Chapter 24 ― Mila

For the first time I really felt like Zayn was interested in me, in what I did, what I wanted. I felt for the first time that he was really talking to me and I stopped to be just Alex’s friend for him. I was finally Mila. My heart felt lighter and the beats were easier, as our conversation.

During that afternoon I discovered Zayn and I could really get along and we could talk about many things. I could tell him all those things I liked to know that most people weren’t interested in, and he would listen to me fascinated. He was interested in what I was telling him and that was all what I wanted in someone. A person who would like to listen to me because I had things to say, things that were part of me and this hungry of knowing more and more was one of the things that defined me. That he was willing to know all those things and share with me this information made me feel incredible, warm.

I liked how even if he didn’t know what I was talking about, he listened to me carefully and asked things to have everything clearer. I never imagined it was going to be so easy to talk to him about things I normally only talked to Moni. Now I knew that even if I wanted to talk about how pirates used to talk in those times, he would listen to me and pay attention.

I truly enjoyed those hours with him and by when Niall and Alex came back and walked into the kitchen, I was really sorry that our time alone was over.

When I saw the couple walking hand in hand and laughing at something I didn’t know what it was, I looked at Zayn expecting to find a hurt expression, the same I saw the first time, when I met him and that it was always in his features when Niall and Alex were together oblivious to the world. But that day his expression was different and that made my heart beat faster. He was genuinely smiling at them, and even though I saw longing in his eyes, it didn’t give me the feeling that what he wanted was Alex, but something bigger than that. It made me feel like what he wanted was that kind of relationship.

I thought about that and considered the point. Maybe it was that all the time, maybe all what he wanted was to be loved.

“How was your afternoon alone?” Zayn asked with a sincere smile.

“Great, yet cold,” Niall replied and Alex giggled. “We almost froze to the bone, but it was worth it,” added the blond boy wrapping his arm around Alex’s waist and pulling her close.

“Are we still up for the bonfire?” The boy next to me asked and the couple nodded before both walked to the fridge. Sometimes I wondered if they were able of not being hungry all the time. It seemed like they couldn’t, both were bottomless pits.

“By the way, Mila,” Zayn told me almost ignoring the couple trying to decide what to eat. “I’m gonna read all your stories now that I know where to find them.” His smile was mischievous and I just opened my eyes as much as I could. He even laughed at my expression. “Yup, I’m gonna be your biggest fan now and me and Phebs are gonna talk about your stories and become BFFs,” he teased me and I smacked his arm for saying those things.

“Twat,” I mumbled but I was laughing because at my mind came an image of him and Phebs fangirling over a scene in the story. “I’m gonna delete the history on your mobile,” I threated him trying to grab his phone but he took it first.

“That ain’t gonna happen, love,” he said and his tone and the way he looked at me sent shivers down my spine.

“Give it to me!” I demanded trying to reach the damn phone again but he was taller than me and he even stood up so I couldn’t get hold of his mobile. “Zayn!” I whined kneeling on the chair where I was sat trying to catch his gadget but he kept pulling it away from me.

“Nope!” And before I could try to stand up on the chair, he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me against his body and taking me from the chair to put me on the ground, but even when my feet touched the floor, he didn’t let me go. His arm was tightly wrapped around my waist and my back was pressed against his chest, his face next to mine, his chin on my shoulder and I wasn’t prepared by what he did next: “I’ll get to know you better throughout your writing, Mila,” he whispered into my ear and my heart did this Olympic flip-flop worthy of a gold medal and a perfect ten.

And right after that, he let go of me and ran away still holding the mobile in his hand. I was left there looking at the way he left, my heart beating so fast and all my skin was tingling.

“Oh my god, my OTP feelings!” Alex squealed breaking through my state of pure shock. I blinked a couple of times quickly before turning around to meet her wide-open eyes. “Moni!” She yelled after that, making Niall wince. “You won’t believe what you missed! Zila is real!” She kept yelling as she ran away, probably looking for Moni, leaving us there with confused expressions.

“What did just happen?” Niall asked as he took a bite of chicken leg from the leftovers of the lunch we had that day.

“Not sure yet,” I replied furrowing my eyebrows a bit.

“By the way,” Niall spoke up grabbing a bottle of bear and finally closing the fridge. “Zayn fancies you,” he finished the sentence and walked past me, not before giving me a wink.

I stood there processing Niall’s words, trying to get over what Zayn did and what I was feeling. I had never had such a strong reaction before and I was starting to get worried at how much Zayn affected me with a mere touch or a whisper.

Was Niall right?

I surprised myself whishing he was.

+ + + + +

“Yay, mojito!” I cheered as Moni handed me another mojito. It was my fourth but I was okay, I could barely feel the alcohol in the drink and that made me wonder if it had any liquor whatsoever. It didn’t seem like it.

