Lacey

I navigated my way through the crowds of brightly decorated people. I couldn’t help the large smile that swept across my face as I admired the outfits of the people around me.

I also couldn’t help as my eyes wandered down to stare at my own royal blue dress that flared out around me. My black corset pulling tightly around my chest and waist. The light blue ribbons decorated my waist, wrists and the hem of my skirt. I ran my hand down one side enjoying the smooth material underneath my fingers.

“You look amazing,” I spun around to be met with Edmund. I smiled happily at him and accepted his arm as he led me through the people, stopping to talk to a few with me. My eyes constantly glanced around looking for any sign of my friends and particularly Zayn in the groups of people surrounding me.

“Excuse me but do you mind if I borrow her?” Tamzyn suddenly appeared next to me in her light pink ball gown. Edmund nodded and released my arm after placing a short kiss on my cheek. I smiled at him before allowing Tamzyn to lead me away.

“This place is amazing. The fairy lights look perfect and have you been outside? It’s like a fairy tale garden!” Tamzyn raved to me as I laughed and listened to her eagerly. “Oh and look who I found.”

I glanced up as she pulled me to a stop in front of two people. I smiled widely and pulled Skye into a hug before accepting a kiss on the cheek from Harry.

“You look amazing!” I said to Skye happily. She smiled back at me kindly.

“You look even better!” She exclaimed. I laughed and admired her crimson dress. Her corset stayed tight and tied up with black satin ribbon. The skirt flared out wide with black lace winding around it. She finished the outfit by adding black silk gloves that ran to her elbows. Her newly acquired tan she had gained from Australia set the dress of amazingly.

“I want your tan.” I whined to her making her laugh loudly while Harry placed an arm around her waist.

“You should come to Australia next time.” She suggested to me. I smiled thinking that it would actually be a great idea.

“Where are the others?” I asked her curiously staring around the room before I met her eyes. Her eyes that seemed to convey she knew a lot more than I thought she did.

“Around here somewhere.” Harry said glancing around the room.

“Out in the garden actually.” Skye said, Harry glanced at her surprised but she never took her eyes from mine.

“I swear I just saw Louis with Eleanor. And Tate and Niall were just over there.”

“No honey, they are outside in the garden,” She said more forcefully lightly patting his hand that rested on her waist as he turned more confused.

“But I can see Liam and Dani from...” Skye cut him off.

“Honestly Harry.” She groaned before moving out of his arms and grabbing his hand. She winked at me and then guided both Tamzyn and a confused Harry away. I stared after her for a moment wondering how she knew before gathering my dress around me and making my way towards one of the French doors closing off a balcony.

I slipped through the doors barely glancing behind me before making my way towards the stairs leading to the garden underneath. I glanced around in the dark, the fairy lights that had decorated the hedges only lit up the path through the maze of flowers. I hesitantly began walking the trail, holding my dress up enough to not drag through the dirt.

I moved further and further into the garden starting to doubt what I was looking for. I stopped by a bed of red roses and spun around in a circle looking for anyone. I heard noise to my left making me spin to stare into the darkness. A nervous feeling crept through me as my heart rate increased. Why did I foolishly walk out into a dark garden late at night? This was where people died in movies.

Something moved towards me. I opened my mouth ready to scream as the person came into view. A breath of air flew from my lungs quietly as I instantly relaxed.

“You scared me!” I exclaimed to Zayn. He smirked at me in his black suit with a black top hat situated precariously on top of his raven black hair. He looked almost too good to be true.

“Sorry,” He whispered out softly. I shivered as his eyes raked down my body hungrily. They way he looked at me made my body react in ways that I wouldn’t care to admit to him.

“You look stunning. I have never seen anything as beautiful as you.” He said to me softly as he stepped forward placing both hands on a hip each. “Except maybe the other morning when you woke up naked in my arms, hair ruffled, lips still swollen, a few bruises situated specifically across your hipbones and further...”

“Okay!” I cut him off, blushing furiously. He sent me a wink before grabbing my hand and pulling me back the way he came into the darker parts of the garden.

“Zayn, we can barely see.” I whined to him but followed willingly none the less. He stopped and turned around to stare at me before pulling me in to place a chaste kiss on my lips. He pulled away and I pouted instantly.

Taking matters into my own hand I reached and crashed his lips more forcefully against mine, enjoying the taste of the expensive wine that graced his lips.

“I missed you.” Zayn mumbled against my lips. I grinned.

“I saw you this morning.” I giggled at him. He groaned and pulled my body closer so my lower half was pressed tightly against his, my skirt carelessly squished between us.

“I know. But I need you all the time.” He told me earnestly pressing a few short kisses to my lips before tracing his lips across my chin and down towards my neck. My body voluntarily arched my back and moved my neck to the side to give him better access as he lightly nipped at a place below my collarbone.

“You can’t give me a hickey,” I warned him quickly pulling myself away. He sighed and pulled me closer just pressing his head into the crook of my neck and breathing deeply. I smiled largely and hugged him tightly enjoying the feeling of his cologne filling up my senses.

My body froze up however when we heard the soft clicking of heels heading in our direction. Zayn instantly pulled away and pushed my body behind his as he stepped further back in the dark.

