Engaged [z.m.]

Chapter 50: Give Me Love

C H A P T E R F I F T Y

A summary of the previous events:

One Direction has just recently released their latest album. Perrie has moved out of Jade's house into a flat of her own and is struggling to cope with this entire situation despite months having passed their breakup. Zayn is coping only slightly better than Perrie when the news of his mum having diagnosed with cancer is revealed to him. He is back in London after having visited her in Bradford. Perrie meets up Louis at their manager's birthday party where he convinces her that Zayn needs her and she needs to go talk to him.

-50-

Listen to Ed Sheeran's Give Me Love

Perrie

The crowd had thickened significantly over the time that I had spent with Louis. The places and corners that had once been empty were filled with people, drinking and cackling with laughter. The music was turned up a notch. It pounded, right through my body. I heard a cry of happy birthday as I stiffled through the masses. There was a loud cheer and someone yelling followed by another cheer and a loud laughter.

All I knew was that I had to find him.

That seemed like a hard task given the amount of people and noise that made my head hurt. My ankles hurt from all that walking in heels. I glanced down at my sore feet and all I wanted to do was swing them aside and run around this building, searching for him.

I approached a staircase and I concluded I should continue my frantic search upstairs because downstairs had been nothing less of a failure and a potentially terrible migraine. The thickness of the crowd was drastically less upstairs. I could actually make out individual faces. The music was less louder. Very few people were dancing. The party truly was happening downstairs which meant he had to be up here somewhere.

I felt so lost in this house. I had no idea what I would say to him when I found him but in that moment, my mind wasn't really focusing on the consequences of my actions or what I would say to him. My sole focus was finding him and that aim totally consumed me.

I dragged my aching feet across the first floor of the house. I moved from corner to corner of the loft style area, my eyes scanning anxiously for a trace of him. Nothing. He wasn't here. I moved on to the rooms, my heart hammering as I opened and closed numerous doors; most of them empty yet some of them occupied by busy couples. I felt so disheartened and disappointed. Finally, when I had gathered up the strength of meet him; he was nowhere to be found.

I returned to opening. Back to loft style open space where most people were and slumped down onto an inhabited couch. I released the tight clasps of my heels and slipped my feet out. I massaged my ankles tenderly, hoping to bring them some comfort. It did feel better. I pushed back into the sofa, staring straight ahead.

That's when I saw him. He had a drink in his hand. Bourbon, was my guess. He was standing next to a glass window. Dressed in a graphic black tee, a textured leather jacket and ripped skinny jeans, his hair pushed back like they always were. He was dressed like I would imagine him to for a party. Only he looked even better. Perhaps, that was my instant reaction after seeing him after all this time. He had a relaxed smile on his face as he leaned across the window, talking to a friend. His hands moved effortlessly to prove his point as his conversation flowed. He took occasional small sips from his drink. There would be moments when his smile would grow and transform into full blown laughter before he would return to his relaxed smile that suited his lips so much.

He looked so happy. Call me selfish and ruthless but my heart dropped at that assumption. Suddenly, all of my intentions to go and run up to him seemed wrong. I started over analyzing. The entire thing seemed desperate and invalid. I didn't want to do it. I want to strap on my heels and go back home. Sleep it off, like I had been attempting to do with all of my problems.