ZAYN:
"We're leaving Florida tomorrow night to head back to New York because our show is at night so we would still have time for soundcheck and all." I informed Madison as I paced around the back lot where the employees let me sneak out to avoid any fans. "You know, I was talking with my manager and he said it'd be amazing if when you guys do start tour that I open for you." I held my breath for a second. That was actually a horrible idea. "Yeah... well you know what they say don't mix buisness with pleasure." I said trying to create some sort of lame excuse to get this fantasy out of her mind.
I was kicking a rock around with my foot as Madison tried to persuade me, when I turned around Lauren was standing right there with her arms crossed. My mouth fell open. This was probably the first time all day that I'd actually got a full on, less then five second- solid look at her. She had on a flower print crop top and shorts and her hair was cascading like a waterfall down the left side of her shoulder. She was absolutely beautiful. "I'll... I've got go." and without waiting for Madison to say her farewells I ended the call.
"When I asked you about Madison.. why'd you lie to me?" Lauren's familiar sultry, yet raspy voice asked me. "I didn't lie to you. You asked if her and I were dating, we weren't then and we aren't now." I honestly said. "And trust me I know the pictures of us that keep surfacing aren't helping me justify my case, but I'm telling the truth."
"You're with her like everyday, and it should embarrass you that some people think you cheated on me because you moved on so fast and I don't know, I'm starting to think that too." my eyes widened and I reached my arm out to touch her, but, she took a step back rejecting me.
"Okay can I just say I would never ever cheat on you." Lauren rolled her eyes and did a little laugh at that. "Right.."
"You can't seriously be thinking about this whole Neena thing again?"
"Hey, forgive but don't forget." she said with a sad smirk.
This wasn't the anxious Lauren from inside. "I was beyond drunk Lauren, we got past that." Standing before me was a girl who turned a switch and stopped giving a fuck. "Yeah, you're right we did, but you said you'd never cheat on me and that's not completely true."
"What is your problem?" I asked. "You're the one that broke up with me."
"We agreed together." she said. "One second you didn't want the break up to happen and then the next second you just changed your mind. I must say, you had me going for a second, thinking that it's actually difficult for you as well when Madison was right there to swoop in. So bravo." she clapped her hands together.
I didn't say anything. I just clenched my jaw shut and stared at her knowing she had so much more to say. "Breaking up was the hardest thing I had to do, and I regretted it so much. All I did was cry, really, ask anyone and it didn't help that I was seeing you smiling and taking pictures with Madison leaning on your shoulder, and don't even get me started on that picture of you guys in your swimsuits sleeping next together and her arms draped over your chest."
"Lauren-" "No shut up!" she said. "I am sick of you living your life as if I meant nothing at all to you because you mean so much to me Zayn!" she shouted. "Initially, when I found out you and the boys were coming here I was mentally preparing everything I was going to say to you, but then I chickened out. I wasn't going to show up at Normani's because I didn't have the guts to face you; and I couldn't figure out the proper way to tell you I miss you. That's why I've been so quiet up until I saw Madison calling and your arms are wrapped around her waist in that picture and it pisses me off that you keep denying everything. I don't care what you say Zayn, something is going on between you two."
I waited a few seconds, but I knew she said everything that had been boiling up inside of her. "It's difficult to explain.." I admitted.
"Try." she said crossing her arms over her chest once more, her expression softening.
"Alright, well I was completely heartbroken over what happened between us, and to be honest I have no idea how we screwed everything up, and I regret how I didn't put up much of a fight instead I just agreed to the break up but you sounded so hurt like I don't know... I thought being with me and having to deal with this long distance thing was hurting you so I figured I should just agree. Madison was a shoulder to lean on and the more we hung out the easier it was to put what happened to us behind me, and I don't know what happened but I liked the feeling of having someone there; and long brown hair and green eyes are apparently my weakness. I never wanted to hurt you, I don't want you to think I was just waiting to have sex and thats it. I swear. You are worth so much more to me. But when I tell you I'm not dating Madison, I mean it. I didn't cheat on you. If it's worth anything I haven't even kissed the girl yet."
I was waiting for Lauren to say something, anything.. but she didn't. "There is so much more I want to tell you and maybe it'd make a little bit more sense... but I can't." I said, refering to the whole pr stunt.
"Why can't you?" she asked.
"I'm not allowed to, I'm sorry. I've been really wanting to since that day you called.."
"Then tell me, do you not trust me?"
"No, I absolutely do.. I just can't, not yet anyway."
LAUREN:
I rolled my eyes. "Look Zayn, I'm not playing your little mind games anymore."
"This isn't a mind game Lauren."
"Well it really feels like one. So go tell Madison I said congratulations, she won." I solemly said.
"Lauren." Zayn called out as I walked away with my head held high. I'd be damned if I cried in front of him after I was just holding my ground.
I wasn't expecting to say everything I said, but I was hanging by a thin line and seeing that picture of Zayn and Madison on his phone really set things into perspective for me. I guess being second best is all I'll ever know.
Dinah and Louis were going up against eachother. I glanced up at the scoreboard and saw that the girls were winning. "Where were you?" Normani asked, and that drew attention to me from the others. "Were you talking to Zayn?" Camila questioned. I nodded grabbing my phone from the pile and my car keys. "I'm actually going to head home.. sorry for being a party pooper, but yeah." I shrugged. Dinah walked over, "What's going on over here?" she asked.
"Lauren's leaving." Harry pouted. Zayn walked up behind me and placed his hand on my arm. I shrugged it off and shot him a look. "Lauren please," he whispered into my ear, and his voice made shivers race through my body. "I'll maybe see you guys later," I waved and brushed past Zayn and out the door.
ZAYN:
I stood there feeling as though I've had my fair share of rejection and the sun was still up. "What happened?" Niall asked. I threw my hands up. "She hates me. I said this plenty of times before." I sat down. Camila sat beside me putting her arm around me and giving me a squeeze. "She does not hate you. She's madly in love with you, and she misses you." the other girls nodded in agreeance; Harry as well. "It didn't seem much like that out there. She thinks I cheated on her with Madison." Everything suddenly went silent and if it wasn't for the music playing, people talking and the sound of the bowling balls knocking against the pins you could probably hear a pin drop.
I looked at the girls with accusing eyes. "You guys can't possibly think I cheated on her too.." Louis cleared his throat. "Drink? Drink? Anybody?" he asked.
"I'll come with you." Niall jumped to his feet and walked off with Louis to the concession stand. "I didn't think you cheated on her until I saw how fast you moved on.. I mean it was crazy fast." Normani said. Dinah nodded.
"I will rip my hair out if I get accused of cheating on her one more time. I love you ladies, I respect you as people, and as Lauren's friends, but thinking I cheated on her is absolutely mad. I love her. Madison and I created a friendship after Lauren and I broke and she was just someone I could talk to and hang out with.. and it seems selfish, but she has some characteristics of Lauren and so it makes me feel sort of like shes in reach even though she's not. It sounds really fucked up, but I swear I never intended to hurt Lauren with this."
"You shouldn't have let whatever you guys have going even start. You should've been trying to fight to get Lauren back." Dinah said.
"Or when you started feeling these things for Madison, that's when you should have took a step back." Camila said. "And I'm not trying to make you out to be a monster because you have feelings for another girl, but it's not fair that you're saying you still love Lauren and that you miss her and such and you're taking all these coupley photos with Madison. It doesn't really give Lauren the impression that you still want her, it shows that you've moved on, without her. So even if you tell her you love her still and you miss her, with all that's going on, do you really think she has any right to believe you?"