“Where are they? I’m cold.” A weirdly accented voice hissed loudly. I felt Zayn’s body relax before he grabbed onto my hand and began to step forward. It took me a little longer then Zayn to realise that the weird accent was Skye’s Australian mixed with British accent.

“I’m sure they’re just around here.” Another voice said. It sounded a lot like Eleanor’s.

“Looking for someone?” Zayn said stepping out onto the lit up path. Skye let out a short scream and jumped back while Eleanor’s hand moved swiftly to rest above her heart as she breathed heavily in her dark green ball gown.

“Crap Zayn!” Skye complained breathing heavily. Zayn chuckled as I smiled at them both sympathetically.

“You’re needed for the speeches Lacey.” Eleanor told me once she calmed down. Zayn turned to me and frowned.

“I don’t want to let you go.” He said to me softly, pouting. I frowned at him and reached up to press a kiss to his cheek.

“They’re so cute.” Skye whispered to Eleanor but Zayn and I could still hear it. I blushed and looked down hiding my face behind my hair.

“Skye.” Zayn whined at her. She just laughed us both off.

“Come on we better go.”Skye said stepping forward and grabbing onto my hand. She sent Zayn a look who sighed and eventually let go of my hand before linking arms with Eleanor and walking back towards the large venue behind Skye and I.

“How did you know?” I asked her curiously. “That we’ve been seeing each other.”

“I’m a lot closer to Zayn then you probably realise. He tells me a lot.” She explained to me. “Our group tells each other nearly everything.”

“But Harry doesn’t know?” I enquired. She sighed and shook her head at me.

“Don’t ask me to keep it a secret from him. I don’t keep secrets from him.” She told me sternly. I nodded at her in understanding. She sighed and glanced back at Zayn who hadn’t taken his eyes from me the whole time we walked.

“I’m happy that you’re happy Lace. But you have to know this won’t end well, for either of you.” She said soft enough that Zayn couldn’t here. I glanced away from her as we reached the steps to the balcony.

“I don’t know what else to do right now.” I told her honestly. She nodded at me before lifting her skirt to walk up the stairs, I followed suit.

“I’ll help as much as I can Lace. You’ve been a great friend to me this last year. I want to return the favour. But I don’t know how to help you...” She said trailing off as we reached the top of the stairs.

“Your support is enough.” I told her. She sighed and closed her eyes briefly before glancing in at the ballroom and back to me.

“You might want to fix up your lipstick.” She told me before turning to Zayn. “And you might want to wipe the lipstick off your face unless drag queen was the look you were going for tonight.”

We both exchanged glances before quickly fixing ourselves up. Skye walked back into the ballroom with me while Eleanor and Zayn waited a few moments before entering as well. The moment we stepped inside Harry and Louis were by our sides.

“There you guys are! Honestly it never seizes to amaze me how easily girls wonder off.” Louis said waving his hand around. Skye scoffed from her position in Harry’s arms.

“Like you can talk, Paul has told me many stories about you boys disappearing while on tour.” She laughed at him. He frowned and mumbled saying about men’s code under his breath. A smile lit up my face.

“There you are Lacey! Where have you been?” Edmund asked worriedly, appearing beside us all. I went wide eyed for a moment as my brain tried to create an excuse but instead it shut down in panic.

“Toilet.” Louis quickly intervened. “You know girls and needing to go to toilets in packs for a long amount of time. Always confuses me.” This was the point that I realised that Louis new about our arrangement as well. Of course Eleanor probably would have told him.

“A lot of things about girls confuse you Louis. I’m surprised Eleanor hasn’t left your clueless self already.” Skye teased him. He glared at her mockingly, I was surprised the most however when Edmund released a chuckle at their banter. He smiled down at me as I smiled back before allowing him to lead me away from my group of friends towards my family.

I stood to the side of my family showing my support as they talked to the crowd of people about the amazing night and the amount of money raised for charity. The words barely registered in my mind as a large smiled stayed permanently transfixed on my face. I was living on cloud nine by this point and I never thought anything could bring me down.

Everyone clapped and cheered when the amount of money raised was announced and I stepped forward to thank everyone. It went in a blur as I stood on the stage and found Zayn’s face in the crowd. His large smiled matching my own.

“We are so proud of you.” My father told me as we left the stage and he and my mother gave me a hug. I barely noticed what they were saying as I saw Zayn making his way towards me through the crowd of people. Before I could think of an excuse to leave my family a hand enclosed around mine. I looked down shocked at the unfamiliar hand before glancing up to see Edmund smiling down at me.

“You look so happy, love. I’m glad you had a great night.” He told me sincerely before pressing a soft kiss to my lips.

The moment his lips left mine I quickly glanced over to where Zayn had been coming from. He had stopped moving as his body turned rigid. His hand were balled into fists and his jaw was locked tight. There was anger and confusion in his eyes as he stared at us both. I wanted to say something, anything but I didn’t know what. And he was so far away. I saw Niall and Liam appear by his sides slightly confused. The followed his gaze towards us and both face showed recognition.

Even though Niall’s face showed sympathy, Liam’s own face hardened at me slightly instantly making my guilt feel worse. They both gently led Zayn away as Edmund pulled me in the opposite direction to talk to more people.

I had never felt so guilty in my life.

Notes

Happy Sweet 16 Birthday to Ever-wanted_to! This is the first of two chapters as a gift for her birthday today :)