stars and terrain (zayn malik)

Chapter 42

Zayn

The room is way too bright when I wake up and my head is pounding. The disgusting taste in my mouth tells me I smoked way too much last night.

"Well good morning!" my favorite voice chirps to my left, dark hair rising up over the stack of pillows between us. "There's water and tylenol on your nightstand."

I grunt in appreciation and roll to my side, popping the pills in my mouth and swallowing them down with the entire glass of water.

"Do you remember that you won a Grammy?" she giggles, obviously enjoying how drunk I must have been last night.

"I do," I nod gently, my lips turning up. Even when I feel like absolute shit she can make me smile.

"Do you remember getting home?"

"I don't." I shake my head and drop my head back against the pillows.

"Well it wasn't until five in the morning. And it was after you rapped in front of the whole party with 50 Cent."

She's laughing, so I know she's not mad and I must not have done anything too stupid. But I haven't woken up like this in years and it reminds me of a much darker time. Before she came around. When this is how I woke up... pretty much every morning.

"Shit." I mumble. "I remember nothing. Can't believe I used to do that all the time."

I meant to just think and not say that last part out loud, and I think it's safe to assume I'm still sort of drunk.

Charlie doesn't look upset, but her mouth is closed and she seems to be deep in thought before her lips part.

"Should I be worried that you... that you might... you know-"

I can only assume she means go down a path that leads to rehab again so I shake my head to cut her off quick.

"No. No. Not for a second."

"Good. I didn't think so, I just... wasn't sure." She looks embarrassed and her eyes fall toward the bed.

"But thank you. For being concerned," I reach over to touch her, running my fingertips along her arm. "That was just because I got caught up in celebrating. I don't need to do that all the time because I have you now. And I'm crazy in love with you."

This she seems pleased with.

"Are you hungry?" she asks, looking impossibly pretty for being up until five in the morning.

I nod, because my stomach is grumbling and I'm not sure if I've had anything since the Chinese food we ate yesterday afternoon.

"I'll make you something," she says, climbing off the bed and skipping out of the bedroom.

Even though my head is throbbing, I get up and follow her. Because I'd like to at least watch her cook while I feel like I'm dying.

I settle myself on a bar stool with a perfect view of the way my black tank top cuts off at the back of her thighs and she looks surprised that I migrated from the bed.

"Did you have fun last night?" I ask, as she slides me another glass of water.

"So much fun," she nods. "Did you?"

"I'm pretty sure that I did," I smirk. Flashes of her in the green dress and then the blue one alternate in my head and I wish I had stronger memories from the night.

"I was thinking we could walk down to the beach today?" she suggests, looking like a really cute flamingo standing with one leg bent as she pours the pancake batter.