Rebuilding Zerrie

Hotel Room

KLOE'S P.O.V.

I heard a yell. It drove them all away. But my eyes remained closed. My body was shut down. I could not move, I could not speak, I could not think. My mind slowly began to fade away into darkness.

There was a pillow on my head when I woke up. My legs were tangled in the thin white sheets they used in hotels. There was a cold towel pressed onto my forehead. It was freezing cold but I was sweating profusely. I wasn't feeling better at all. If anything, I was feeling worse. But, despite my weakness of body, I forced myself to get up from the bed.

To my surprise, Liam was there.

Also adding to my state of shock, it wasn't Zayn's hotel room, but I had no way of telling whose it was. I looked around and saw Harry and Liam on their phones. Zayn was on the couch with a television set turned on in front of him but he wasn't watching TV. His eyes were on me. Niall was there on a chair a few feet away from the bed. He was smiling at me but not the kind of smile that was full-on happy. Mostly just relieved.

Unable to stand steadily, I clasped on tightly to the wooden headboard of the bed. I waved off Niall's offer to help. He looked hurt but didn't force me. "So, how are you feeling?" He asked, sitting on the bed behind me. He spread out the sheets and picked up the pillow that had probably fallen whilst I was in slumber.

"Indifferent," I answered, wanting to vomit as I stumbled to walk to the door. I held on to the doorknob but made no effort to turn it. The towel, which was now warm from my body temperature, was in my fist. I was clenching my fist tighter and tighter. The water was squeezing out of the towel. "What happened?" I asked them, not turning around.

I could hear their feet shuffling. They were arguing to decide who was going to tell me and if they were going to tell the truth, I supposed. That was all I could do, I guess. Make tentative answers, not knowing whether my assumptions were correct or not. Never knowing whether they were correct or not.

Finally, I heard a reply. "You sort of blacked out," I could tell it was Niall's voice explaining, "Luckily, Liam showed up and scared the paps away. Carried you to this hotel room."

Liam? Liam Payne? The guy who walked out on us when Zayn was in need? Why would he ever want to help a girl who caused this much? I had failed on everyone. I deserved no act of kindness from anybody but here they are. Zayn, willing to forgive. Niall, willing to befriend. Liam, willing to support. Even Harry, willing to cope.

With my spare energy, I turned around to look at Liam. "Thank you for saving me," I said wholeheartedly. I couldn't have been thankful enough. "And for allowing me to stay at your hotel room."

"Oh, this isn't my hotel room," Liam told me, shaking his head.

My eyebrows furrowed and my head tilted just a fraction of an inch. "Then whose--?"

"It's mine," someone said. Oh gosh. Please please please tell me I heard that voice wrong. Please tell me it wasn't husky. I beg of you to tell me that it was not at all low-pitched and laidback. Please tell me that this hotel room wasn't his. Please tell me that I was not indebted to--

"Harry's room was nearest," Liam explained further, eyeing Harry as he did. Harry seemed like he couldn't care less. I was infuriated! I could tell that he'd bring this up one day. I could just feel it at the back of my neck that someday, he'll make me pay back for what he's done to me.

But since that day was not today, I chose to be playful about it. "Thank heavens," I managed a smile across my burning hot cheeks, "Stefan Gordy of LMFAO finally has a conscience."

They didn't make me stay for long. They weren't telling me why but I already knew they were worried for me. Zayn kept asking me how I was and if I wanted tea. Niall took every chance he could to help me walk to the kitchen and go to the bathroom. Liam's kind of care was very subtle but still noticeable.

I'd catch him glancing at me from time to time, his eyes asking me if I was doing fine. I'd nod back with a smile and he would look away. But Harry was just sitting there, probably texting someone and laughing every once in a while. I didn't know if it was because they were annoyed by his giggling or pissed at who he was texting but the three of them would glare at Harry every burst of laughter.

Niall drove me home that night. At first there was nothing to say that did not pertain to what we had been through that day. I could sense he knew I didn't really want to talk about it, but he couldn't hold it in any longer. When he opened his mouth, I braced myself for the apologies and reassurances that "it was going to be okay."

But, instead, I got neither. He told me something I least expected and would not believe if it did not come out of the mouth of the person I trust most in this world. "Liam really cares about you, you know," he said, taking his gaze away from the road for just a second. "It will just take a while to adjust."

I was quiet at first. I was contemplating whether it was the truth or a lie to make me feel better. And, if Liam really did, how would Niall know? Did Liam flat out tell him, "I care about her."? "Look at his latest tweet," he ordered, "My phone's in my pocket. Get it and see for yourself."

Curious, I slipped my hand in Niall's pocket to get his phone. I checked Liam's account on twitter and read his last tweet. Flabbergasted, I refreshed the page to check if it was real and, sure enough, it was still there. It was unlike Liam to talk like that especially knowing that it was a defense for me.

@Real_Liam_Payne: fucking paps get a proper job u dick