The Tattoo (zayn)

Part 9

I woke up in almost the same position I had feel asleep in. Zayn's arm was still wrapped around me. I started to stir a little to wake up and so did he.
"Good morning." He said in a groggy voice. It was possibly the sexiest thing I had ever heard him say. Just the raspiness, sent chills.
"Good morning." I stared into his eyes for a moment before the sound of a phone came into my ears. From the Misterwives classic, Reflections, playing, I knew it was my phone. I searched around the bed before I turned back to Zayn. He was holding it in his hands and rubbing his eyes. He outstretched it to me.
"It's the boyfriend." He said.
I glanced down at the phone screen to see Asher's name on it. That was the first time I had even though about Asher since I got home from the gala.
I quickly grabbed it from him and answered.
"Hello?"
"Hey." He sounded very chipper.
"Hey. What's up?" I asked. He only occasionally called me in the mornings.
"I just want to see you today. Are you home?" He asked.
"Yah I am." I don't know why I lied. I don't know why I didn't just say i was out.
"Ok cool then I'll be at your place in like 30 minutes."
"Ok cool." I kept my calm for the phone call but as soon as he hung up I started to panic a little.
I turned to Zayn who had obviously heard the whole conversation.
I couldn't believe myself. I had actually just spent the night in another guy's bed.
"God what am I doing?" I decided to vocalize my frustrations.
I quickly got up from his bed and went into his guest room to change back into my clothes that I had worn over.
"Rachel!" I heard Zayn call from the other side of the door.
"Zayn what are you doing? You have a girlfriend!" I yelled back, angrily and quickly grabbing my things.
I ripped the door open and brushed right past him.
"Rachel!" He called out again.
I didn't listen. I knew I was a crappy person but I hadn't been dating Asher for very long. I had some sort of an excuse. Zayn had been dating this girl for almost a year and here I was just ruining her relationship.
I was close to being out the door when Zayn grabbed my wrist and stopped me from leaving.
"What Zayn?" I turned back toward him.
"I need to tell you something." He said. I had no clue what he was talking about.
"What?" I started to calm down a little as the tension shifted.
"Melanie and I, we aren't really together." I had no idea what he meant.
"What?"
"It's for the press. We did date a while ago but when we wanted to break up it was insisted that we stay together for both of our careers."
I stood blankly trying to process what he had said. It seemed stupid as hell but it made sense.
"Oh." I know my face reflected how puzzled I was.
"I don't even like her." He started to giggle a little "she isn't even faithful to our fake relationship."
"Zayn I messed up. You may not be in a relationship. But I am. I should have never done this to Asher. We can be friends but that is it. It's all too complicated right now."
What kind of relationship could I have with someone who is pretend dating someone else.
"I don't want to lose you as a friend." He said.
"You won't." I responded. I gave him a quick hug before I left.
I found my way home just in time for Asher's arrival.
He would be here in about 5 minutes so I quickly changed clothes.
I came into the living room where Arielle was standing.
"Hey Asher is going to be here in a min-" I stopped talking when I saw her looking at me sternly with her arms crossed.
I just remembered that I never told her that I wasn't coming home last night.
"I'm so sorry I meant to tell you I wasn't coming home."
"You were with him weren't you?" She asked. I don't know how she knew.
"Wait how did yo-"
"Because after you didn't come back for a while I figured you went somewhere and you would only not tell me where you were going if it were somewhere that I didn't approve of."
"Ok you're right. But nothing happened. I told him we can only be friends. Im going to work things out with Asher." I figured if I said it out loud, I could make myself believe it.
Before she could say anything I heard a knock at the door.
I went over and opened it.
"Hey!" I tried to be ecstatic to see him.
"hey." He was kind of shocked by my enthusiasm.
I went to hug him.
"You smell different." He said while still hugging me.
"What?"
"You just don't smell like you. You smell different." When he said this my heart started speeding up. I knew what he was talking about. Zayn's amazing clean, yet slightly musky scent.
"Oh I don't know. New soap." I pretended to brush it off. "Come on let's go to my room." I took his hand and lead him to my room, trying to avoid Arielle's death glare.
I shut the door behind us. I sat on the bed and he followed.
"So why did you need to see me?" I asked.
"Just everything that happened last night. I know you have this tattoo with him but I care about you Rachel. I really like you." He gently took my hand.
"I really like you too. Trust me Zayn and I are nothing more than friends." I figured whatever he didn't know about last night, wouldn't kill him.