I'm not sure what I've done.
The thought keeps circling in my head as I follow Zayn through the hallway. My stubbornness has always been my biggest weakness. The moment someone challenges me, something inside me refuses to back down.
Usually that just leads to arguments.
Tonight it somehow led me here.
Alone.
With him.
One of the men who had been sitting in the lounge had tried to follow us, stepping forward like it was his job to keep Zayn in sight. But Zayn had stopped him with a small shake of his head.
The man immediately backed away.
That alone should have told me something.
Now it's just the two of us.
And suddenly I'm painfully aware of how strange this situation is. I'm walking through a quiet hallway with a guy who drives me insane, hoping no one from the party saw us leave the lounge together.
Not because I care what they think.
At least that's what I keep telling myself.
Zayn leads the way through another exit — one I hadn't even noticed earlier. This route is quieter, emptier, with only a few people scattered near the stairwell.
I wish I had discovered this entrance earlier.
Maybe Yolanda wouldn't still be stuck somewhere inside with Keith.
The thought makes irritation flicker through me again.
We finally step outside the building. The night air is warm, wrapping around me instantly. The muffled music from the apartment fades behind us, replaced by the distant sounds of traffic and voices echoing through the street.
For the first time tonight, it's actually quiet.
Too quiet.
Now we're alone.
And I have no idea what he's planning to say.
Zayn turns toward me, resting his hands casually in the pockets of his jacket like this moment means nothing.
"First," he says, "I want to apologize for the other day."
I blink at him.
That's it?
One sentence?
One simple apology after the embarrassment he caused me all week?
My jaw tightens.
"Keep it to yourself," I say flatly. "You should've thought about that before you did it."
The anger rises quickly, but I force myself to keep my voice controlled.
Lately I've been trying to do better. Trying to be calmer. Less reactive.
Maybe because of Danilo.
Maybe because I didn't like the way I acted with him sometimes.
But Zayn makes that difficult.
Very difficult.
A slow smile spreads across his face.
And I know that smile.
It's the same mischievous, arrogant smile he always wears when he thinks he's winning something, the same smile from the cafeteria
"I want to leave this party," he says suddenly. "Don't you?"
The way he says it makes it clear what he means.
Leave the party.
With him.
My stomach tightens instantly.
There's no way.
Coming outside alone with him already feels like a mistake. I'm not about to make it worse.
"I'm fine," I say.
It's an obvious lie. Even I can hear it. I hate the party
The flashing lights, the smell of alcohol, Yolanda disappearing with Keith… none of it felt right tonight.
But that doesn't mean I'm leaving with Zayn.
"Sure," he replies simply.
He doesn't push.
Doesn't argue.
Instead, he pulls out his phone and starts typing something, completely relaxed.
A few seconds later, his phone rings.
He answers casually.
"Aiit, I'll come pick you up, babe."
That's all he says before hanging up.
Something strange happens in my chest.
My heart sinks a little.
And immediately irritation follows it.
Who would want to date someone as prideful as him?
And why did he sound so happy saying it?
I look away, pretending I didn't hear anything.
He slides his phone back into his pocket.
"I should probably get you back inside," he says.
But he's already looking down at his phone again, typing another message.
I can't stop my mind from wandering.
Who was that girl?
Someone from school?
Someone from one of his influencer circles?
For a brief second, I actually feel bad for her.
How unlucky.
"I'm glad we sorted out our differences," he says suddenly, finally putting his phone away. "We should hang out sometime."
I don't respond.
Mostly because I don't know what to say.
Mostly because I don't believe him.
He watches me for a moment.
"Are you okay?" he asks.
The concern in his voice feels… fake. Like a performance.
As if he suddenly cares.
"Yeah," I say quickly. "Let's head back."
I start walking toward the entrance before he can respond.
The party noise grows louder again the closer we get.
And for some reason, I feel even more confused than when I left.