Shark Bait [H.S.]

Chapter Twenty-Eight.

Laying on the floor with Reef in front of my aquarium wall is one of my favourite things to do.

With Reef tucked into my side and my head turned to watch my fish swim by, I always feel at peace. So at peace in fact, that I don't even get bothered by Reef drooling onto my chest.

I do this more often than I'd like to admit but I consider it like a me time. Sometimes I'll play music and other times I just let the serene feeling take me into another world. One where none of this existed and I was 12 years old again, feeling comforted and safe with my mum and Zayn.

I smile as Reef adjusts himself on my chest, nuzzling his face deeper into it and I honestly could never be bothered by him. He's my sidekick, my best friend and I love him more than I'd like to admit. It's nice to come home to someone. Truly a man's best friend.

I softly run my hands over his back before placing both arms under my head and keeping my eyes on the fish again, letting the sounds of the water filters bring me a little relief. I close my eyes and sigh out wishing that for once I wasn't feeling alone on a night like tonight.

My phone buzzes from across the room but I can't be fucked to get up and get it. I know it's not Zayn, he's too busy taking a course tonight learning more about aquatic vet shit.

A small part of me wants to check my phone, thinking maybe it's Indigo but the second I go to lift my chest up off the ground, Reef whines in protest, tugging at my heart and ultimately making me lay back down on the floor.

While a few days have passed since we went ice skating, I have yet to stop thinking about that day.

I was secretly glad Zayn told me to ask Indy to join us and even more glad that she agreed. It ended up being one of the better days that I've had in a long time and it was worth it seeing everyone, especially Zayn as happy as he was.

Indy was quite amusing. Her lack of experience on the ice and playfulness while we tried to skate made me smile at her. But what got to me the most was the thing she said to me. It's one specific word that keeps ringing in my ear almost everyday, I'm struggling to move on from it.

Girlfriend.

She only mentioned it once but it was enough to get me thinking about it. More so, overthinking about it.

I know she said she was joking right after and I'm not sure if my reaction had something to do with it or if it was her actually joking but nonetheless, it was enough to stay engraved in my mind even days later. My reaction wasn't because I was appalled by the idea of it, I was purely just taken back from her mentioning it so casually.

Mum always said I'd find someone, someone I'd want to have by my side for a long while. I always told her that my person was her, and she'd just give me a soft, almost sad smile, and kiss my cheek muttering how sweet I was.