Right Place and Right Time

Chapter 23

Chapter 23:

            That fact hit me hard; I was in love. Or, at least I think I am. Wait, no! I can’t be in love; I just dumped him for $18,000 goddammit. No; I’m not. I only went out on a friendly date with him once. I have to convince myself I’m not in love, because I’m not, right? I just really, really, really liked this guy. Yeah, just insanely liked this guy. This isn’t love.

            “Hey, hey,” said Becca, “Look on the bright side. Okay, you’re getting $18,000. Here, just take a nap; you must be exhausted from all that crying. Just take a nap and forget about everything. I’ll wake you up at lunchtime.”

            She led me to my bed like a meek child and tucked me in. Then I closed my eyes and dreamed all my worries away. I got rid of the one thing that would prevent me from getting $18,000, but why am I so unhappy?

            Becca woke me up a few hours later for lunch. We ate some sandwiches from room service.

            “So do you just want to stay here for today?” asked Becca.

            “Yeah, just hide from the pap.”

            “Okay, well Ryan and I are going to go to the beach; if you need me, just call me and I’ll come right away.”

            “Thank Becca, you’re the best,” I told her as I rolled around in my blankets, forming a cocoon around myself. I laid on the bed for what I think was thirty minutes until my phone began to vibrate. I checked the Caller ID and wondered why Zayn would be calling me.

Zayn’s POV

            “Harry, come on it’s been two hours now. Come out this instant,” said Liam as he pounded on the bathroom door. Louis was sprawled out on the couch, exhausted from his attempt to coax Harry out, while Niall was just sitting next to him watching Liam while eating a sandwich. Typical behavior. Even though I was worried for Harry, I knew that he’d eventually get over it; he did with Caroline Flack. But Natalie, that’s who I’m worried about. Is she okay? After hours of thinking, I finally realized what kind of person Natalie is. She is someone who doesn’t know she’s irresistible. She’s hesitant at making decisions, especially when it comes to boys, and she sets her priorities straight at the start of any situation. And obviously, Harry was not her first priority. She also knows she must sacrifice things, so I’m assuming she sacrificed her would-be relationship with Harry for something more important to her. But is she doing okay? I decided to call her; I couldn’t just sit in the hotel room and hope she’s okay. I need to know for a fact.

Natalie’s POV

            I just stared at the phone, hearing the vibration. Should I pick up? Eh, what the heck, why not. If it’s Harry I’ll just hang up on him. I pressed the answer button, “Hello?”

            “Natalie?” a familiar voice said. Oh good, it’s not Harry.

            “Hi Zayn.”

            “Hey Nat, you okay?”

            “Depends on what you mean by okay.”

            “What’re you doing?”

            “Take a guess.”

            “Are you laying in your hotel room, hiding from the paparazzi?”

            “… Possibly.” Dang, he was good.

            “Come on, don’t be like that. Why don’t I pick you up in half an hour and take you out.”

            “Zayn,” I said cautiously, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

            “Come on, it’ll be fun.”

            “No Zayn. What if the pap find us and make this whole scandal about me trying to break up your little boy band.”

            “I’ll make the other boys take Harry out; they won’t question where I am.”

            I bit my lip… Should I? “Just as friends, right?” I asked.

            “Correct.”

            I thought about it for a moment. “Fine.”