Stumbling Upon This Thing Called Love

{Chapter 13} ~Zayn~

How could she just take my hair gel like that? Does she even know how important that is to me? I place the jar back on the counter and check to make sure that everything is in its place. When I go back into my room, the sight that greets me is shocking yet amusing.

"Hello Zaynie poo!" coos Annabelle. She lays on my bed, balloons surrounding her. That's not what shocks me though. It's what the balloons are. She must've been rummaging around my drawers and found my box of condoms. Now, almost all the pack lay blown up and spilling onto the floor.

"Bloody hell," I chuckle, half embarrassed and half amused. 

"I notice that these were a size large," Annabelle teases, placing another one at her lips to blow. I sit on the bed and join her in her activity. The rubber is slightly slippery between my fingers, but I manage to get a grasp on it.

"Well," I say before blowing, "I am quite large,"

"Oh really?" Her eyebrows raise in skepticism. I make a move to pull down my pants.

"I can show you if you're skeptical--"

"No, no! It's fine, I believe you," She throws her hands up, to block the sight of me. The look on her face and just her sheer innocence makes me laugh aloud. She is something else, that Annabelle.

"Let's finish what you started," And with that we spend the next ten minutes blowing up the rest of the thirty-six pack. Don't ask why I have that many; you just never know.

When we were done, the entire bed--and most of the floor-- was covered in condom balloons. breifly wonder what someone would think if they walked in on us right now.

"Let's go out to the balcony. It looks lovely out," says Annabelle. She moves to the sliding glass doors without my confirmation. I get up and follow her anyway.

As we stand in the moonlight balcony, the stars twinkling above and the world hushed below. Annabelle stands there, clutching the railing and staring into the sky.

I envelope her in a hug from behind, placing my lips near her ear. "It is a lovely," i whisper. The mood has changed from playful and teasing to slightly romantic. Even in my baggy clothing and no makeup, Annabelle still looks beautiful.

"Yeah. . ." She agrees voice distant. She turns in my arms to face me. In what little light we have, I can see the happiness in her eyes again.

"Thanks for. . . Thanks for wasting your time with me, Zayn," She says, a sad smile playing on her lips. It hurt to see her hurt and I want to change.

"Trust me, when I have this much fun with someone, I'm not wasting time," I assure her. She still seems skeptical, so to prove it, I bring lips down on hers.

She stiffens for a moment before relaxing against my hold. I press harder and her lips open a bit, allowing my tongue in. She's tentative at first, but I help her get the hang of it. Our breathing is in sync, her inhaling when I exhale. My hands play at her hair and waist again, touching, teasing.

She brings her hands down my shirt to feel the muscles there. I'm grateful I let Liam drag me to go to the gym with him. One hand still twisting in her hair, I edge the other up her shirt, feeling the smooth skin there. I can feel some of her ribs, like smooth pieces of marble jutting beneath her skin.

I stop kissing her mouth and start trailing some down her neck. Meanwhile, my hand is slowly moving upward. We're lost in a whirlwind of sensual touching and I barely register what Annabelle is saying until she practically screams it at me.

"Zayn--I said stop!" Her face is flushed and breathing short, but she looks like she didn't want it to end either. But, there still a trace of fright on her face.

I feel like a douche for pushing her too far. "I'm so sorry Belle, I didn't mean--"

"It's fine. I'm just. . ." She trails off, not wanting to finish, but feeling the need to. "I'm just not ready for all that yet,"

I forgot that she only had one other boyfriend before me. She must no have much experience. "That's okay. I can definitely make time to work on that," I smirk at her, trying to lighten the mood.

It works. A smile lights up her face and she lets out a tinkling laugh. "Of course you can,"

We laugh together for a moment before silence ensues again. then, Annabelle's head snaps up, as if she just realized something.

"What time is it?" 

I check on my phone. The digital numbers mock me, saying that it's 11:30.

"Eleven-thirty," I say.

"Crap," I totally agree with her, but am more scared for myself. Who knows what her father will do to me for being this late.

"We gotta go," Annabelle rushes past me, back into my bedroom. She gathers her bag and is still searching for something when I get back inside.

"What're you looking for?" I ask.

"My shoes! Where'd you put 'em?" Her voice comes slightly muffled from under the bed.

"In my closet," I tell her. She shoots from under the bed and practically runs to the closet. She rummages through it for a minute before emerging, holding her heels up victoriously.

"Let's go. I’ll put these on in the car," She says. I shrug and follow her out. We talk the whole way there, reminiscing about he dinner, the fair, and the past events of the evening. 

"I hope Daddy isn't too pissed," She murmurs when we pull into her driveway. The lights on the porch are still open, waiting for her. I walk her there.

"A kiss goodbye?" I ask hopefully.

Annabelle smiles that beautiful smile at me and leans in. I close my eyes expecting a kiss on lips, and end up with one on the cheek. My eyes flutter open in surprise. Her lips then move from my cheek to my ear.

"One more thing before I go," She whispers.

"What?"

"I'm wearing your underwear--the plaid ones,"

My mouth drops open in shock and awe at the audacity of this girl. The shock wears off quickly though.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah,"

"Well I still have yours," 

Now she's the one who stands with her jaw dropped in shock. 

"You should close your mouth--don't want any flies getting in," 

"Bastard!" She manages to sputter, giving me a playful shove.

"You won't get the boxers back until out next date," She wages.

"And you won't get back your cheeky, lacy, Victoria's Secret panties back until our next kiss,"

Her eyes narrow with anger and slight irritation, but she eventually gives in.

"Fine," She says. 

"Thata girl," I give her one last hug before returning to my car. I make sure she gets in safely before gliding out, back to my house to figure out which pair she took, the little devil.