Under Summer Sky • Zarry

19. Not the end

For someone who's party it was, you wouldn't know it.

I was on my third vodka club soda, desperately trying to calm my muddled brain. I wasn't in my usual life of the party mode and instead I was laying back on the wicker patio sofa while Adrienne sat across from me in a lounge chair with her feet propped up, a margarita in hand, acting as the voice of reason an in-depth conversation that we were having about me and Zayn.

It felt like I was in therapy.

"Harry...you think too much," Adrienne commented, sipping her drink through a pink, curly straw.

I sighed dramatically. "I know."

"So Zayn messed up with Remi. So what? Clearly he must not have loved him enough otherwise he wouldn't have been so into you."

"Yeah but what does that say about the kind of person he is?" I countered.

Adrienne snapped at me. "It says that he's human."

I snorted tipsily under my breath. "He's not human, he's an alien."

"What?" she asked, looking confused.

"Nothing, never mind," I muttered.

She continued. "So you mean to tell me in the past that you've never liked someone while you were with another girl? I know you aren't a saint Harry," she pointed out.

"Course I have," I grumbled. "But it wasn't serious, that's the difference between what I've done and what Zayn did."

"Well, you can't hold this over Zayn's head forever. That's not fair to him, especially since he's in love with you."

I sat up, nearly choking on my drink. "How do you know? Did he tell you that?"

She shrugged in a non-chalant manner. "No, but he didn't have to."

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees now. "So what good is it if he doesn't even say that to me?"

"Well...why aren't you saying it to him?"

I just blinked back at her, shifting awkwardly as I sat while she played devil's advocate. Man, Adrienne was good at that. "Because I don't know if that's really what it is."

"Yes you do, Harry. You know, but you're just too god damn stubborn. You both are. It's annoying, to be honest."

"Okay...but even if I do love him, I don't trust Zayn as a boyfriend...if I was going to date anyone properly. Add that to the whole me and Zayn being busy in different places equation? Yeah, I'm not setting myself up for that kind of heart break."

Adrienne frowned at me, now sitting up in her chair. "Well then perhaps you should just stay friends for now. Maybe it's just not the right time for more than that. I don't know what else there is to say."

"But I don't think we can't be just friends either," I replied.

"Ugh, you two are going to drive me insane I swear to God!" said Adrienne, exasperated and rubbing at her temples. "Just go talk to Zayn and figure it out. Figure something out for crying out loud! I love you both, I really do, but I'm not playing mediator between you two all night. Now if you'll excuse me...I need to go find Marco."

I viewed Adrienne as she got up from the chair and flounced across the patio, jumping onto Marco's back with a screech. He started laughing at her and Adrienne jumped off, leaning up to plant kisses all over his face as he grinned.

And I stared over there, just watching them as they acted all cute and loved up, the type of couple who spent every day together, who would probably end up getting married and having a family. So completely and utterly in love.