The alcohol was running through Scarlett's veins along with the adrenaline from being seated across from the man who, to this day, still holds her heart. She had to admit he was dashingly handsome, more manly than she ever imagined he could be. His grin was ear to ear as he conversed with his ex band mates, all reminiscing about old memories.
Zayn jokingly glared at Scarlett as he downed the rest of his fourth cocktail, quickly catching up to her. Lucky for them, the sexual conversation had ended due to the waitress interrupting. Now everyone sat comfortably, a drink in their hand and empty plates sitting on the table in front of them.
"Should we continue this gathering at my place?" Zayn drunkenly slurred. "Scarlett has a stash hidden in her nightstand!"
Scarlett's mouth dropped open, "How did you know that? Are you rummaging through my drawers when I'm not home?!"
"A stash of what?" Niall questioned, a smirk forming on his lips. He knew exactly what Zayn was referring to but he wanted to hear it come from Scarlett's mouth.
"Oh you'll never guess what I saw sitting next to her bed earlier! Scarlett smokes the devil's lettuce!" Louis exclaimed, spilling his drink as he did so. Harry's head snapped to the left, staring at Scarlett in shock.
"Meth?!" Harry whisper screamed.
"No you idiot! Weed, pot, ganja, Satan's vegetable!" Louis laughed, slapping his hand against Harry's arm.
"You think I smoke meth?! Do I look like a crackhead to you?" Scarlett giggled, showing her teeth to prove she didn't have meth mouth. Harry shook his head, laughing as he did so. "Wow, I missed you guys."
"Even Niall?" Zayn prodded. Scarlett shot him a disapproving look. She now realized getting Zayn drunk tonight was a horrible idea considering Niall was there. Zayn had no filter when he had two or more drinks in his system.
Niall looked down at his empty pint of beer, pretending he didn't hear what Zayn had just blurted out. He knew she didn't miss him even though he missed her dearly. Frankly, he couldn't go a day without thinking about Scar, or scrolling through her social media accounts to see her face. Little did he know, Scarlett was always doing the same. She had bought all of his songs to support his soloist career, he was extremely talented and never got a chance to stand out while in One Direction.
"Check please!" Liam called to the waitress. Scarlett placed her hand on his knee as a sign of appreciation. He shot her a nod in return.
"I'm gonna head home now to get everything ready. I'll see you all there?" She pushed her chair back and stood up. Gazing around at everyone, her stare lingering on Niall. The table erupted in cheers of agreement as Scarlett bid a temporary farewell to the group she loved so much.
She began to walk through the restaurant and before her hands could touch the door, someone opened it for her. "No way in Hell I'm letting you walk home alone."
Scarlett gulped as Niall's voice bounced through her head. She nodded in approval and allowed him to open the second door for her, leading them into the brisk New York City air. She gripped at her arms as a burst of cold wind hit her. Niall noticed this and quickly removed his jacket and placed it on her shoulders. She mumbled a quiet thank you.
"How far of a walk is it back to your place?" Niall questioned, doing his best to make small talk.
"Seven blocks, I don't know why Louis had us drive here." Scarlett responded lightheartedly. "You didn't have to walk me home, Ni, I do this every day alone."
His heart warmed at her nickname for him. "You're in a skin tight, mini dress. I know how men think, you're a snack."
Scarlett blushed and looked away. "Thanks?"
Niall scratched the back of his head, mentally kicking himself for saying such a crude comment. The two walked in silence for about a block before Scarlett decided to let loose.
"So I listened to your new stuff." She spoke. "I knew you could sing, but wow..."
"Wait, you bought the album?" He replied in shock. He had assumed Scarlett had blocked him out of her life in every way, shape and form. "I didn't think you would want to hear it."
"Niall, we might have ended on a bad note but your music didn't." She joked, slightly jabbing her elbow into his side. The aura quickly shifted around them, it was like old times again. The tension dissipated and they both relaxed in each other's company.
The two continued their walk back to the condo in the Upper East side of Manhattan. Scarlett fished the keys from her purse as Niall stood patiently at the door.
"Oh, wow, this place is really nice." He complimented as they stepped inside. Niall was genuinely shocked to see a photo of the band and Scarlett framed on the wall.
Scarlett noticed his interest in the picture, "Ni, it's been years. I can't hate you forever."
A small smile formed on his face, his gaze remaining on the photograph. As he continued to look around, Scarlett removed Niall's jacket from her shoulders and slung it over the back of Zayn's favorite recliner. She made her way to the kitchen and prepared a few bowls of snacks, like chips and pretzels to place on the coffee table in the living room.
"Do you wanna come with me upstairs? I need to get out of this dress asap."
Niall visibly swallowed the lump in his throat and followed Scarlett up the staircase to the second level of the beautiful home. First they passed Zayn's bedroom where Niall quickly peeked inside, chuckling at the drawings plastered across the walls.
"He draws like every single day, he's always stealing my scotch tape." Scarlett laughed, rolling her eyes. "Uh and this is my room." She guided Niall to her bedroom down the hall. "It's a little messy so don't judge."
"I think I'm used to the pigsty you live in." Niall chuckled, entering the room. He admired the tapestries that clung to every wall, the Christmas lights that bordered the perimeter, more of Zayn's drawings taped to the back of the door and all of the framed pictures scattered throughout. He was honestly surprised at how clean it was, the opposite of what she had warned him of. He chose not to sit on her bed, instead he plopped on the beanbag she had sitting in the corner next to her window. Niall watched Scarlett dig through her drawers in search of her sweatpants and a t-shirt.
Scarlett cackled as she pulled out an old One Direction tour t-shirt. Niall began laughing with her as she threw it on the bed along with a pair of grey sweats. Before she got changed, she grabbed the bong sitting on her bedside table and handed it to him along with a lighter. He graciously accepted her offer, a big grin on his face as he did so.
"I know this is awkward but can you unzip my dress?" She requested, squatting down to his level and turning around. Niall placed the bong on the windowsill and leaned forward to help her with her dress. His fingers began trembling when he touched her, flashbacks invading his vision. He gently grabbed her hair, moving it to the side for easier access to the zipper. As more and more of her skin became exposed, he stopped and allowed her to finish the process herself.
Niall felt almost parched after this. His throat dried up and small beads of sweat accumulated on his forehead. To hide this, he once again grabbed the glass piece and took another hit, trying to ignore that fact that Scarlett was half naked in front of him. Meanwhile, Scarlett held up the loose dress with one hand while grabbing her change of clothes with the other. She wandered to the bathroom to swiftly change out of the uncomfortable dress and into her usual attire. She had no idea that Niall was in the other room practically having a heart attack over the mere image of her bare back.
She reentered the room with the hideous One Direction shirt on, giggling profusely and tripping over her own feet. Niall, now high, began losing his mind over the nostalgic tee. He gave Scarlett the bong so she could join him and the two immediately ran downstairs to inhale the snacks she had laid out only minutes prior.
It was like old times. The two had never been so happy together. And maybe it was because they were on drugs or maybe it was just because they were meant to be together in this moment, at this time, in this place. But whatever it was, whatever the reason, they were happy and unknowingly falling back in love with each other.... if they even fell out of it to begin with.
