Cakes, Country Clubs, and the CEO [h.s]

Chapter 13

Death seems like a very tempting idea at the moment. In all honesty, absolutely anything would be better than the position I'm in right now; body face flat, hanging off the side of the wet concrete, slowly drowning myself in the puddle the top half of my body slipped into. If lack of oxygen didn't kill me, my embarrassment would.

"Gracie are you okay?" the sound checks again, a head of black hair poking out of the driver side window.

I wasn't quite sure whether it was my poor coordination or the shocking reappearance of my ex-boyfriend, if I could even really call him, that caused the tumble down. Either way it had an equally painful result.

If I had to take a guess, however, I would confidently blame my crash and burn on Zayn's surprising turn up.

"No" I reply, the answer sounding more like a gurgle due positioning of my face in the water. I hoped the short response would give Zayn a slight clue that I wasn't really in the mood for comfort or conversation, considering he never really was one to do that in the past. If anything, however, my response had the opposite effect.

"C'mon noodle, let's get you out of the rain" he quips back immediately, the familiar nickname sending my heart plummeting to my stomach as he exits from the shelter of his car and over towards me. He tries pulling at my arm in an attempt to turn me over, but I immediately refuse, not budging as I keep my body flat in the puddle. "Grace don't be difficult" he tugs once more, rolling my body over to lie on my back, his head looking over top of me. "Leave me be and let me drown" I gurgle once more, flopping around a couple times in an attempt to rid his grip around from around my arms.

"Grace, quit it" he remarks, this time slightly more frustrated, pulling me up by arm. The small tug was strong enough to have my body to shoot up into the air and nearly fall right back down onto his chest. I was completely soaked, head to toe, in rainwater, the clouds still relentlessly releasing big fat rain drops onto our heads. Zayn's own body was becoming soaked by the minute, and if it hadn't been for the slight guiltiness I felt for being the one that caused that, I would have struggled against him a bit more.

I stumbled a bit more before putting my hands against his chest in an effort to steady myself somewhat, and eventually push myself away in an attempt for some sort of distance. "Fine" I manage finally, bringing a hand up to slick back the wet strands of hair that had been sticking to my face "but I'm not getting in your car".

My comment earns a small scoff from the boy across from me, Zayn shaking his head before bringing a hand to drag down his face, a small gesture of his annoyance. "How do you plan on getting home then?" he questions back immediately, quirking an eyebrow up before bringing a hand up to tug at the nose ring he had on the right side of his face. It was an old stress habit of his that I recognized immediately, a rush of nostalgia washing through me as I observed the motion.

"By doing exactly what I did before you showed up" I gesture to the sidewalk "walking".

I guess he found my answer hilarious because a loud cackle immediately leaves his lips. Seeing that I obviously didn't find it any bit amusing, his face slacks back down into one of dumbfoundedness. "Wait, you're serious?"

"Of course I'm serious" I bite back as I begin to pull my shirt back over the top of my head, "now if you wouldn't mind" I shuu with my hand, as I begin to hype myself up for another mile run home "I'll be going now." Expected at this point however, Zayns cuts in not a moment later.

"You're insane if you think I'm going to let you do that" he responds, stepping back into my way in an attempt to gather my full attention.

"Then I guess you're insane.'