Heartstrings ➳ z.m.

twenty-four - skylar

Chapter Twenty-Four – Skylar

            It didn’t take long before we were eventually ushered out, swarmed by bodyguards and paparazzi.

            I kept trying to talk to Zayn on the way back to my apartment—Stan was driving now, bless his heart—but his eyes were glued to his phone the entire time. Every once in a while he’d look at me, but then his brows would furrow and he’d go back to his phone.

            Admittedly, I did feel a tad guilty for getting him in trouble, but I wished that he’d just admit that he was upset at me, rather than ignore me the whole time. It was frustrating.

            “Just call someone when you’re ready to leave,” Stan told Zayn, and that was the first time since we had entered the car that my boyfriend opened his mouth.

            “Okay,” he said.

            He didn’t spare me another glance.

            I sighed, looking at him from one side of the couch, while he stayed perched on the other, my laptop on his lap. His chocolate eyes kept scanning up and down the page, skimming before his fingers would key the arrows down.

            We were supposed to be watching a movie, or talking, or anything really, but instead I was stuck watching my preoccupied boyfriend browse the internet.

            Was he really that mad at me? Why didn’t he just go with Stan in the first place, then?

            “Do you want to just leave?” I huffed at him, and his eyes snapped up, head tilting in much a way that you would associate with a puppy, brows furrowed.

            “Why would I want to leave?” He frowned at me, blinking, and I had to turn my eyes away. The mock sincerity on his face was astounding. He should become an actor.

            “Because you’ve barely said a word to me since you got here. I understand that you’re mad, but—”

            “Sky, I’m not mad.” He placed the laptop down on the couch, carefully positioning it so that I couldn’t see the screen, before scooting a bit closer to me. “I’ve told you that I didn’t care about getting in trouble.”

            I disregarded his comments, trying my hardest to focus on the television, which was hard with him being so close. “What are you even looking at?”

            “Nothing; it’s not important.”

            His words came out rushed, and even I could tell that he was lying. But why was he even lying to me?

            It just didn’t make sense.

            Nothing made sense right now.

            “Zayn, it’s probably better if you leave,” I muttered, and he sighed beside me, shaking his head.

            “No, Skylar, listen, I can’t exactly tell you what I’m doing,” he twisted his mouth, fidgeting with his fingers, “but I’m only reading something. Lots and lots of somethings. Harmless, really.”

            I groaned, closing my eyes. Nothing he was saying was making any sense. “Then why can’t I read it?”

            “Skylar, please—”