Bloom

Chapter-23

Stella

Zayn leaves in a blink of my eye, one second he was there, the next he was gone. Only his shadow and affect on me was left behind, I am catching breaths as my head tries to come down from light-headedness.

What the hell just conspired? Zayn is going with me to Louisiana? Why even bother? Was this some fucked up trick up his sleeve? Genuine concern? What the heck would make him do this for me?

I have no train of thought, because it goes in all directions, overthinking every possibility and analysing every second. My head feels like a ball of scribbled lines scrunched together. Being away from Zayn for too long and then being close to him for too short has officially made me become a psychopath.

Ignoring the dampness between my thighs and shaking anything Zayn related from my mind, I find my way out of the room. The party is raging, kids puking, kissing, dancing, and what not. Music bangs my eardrums and neon lights blind my vision. Everything you can imagine happening at a party and more takes place around me as I navigate through it. It's like one of those party settings you see on television.

Twenty minutes later I find a drunk Maya, crying in a corner, mumbling something about her ex boyfriend. Some guy named Daniel. Claiming that he is dating another girl while she can't even move on from him. He's out there having the time of his life and she needs to suck it up, only if it were that easy, her words not mine.

I try my best to pick Maya up and balance her weight as I drag her out of the party, being careful not to drop her. She's almost passed out only sniffling under her breath, her eyes are streaked with tears, her makeup all over the place. She looks like a drag queen at best.

My daily workout quota has been overridden as I push the limp body inside my car's passenger seat and shut the door. I take a second, putting my hands on my knees and relaxing my muscles from all the work. Then moving around the car I take my seat and roar the engine to life.

The car ride consists of Maya puking out the window and bawling her gut out, crying out so loud for god's sake. I didn't take her as someone who would get her heart broken or even be committed to a single guy for that matter. You should just never judge a book by it's cover, because this girl has much more to her than the parties, drinking and her risky on-the-road lifestyle. As difficult as the task is I manage to keep Maya in one piece while driving through the cuts and turns.

Once we reach my apartment, I cut the engine and haul Maya on my shoulder, barely making it to my front door. I unlock the cream coloured door and drag Maya inside again, god, this girl was heavy. I shove her body on my bed. Phew.

Maya's body falls with an eerie lifelessness. I'm about to scream in horror that she was dead but just then a sigh leaves her lips, "Thanks babe." With that she makes herself comfortable, pulling the covers over herself and adjusting her frame deeper into the bed. Thank god, she was still alive.

I leave her to change into an oversized T-shirt and some shorts, then going to the kitchen I bring a glass of water and some Advil for her hangover later. Placing the glass and tablet on the bedside table, I shuffle under the covers to nestle against Maya. "Are you fine now?" I hope she has sobered up in the meantime.

"Never been better." She opens an eye and gives me a smirk. I realise how smudged her makeup is and that she has been crying again, the wetness on her face tells it all.

"What happened?" I feel sorry for Maya and hate that guy Daniel or whoever he was.

"Oh, nothing much. Same old." She explains, "Dan is playing with me again with his new side girl, it's always been like that- we fuck around and hurt each other." A pain only a broken heart can feel flashes over her face.