Violet
The next morning I'm helping mum set the table for breakfast. The closest friends and family all have rooms booked and were staying the whole weekend. Among them was Zayn.
I left abruptly after our dance, heading up to my room without so much as a goodbye like some modern day Cinderella. I know it was probably rude, but I really didn't know what to do. I couldn't just keep dancing with Zayn when I knew that he should be dancing with somebody else.
"You left early last night," mum observes as she arranges the flowers on the table. This was really a job for all the workers but mum loved to do it herself. Dad would always complain about how we're paying workers to do nothing and mum would always fight back and say that this place was never supposed to be so clinical, it was supposed to be a home. It was never a home, but I guess her arranging flowers on the dining table makes her believe it is.
"I was pretty tired," I say, setting down the knives and forks by each plate.
"What are your plans for today?" She asks. "I think the guests are having a game of tennis if you'd like to join."
I couldn't think of anything worse. "Sounds great. Maybe."
"I'm heading to the shops this afternoon," she says, still trying to perfect the flower arrangement. "Would you like to come?"
I smile. "Yeah sure."
Mum smiles as she takes a step back and admires her work. "Ah, there we are. What do you think?"
She says the same thing every time and every time it looks the same, like it's trying to portray something that isn't real. But every time I just smile and nod.
"Looks perfect, mum."
------
I stand on the balcony outside the dining hall and watch as our guests lounge about outside. I can't stop thinking about Zayn and it pisses me off.
Two whole years and now suddenly he's all I can think about. I try and ask myself if I knew he was coming, would I still come? I don't really want to admit the answer.
Seeing him again just brought back everything and it brought me back to the moment where we ended. But he was different, everything about him. It was like I should remember him and know him but I didn't. I realise that I do not know what Zayn looks like when he is not in love with me.
"Violet, hey."
For fuck sakes.
I turn around and plaster a smile at Zayn and the beautiful girl from yesterday. She's in a little tennis outfit and looks like she's made to play tennis. Zayn just wears casual athletic gear but somehow they both match.
"Hey."
"This is Violet," Zayn says to the girl beside him. "She's, uh-" He struggles.
"An old friend," I jump in with a smile. "Nice to meet you ..."
"Abby." Abby smiles, reaching out to shake my hand. "It's nice to meet some old friends of Zayn's. Did you two go to high school together?"
"Yeah something like that." Zayn quickly changes the subject. "You coming to play?" He asks me.
I don't know why I found it hurtful that Zayn hadn't mentioned me even once to Abby. Was I really that easy to forget?
I shake my head. "I'm not much of an athlete," I say.
"Neither are we." Abby laughs.
Says the one in the tennis outfit.
"I've never played tennis in my life." Zayn laughs with her and I find myself pulling a disgusted face. "But we're always down to make a dick of ourselves."
Abby giggles and her and Zayn share a look.
I cough. "Yeah, well, I'm okay."
Zayn gives me a look but I choose to ignore it. Then him and Abby head off to the courts. I lean back against the railing and sigh.
I wanted to hate Abby but I didn't actually have a reason. She was kind and beautiful and lovely, and Zayn loved her. I guess the reason for feeling hurt is the idea that he could love her more than he loved me. That him and I didn't work out, but they will. I didn't make him happy, but she does. I was the first and she'll be the last.
"So you're just gonna stand there all day?"
I look up and see Zayn again. "Aren't you supposed to be playing tennis?" I can't help the bite in my voice.
He holds up a bottle of water as if to motion that that was his reasoning for being up here and talking to me. "You should join us."
"I'm good." I turn back around.
He comes and stands beside me, leaning on the railing and opening the water bottle to take a sip. He doesn't say anything.
"So Abby," I say.
"Abby," he replies.
I look at him. "How long have you two been together?"
He hesitates. "A year?"
I just nod. "She's nice."
"Yeah, she's amazing. You two would really get along."
I don't say anything.
"Man, this is crazy seeing you here." He laughs.
I still don't say anything. I don't know what to say.
"It's really good to see you," he repeats and I feel my insides warm a little. He looks at me. "It really is."
I smile. "You too."
"Well I should get back. You should come. Seriously." He looks at me, his body half turned.
"Really, I'm okay."
"Come on," he pushes. "You can't just stand here by yourself."
"I'll think about it." I give a small smile.
He smiles back. "Good." He then gives a little wave and runs off to the courts. Again.
