I was running through a house, the flames that engulfed it illuminating the night sky. My throat felt clogged, the smoke becoming too dense for my lungs to handle. I ran, room to room, throwing open doors and checking to see who was in each one. Each space I found unoccupied until I got to a room at the end of a hall. Heaving the planks aside, I stepped in and was greeted by a horrific sight.
The five bodies of Liam, Louis, Niall, Harry, and Zayn lay in a pile, fire flickering on their physiques and burning them. One by one, their agonizing screams silenced, their eyes flickering shut. I shrieked, tearing towards them and tried to blow out the flames unsuccessfully. Soon, my air was cut off, my lungs finally giving out. I collapsed on the floor, face to face with Zayn, whose eyes remained open.
“Why did you let us die, Lauren?” he rasped, smoke billowing out of his mouth. His hair burst into flames, causing his skin to melt off and exposing his skeleton. My mouth let out a bloodcurdling scream and I shot up from my spot on the ground, my eyes shooting open. But I wasn’t in a burning building.
I was sitting up in a bed, a warm body lying next to mine. Hot tears streamed down my face and the horrifying images of my dream flashed through my mind. I let out an emotional sob and felt someone sit up beside me.
“Lauren, what’s wrong?” Zayn exclaimed, embracing me with his bare arms. I didn’t respond; I just turned and cried into his toned chest, clad with a white tank top. After a few seconds of bawling, I lifted my face from his chest to look into his eyes, wiping my teary eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Zayn repeated, his face full of concern.
“My dream. You and all the boys were dead.” I choked out, fresh tears running down my cheeks at the thought of my nightmare. Zayn took his thumb and wiped my face, cleaning away every tear while whispering comforting words. Once he was done, he brought me into a hug, laying my head on his shoulder. I let out a shuddering breath, calming down but staying in Zayn’s arms. In his arms, I felt as though nothing bad could happen; that nothing could hurt us.
We had only been privately dating for three weeks now, but I’ve already felt more comfortable with him than any of my other boyfriends. Many nights we had stayed up for hours, just talking until we fell asleep, whether it’s on the phone or after a quiet night in. Armani liked to jump into the bed with us and snuggle up to Zayn's or my chest, keeping a steady rhythm with her quick little breaths. We could talk about anything, like fame, family, and past partners. I felt as if I could share everything and not hold anything back. He knew that I was still a virgin and appreciated the fact that I wanted to save myself for the one I truly loved.
“Are you alright now, babe?” Zayn whispered, giving my shoulder a squeeze before pulling me back to face him. I nodded, leaning in to give him a short kiss on his lips. After tasting his intoxicating flavor, I wanted desperately to go back for more, but I held off because it was 4am. Lying back down in Zayn’s bed, I cuddled up to his chest while he wrapped his arms around my waist. Listening to the steady beat of his heart slowly lulled me to sleep and I drifted into a calm state of oblivion.
After four more hours of sleep, I was roused by the absence of warmth next to me. Wearily opening my eyes, I glanced around the room, finding both it and the bed empty. I sat up, running my hands through my hair and over my eyes, while wondering where Zayn had gone. My question was answered when he stepped out of the bathroom drying his dripping black hair with a small towel. The only other thing he was wearing was a white towel wrapped around his waist.
“Sorry. I didn’t want to wake you.” Zayn told me, walking over to the closet to get clothes. “I have an interview in twenty minutes, but you can go back to sleep and we could have lunch after, yeah?” he suggested.
“I have a photo shoot at 9am and then a commercial shoot at 11am.” I replied, my voice thick from sleep.
“Alright, dinner then? I’ll cook.” he offered, a lopsided smile playing on his lips. I bobbed my head in agreement, curious to see what he could do in the kitchen. “Sleep, love.”
Lying back in the bed, I snuggled against the warm pillow and closed my eyes. I guess I must have drifted off for a few minutes, because the next thing I knew, Zayn was next to the bed, fully clothed and leaning down to kiss me.
His warm lips pressed to my temple, staying there for a moment before pulling away. My eyes opened and I sat up, pulling his head to mine once more. This time, I pressed my lips to his, both of my hands on the sides of his cleanly shaven face. I could taste toothpaste on his lips, reminding me that I hadn’t brushed my teeth yet.
