slow it down // zayn malik

chapter twenty-five // painful confliction.

linley's pov

Our stomachs full from the incredibly large breakfast feast Jonny and Kenzi had brought back for us, we emerge from the tent to join the rest of the festival in their still incredibly enthusiastic lifestyle. I've never felt more disgusting, knowing the only thing I need right now is a nice, steaming hot shower. 

But that doesn't seem like even a possibility right now, does it? 

I can feel my cheeks growing warm as the thought of Zayn and I together in a shower bombards my mind. I try to shake the mental image away quickly, nervous as if Zayn could read my mind. 

"Are you excited to perform tonight?" I turn to Jonny, distracting myself before my mind wanders even further with ridiculous thoughts about the messy headed boy next to me - whose fingers keep gently touching my own, making it damn near impossible. 

"Absolutely thrilled," Jonny nods and starts to go off on this beautifully poetic soliloquy about the feeling he gets in his chest when he can hear the crowd singing back his lyrics. The words sound like absolute magic leaving his tongue, yet I can't force myself to concentrate on him for longer than 0.2 seconds. 

Instead, my mind is filled with the thought of Zayn's soft skin and his scruffy chin and his long eyelashes that tickle when they dance against your skin. I can still distinctly remember the way my skin felt as he laid with his body pressed against mine in that bed this morning.  It was so completely  new and foreign to me. 

 "What do you think?" Jonny asks, pulling me from my thoughts unexpectedly.

Staring up at him with wide, surprised eyes, my cheeks flushing a bright pink color as Jonny lets out a sheepish laugh.

"Sorry," I mumble, biting my bottom lip anxiously. 

This why I don't let boys crawl their way into my brain, because this is what happens. They turn girls brains to mush, not allowing them to think of anything besides that boy. It's disturbing. And I'm no better than the rest of the female population. 

A tsunami of emotions swells in my chest, making me want to punch and kiss Zayn all at the same time. 

"You're funny," Jonny smiles at me, reaching over to wrap an arm around my neck. Our hips bump into one another's as we walk with our sides pressed together. 

As I smile up at Jonny, completely stunned that we would be so bold to hold onto me like this, I feel a soft pair of fingertips graze against my own, causing goosebumps to run up the course of my flesh. I can't help but to shiver slightly as I try my hardest to ignore Zayn. 

We venture further into the camp grounds of the festival, the familiar looking camper getting closer and closer. The others must see us approaching as well, for several pairs of arms flail in the air, trying to catch our attention. 

"Linley," Jonny says my name, making my head spin slightly, as I had been dreaming of the day this would happen, "You're seriously so rad," He smiles at me, using one of his famous words, pulling it off to sound so cool and not pretentious at all; a hard task these days. 

Zayn and Kenzi walk ahead of us, picking up the pace, or perhaps it's Jonny dragging us behind on purpose. I can't quite tell. 

I chuckle at Jonny's words, shaking my head as a bashful smile appears on my lips. Jonny gives my neck as squeeze, pulling me closer to him as we approach the camp site. I can literally feel his warm breath against my neck, making my knees weak. 

Once we join the others, Jonny freezes, holding me tightly in his grip. Zayn glances over his shoulder, but as he sees Jonny and I in our tight embrace, he turns around quickly, not even bothering to hide his distaste. He takes a few extra steps away, causing my arm to bend in an uncomfortable way.