One Division

Chapter Two - Lost the Moment

Chapter Two – Lost the Moment

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But I got so scared, and I lost the moment again.

***

Happy was frozen. She hadn’t expected this moment to come so soon. She knew it was coming, but she’d never imagined it’d be right now when she was so off guard. She had planned this all out. How she’d look at him with nothing in her eyes, how’d she’d leave him with clipped words, how she’d make him regret breaking her heart. She had planned for the time getting coffee to be soothing and thought gathering.

Instead, she’d managed to hit Starbucks at its rush hour, fighting past countless interns yelling coffee orders for their superiors to hand the cashier a small paper note with what she wanted on it. She’d been an intern too, only she’d learned from her time, knowing sometimes, silence was stronger than shouting… Being with Zayn had taught her that too.

Needless to say, after The Battle on the 72nd Street Café, as she called it, Happy was frazzled beyond reckoning. The calming time she had expected had fizzled into a puff of smoke, and when she checked her watch, she realized it was ten minutes past the time she was supposed to be back at the dressing rooms. Instead of being able to collect her thoughts on the ride back, she had to fret in New York traffic and slide into the building thirty minutes late. Positively sprinting up into the arena, she flashed her badge at the security along the way, following twists and turns and the flow of busy bodies to the fitting rooms where she hoped One Direction had somehow been held up by something major.

Happy burst into the fitting room, already tugging off her beanie with one hand while her other hand balancing the precarious cups of caffeinated beverages. Apologies fell from her mouth, but at the silence in the room, she knew it was too late. She was too late. They were there.

The name was almost a caress coming from Zayn, her name on his lips sounding so familiar, so right. It was a name she had heard uttered too many different ways: frustrated, teasing, joyous, and finally, in monotone when he had broken her heart. But today, Happy wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but he sounded… sorry. Regretful, even.

Happy shook herself internally. Him? Regretful? That’s just wishful thinking. He was the one who had broken up with her. Brutally. Even if he was suffering regrets, that wasn’t her problem. If he pushed her away, she could get a message, and she’d stay away.

Even as she told herself that, she could feel inside how much of a lie that was. If he asked, she’d go running back to him. That part of her disgusted Happy. He had thrown her love to the side and said, “See ya”. If she was going to survive the next six months, she would have to harden her heart against him.

Now hard is it to fall out of love with someone?

Two and a half weeks after the break up?

“Happy?” The question came from her best friend’s lips, and she looked at Victoria to see concern etched on her face. That was when she realized she’d been staring at Zayn, and she shook her head as if to clear water from her ears.

“I have coffee.” Happy replied weakly. Passing Elyse, Alexa, Summer, and Lo their drinks, she shrugged apologetically, focusing her attention on Victoria only. “I didn’t think you’d be here so soon, so I didn’t get you anything.”

“That’s ok.” Victoria asked, but Happy could hear the real question. Are you ok?

Happy just nodded, shrugging the question away and gave Victoria a hug. “So first tour, huh?”

“Happy.” A tone of wonder came from right behind her, and at some point, Zayn must have moved to be closer to her. Slowly, as if she was an apparition that would disappear if he spooked her, he had walked to her, reaching out as if to caress her face.