Chapter Twenty-Two – Skylar
“Do you have a fetish for my half-naked body?” Zayn smiled at me, lazily watching as I trailed my finger around his belly-button.
I flicked his nose, scoffing at him. I most certainly did not. I only liked his tattoos… and how fit he looked… And maybe I did have a fetish. “There is absolutely nothing wrong with that.”
“I never said—”
“Are you two coming out for lunch?” Liam asked, a bright smile on his face. “I made tacos!”
“Can’t say no to tacos,” I laughed, giving him a nod. I rolled off of the bed, tossing Zayn his shirt, but he just placed it back down. “Trying to feel more manly or something, princess?”
My boyfriend scoffed as I walked down the short hallway to the kitchen, thumping my shoulder in protest. “Well I was just figuring that since you have an obsession with my shirtless—”
“Not an obsession,” I corrected, ignoring the way that Harry was having an incredible time with this.
“Whatever makes you sleep at night.”
I grabbed a plate from Liam, nodding a thank you. “Have I already told you that you’re a dick?”
Zayn chuckled, shooting me his half-dimpled smirk as he grabbed his own plate, heading over to the tacos. “You might have mentioned it. But I’m pretty sure you said that you loved me right after.”
I rolled my eyes, reaching around him to grab my food before sitting down in Niall’s usual seat. He had already left for his date with Trinity a while ago; as soon as we had come back from rehearsals.
“Is it possible to love somebody and hate them at the same time?” I mumbled innocently, and Zayn sent me a mock-glare, which I laughed at.
Things were looking up for us.
Finally.
“Louis, can we talk?” I had noticed that he was unusually quiet, and I assume that it was because of Zayn and I’s silly banter throughout lunch. I didn’t want him to be mad at me over something that I couldn’t control, though.
Zayn raised his brows at me, frowning, and I gave him a slight smile, signaling that it wouldn’t take too long.
He nodded, choosing to head into the living room with the other two boys as opposed to going to his room.
I motioned toward the door of the apartment, and Louis reluctantly followed.
“So,” I started slowly, scratching my neck. I had so many things to say, and had no way to say it. “I… uh…”
“Are you just trying to rub it in my face that you’re dating Zayn and that you’re completely happy? Because you do that a bloody lot already.”
I frowned as Louis shoved his hands in his pockets, socked toes scuffing at the ground. “I wasn’t trying to rub it in—”
“I’m sure.”
I let out a breath, running my hands through my hair. This wasn’t going well at all. I was only trying to settle our differences, not make more.
“Louis—”
“This whole time,” he started, looking up for the first time. His brows were scrunched; determined, “you were just stringing me along, right? For the fun of it.”
“No!” I quipped quickly, eyes widening. “God, no, Lou, I wouldn’t do that. I liked you—I did, or I thought I did—I promise. It’s just… I got closer to Zayn, and… I don’t know. But even then, for the longest time, I tried to make myself not like him and like you.”
Louis sighed, shutting his eyes. “Don’t say that. It makes me sound like I have a chance. And I don’t, do I?”
I shook my head, leaning against the doorframe. “I’m sorry.”
“So you really love him, then?”
“I do.”
“With all your heart?”
“With all of my everything.”
Louis gave me a short nod, and started back toward the door.
I guess that the chat was over, but I felt like something was still… Missing.
I’d definitely have to make it right with him.
“So, I’ve been thinking,” Zayn told me about a week later. It was the day of their gig, actually, and we were getting ready to leave. Zayn, being the slacker that he is, was only just getting dressed with fifteen minutes before they were scheduled to leave.
“You’ve been thinking,” I repeated, rolling over onto his pillows to breathe in his scent. I’d have to ask him what cologne (or shampoo) that he used. It smelled amazing.
“And we’ve been dating for about a week…”
“We have,” I agreed, watching the muscles in his back flex as he desperately looked for a shirt.
“Are you a human echo? Anyway, I was thinking how unfair it was that Niall and Trinity have gone on three dates while we haven’t been on one.”
“It is quite unfair,” I replied, just to humor him, and he rolled his eyes, holding up two shirts. “The blue one. Blue looks nice on you.”
He grinned, exaggeratedly blowing me a kiss, which I pretended to catch and put on my cheek. “Is this just an extremely long roundabout way of you asking me on a date, Zayn?”
He wasn’t even facing me, and I could already see the sheepish grin on his face as he shrugged his shirt on. “I’ve never really been really good at this stuff, alright?”
“We’re already dating, you idiot. Am I supposed to say no?”
Zayn huffed at me, turning around and holding his head high. “You might.”
I chuckled at him, hopping off of his bed, pinching his cheek as I exited his room to where the other boys were eating breakfast. “I could never reject that charming face.”
“So tomorrow, then? If you’re free?”
Tomorrow was a Monday, which meant that I had to work and I had class, but I’d still find some way to make time with him. “Yeah. After six, though, okay?”
“We could do it another day if—”
“I want to go on a date with you, Zayn,” I called back, rolling my eyes as I prepared his plate. He was still in his room, probably searching for some socks.
For somebody who used to have everything in a set place, he was the most unorganized person.
“You made me a plate!”
“I did.”
He grinned, kissing my cheek, scarfing down his food, because he only had five minutes to eat.
“You have syrup on your nose,” I laughed, and he tried to lick it off, and failed.
I leaned over the table, swiping at it with a napkin. “There.”
He grinned at me, showing all of his teeth.
This boy was so adorable, that it was criminal.
He was slowly going to kill me.
And I found that I didn’t mind in the slightest.
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Well, they're going on a date :] yay