Chasing Winter

Chapter 6

**Zayn's P.O.V**

I'm standing on her porch in a trance and I feel like I'm floating as I walk towards the limo. Mindlessly, I open the door and get inside. I'm silent the whole way back to the hotel and when I enter the hotel room all of the boy's gazes are ripped from the television screen, to me. I walk over to them and they instantly stand up and bombard me with questions,

"What happened?"

"How did it go?"

"Did you kiss?"

"Did she say anything?"

"Woah, guys," I say, gesturing with my hands for them to calm down.

I wait for them to settle before I tell them my story of how the night went. I tell them about the kiss on her front porch and their eyes widen. I finish off the tale and Liam gets up and walks away.

"Liam, mate, where are you going?" Niall asks, looking over his shoulder for Liam.

"Don't talk to me," Liam snaps and a door slams shut.

That's weird. How come whenever I mention Winter he gets all pissed off and snippy? I don't understand, but I'm about to find out.

I move past the boys and go to Liam's door. I knock three times and wait for an answer.

"Go away, Zayn, I know it's you," Liam calls in annoyance.

"Liam, open the door, I want to talk to you," I call back to him softly, careful not to upset him further.

There's a cold silence and fiddling with the door handle. Liam opens the door and looks up at me angrily.

"What?" He hisses at me.

"Can I come in and sit down so we can talk?" I ask, pointing to his bed.

He stares at me for a few moments before giving in and letting me inside. I shut the door behind me and he plops himself on the bed. I take a seat next to him and try to look him in the eyes. He turns his head to the side, not wanting anything to do with me.

"Liam," I say gently, "Why is it that ever since I met Winter you've been acting weird every time she's mentioned?"

Liam's head slowly turns in my direction and his brown eyes are filled with untold secrets. I look closer at him and I can tell he's not talking for my own good. But of course, I'm going to be stubborn and try to squeeze it out of him.

"Liam?"

He sighs and whispers, his gaze to the floor, "My friend dated her back in High School, Zayn. She's not who you think she is. She used him and she was almost psychotic. Just a few months ago, that friend told me that her parents had died in a car accident and she was the only one that survived. Then there was something about her cutting herself or something, but the point is, I don't want to see you get hurt, Zayn. Especially now that she's alone, she's going to use all the boys she can to get whatever she can't get herself. Please..."

I look at him and think about his words. Winter? Psychotic? Self harming? How could that be? She was so upbeat and happy whenever we're together. But could she be different?

"Liam, I believe you, okay? I do. But, I'm sorry, I just can't let her go. I have this feeling deep down in my heart that she's changed. I don't think she's the type of person that would use people, at least not anymore. Our connection is special, and I don't think you'd understand it until you saw it for yourself. I think I'm falling in love with her, Liam. How am I supposed to let go?"

He stares at me for a few seconds and nods slowly, "I understand. I just wanted to warn you, Zayn. I don't want to see you get hurt again. Just be careful okay?"

I smile at him and throw my arms around him in a hug, "I know Liam, I will."

I pat him on the back and he returns my smile. He looks at the time on his alarm clock by his bed and it reads 1:52am.

"It's getting late. We should start getting to bed," He says in a fatherly tone.

He gets up and walks out the door and I follow close behind him.

"Alright, boys, time for bed. We have a long day tomorrow."

They all let out a long "Awwww" and get up from their seats in the couch. Louis turns off the TV and they all head to their rooms to go to bed. I realize I haven't changed and I go do so. I sit in bed for a while and look around for my phone. I find it on the nightstand, charging and reach over and unplug it. I unlock it and see that I have no messages or calls from Winter and I assume she's gone to sleep. I look at the time on the top of the home screen and it reads 2:13am. I nod, confirming to myself that she's resting and plug it back in to charge. I lay down in the bed and stare up at the ceiling. What if Winter is just using me? What if the kiss meant nothing? What if this is all a game? I shake my head and clear the thoughts. No. It meant something. That's why I felt that connection when our lips touched. It's so much more than what Liam thinks. It means something. I know it. I turn over on my side as I feel my eyelids start to close and I fall asleep with Winter on my mind.

I wake up to Liam shaking me, his hand on my shoulder.

"Wake up, Zayn, we have to go to a photoshoot in a few hours," He whispers to me.

I groan and sit up as he walks out of my room, shutting the door respectfully behind him. I check the time on the alarm clock on the nightstand and it reads 10:02am. I get up from bed, putting my warm feet on the cool tile. I walk over to the mirror closet in the corner of the hotel room and open it slowly. I pick out a plain white shirt and a pair of good-looking jeans. I don't bother going in the bathroom to change and I strip down to my boxers, careful to stay away from the half closed window. I put on the shirt and jeans and make my way to the bathroom. I enter and brush my teeth and do my famous quiff on my hair. I hear my phone ring in my room and, not thinking, slowly walk over to it. I check the caller I.D. and it reads Winter's name.

My heart leaps with joy and I answer it happily, "Hey stranger!"

"Zayn, we need to talk," She says seriously.

I start to panic. No..., I think, Don't leave me...

"Oh? What about?" I say, trying to play it cool.

"Have you gone on Twitter lately?" She asks me.

I send a silent thank you to the heavens and answer her, "No, why?"

"Hashtag Zayn Malik Mystery Girl is trending and there are tons of pictures of us flooding the internet. My face isn't shown in any of them, thankfully, but still, what should we do? What am I supposed to do? Should I just go along with it or what?" Her voice is rising in obvious paranoia.

"Winter, it's going to be okay, calm down. I mean... We are sort of an item now... Right?" I ask, bracing myself for the worst.

She's silent for a few moments and my heart starts to race.

"Yeah, I guess so," She answered softly.

I sigh in relief. It did mean something.

"Exactly," I say with a smile she's unable to see, "So don't worry about it. Looks like you're Zayn Malik's Mystery Girl now," I tease.

She giggles, "Yeah, I guess so. So... Are you uh... Um..."

"Doing anything tonight?" I finish for her, "No I'm not, love. Would you like to go out?"

"Yeah... I'd like that a lot," She says with obvious joy, her spirits lifted.

"Same time as last night?" I ask with a grin.

"Yup. Well, I gotta get to a job interview, so I guess I'll see you later. I lo- I mean, later," She says, muttering the farewell.

"Alright, babe. Later," I say, and I hear her hang up the phone.

I watch as the phone goes black, taking it away from my ear. I knew it meant more than what Liam thought. I knew she wouldn't use me. Or was this feeling just my own naive thoughts getting the better of me?

I didn't know for sure, but in that moment, I didn't really care.