Over Again

"You know I have to go soon," I said to him at the gate. It's been a little over a week, and I knew if I didn't go home soon, my family would be extra worried.

But more than anything, I had things I needed to do.

"Please," he said giving me puppy eyes. I wrapped my arms around his neck, giving him a small kiss, and a big hug.

"Thank you for everything, Ni," I said. "But I need to go back home." He nodded, and gave me another kiss on the cheek, his cold sunglasses brushing against my nose.

Just then, the voice of an lady on the intercom crackled to life, and she announced that my flight was ready. I looked back at Niall. He smiled, waving at me. I waved back, then stepped onto the belt.

◾◾◾◾◾

"I'm home," I called out into space. Three sets of feet were heard scrambling to me, and my family appeared.

"Grace Phelps," my mother said. "What were you thinking?!"

"I just went to-"

"We know where you went," Ella Said.

"Westmeath, Mullingar, Ireland," Brandy said. "I can't believe you went without at least telling me."

"Do you know how much Zayn is worried? You should have seen him when he saw you with Niall!" Brandt came up to me, grabbing my shirt and bringing me down to her size.

"We will talk about that later," she said, her eyes dangerous. she let me go, leaving Ella, mum and me.

"I think you should go see Zayn," Mum said after exchanging a look with Ella. She took my suitcase, telling me it'd be in my room when I got back. Ella was left behind.

"If you come back," she said bitterly.

▪▪▪▪▪▪▪▪

That walk to Zayn's house was probably the longest in a long time. Wishing I could turn back and never return, but I knew I had to check this off of my to-do list, of all things

Knocking on the door, Way answered it almost immediately. She looks at me hard, but sympathetically.

"He's...In the back," she said. "We're really worried, Gracie. Please be careful with him."

While I walked around the house to the backyard patio, all I saw was a mess. No, not the yard. That was perfectly groomed.

But Zayn wasn't.

It looked like he hadn't shaved in a few days, a little beard and mustache on his face. His hair not done into his usual quiff, it was down on his forehead, ruffled and thick.

A cigarette in one hand, and a green bottle in another. He was drinking, obviously almost drunk, and smoking at the same time. Two things I'd told him to not do. but he was only slightly buzzed.

"You left me," he said. He took a drag, then sat back in his chair, letting the smoke out by his nose.

"I had to, I couldn't take it here," I said, sitting down next to him. He took a sip of his beer.

"You kissed Niall." I nodded. "You like him?" I nodded again. "Oh." I grabbed his cigarette just as he was going to put it to his lips again. Throwing it on the snow, and stomping it. He shrugged, taking a sip of beer again. I grabbed the bottle, turning it upside down, and emptying onto the remaining snow.

"Hey! That was my last one!"

"Yeah, it is," I said. "Zayn, we need to talk. And we're no talking if you're drunk. Got it?"

He nodded.

Notes

An extra long update for you guys!