For Lovers Only - [A Zarry Stylik]©️

XXXI- HARRY'S BLOCK PARTY

H,

I followed Zayn's gaze finding Liam staring right at him.

Or was it at us?

I couldn't quite tell due to the distance, but I could swear he was looking at me too. It gave me an odd feeling down my spine. I knew Liam was far away from us, but I wondered...what had he seen or heard from that distance?

I had seen him earlier speaking to Louis, but I didn't see or approached him. Liam seemed fine, and friendly, and even congratulated the boys. When he saw me, my friend did nothing but chuck his chin at me.

Ever since our last meeting, I've been feeling uneasy around him. Could he read my mind? Could he see inside my heart? Why was I feeling so fearful of him when I did nothing, to my knowledge and his too, to be worthy of such attention?

I wondered if he knew.

If he suspected me.

I've always known Liam to be insecure about me around Zayn. As if I were a menace to what they had. He'd always make himself known when the three of us were in one room. Always marking his territory. I believed, he believed me to be a threat.

I was.

When we were together a couple of years ago, Zayn and I had been discreet. Kept the calling and texting to a minimum. Meeting at regular hours, using plausible excuses not to raise suspicions, using Liam's focus on the business to go about in the shadows. We used all of that to fuel us when we got together. All of that made everything more exciting, to be honest. We were careful. We've always been careful. It's private. It's us. We don't need the world to know about us.

But now, watching Liam observe us at a distance, I wondered...

Was he suspicious and did he know?'

Had we been too obvious?

I raised my chin at him, and he rose his cup in my direction. Another man showed up next to him and Liam turned to him, speaking low. I don't know who he was, but I was glad he had caught Liam's attention for the while. They seemed close, almost speaking in a whisper tone, not moving their lips.

I turned to find Zayn, but I caught him walking away.

"Zayn?" He had immersed himself in the crowd, making it hard for me to follow him. Every time I got closer, someone would push me back or bump against me. I'd call, but he wouldn't hear me with all the noise and random conversation happening around us. Seeing him move away from me so fast, sent me into a panic. I pushed some people out of the way with little grace. Eventually, I grabbed his arm and pulled him back towards me. "Where-Where are you going?"

Zayn looked down at my hand on his arm. I was squeezing a bit too hard for my own sake.

"I was going to get something to drink."

I held my breath, losing the grip on his arm.

"Oh."

"What did you think I was doing?"

"I thought...I thought you were leaving," I responded feeling less panicked. I removed my hand from his arm, stepping away and creating a safe distance between us. Around us, the party continued with a small group of girls arguing about nothing of importance. "Because...of Liam..."

Zayn inhaled, looking around, searching the crowd. We had moved far away from him, but he could still be close.

"Oh," Zayn responded. A second passed before he answered me with newfound courage. "Why would I? I'm here now." His eyes found me and winked. "Besides your bed waits for me, right?" We locked eyes for a moment. That last sentence almost made me fall to my knees. "I'm done running. If the wave is going to get me, then it gets me."