thin, angled face.

“Where am I?” I ask, which takes a lot of energy to get out. I feel like my body weighs a thousand pounds, and I’m still not sure how I got myself to the toilet.

He gently sits himself down next to me on the bathroom floor, continuing to carry the weight I’m leaning against him.

“I checked us into Chateau. Do you remember anything from last night?”

I look down at the ground, which is now spinning below me, so I close my eyes and will myself to remember. Nothing comes. My mind feels like an empty pit of blurry black.

“Let’s get you back in bed,” Zayn suggests, sliding one arm underneath my knees and one behind my back. Before I can protest, he’s carrying me to the bed and tucking me in.

“Do you want some water?” he asks, but I shake my head. I’ll throw it up. But I can’t say that out loud. Why does it feel so hard to talk?

He doesn’t ask any more questions, he just lies beside me and continues to play with my hair. It’s the only thing that feels nice right now, so I focus on the feeling and let myself fall back asleep.

~*~

My eyes flutter open to a room that’s only light comes from the flicker of a TV. My mind flashes to throwing up earlier and I wonder how many hours ago that could have been, but not before I remember who held my hair back and who must be in the same room as me right now.

“Zayn,” my mouth hurts it’s so dry but it moves to say his name and make sure my memories of puking aren’t a dream. 

“I’m here. I’m right here, Charlie,” he’s rolling over to my side in an instant, sitting himself up and attentive to whatever I might need. “Are you okay?”