Holding On

Fifty One

Zain's phone dinged with a notification almost immediately after he'd landed in New York and was going through the processes to retrieve his car from the airport. Plucking his phone out of his pocket, Love's message appeared.

Think about what I told.

The message made Zain grimace, and he shoved his phone back into his pants pocket, annoyed.

He thought back to Love seeing him off at the airport, all the things she'd said that had so disturbingly unsettled him, and his frown deepened.

"...I think Emma really wants to be with George. She's happy by his side and she can't be even sure what she'll be in for by your side. Zain, she doesn't like how you make her feel, and you forcing her to choose you is quite unfair. I mean I wouldn't choose you if I were her..."

Zain had gazed into her eyes fiercely, summoning an intimidating scowl, but the spitfire had only raised her chin in defiance, holding his gaze. Luckily the announcement of his flight saved him from hearing more of her unnerving words.

"Goodbye." He'd muttered, leaning down to kiss her cheek when her next action made him freeze. Cupping his cheeks, she'd kissed him.

She'd pulled back, looking shocked at her own action. Zain had only nodded awkwardly and turned to leave, not quite able to comprehend why she'd done it.

Sighing as he entered his car, Zain pulled out his phone and texted back. Whatever.

Barely 10 seconds later, his phone rang with caller ID displaying Love's name. "Hey, fake friend." He said after picking up.

"I'm the best friend anyone can ever have, okay?" Love said. "Oh so you arrived in New York safe and sound. Now I hope your mind is sound enough to think of all that I told you."

"Love..."

"I'm not forcing you. This is just advice from someone who cares. Take it or leave it." Then she paused for a while. "Zain, about the kiss..." There was an awkward silence from her end which was quite unusual of her. "You know you hot right?" She was back to her normal self. "I just couldn't let you go without kissing you, you know. I caught us on spy camera and I'm gonna brag to my friends about kissing a hung."

Zain chuckled, unable to help himself, knowing she was joking with the last part and that her explanation was a lie. Now that he thought of it clearly, he realized the real reason why she'd kissed him; she had feelings for him.

It had been obvious in the way she always looked at him, the jealous looks she frequently gave Emma. Hopefully, those feelings weren't too much. The last thing he needed was someone pinning for him as badly as he was pinning for Emma.

"Hey, I'll hang up now, Love. Talk to you later?"

"I'll definitely call you." She enthused, then hang up.

Starting the car, Zain drove out of the airport and made for his parents house. While he was on his trip, his mother had called, berating him for letting her find out from his father and not him that he was in Miami. The woman still refused to accept that he was an adult, that he didn't need to tell her everything he did with his life.

He'd promised to come see her when he arrived. At that time, he'd viewed it as an obligation, but today he was going because he was desperate. He badly needed someone to talk to, someone to help him sooth and sort out all the emotions swirling inside him. Normally, he would've gone to his best friend, Kevin, but he felt his mother was the right person for the job at this moment.

He suddenly recalled Love's confident assertion at the airport, and his heart squeezed. You're not in love with her Zain, you're obsessed.

Throughout his flight, those words had kept on resonating in his head, venturing into depths that begun to unleash more doubts.