This Isn't Happening

Chapter 8- Save You Tonight

     “Okay… See you later.” The door shut and I turned around to face a smirking Taylor.

     “What was that?” I demanded. She set me up on a date with Zayn. Why would I want to go on a date with him? I didn’t even want to go on the first date that I went on.

     “Ellie… Look at the poor boy! He’s like a puppy dog. What did you do hypnotize him?” She laughed at her own joke.

     “I can’t do this, Taylor! I have Ryder… and work tomorrow. Why should I be going out with Zayn on a Sunday night?” I wanted to scream.

     I stormed off to my bedroom with Taylor and Ryder following behind me. “Well you don’t have to go to work tomorrow. And I’m babysitting… so spend the night if you want!” Taylor said with another smirk. I threw a pillow, but it failed to hit her.

     “Oh yeah that’s what I wanted to tell you!” she said. “Your job? Forget it. I got you a new one… The magazine needs an editor. And the job’s already yours.”

     “Stop lying. I have to be at Starbucks at eight in the morning.”

She shook her head laughing. “No you don’t… People already hired you… So I called and told Starbucks you weren’t coming back.”

    Ryder was still in his Aunt Taylor’s arms, and his eyes were getting heavy. I couldn’t process what she was saying. “If I do go tonight, what am I going to wear?”

     “Um… if you go? You’re going. Ellie! The biggest celebrity in the world wants to date you and all you’re doing is pushing him away!”

     I took a now sleeping Ryder away from her. “If you recall what happened in my last relationship… I think you’d know why I was pushing him away.” I guess I was afraid of losing someone else.

     Leaving her in shock for the moment, I took Ryder to his room. When I came back into my room, she was sitting on the bed. “I’m sorry, Ellie… I really shouldn’t have said that. Now here- let me find you something to wear. Got to look cute!”

     The doorbell rang, and my heart started pounding. I didn’t know where we were going or what we’d be doing. Since I had Ryder, I was always a nervous wreck… over everything.

     I was telling Ryder goodnight and putting him in bed before I left, while Taylor got the door. “Bye Ryder. Mommy loves you.”

     Right when I closed the door, his sweet little voice said “bye-bye”. I wanted to stay here with him. His first day of walking and new words… I really couldn’t stand to miss anything else he decided to do.

     “Ellie!” my impatient best friend called from the living room. I waved to my son and sighed. I walked into the living room, my heels clanking the whole way.

     “Sorry. Little man comes first.” I said, hoping Zayn wouldn’t find it offensive. “Take care of him, Taylor.” I said as I closed the door and stepped into the cool, evening air.

     “It was really nice of Taylor to keep Ryder for you. I’m so glad you could come. And she told me you don’t have to be at work tomorrow, so I’m free to keep you out all night.” Zayn said, laughing at the last part of his statement.

     So the magazine editor thing was real? Wow.

     “Yeah... She’s always been a sweet friend. A little crazy sometimes, but I love her to death.”

     Zayn began driving down the road. It was a minute or so before he talked again. “Is she somehow related to Ryder?”

     “Who Taylor? Yeah. That’s Chase’s sister.” I replied. “She’s the one who set me up with him. In like the ninth grade.”

     “So Chase was a long-time boyfriend?” Zayn said, almost sounding hurt.

     “My only boyfriend…” I mumbled low enough for him not to hear me.

         A few minutes later, the car came to a stop. Zayn got out, and being the perfect gentleman he is, opened the door for me. When I stepped outside, I noticed we were at a theater. But there were no cars outside but his, so something was up.

     “C’mon, El.” He said, taking my hand and pulling me to the front of the theater that just happened to have unlocked doors.

        “Where are we going?” I laughed as we began running down the front of the theater.

     “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” Zayn motioned for me to sit down, so I sat.

 A few seconds later, the lights that had been on went black. “Zayn?” I called out. And then I was blinded with a spotlight.

     “I, I wanna save you,

            Wanna save your heart tonight…

            He only broke you,

            Left you torn apart…

            I can’t be no superman,

            But for you, I’d be superhuman,

            I, I wanna save you

            Save you, save you, tonight.”

He was singing to me. I had heard this song many times before- it was actually one of my favorites- but I had never fully understood the lyrics until now. I was almost in tears when he stopped singing.

Taylor was right. He really did care about me, and I should learn to accept it.

The lights came back on, and he was sitting beside me. Without thinking, I grabbed his hand in mine. “Thank you, Zayn. You really are a great person…” He cut me off with a kiss.

And I didn’t stop him. I felt sparks between us, and I got butterflies in my stomach. I hadn’t felt like this in literally forever.

 When he finally pulled away, his eyes were shining. “I’ve been waiting to do that again.”

“Again? Oh that’s right. You did kiss me the other night.”

He laughed. “That I did indeed. Now, quick question?”

“And what is that?”

“You ready for this?”

“For what?”

“The fame? The dating Zayn Malik? Sadly, but the hate?”

 Did he just say dating? I honestly didn’t care. I was still utterly in shock from the kiss. “You know what? I am.”

When we left the theater, we went to a quiet café and just as he predicted, the cameras started flashing. It was late enough that there weren’t many people taking pictures, but no doubt would my face not cover every magazine tomorrow.

 It was about 11:30 when Zayn pulled back into my driveway. The living room light was on, and I could almost hear talking. I mean I knew Ryder was talking but not enough to have a conversation.

 Zayn led me down the sidewalk, and then unlocked the door. When we walked inside, I froze.

Sitting on my couch with Taylor was another member of One Direction.

“Louis? What are you doing here?” Zayn asked, glaring at one of his best friends.