Ladies First (Zayn Malik) Book 4

Chapter 39

“Ok, I’ve got it all planned out. You, me, a week from Thursday. The TCA’s aren’t until like two weeks later, but we have to be a week early to rehearse and then I can just come earlier than that. We can have our next date then. And I promise I’ll actually plan this one out” he chuckles.

“Uh Zayn?” I ask, interrupting his enthusiasm, pulling my phone from my ear a moment to check the calendar. “That’s the fourth” I say hesitantly.

“Yea so?” he asks, a bit confused.

“It’s July… Independence day… I’m going to be home with my family.” I reply, a frown crossing my face. We’d finished up the last part of our tour earlier this week and we were given a couple weeks off to relax and see our family.

“Oh” he says, and I can hear the disappointment lacing his voice.

“Maybe you could come? If you like that is.... You don’t have to if you don’t want…” I rush. I bite my lip as I’m met by a beat of silence.

“Are you sure?” he asks finally. “I don’t want to intrude on any family plans”

“No it’s fine. Besides, Maddie has been asking about you.” I say

“Really?” he chuckles. “What has she been asking?” he says amused.

“She’s been asking who the cute boy in the pictures of us is and if he’s my boyfriend” I say with a laugh. She was funny like that. She always had assumed any friend I had, I was dating, be it a guy or a girl. She seemed obsessed with me being in a relationship. It always cracked me up and whenever she’d ask if someone was my boyfriend, I’d turn the tables on her, asking if there were any boys at school she liked. Such was my shock when I asked her that once, junior year of high school, and she’d replied that she had a boyfriend. They’d been so cute the week they’d been together. He’d hold her hand wherever they went.

“Well what did you tell her?” he asks with a laugh.

“Well I told her no of course,” I say, a grin twitching at my lips.

“Just a couple more dates” he jokes.

“I know. I know” I say with a laugh. “That’s if you don’t realize how completely obnoxious and annoying I am before then” I joke.

“Oh I’ve already realized that” he teases. “I’ve just grown used to it.”

“Hey!” I laugh.

“So next Thursday then?” he asks, and I can practically see the smile on his face.

“Next Thursday” I confirm.

“Great, see you then babe” he replies before hanging up. I smile, my heart fluttering at just the thought of another date with Zayn.

“Ok guests are going to be here any minute, we’ve got the burgers and hot dogs all ready for the grill, the brownies are in the oven, the potato salad is in the fridge. What else do we need…” my mom rushes frantically. “Oh my god, buns! We don’t have buns” she panics

“Calm down mom” I say with a laugh, resting my hands on her shoulders to get her to calm down.

“I picked up some at the store today remember?” I ask, her shoulders sagging with relief.

“That’s right,” she says, a small smile edging onto her face. “I’m just so happy you’re home. I want everything to be perfect,” she says, enveloping me in a hug.

“It is mom. I promise,” I say, hugging her back.

“Oh” mom cries, jumping back as the doorbell rings. “That will be the neighbors. Joe said he’d work the grill for us.” She says as she rushes to the door. I was thankful my mom wasn’t going to try to work the grill again. Last time she had, it had practically turned into a fireball and the food was too black to eat, that’s not even talking about the singe marks she’d gotten putting out the fire. I greet them as they walk in and they instantly comment on how much I’ve grown. I smile, nodding my head. They’d babysat Maddie and I when we were younger and mom had to work the night shifts. They were practically our second family. As time went on, more and more family and friends arrived.