come on, come on, don't leave me like this
i thought i had you figured out
❥━━━━━━━━━━━━━
𝐈𝐍 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐇 adriana didn't expect to ever cross paths with chris again after he had shattered her heart but unfortunately on her first day of senior year...
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CHAPTER043 - ╰┈➤ ' history ' ♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧ 「 real life 」
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─ real life
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ZAYN WASN'T USUALLY ONE FOR SITTING ON THE SIDELINES, but today, that's exactly where he found himself. he was watching chris and adriana across the courtyard, just a few yards away. they were laughing, talking, the tension between them from before slowly fading. it was almost like nothing had ever happened.
"do you think they're gonna get back together?" cecelia asked, leaning slightly toward zayn, her voice a mix of curiosity and amusement.
zayn didn't answer right away. he didn't know if he wanted to. he had his own complicated feelings about what was going on. he could see it, how chris was always around adriana now, how she seemed more open, more relaxed when he was near her. it was like they were finding their way back to something. or maybe, they never fully lost it.
"they've been hanging out a lot, huh?" zayn muttered, not taking his eyes off them. he was trying to convince himself that it was fine, that he didn't feel a bit guilty watching it unfold, but it wasn't that easy. not anymore.
cecelia's gaze flicked from zayn to chris and adriana. she squinted, as if assessing the situation more critically. "yeah, they have. it's kinda... cute, right?" she added, a teasing edge to her voice. "i mean, they've got this history. i think it's sweet."
zayn hesitated. he had to force himself to focus on what cecelia was saying, even though his mind kept drifting back to the bet, something he couldn't let her know about. he was still trying to convince himself that he didn't push chris into it, that this was all just... happening. but the guilt had a way of lingering.
"it's more than cute," zayn replied, his voice quieter than he intended. "they've been through a lot. maybe they're starting to figure things out."
cecelia raised an eyebrow, sensing the shift in his tone. "you think they'll get back together?"
zayn glanced at her, catching the light glinting off her hair, the way her lips curved into a mischievous smile. he shook his head, trying to focus. "maybe. it's hard to say. adriana's still... wary. she doesn't trust chris the way she used to."
he didn't want to go into too much detail. he didn't want to explain why he was feeling this gnawing sense of responsibility, even though he knew he shouldn't. cecelia didn't need to know that chris was only hanging around to prove himself, or that zayn had encouraged him to do it, even if chris had been the one to push for it. it had all started with that bet, a bet that felt like a mistake now. he couldn't change what happened, but the guilt still gnawed at him.
"so, you think it's just a matter of time before they're back to... whatever they were?" cecelia asked, her tone playful, as if she didn't realize the weight behind zayn's words.
zayn exhaled slowly. "maybe. i don't know. chris wants it. he always has."
cecelia looked at him more carefully now, a small frown crossing her face. she must've noticed the hesitation in his voice, the way his expression tightened when he spoke about it. "you don't seem so sure about that, though," she said softly, her teasing tone shifting to something gentler.
zayn avoided her gaze, turning back to watch chris and adriana again. they were standing closer now, their conversation more relaxed, their body language no longer stiff. it was like they were finding their rhythm again, and zayn couldn't help but feel a flicker of hope for them. but there was still that lingering guilt in the pit of his stomach. what would happen when adriana found out the truth? would it break everything?
"i just want them to be happy," zayn said, his voice low. it wasn't entirely a lie. he did want them to find a way back to each other. but he wasn't sure if it would be possible without the truth getting in the way.
cecelia didn't push further. instead, she nudged him with her elbow, her mischievous smile back in full force. "well, if they get back together, you'll be the one who called it first, right?"
zayn couldn't help but grin. "yeah, i guess. but it's not about being right."
cecelia's eyes twinkled as she leaned in, her lips curving up in a knowing smile. "right. it's about the drama, isn't it?"
zayn chuckled, shaking his head. "maybe a little."
he could feel the tension easing slightly as cecelia's playful energy washed over him, and he found himself relaxing in a way he hadn't realized he needed. she wasn't asking about the bet. she didn't know about it, and zayn was grateful for that. he wasn't sure how he'd explain it, and he didn't want to risk losing the one good thing he had, his friendship with her.
"so," she said, nudging him again, "what do you say we go get something to eat? i'm starving, and watching them be all cute and stuff is making me hungry."
zayn smirked, shaking off the last of his unease. "yeah, sure. let's get out of here."
as they walked away from the courtyard, zayn couldn't help but glance over his shoulder one last time. chris and adriana were still talking, still in their own little world. it was hard to say whether they'd make it. but part of him, the part that cared about chris and adriana's happiness more than anything else, hoped they did. the other part? the part that still felt guilty for encouraging the bet? he just hoped the truth didn't destroy everything before they got a chance to figure it out.
