Addicted z.m

Chapter 29

Short chapter, surprise update.

I stepped outside and instantly regretted not grabbing a jacket before I left. This is Tampa Bay. It doesn't snow or get lower than 50 degrees! Why is it so cold now?

"Spence," Zayn appeared next to me. "Cold?" He brushed my goosebump-covered arm with his thumb as we walked.

"Of course not," I rolled my eyes. "I was just heading to the pool to cool off."

He chuckled then sighed. "I haven't seen you in a while."

I nodded. "Yeah, I've been busy," I lied, attempting to end the subject.

"Yeah, with Justin," he spoke softly.

I stopped walking when we hit the curb. He stepped in front of me with his hands in the pocket of his coat.

"You want my jacket?" he offered.

"No, I don't really want anything from you right now," I snapped.

"Spencer, I didn't mean anything by th-"

"Of course you didn't," I rolled my eyes again. "You never 'mean it'."

"All I'm trying to say is that I miss you," he frowned.

I turned my head away, trying to ignore how cold I felt - physically and internally.

"Spencer-"

"You should probably get going," I announced. "Justin will be here any second."

"I don't care about him!" Zayn threw his hands in the air. "I care about you! And you're making it extremely difficult to do that."

"Zayn," I groaned. He stared at me awaiting some form of reaction from me. "I love you," I began.

"I love you, too," he agreed.

"But have you thought at all in the past few weeks that maybe this is how it's supposed to be?"

He shrugged. "I don't get what you mean."

"I mean that this distance that we've been feeling is the way things were supposed to be the second after you kissed me goodbye two years ago. We weren't supposed to reunite and pick up where we left off. We were supposed to leave it at that. And maybe-"

"Stop it!" he exclaimed. "We said we would make this work. Why am I the only one putting in any effort? Why don't you want to make this work?!"

"Spencer!" We both looked to see Justin standing outside of his truck, arms folded as he leaned against it.

"I gotta go," I brushed past Zayn when his hand grabbed ahold of mine.

"Spencer," he frowned.

"I'll call you," I promised. I squeezed his hand before rushing off to Justin.

Justin's arms snaked around me as he greeted me with a kiss, but I could sense all his focus was on Zayn.

The ride back to his flat was silent. I could tell what was on his mind by the way his knuckles tensed on the steering wheel.

I couldn't run back to Zayn. I knew that. Our stars were finally lined up the way they were supposed to be. No one was fatally wounded by the other's actions. No one was lying or cheating or crying or dying. We were sane.

The truck came to a stop in the parking lot, and the engine shut off, but no one moved.

"I don't like that Zayn guy," Justin broke the silence.

"Couldn't tell," I joked.

He groaned, turning his body to face me. "I don't want you hanging around him anymore."