Chasing Winter

Chapter 3

We ride back to the hotel in the limo. It’s surprisingly quiet except for Niall’s occasional giggle and Louis and Harry whispering to each other.  Liam just stares at the floor and I decide to take out my phone and text Winter’s number. I don’t a response for the whole ride and I feel a sharp pang of sadness. I guess she doesn’t want to talk now, I think.

We get to the hotel and we go into the elevator up to the 12th floor and to room number 2547. Louis and Harry decide to have one of their childish races to the door and they both make it at the same time, opening the door together, Louis almost crashing to the floor. Niall, Liam, and I all laugh as they start to get into an argument as to who got there first. As they start to wrestle, I make my way around them and go to my bedroom.

I throw my phone on my bed in frustration and plop myself next to it. I rest my elbows on my knees and cover my face with my hands.  I rub my temple with my fingers as I start to get a headache. Damn, I think, I just can’t catch a break can I? I look up from my hands at the plain white room before me. I only see her face and I can hear her sweet voice in my head.  I turn and look at my phone’s black screen. Nothing. I pick it up and hold it in my hands, praying for something to happen. I stare at it for a good ten minutes and it stares back at me mockingly. I finally set it down on the space next to me again. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be, I think to myself sadly.  I actually felt something with her. There was a spark when we ran into each other and I felt it deep inside. When I saw her face, I knew she could be the one to possibly make all the sadness that Perrie left with me, disappear.

I slip my phone in my pocket and walk out of my bedroom and into the living room. Louis and Harry are on the couch and giggling, Niall’s raiding the refrigerator and Liam is sitting on the love seat, texting his girlfriend, Danielle. I go to the kitchen where Niall is and he speaks up,

“Want some comfort food, mate?” I kind of nod my head, feeling pitiful and Niall hands me the bag of chips.

I grab it and slug over to where Liam’s sitting and plop myself next to him. He raises his head from his phone and looks at me as I open the bag of chips and shove a few in my mouth.

He turns his body around to me and looks at me with disappointment on his face, “Are you just gonna sit here feeling sorry for yourself?”

I nod with another handful of chips in my mouth and Liam rolls his eyes and snatches the bag out of my hands. Louis and Harry are quiet now and looking at us, looking guilty of something. I go to reach for it and he pulls it away from me.

“Liam, give it here,” I tell him.

“No, Zayn, look at yourself. You’re worse than Niall.”

Niall bursts out of the kitchen, “Hey! I’m not that bad!”

We all shoot him a look and he gives a playful snort and goes back into the kitchen.

Liam looks back at me, setting the bag of chips on the floor, “Zayn, c’mon mate. It’s not that bad. Maybe she’s just busy. I mean, we’re not all available 24/7.”

I shake my head, “It’s not even that, Liam. You don’t understand…”

Liam puts his hand on my shoulder and looks into my eyes, “Trust me, I know what you’re going through. Remember when Danielle and I broke up? I was heart broken and miserable. I swore I’d never love again. I doubted the relationship being over every second of the day. I’d check my phone constantly for her text. But you know what? Things got better. And we did get back together. And we’ve been happy ever since. Maybe Perrie will forgive you, too. After all, it was just an accident. You didn’t mean to get drunk and start a fight… I promise it’ll get better. I promise.”

I stare at Liam and the genuine look on his face and I can tell everything he said was true.

I nod slowly and I see a smile grow on his face, “That’s the spirit.”

I smile back and my phone starts to vibrate violently. Louis and Harry’s eyes grow wide and Liam’s jaw drops. I take my phone out of my pocket and I check the caller I.D. I see the word “Winter” and I freeze.

I hear Niall slam the refrigerator door and he runs out of the kitchen yelling, “DON’T JUST SIT THERE, ANSWER IT!” I panic and hit the green button labeled “Answer”.

I hear a small voice come out of the phone, “Hello?”