Overthinking It || j. m. (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

13.

Chapter 13

Sorry in advance if this chapter is terrible and really short, but I couldn't find a lot to write about this chapter! Comment what you think or predict about the reveal at the ending!!! Love you guys

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*TAYLOR'S POV*

Ringing- otherwise known as Satan himself morphed into bloody sound waves that always manage to always pierce my eardrums. The sound of it always annoyed me. Whether it was from a phone call, or a school bell, or a church, or even the stupid ringing in your ears that you hear late at night when you can't sleep. I don't know why it's always been this way but one ringing stands out amongst the others- the ridiculous ringing of a stupid cell phone, especially when I hear it while I'm in a deep sleep in the same bed as someone.

My Midnight Memories ringtone sounded loudly through my dark, stuffy bedroom and I wiggled closer to the edge of the bedt. Reluctantly I reached over onto the nightstand to see who would be calling me at three in the morning, but when I saw Zoe's name shining on my screen, I understood. She'd always call me when I least wanted or expected her to.

Trying to get out of bed to answer the phone in the bathroom in my room, I began to roll out of bed but the arm that was wrapped tightly around my waist pulled me back closer to him. "Please don't go," his deep and muffled voice sounded from behind me, his warm breath on my neck.

"I have to take this," I told him. He groaned, but eventually lifted his arm from my body so that I could answer my phone. I tiptoed to the door leading into my bathroom and shut it behind me without a sound. Turning on the bright lights above the mirror, I had to squint as they adjusted to the sudden shining in the tiny room.

I held my phone up to my ear as I stood in front of the reflecting glass and muttered sleepily, "Hello?"

"Tay I need advice," Zoe blurted out without hesitation, almost jolting me completely awake with her sudden words. Her unusually scratchy voice sounded just as it always did, a sign that she hadn't slept at all tonight.

"What is it?" I asked nicely, but through the phone she couldn't see the rolling of my eyes like I could in the mirror. I jumped up onto the vanity and sat down, causing his thin T-shirt I was wearing to ride up my bare legs. From the sound of it, Zoe was going to want to talk about something extensive and I really wasn't in the mood for it- like always- so I might as well get comfortable on the counter while she speaks.

"Well actually I have a confession," she trailed off.

"Spit it out goddamn! You woke me up so tell me." I said agitatedly, annoyed at the fact she hesitated and the fact that I already knew what she was going to tell me. I wanted to say she disrupted my sleep with him, but I couldn't tell her- it was too early for that.

"James and I kissed. Well actually we kissed multiple times, but that's not really the point. I need your advice on something and you haven't been exactly involved lately." She confessed. Rolling my eyes at the so called confession I was already informed about from the source, I had to try and act surprised.

"You kissed him! Why didn't you tell me sooner!" I gasped with fake surprise that hopefully sounded believable. But in all honesty I didn't need to try that hard- Zoe was a complete idiot. If she hasn't realized half the fake things a do or say around her by now, I don't expect her to pick up on this falsity. It wasn't like I wasn't her friend, I mean I like her and all, but lately I've felt like our status of best friends doesn't fit the bill anymore like it should. At least on my part that is.

"I'm sorry! It's just happened all so fast and we've been busy on the project..." Yeah I know, I know about that damn project. Please just get on with it so I can go back to bed "...but anyway, I called for advice so here it is. I've opened up to him, Taylor. I actually talked about Annie, and I don't know whether or not it's a good thing I told him or a bad thing that I already trust him to say it." That was a surprise. She never talked about her sister. I knew her well enough to know that she keeps everything on the inside, without telling anyone but me, and she never opens up to people without something behind it.

"Well you think you love him don't you? You're obviously going to open up to him if you do." I asked, trying to hide the laughter I almost released as I boringly played with the hem of the shirt. Ever since she told me she loved James, I've always had to suppress my laughter when she'd talk about it. She had barely known anything about him except his name and what he looked like, so it baffled me when Zoe said she loved him. I'm pretty sure it doesn't work that way.

"I do, but that's the problem. I want to know if he has feelings for me like I do for him, except I keep getting mixed signals. I don't understand our relationship- sometimes we're friends, sometimes we're more than friends, and sometimes I feel like a stranger to him."

Well what did she expect? She just started talking to him only a few weeks ago, and I know for a fact that he hasn't developed feelings for her. Sure he kissed her a couple times, sure he might have led her on like a little puppy, but he doesn't fell that way for her. I told Zoe with the best encouragement I could muster for her, "Why don't you ask him how he feels? At least that way you would get a definite answer."

"Are you crazy?" She scolded me through the phone.

"No I'm serious! Why don't you come out and ask him? What's the worst that could happen?" I know, I know, I sound like a horrible friend, but it might actually work out for her because she'd be able to finally hear his truth. For I don't know even how many years, all that she's ever talked about for every passing minute of every passing day was James. James this, James that...it just drove me insane. This is the opportunity for her to finally get an answer, and maybe once she's over this we can start being the friends she thinks we are again. I don't want to have our friendship revolving around one guy, and sadly that's what it's come to. It's time to end that.

"I mean it isn't a bad idea, but what if he just laughs in my face or something?" She asked weakly.

"Zo come on, since when do you back down from anything? Talk to him about it when he least expects it, and that way he won't have to think his answer over too many times."

"When he least expects it: got it," Zoe repeated back to me. "Well I guess I better get to bed now, I know you were asleep and all. Thanks! I know I can always count on you!"

"Yeah always," I repeated back this time, taking in a deep breath and letting it out in a sigh. "Good night"

"Night," She said to me, and then the line went dead. I removed my phone from my ear, placed it on the counter next to me, and then rubbed my temples with closed eyes. Sometimes that girl can be so oblivious to everything in the world that I wonder how she actually functions without getting killed. It's surprising how she didn't even pick up on the mocking way I was speaking to her, and I hope she never does. Zoe was a friend, and hopefully once James crushes her heart we can get back to being the best friends she still pictures us as.

Hopping off the counter and turning to the mirror, I pulled down the shirt loosely hanging on my shoulders and wiped a bit of smudged makeup from my eyes that I wasn't able to take off earlier. Satisfied, I shut the light off and opened the door, walking back to my occupied bed as quietly as I could. Contrasting to the cold floor I walked over in my bare feet, the bed was warm as I nudged my way back into it, and his arm instantly found it's way back around my waist the second he felt my back against his bare chest.

"Everything all right?" He asked in a groggy, husky voice. I could feel his chest moving in and out with every breath he took and with every one I did his armed moved with my rising and falling stomach.

"Everything's perfect," I said, a small smile forming on my pink lips.

"That's nice," he said as he yawned. "Well goodnight."

I yawned as well and then said, "Goodnight James" before closing my eyes and letting sleep take over me, feeling no sense of remorse.