The A-hole Next Door (completed)

FORTY

Lauren stared at her phone lying on her desk. Her mind was swarming in different thoughts and it made her head hurt.

Not just her head, but even her heart. Her first day as an editor was pretty loaded, and Zayn just added a shit ton of weight on her soul. Her chest twisted and dropped the whole day whenever he would cross her mind.

She waited the whole day for a phone call from Zayn. But nothing came, not even a text. She wanted to call him first, to fix things, but her pride wouldn't let her do it. Her pride was screaming inside her head.

Let him think about his mistakes, Lauren! You've been too easy on him since day one, letting things slip just after a call or text from him. He forgot to skype you a lot of times already and even your promotion!

But he had been so busy, whispered the other voice in her head. Just because he forgot about it, doesn't mean he doesn't care.

Oh shut up! Enough with the excuses. That's why he doesn't mind screwing up! 'Cause he knows you'll forgive him right away!

"Hey, Lo!"

Lauren was startled by Luigi when the lad pushed the door open. "Ain't you going home yet? It's past 5," he said, walking towards her desk. "What's with the frowning face?"

"Just tired," she exhaled.

"Monday is always stressful," he said. "Oh! Donuts! Can I have some?"

She nodded. "Sure. There's still four left."

Luigi grabbed a donut. "Oh Lord. This is divine," he whimpered, eyes closed. "Where did Zayn buy this?"

"They came from Liam," she replied, then started to clear her desk. She put her phone back inside her bag. She decided to not call Zayn.

Luigi choked a little. "Liam?" he asked, then coughed to clear his throat. "Wow. He's really sweet."

She didn't answer. She already texted Liam and said her gratitude. She was grateful, really grateful of Liam's efforts. If not because of the donuts, she might already lost her sanity today.

"Dustin and I will watch a movie tonight. Wanna go with us?"

She shook her head. "I don't want to be a third wheel," she chortled.

He rolled his eyes. "We can all have our dinner outside to celebrate your successful first day."

"I think I'll pass," she uttered while putting her things inside her bag. "I'm really tired."

He raised a brow. "Did you have a row with your boyfriend again?"

She stayed quiet.

Luigi took a deep breath. "No response is a response," he said, watching his friend clear her desk and shut the computer off. "You and Zayn are always fighting these past few weeks. After you moved with your mom."

"We're not fighting. We just misunderstood each other, that's all. Besides, we get to fix our problems right away," she defended, though she knew that Luigi was right. Zayn was mostly hotheaded whenever they wouldn't agree with something. He was also acting like a father, demanding a complete detail of her whereabouts everyday. At first, she found it sweet and cute. But eventually it started to annoy her, especially if Zayn would be angry over an unanswered call and text like what happened earlier.

Not to mention the very hectic schedule Zayn has. He would only call to ask where she was, what she was doing, and then he would go after to accomplish his commitments. He also became forgetful because he was always tired and lacking of sleep.