I want to groan and kick something and scream but I know I need to get over myself. Zayn has moved on, Zayn is happy. Zayn has a life and I do not. Zayn is content and I am totally lost. I didn't realise seeing him would make me feel so confused. In the two years he has made something of himself, and I'm still stuck in the exact same place.
I take a deep breath and head down to the courts.
------
"Hey! There she is!" Zayn calls as I reach the courts, bending down to grab a racket from the bucket by the gate.
"Hi, Violet!" Abby waves. "Glad you could join us!"
I spy Doniya and Steve on the court beside us and when she looks over I give her a small wave, which she returns, before getting back to her game. Zayn's family occupy another court but other than that everyone else I don't recognise.
"This is Aaron." Zayn introduces me to the guy standing on my side of the court. "He sucks at tennis so he really needs a partner. Aaron, this is Violet. She owns this whole place."
"Wow." Aaron grins at me. He's tall with brown messy hair and he wears a cap on his head. "Really?"
"My parents do," I correct.
"Impressive." He laughs. "So I shouldn't complain about how much I hate these damn tennis courts?"
"No, please do. Because I will agree with you."
"Good. Because I hate these damn tennis courts."
I laugh. "Do you know Zayn?"
"I'm Steve's best friend," he says, and now that he mentions that I do recognise him from the wedding. "But Steve is actually good at tennis, so he didn't want me anywhere near his court."
I just laugh.
"How about you? Besides owning the venue."
"Parents," I correct again. "And it's kind of a long story."
"Sounds like something we should talk about after this game of tennis. Over a drink?"
I'm a little taken aback by his abruptness but I smile. He was cute. "Sure. I'd love to."
"Well then, Violet, shall we play?"
"I guess we have no choice."
"You guys ready?" Zayn yells, holding the ball in his hand. "My serve." He hits it and it goes flying over the net. Aaron chases it and manages to successfully hit it back. Zayn misses.
I cheer. "You're great!"
Aaron looks baffled. "Shit, I did alright, didn't I?"
"You and I might just have a shot after all." I grin.
-------
"Soo, what did you think of Aaron?" Zayn comes up to me after the game. I'm standing by the gate taking a drink. Abby and Aaron are talking out on the court. Turns out him and I ended up winning by one point.
I turn to him, confused. "What?"
He looks at me, wiggling his eyebrows. "He's nice, huh?"
It takes me a second. "Hang on, were you setting me up?"
"Hey," he defends, holding out his hands, "there's no need to label anything. He's a nice guy, you're a nice girl ..."
Was he serious? "How do you even know that I'm single?!"
"Well, no one's here with you," he says.
That was a good point. "That doesn't prove anything." It kinda did.
"Are you single?" He asks.
"I'm not telling you that, it's none of your business."
Zayn nods. "Ah, sounds like that translates to a 'yes, I am single.'"
"I ..."
"You two looked good out there," he says. "You should ask him for a drink."
"Well, if you must know, he already did."
Zayn's eyebrows raise. "Yeah?" He grins. "Alright!" He reaches out and punches me softly on the arm and I'm so taken aback by this casual bro-ness. "See!"
"Okay, what is actually happening right now?" I say. "What are you doing?"
"I'm simply just helping out a friend," he says casually.
The word stops me short. "Friend?" I repeat, like it's something foreign.
"Yeah." He looks at me. "We can be friends, right?"
I don't know what to say. It's not that I'm upset about being friend zoned, but I just didn't think Zayn would want me in his life at all. I didn't think we could be in each other's lives. I never thought being 'friends' was actually an option.
"I ... sure. Yeah, of course." I'm smiling a bit too much now. "No, yeah, definitely."
"Cool." He grins, then winks. "I can be your wingman."
I roll my eyes. "No thank you."
"Hey, I did well with Aaron!"
"I did well with Aaron," I reply.
Aaron comes over then, like we've said his name enough times and finally summoned him. "Hey, you still wanna get that drink?"
Zayn grins at me.
"Yeah." I smile at Aaron. "Of course."
"After you," he says, opening the gate.
"Tell me how it goes!" Zayn whispers as I'm about to leave.
I roll my eyes but I can't stop smiling. Friends. He wanted to be my friend. We were friends.
I walk off with Aaron with a huge smile on my face.
ahhh cute, hopefully this gives you a bit of an idea of where the story is going.....