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

28. Just Good Enough

                I ended the phone call and sighed — Jamie had rejected my offer to go to the mall with me for a bit of shopping for the day because she was hanging out with Niall. Somehow it managed to get under my skin that she was hanging out with the boy that used to be my friend — until he got mad at me and Zayn for something we forgot about. All the boys were angry with us, and Zayn was taking it hard. His four best friends weren't talking to him.

                And my four best friends weren't talking to me, either. My fingers tapped away onto my iPhone before I stopped at my boyfriend's name, eyeing the contact warily as I internally battled against myself. In the end, I shut my phone off and slipped it into my pocket before huffing, walking out of the apartment lobby and towards the car garage. Looks like I would be going to the mall alone. The drive was short and soon I found myself walking into the mall, a brunette running up to me instantly.

                "Oh my God, Rose Gates, I can't believe you're here in front of me!" The girl squealed, her words jumbling together as she spoke so quickly. "Can I have your autograph?"

                I smiled at her, nodding. "Of course! I don't have anything to write with, though."

She shoved her white iPhone in my hands.

And a sharpie.

Obviously, someone's prepared.

                She blushed when she noticed my slight surprise. "I just had to buy sharpies for my project, looks like they're already coming in handy."

                I laughed, starting to sign her phone. "What's your name again?"

                "Brittany."

                "Well, Brittany," I said, finishing up my signature before handing her the phone with a smile. "There you go!"

                "Thank you so much!" She chirped.

                I laughed, waving her off and keeping a conversation for a few more minutes before I left, weaving in and out of stores. When I finally got to a Louis Vuitton store, I looked through the contents, wondering if I should treat myself to something nice. As I had my head down and was looking, though, I bumped into somebody's chest.

                Looking up ready to apologize, I came face to face with Louis Tomlinson. Upon seeing it was me, he gave me a weak smile, and I returned it with a weaker one. "Um, Hi Louis."

He had defended me.

                "Rose, hi." Louis nodded, and a second later Eleanor bounced up by his side.

                "Rose!" Eleanor chirped with a grin, embracing me in a tight hug. "I missed you! How come you're so close but we still never see each other?"

                Just smile and walk away. "I don't know, but I'll call you later, I promise."

                She frowned. "Don't you want to come shopping with us? Actually, we were just about to go to lunch — you should come!"

                Eleanor, why do you have to be so nice? "No thanks, I'm good. I should get going, um, I'll call you tomorrow."

                With that, I turned on my heel and hurried out of the store, hearing Eleanor murmur to her boyfriend while feeling their gazes on my back. I was thankful that Louis had defended me, but know he didn't fully forgive me either. Once I was a considerable distance away from the Louis Vuitton store, I slowed my pace and grasped my bags tighter in my hands.