Trepidation//H.S// (ON HOLD)

8

I don't move from inside the apartment for 2 days.

Maybe it's because I'm depressed, maybe because I can't find it in myself to put on a show and force myself to interact with anyone. Especially not at the library.

However today, today I am leaving the apartment.

Emerson's dress hangs on my desk chair untouched and frankly I don't think I want to see it anymore.

I let myself up, showering and brushing through my completely matted hair at this point before changing into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. I know the cold air of outside will make me freeze but maybe that's just what I need.

My phone rang so much yesterday it died on my bedside table. I would have just turned it off but that meant seeing Quincy's name sitting and making a home on my lock screen and I didn't want to ever deal with him again.

Maybe I'm being dramatic though, he didn't force me to go anywhere with him, nor did he force me to do anything with him, but is him actually forcing me out into a place I had no experience in a crime? No. But to me if it felt like it.

I grab at the soft material of the dress, placing it on a hanger before climbing into the elevator and making my way up to Emerson's apartment.

I don't know if she's home, nor would I ever know if she was but it didn't hurt to check. I knock on the door lightly and wait patiently as I hear shuffling inside and Zayn opens the door looking at me in surprise. Neither one of us say anything just staring at each other on both sides of the door.

"Who is it?" Emerson yells from inside the apartment and Zayn clears his throat still looking at me.

"It's Juliet."

"Well let her in." She almost calls for me and I feel my cold demeanor crumble slightly before Zayn steps aside to let me in. He walks in front of me as we pass the room Emerson gave me the dress in and we move into her bedroom.

Emerson sits at her vanity brushing through her hair while Niall lays on her bed scrolling through his phone.

I feel like an intruder on their time spent together and I only hold the dress out. "I just came to bring this back." I walk over to her and she looks down at it almost confused.

"You can keep it babe." She shakes her head now pulling out a lipgloss from in one of her drawers and leaning into the mirror.

"No. I don't want it." I push it towards her again and she gives me an odd side eye.

"Niall told me you guys ran into each other and you had a bad night, is this about that ?" She sets the small tube of makeup out in front of her and I only glance at Niall for reassurance.

"It doesn't matter, the dress was beautiful, I just don't want to keep it." This time as I shove it toward her again I drop it into her arms and move to walk away only being blocked by Niall who now stood directly behind me and in front of the door.

"Why don't you stay for a little bit?" He puts a hand on my shoulder almost comforting and I glance back at Emerson.

"Yeah, were going out in a little bit if you want to come." She shrugs her shoulder not caring and Zayn only watches us. He doesn't talk very much.

"I'm okay, really... I don't like going out."

Emerson is standing now and switching spots with me as she pushes me down in her small chair.

"No really I insist Juliet, if you had a bad night the other day let's make this a good one." She smiles down at me and I only nod.

"Great, let's do your hair."