After // ziall

Chapter 74

"Do you want to get your car and take it to your dads?" I ask Zayn as we drive back from my room.

I changed my clothes and took a quick shower, even though I am going to get dirty planting with Karen. Zayn waited patiently, fiddling through my drawers to keep himself busy. He told me to pack enough clothes to spend another night with him, which made me smile. I would spend every night with him if I could.

"No, I'm okay. As long as you stop swerving all over the road." He tells me.

"Excuse me? I am an excellent driver." I defend.

He snorts but keeps his mouth shut. "So what made you decide to get a car anyway?"

"Well, I got the internship and I didn't want to keep taking the bus or depending on other people to take me places." I explain.

"Oh.. did you go alone?" He asks and looks out the window.

"Yea.. why?"

"I'm just wondering." He lies. He is trying to ask if Harry went with me.

"I was alone, that was a bad day for me." I say and he flinches.

"How many times did you and Harry hang out?" He asks. Why is he bringing this up now?

"Twice, we went to dinner and a movie, then the bonfire. It wasn't anything for you to worry about."

"He only kissed you once?" Ugh.

"Yes, only once. Well besides the time that.. you saw. Now can we move on from this? You don't see me asking about Molly do you?" I snap.

"Okay.. Okay. Let's not fight. This is the longest we have ever gotten along so let's not ruin it." He says and reaches for my hand. His thumb rubs small circles on my skin, defusing my annoyance.

"Okay." I say, still slightly annoyed.

"Aww come on, Ni. Don't pout." He laughs and pokes my side. I can't help but laugh with him.

"Don't distract me, I am driving." I tease.

"This is probably the only time you'll ever tell me not to touch you."

"Not likely, don't be so full of yourself." Our laughs blend together and it's a lovely sound. He brings his hand to my thigh and rubs his fingers up and down.

"You sure?" His raspy voice whispers and my skin tingles. My body responds to him so quickly, my pulse drumming heavily.

I gulp and nod, causing him to chuckle and pull his hand away. "I know that's not true.. but I'd rather one have you driving off the road, so I will finger you later." He smirks and I swat at him.

"Zayn!" I blush.

"Sorry babe." He smiles and looks out the window. I love when he calls me babe, no one has called me that before. Noah and I had always thought that the ridiculous pet names people called each other were too juvenile for us, but when Zayn calls me those names, my blood sings in my veins.

When we get back to Zayn's fathers house, Ken and Karen are in the back yard waiting for us. Ken looks out of his element in jeans and a WSU t-shirt. I've never seen him dress so casually, he looks even more like Zayn when he is dressed this way. They greet us with a smile and Zayn tries to return it but looks uncomfortable as he shifts on his heels and buries his hands in his pockets.

"I'm ready when you are." Ken says to Zayn. He looks just as uncomfortable as Zayn, but he seems nervous whereas Zayn seems apprehensive.

Zayn looks at me and I give him an encouraging nod, it seems out dynamic has changed dramatically. I am surprised that I have suddenly become someone he looks at for reassurance, but it makes me happy in a way I hadn't expected.

"We will be in the greenhouse, just bring the soil in there." Karen says and gives Ken a small kiss on the cheek. Zayn looks away from them and for a second I think he may give me a kiss too but he doesn't. I follow Karen to the greenhouse and when we walk inside I gasp. It's huge, bigger than it looks from outside and she wasn't joking when she said it needed a lot of work. It is practically empty.

"It is quite the project, but I think we can do it." She smiles.

"I think so too." I tell her. Zayn and Ken come in both carrying two bags of soil. They are silent as they drop them where Karen directs before walking out. Twenty bags of soil and hundreds of seeds, flowers and shrubs later we have a pretty good start. I haven't seen Zayn in a few hours and the sun is down. I hope him and Ken are both still alive.

"I think we have done enough for today." Karen says and wipes her face. We are both covered in dirt.

"Yea, I better check on Zayn." I tell her and she laughs.

"It means a lot to us, Ken especially that Zayn has been coming around more, we have you to thank for that. I take it that you two worked out your differences?"

"Sort of.. I guess we did. We are still very different." I laugh. If only she knew.

"Well, different is sometimes what we need, it is good to be challenged." She gives me a knowing smile.

"Well he is definitely challenging." We both laugh and she pulls me in for a hug.

"You sweet boy, you have done more for us than you know." She says. I feel my eyes tearing up and I nod.

"I hope you don't mind that I've been staying overnight, Zayn asked me to stay again." I tel her and try not to make eye contact.

"No, of course not. You both are adults and I trust you're being safe."

Oh god. I know my cheeks are a deeper shade of red than the bulbs we just planted.

"We.. uh.. we don't." I stammer. Why am I talking about this with Zayn's soon to be stepmother? I am mortified.

"Oh." She says, equally embarrassed. "Let's go inside." She says and I nod, following her.

When we walk inside the house, we both take our shoes off at the door. Zayn is sitting on the edge of the couch and Ken is in the chair. Zayn's eyes immediately find mine and relief flushes through them.

"I'll make some late diner while you get cleaned up." Karen says. Zayn stands up and walks over to me. He seems glad to be out of the room with his father.

"We will be back down soon." I say and follow Zayn up the stairs.

"How was it?" I ask as we enter his room. Instead of answering me he bring his lips to mine. We stagger back against the door and he presses his body against mine.

"I missed you." He breathes. My insides liquefy.

"You did?" I squeak and he chuckles.

"Yes, I did. I just spent the last few hours in awkward silence and a few even more awkward conversations here and there with my father. I need a distraction." He runs his tongue against my bottom lip and my breath catches in my throat. This is different, welcome, and very hot, but different.

His hands travel down my stomach and stop at the button on my jeans.

"Zayn, I need a shower. I am covered in dirt." I laugh. His tongue runs along my neck.

"I like you this way, nice and dirty." He smirks. I gently push him back and grab my bag before heading to the bathroom.

My breathing is unsteady and I try to close the bathroom door only to have it stop midway. When I look down I see Zayn's boot stopping the door.

"Can I join you?" He smiles and pushes his way into the bathroom before I can answer.