We were outside around the bonfire having a laugh and drinking. It seemed like doing this was kind of a tradition for the boys and I felt special to be included that time. Everyone was having a great time and Niall and Harry were already quite tipsy, Zayn and Louis weren’t too far away from that state and Alex seemed to want to follow the same path. The only ones who weren’t drinking were Liam, Phebs, and Moni. My friend had her phone ready to record anything that would be worth watching over and over again later.

Louis was shoving off his muscles, saying that he was the strongest and things like that, making everyone touch his arms and I just rolled my eyes as I took another sip of my mojito. Moni right next to me stood up and went towards the Doncaster boy to dare him to an arm wrestling. Oh, that was going to be interesting and I was betting for my friend.

Phebs, who wasn’t too far away from me and who had indeed talked to Zayn about my story, received a called and walked away with a huge smile on her face. I noticed something odd and it was Liam looking as Phoebe went away from us. It almost seemed like he didn’t approve of Phebs going to talk to her boyfriend, because it was obvious that it was Lucas who had called her. It was evident for the look in her eyes.

Maybe there was something I was missing. I knew Liam didn’t like Phebs, he loved Danielle —I could see that for the way his eyes lit up when he talked about her—, but there was something there.

I looked for someone who could answer to my questions about the matter and Louis and Moni were arm wrestling, Harry and Eleanor were there giving support to the contestants. As I suspected, it seemed like Moni was winning. Go Moni! I cheered mentally.

I didn’t want to ask Liam because I knew he would say it was nothing, so I had to go to someone else and the only one who didn’t seem busy —because Niall and Alex were in their own world— was Zayn.

With my mojito in my hands, I stood up and went to the black-haired boy. “Zayn,” I called him touching his shoulder. He was watching my friend and Louis fighting to show who was stronger.

He turned around to face me, a big and warm smile, one of those that lit up all his features, was playing on his lips. “Van happenin’? He asked in a weird accent and I just laughed briefly and his smile grew wider.

“Hey, I wanna ask you something,” I told him and motioned to him to get closer. “But it’s top secret, so you can’t tell anyone!”

He opened his eyes in surprise before putting his index finger over his lips as a way to say he was going to keep the secret. I chuckled softly and I realised I was a tad bit tipsy, too. The mojito had alcohol after all.

“What’s going on between Liam and Phebs?” I asked him and his playful expression was replaced by a more serious one.

“I’ve been wondering the same thing, you know,” he commented and I knew this was a gossip moment. “You probably don’t know, but Phebs used to have a huge crush on Liam, but he has girlfriend. We all knew about her feelings, even Liam and things were quite awkward when we came back from the tour,” he explained to me but things didn’t make sense yet. Phebs was the one with the crush, not Liam. “I thought that once Phebs moved on form Liam, things were going to be fine, but I’ve noticed Liam looking weird at her when she talks about Lucas.”

“I noticed the same just now!” I told him and he nodded. Good, I wasn’t the only one to notice something weird.

“You think he fancies her?” He asked me and I just shook my head. The way he looked at her was different, but I still couldn’t put my finger on it.

“It’s something different… maybe we should talk to him?” I suggested and he thought about it a little.

“Maybe… shall we do it now?” I smiled. Not because of what we were going to do, but because I felt really close to him in that moment, like we were some kind of partners in crime, together in this.

“Let’s do it!” And I looped my arm around his as we walked towards Liam who was seeing as my friend finally beat Louis. I laughed and so did Zayn as we made our way. The blue-eyes boy was complaining that he wanted revenge but Moni just laughed at him. I knew I had to bet money at that wrestling.

I liked the relationship we were forming with Zayn, I felt like we were finally becoming friends.

“Liam!” Zayn said in a cheerful tone. It seemed like he was in a state quite similar to mine. Each one grabbed one arm of the brunet boy and we pulled him away from the lot that were celebrating Moni’s victory. “We need to talk, mate.”

Liam looked confused but he followed us. I decided it was stupid of us to go around the bushes, so I asked straightforwardly. “What’s going on with Phebs?” That question caught him off guard and his eyes were wide open, sheer surprised written all over his face.

“W-what do you mean?” He asked us and we looked at each other with Zayn.

“We mean if there’s something going on. We’ve noticed that you look at her weirdly when she talks about Lucas,” I replied and his eyes showed even more shock.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m happy for her,” he replied and one more time, Zayn and I looked at each other as a way to confirm if we believed him or not. I saw in Zayn’s eyes that he believed his friend, Liam was indeed happy for Phebs. Then, what was going on? “It’s great she has a boyfriend now, we can be friends without any awkwardness between us.” Once again, he was being honest.

Then it hit me. I knew what it was and as realisation came to me, I smiled. Zayn looked at me a bit confused and when I let go of Liam, so did he. “You’re right. We’re seeing things where there’s nothing. Sorry,” I told him and Liam nodded grateful because I let it drop.

The boy walked away and Zayn came closer to me, confusion written all over his face and I just smiled. “Come here, my friend. I have things to explain to you,” I told him with a smile that he replied with one of his own. 

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Dedication goes to @Brielle94 for her constructive critisism. Thanks, dear. I really appreciate your honesty.

Bel, xx