Pulling away, I hopped out of bed and went to the bathroom, quickly brushing the morning breath away. After leaning down to spit, I rinsed and glanced in the mirror. I spotted Zayn leaning against the doorway, an absentminded smile on his face while he gazed at me. Turning around, I stepped over to him.
“What?” I queried about his stare. He shook his head, placing his hands on my hips and bringing me closer.
“You’re so beautiful.” he stated simply, his tone so low that it almost sounded like a breath. His eyes flicked back and forth between both of mine as my cheeks blazed and my stomach flipped. Even when I was wearing his boxers over my underwear with a Bob Marley t-shirt, he could make me feel like the prettiest girl in the world. I grabbed the collar of his shirt, forcing his lips to mine. This wasn’t a tentative kiss, either. I knew that we had a limited amount of time before he had to leave.
Zayn was quick to respond, increasing the pressure of his lips on mine and gently biting down on my lower lip, asking for entrance. I granted it without hesitation, enjoying his taste of mint and smoke. That’s the thing about each of our kisses; every single one was different. Some were slow and shy, transferring unspoken words and feelings to each other while others were quick and hungry, getting to the point instead of savoring the moment. This time, it was the latter choice. Our breaths grew ragged, our heartbeats increasing. His soft lips glided over mine, guiding the kiss and, regrettably, separating our mouths.
“You have to go.” I murmured as he trailed soft kisses from my neck to my jawline. He mumbled something incoherent against my skin until finally reaching my lips, planting one last peck on them.
“See you tonight.” he told me. I nodded, not wanting him to go. He grinned, kissing my cheek before heading out of the front door. I stood in the doorframe of the bathroom for a second, wondering what to do before remembering my photo shoot in less than thirty minutes. I quickly made Zayn’s bed, so he wouldn’t have to later, and threw on some clothes.
Since I so often stayed at Zayn’s flat, I had some of my clothes here. There weren’t too many; just some jeans and a few shirts. I pulled on blue jeans and a white jumper, adding brown boots and heading back to the bathroom to brush my hair. Remembering my purse had makeup in it, I hurriedly pulled out the mascara and applied it to my lashes, making them long and full. As I didn’t have foundation, I decided to skip that step. They would do my makeup at the shoot, anyway. I poured dog food for Armani into her pink dog dish. She left slobber both on the bowl and floor, but I didn’t mind much.
Finally finished, I grabbed my purse, along with Armani, and walked out of the flat, careful not to be seen by paparazzi. Even though I was dating Zayn, I still had to make my fake relationship with Harry seem real. Coming out of my supposed boyfriend’s best mate’s house early in the morning would be good for tabloids, but not good for me. Hopping into a taxi, I was hastily driven to my destination. After paying the driver, I got out and walked up to the entrance, grasping the cool, G-shaped metal handle and pulling.
“Hello, welcome to Gucci. How may I help you?” a woman asked with a courteous smile.
“Lauren Anthony for a 9am shoot.” I clarified and she scrolled through her computer before landing on a name.
“Ah, here you are. You’ll be in room 32.” she told me. Thanking her, I turned to go up the elevator to the floor. The lift dinged and I stepped off, quickly locating room 32. I knocked once before entering. Inside, I was greeted by the intense aroma of a fragrance. A black background was set up behind a giant bed covered in tangled sheets and strewn pillows.
“Hello, Lauren! I’m Talia Lorenzo, the photographer for today.” a tall, brunette woman introduced before shaking my hand firmly. I set my purse holding Armani next to a table. The makeup artist offered to keep an eye on Armani, so I agreed and left her with the woman. Talia wasted no time in hustling me to the makeup chair and began to explain the shoot. “This is a perfume spread, so you’ll be holding the fragrance, “Lust” by Gucci. The idea is that you’ve just woken up with your lover after a long night, if you know what I mean.” she winked for emphasis and I chuckled nervously while my makeup was being applied.
“You said partner. Who’s the male model?” I questioned while being spun away from her in the makeup chair.
“We have a special celebrity model that’s going to pose with you today. He hasn’t modeled much, but he has that prototypical look to him.” she elucidated. Her speech was cut short when a guy stepped out from a clothing rack.
“Talia, are you sure this is all I’m wearing?” he asked. Wait, I knew that voice. I could recognize that boyish yet mature tone anywhere. Oh, no.
My makeup was finished so I rotated around to confirm my suspicions. Much to my dismay, it was who I thought it was. In only boxers.
Taylor Lautner.