Stumbling Upon This Thing Called Love

{Chapter 7} ~Zayn~

"So, are you going to tell us what's going on?" Liam asks as soon as Annabelle leaves. I feel as like a child, being confronted for doing something bad.

"Whatever do you mean?" I ask, feigning innocence.

They all give an exasperated sigh and Louis looks ready to kill me. "Zayn! You know what we mean!" 

I sigh. "Fine. Perrie and I broke up yesterday,"

"And you took Annabelle as your rebound? How could you? She's so fragile--" Liam beings, but I cut him off.

"It's not like that. I really like her," I say. They stare at me in disbelief for a moment.

"I'm sorry Zayn, but if you hurt her, I will personally give something unforgettable--an ass whopping," threatens Niall. You'd expect me to be mad about that, but I understood where they were coming from. Annabelle did seem extremely fragile and if I broke her heart, I was almost 100% sure she would fall apart at the seams. 

"Why'd you and Perrie break up, though?" Liam asks. I tell them all the crap she told me and they, too find it slightly cheesy and scripted.

"She doesn't know what she's missing," Niall says.

"Thanks mate," I say. "So, when are you gonna tie the knot with Eleanor?" i ask Louis, changing the subject.

Louis blushes like a school girl and stares at the ground. "Not now. . ." He trails off.

"You've been dating her since forever! Don't you think it's time?" Niall urges. We continue to tease Louis before Liam sees how late it's getting and tells Niall to go get the girls. I hope they didn't claw each other's eyes out or something. I know Savannah will be forgiving, but who knows what Danielle and Eleanor might do.

To my relief, they walk to the car, talking and smiling to each other. Annabelle sits at my right, with Savannah to her right. Danielle rides shotgun with Liam and Niall, Louis, and Eleanor sit across from us.

I take the chance and lay my hand on her jean clad thigh and she doesn't brush it off. Instead, she places hers over mine and my ego shoots through the sky.

I pull out my phone to tweet to my fans about us going to the fair as we pull out of the driveway. Savannah is whispering something to Annabelle and I pray it isn't about the time we were touring together and she dragged me around to help her shop--twice.

Niall catches his name in their conversation and calls her out for it.

"I heard my name! What are you two gossiping about? Are you telling her about how you broke the headboard last night while we were--"

Savannah immediately cuts him off. "Shut up! that never even happened!" She hisses, pretending to be angry, but you can tell by the way their faces light u[ when they talk to each other that they are very much in love.

Annabelle give my hand a slight squeeze and I know she's thinking the same thing I am--I hope I can have a love like that someday.

I join in their banter until we're through the tall gates and into the parking lot. 

"Where do you guys want to go first?" Liam asks. We just shrug.

He gives an exasperated sigh. "Okay, we'll just go on the first ride we see and work our way from there,"

"Can we get some food first?" Niall asks.

We groan, This has happened before. When we went to Universal, Niall insisted on eating first and nearly threw up on me on the Harry Potter rides.

"No. Once you start, you'll never stop. Let's go," Liam grabs Danielle's hand, Niall grabs Savannah's, and Louis grabs Eleanor’s, leaving Annabelle and I as the outliers. Luckily, when her hand brushes past mine, I take the hint and wrap my hand in hers, my fingers filling the small spaces between hers.