Then There Were Four

Chapter 7

"This tastes so good!" he sighs, biting into his burger.

"Right? It's the best!" I say, chewing on a chip.

We sit on the second floor in the corner of the restaurant. He faces the wall and I look outwards, watching the few people who walk up the stairs and making sure no viscous fangirl mobs begin.

"In all seriousness, if I could marry a burger – I would marry this one," he says, taking another bite.

I laugh. "You're mad, Za–" I clear my throat. "You're- you're absolutely mad."

He looks at me strangely. "What?" he asks.

"You're mad?" I say, looking down and taking a bite out of my burger.

He's quiet for a moment then he tilts his head. "You haven't said my name yet, have you?"

"What? No, of course I've said your name." Lie. "Why wouldn't I have said your name?" My voice squeaks but I try to cover it with a laugh. I haven't said his name yet. I know that if I do, then that means everything that's happened today will be real. I'm not ready for that. I'm fine with pretending it's all a dream. I can handle dreams. This, I can't handle.

"Say it. Right now."

"Really?" I glance back up at him.

"Yeah. You say you've said it already; so just say it again, Kell-Kelly."

"Fine. Uhh... Z–"

"Wait, why don't you want to say it?" he asks, looking so deeply and sincerely into my eyes that I feel like he can see my soul.

I hesitate for a moment before answering him. "I don't want to shatter the dream." My face heats up.

"Shatter the dream?" he asks.

"Yeah. Today's been everything I could ever have asked for. In fact, the last 24 hours have been incredible and I'm just really scared that if I say your name, that I'll wake up. That everything will have just been a spectacular dream. That it will never have happened." I don't look at him as I say all of this. I'm looking everywhere but at his face – everywhere but those eyes.

He wipes his hands on a napkin and takes my chin in his hand. My skin tingles. He holds my face in place until I look him in the eye and I'm instantly hypnotised.

"You can say my name. This isn't a dream. If it is, then I'm dreaming it too," he murmurs in a low voice.

I gaze into his eyes for a few more seconds and then I say it. "Za–"

"Kelly!" I recognise the overzealous voice of my best friend instantaneously.

He pulls his hand away and immediately puts his hood over his head and reaches for his sunglasses.

I shoot up from my chair and dash over to Dee. "Hi, Dee," I say loudly and reach forward to hug her. "Don't tell him about the phone call from before; I told him I wasn't a creepy stalker," I whisper into her hair as we hug.

"Can I join you?" she asks brightly, winking at me as we pull out of the hug.

"Uhh... sure, I guess. That isn't a problem is it?" I ask him.

"No, not at all," he smiles as we sit down next to each other.

"So, who is this?" she smiles at him and flashes me a conspiratorial glance.

He takes his glasses off and waves, "Hi."

"Zayn?" she whisper-yells, pretending to be surprised. She scans around the room to see if anyone noticed her exclamation.