Unexpected Love ✔️

S I X T E E N

A R I A N N A

"Thank you for that,"  I say glancing over at Gigi seated in the driver's seat before taking a sip of the full-fat coke we got from the KFC drive-thru. She glances at me before locking her phone with a sigh and turning to me.

"Don't thank me, Ari. Honestly, I'm sorry that it's taken me this long to say something," She offers, her blue eyes blinking up at me with a shrug of her shoulder.

"What changed?"  

Silence settles between us as I finish off my chicken wing and she figures out what to say. "Honestly, I think it has something to do with what Bella said to me the other day as we were getting the house ready for your party."  She licks her lip, her eyes darting to me in caution. "Look Zayn and I have been dating for a while and if it's going where I think it's going, she reminded me that I didn't need to wait until your brother puts a ring on my finger to start acting like your sister.  Bella said that I should do exactly what I would do if it was her in your situation," She offers as an explanation and I ponder over her words.

"I think the reason why no one has said anything to her all this time is that a part of them, no matter how small, think she's right," I say out loud, playing with the rings on my finger. I mean the clothes that I wear sometimes do expose skin and a lot of it. And in their eyes, I'm practically asking to get catcalled and have my drink spiked by going out dressed like that.

"That's a load of bullshit and you know it, darling," Gigi snaps, looking at me like I've escaped a mental asylum, "Look, I admit I don't know the first thing about what it's like to have to live with something so horrendous where you have had your voice taken away from you," She offers, tucking a stray strand of wavy hair behind her ear and leaning forward, "But what I do know is that you are doing everything in your power to take back some of that control you lost the night it happened and if wearing clothes that it's taken two years for you to feel comfortable in helps you get back a semblance of control you lost, then you go girl," 

"You think you and Zee are forever?"  I ask, changing the subject after a minute and getting her to shoot me a look that says I know what you're doing, but nonetheless she smiles an ear-to-ear grin. 

"I want to believe that he's my forever." She offers biting back her smile before taking a sip from her diet coke. "That no matter what goes down between him and me, no matter where I am in the world that he's gonna be the one I'm coming home to." She adds on once she swallows her drink furrowing her brows together with a faraway look in her eyes.

"I hope my brother doesn't fuck this up somehow because I'm really looking forward to calling you my sister," I offer with a smile.

"Me too, kiddo." She places her drink back in the cup holder and starts the engine backing out of the parking space. "Me too." She repeats. "Now where to?"  She asks glancing at me. "We can go the mall or go and see a movie if you're not ready to go back yet," She offers, sending me the softest smile, sensing my mood turn sour at the thought of going back.

"That obvious eh, Hadid?"  I tease with a smirk.

"Painfully so, Malik."  She teases, shooting me a wink, "Now which one's it gonna be? I kinda need an answer,"  

"A little retail therapy never hurt anyone," 

"I like your way of thinking girl,"