Detrimental

Episode 7

I take a deep breath and close my eyes. I get the same feeling I had gotten years ago, when I first found out Liam was actually with Kelly. Zayn was busy making tea and my mind drifts to the past.

I look at the clock and it's just an hour past midnight. I remember the events that transpired today and I am left ashamed and vulnerable. Had I somehow indirectly caused Liam's behavior? It's my fault, isn't it? I made him cheat on her. It's. My. Fault.

I'm a slut.

A whore.

I can't even look at Kelly without feeling guilty for all that's happened.

What kind of a fucking best friend am I?

I go to my photo gallery and delete every single picture I had of Liam. There was one I wanted to keep but knowing our relationship had never been real in the first place, I press the button that expelled the picture into an abyss of unwanted memories.

I crawl into bed and cry myself to sleep.

"Rae!" Zayn's voice summons me back to the present. "The tea's ready," he smiles. "come sit with me."

"Thank you for everything. I owe you." I did. Zayn's saved my ass tons of times. He's like a real brother to me.

"Have you thought of what you wanna do?"

"I just want to forget everything for now."

"You gotta do something! You can't let him think he can get away with all that." Zayn snorts.

"Stop raising your voice. My head's starting to hurt."

"Sorry," he says as he takes a sip of his tea. "Are you still going tonight?"

"Can't miss it." I smile.

"It's great to see you smile again." Zayn's mood lightens. "I guess Harry's a special guy huh?"

"Trust me, Harry has absolutely zero romantic interest in me and I think the same of him. I'm smiling because I might finally meet Niall fucking Horan."

"Your obsession with someone you haven't even met confuses me sometimes," he laughs.

"Wait, how did you know I was talking about Harry?"

"I asked the guys if they knew someone with curly hair. They mentioned Harry and some other blokes."

"How did you know it was Harry, then?"

"He seemed your type."

"Which is?"

"I don't know."

"Zayn, can I ask you a serious question?"

"What?"

"Do you think I have a serious shot with Niall?"

"Only if he's lucky enough to have a shot with you,"

"That was the same thing I told you when you were first gonna ask Stella out," I laugh. "I can't believe you still remember it."

"I remember everything we've talked about," he smiles.

The doorbell rings. It must be Harry. I get up and open the door and find myself staring at familiar blue eyes of a stranger I had not met yet.

"Hi Rae," Harry smiles. "I hope you don't mind but I brought Niall,"

"What's the craic?" Niall looks at me, waiting for an answer.

I panic and shut the door in one swift motion.