the one that got away, zayn malik

chapter twenty eight

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
3rd of september 2016

THE air in los angeles was warm, carrying the faint scent of summer evenings as olive adjusted the hem of her dress, feeling slightly out of place. she was seated at the long wooden dining table in dylan's house, a glass of wine untouched in front of her. laughter echoed around the room, the conversation lively and animated, but olive felt strangely disconnected.

dylan sat beside her, close enough that their knees occasionally brushed under the table, but his attention was elsewhere. his friends—an eclectic group of actors, musicians, and people she didn't recognize—were deep in conversation, recounting stories and jokes that olive didn't quite understand. she smiled politely, nodding when someone glanced her way, but a few jokes about their "relationship" were becoming harder to ignore.

"so.." one of his friends said, smirking as he leaned forward. "what's the deal with you two? are we calling this official, or is it just another one of your 'things'?"

olive felt her cheeks flush. her fingers instinctively tightened around dylan's hand under the table, seeking reassurance, but he let go just as the friend's words hung in the air.

"yeah," another chimed in, clearly amused. "you've been keeping quiet about this one. what's the story?"

dylan chuckled, leaning back in his chair, his arm brushing hers casually.

"we're just hanging out," he said with a nonchalant shrug, flashing a grin at the table.

the conversation shifted, but not in a way that made olive feel any more comfortable. one of dylan's friends turned their attention to her, their eyes narrowing slightly as if inspecting her.

"so, olive," they said, their tone teasing but with an edge that felt slightly off. "what's it like dating someone with dylan's track record? must be... an experience."

olive laughed nervously, unsure how to respond. "oh, well, i wouldn't say—"

"what about you?" another friend interrupted, leaning forward. "you've got to have some wild stories, right? any messy exes we should know about?"

"oh, come on," another chimed in, smirking. "she's way too sweet for that."

olive froze for a second, feeling heat rush to her face. she glanced at dylan, hoping he'd intervene, but he was chuckling along with the group, his hand resting on the back of her chair like an afterthought.

"uh, nothing too wild," olive said, her voice faltering as she forced a polite smile.

"we'll get it out of her eventually," one of them joked, raising their glass as the others laughed.

olive swallowed the lump in her throat, the knot in her stomach tightening. the laughter around her felt heavier than it should have, tinged with something that didn't sit right.

as the conversation moved on, olive glanced at her phone. the time read 11:55 pm. her single, 'i told you things', would release in five minutes. she turned to dylan, her voice soft but tinged with excitement.

"hey," she said, leaning in slightly. "it's almost time. my song's coming out in a few minutes."

dylan glanced at her, distracted. "oh, that's cool," he said quickly before turning back to one of his friends. "just hold on a second," he said to olive, his tone gentle but dismissive as he leaned forward to engage in a story his friend was telling.

olive blinked, stunned for a moment. she sat back, biting the inside of her cheek as she stared at the flickering candle in the center of the table. the knot in her stomach tightened. she'd stayed in la for him, for this moment, and yet here she was, feeling invisible in a room full of people.