The Replacement Boyfriend

Chapter 8

Tace

I fought the urge to ask Zayne to sleep over since it was the first night and I was completely freaking out. It wasn't because I didn't think he would do it – I knew he would if I asked but I didn't want to make things awkward, especially since I was sharing my room with someone else. I didn't want her to get the wrong idea and neither did I want to get used to calling Zayne to my rescue every time I was having a panic attack. He wasn't like his brother – he wasn't like Dane. I could rely on him but I couldn't keep him at my side 24/7 like some kind of watch dog. I had gone through a lot of tough times and I had even gone through multiple days where I thought I was Dane's charity case. I didn't want to think that way about Zayne, too, even though I knew it wasn't true.

"Are you going to be okay?" Zayne asked me, stopping outside the front door of my dorm room. It seemed to me that Yu Na and Ahana were already asleep since their light was off and I couldn't hear anything as we passed by it. I mean, I didn't blame them. It had been a long day of travelling and unpacking. I felt like passing out, too, even though I was an emotional mess.

I looked up at Zayne and nodded. I had totally lost it in front of him, which seemed to be happening more often recently. He and Dane had worked so hard to help me suppress my anxiety and become more social so I had to try harder to control my feelings.

"Thanks for uh," I stammered, letting go of his hand which I had gotten used to holding. "-calming me down. I was just worried about Amara and-"

"Do you want me to stay?" he asked, making me freeze. Had he been reading my mind? How did he know I was arguing with my conscience about whether to ask him to stay or not.

"Cassidy would feel uncomfortable," I managed to mumble.

"We could ask her," he suggested, the intensity in his eyes making me waver. "Just for tonight."

"Za-" I started but the door to my room flew open.

"Oh my God, can you just come in?!" Cassidy demanded, looking slightly annoyed.

She had on a pair of black shorts and a pullover which almost covered the shorts entirely. Her hair was pulled back into a braid and she looked completely different without the punk-bad-girl clothes she had on before.

"Uh, hi," Zayne said awkwardly since they hadn't met before. "Sorry for waking you."

"I wasn't sleeping," she admitted, her anger melting away. "You're Zayne, right? The musical twin."

Zayne looked at me, half-smiling and I shrugged as if I hadn't spoken about him or Dane to her.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Cassidy Walker," she stuck her hand out and Zayne took it gingerly. No pun intended. "Tace, ground rule – if you're going to be coming back this late, let me know?"

"I didn't have your number," I admitted, feeling my cheeks heat up. Had she been waiting up for me?

I handed her my phone so she could punch in her number and save it. She handed it back to me and moved from the doorway to let me enter.

"This is awkward to ask-" Zayne started and I put my hand on his chest, begging him with my eyes to shut up and not ask her if he could stay over.

"What?" Cassidy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing," I laughed it off but Zayne's hand came around my wrist, moving my palm off his chest.

"Uh, okay," Cassidy shook her head. "I'm going to bed," she said, walking over to her bed and leaving us in the doorway.