Following In Your Direction [One Direction: Zayn Malik Romance]

18. Back Again

               “The carnival,” I said, a smile slipping on my lips as I glanced around at the empty field where we once had a carnival experience together. “That was a fun day.”

                Zayn smiled, interlacing our fingers and pulling me further into the field. “Since the carnival isn’t here, let’s just relax.”

                I smiled too, squeezing his hand. “That sounds perfect.”

                Zayn led me into the field where the abandoned playground sat in the center – when the carnival was here, I had recalled it was a place for the littler kids to hang out. Slipping my hand out of his, I sent him a grin and climbed on the metal, semi-circle jungle gym until I got to the top and leaned my head through a hole, my hair creating a barrier to the outside world. Zayn popped up with a huge grin on his face, walking closely so our noses were almost touching.

                I felt his hot breath on my face as both of us shared grins on our lips, happy to be together once again. “Having fun up there on the jungle gym? You look like a cute monkey, love.”

                I rolled my eyes, but the smile didn’t erase itself off my lips. “You’re the one that looks upside down.”

                Zayn chuckled, and before I could talk myself out of it, I slid down just a bit more until our lips were aligned and pressed mine against his. Instantly, his soft, velvety lips moved in sync with mine as I shut my eyes, feeling the world melt away around us as well as all of my previous heartache. The problems I used to deal with and face easily just disappeared as we kissed, his hand reaching up to grab mine.

                This feeling was like I was floating on Cloud 9, never coming down. When we finally separated, we both had smiles on our lips like we were the happiest people alive and the butterflies started to subside in my stomach.  My eyes opened slowly and I saw his gorgeous never ending brown orbs staring back at me with so much emotion dancing in them that made my heart inflate further.

                “Do you believe in love at first sight?” Zayn murmured, toying with my hanging brown curls with a soft smile playing on his perfect lips.

                I met his gaze and nodded. “Yeah… do you?”

                He nodded, “I’m experiencing it now, love. I have since the moment I met you.”

He felt the same way.

                Zayn Malik loved me just like I loved him. With a whole new level of self-confidence and happiness, I pecked his lips hard before answering, “I love you.”

                His eyes lit up as well as the smile on his face. “I think it goes without saying that I love you too, Rosie.”

                “I’m sorry I left.” I told him.

                “I thought we weren’t – ”

                “That was before I realized that I can’t go longer without being with you, Zayn.” I said, shaking my head and getting up on the jungle gym before slipping through the metal bars and standing in front of him. “I can’t be apart from you like that again.”

                Zayn looked at me hopefully, taking both my hands in his. “Rosie, does this mean… Does this mean you’ll come back? And you won’t leave?”

                I smiled. “That’s exactly what it means.”

***

                Jamie was proud of me when I told her the news. Knowing that made the goodbye process a lot better – there weren’t any tears this time when I said goodbye to anybody. I even got a big hug from Bruce before I left. Zayn and I had to take two separate flights to get to the area where the boys were on tour and thankfully, since I had chosen so quickly that I didn’t want to be apart from Zayn again, he didn’t miss any shows.