Chapter 53

Chapter Fifty-Three

Maddy

I knew I couldn't go back to Zak's uncle's house. I had no idea how to get there, or what the address was. The best thing I could do was find Emma and Liv and come up with a plan, but scanning the room there was no sign of them. I did spot Oscar, though, so headed for him.

"Hey, Mads." He greeted me with a huge, drunken smile. "Having a good time?" He peered at me and then frowned. "What's up, darlin'?"

I took a huge breath, unsure what to say. Zak was his friend, and he knew Connie better than he knew me, so I couldn't really expect his support, but there was no one else around, and I was on the verge of bursting into tears. Shaking my hands out at my sides, I looked over his shoulder towards the spot where I'd seen Zak and Connie talking. Then it kind of hit me—they were only talking…

"Maddy?" Oscar prompted.

"I just found Zak and Connie together," I blurted out.

Oscar's eyes went as wide as saucers as he leaned his upper body forward, like he wasn't sure he'd heard me properly.

"Together?" Scrubbing a hand over his face he placed his other on my shoulder. "Like together, together?"

"Talking together?"

He placed both hands on my shoulders as he looked me in the eye, swaying slightly as he did. "Talking?"

I nodded and watched as he blinked slowly. He was a good-looking boy, not quite as dark as Zak, with slate grey-eyes that glinted with mischief. His style was very much like's Zak's, wearing rings and a necklace, but instead of short, cropped hair, his was longer on top and messy. He'd had plenty of girls following him around all night, but his eyes seemed to always be on a tiny, pretty redhead who stayed closed to her friends, warily watching the room.

"If they were just talking."

"It was the way they were talking." As he scratched his head, I knew that I shouldn't have told him. Zak was his friend, and I was putting him in a difficult situation. "It's fine, I'm just being an idiot."

"No, if it's upset you, then it's not fine."

"Mads." A hand reached for mine, and Zak appeared in front of me. He turned to Oscar. "Thanks, mate."

Oscar shook his head. "Sort it out because I mean it, Connie is not worth the shit." He ruffled my hair and left, heading in the direction of the redhead.

"Who's that?" I asked Zak. "Oscar seems to like her."

Zak looked over to where I pointing and sighed. "That's our friend, Ruby, who I told you about. The one who was drugged. This is the first time she's been out in ages; she was really nervous about it."

My gaze shot over to her. She was looking up at Oscar who was a respectful distance from her. When he reached out to touch her cheek, and she visibly relaxed, giving him a beautiful smile, my heart did a little leap.

"He likes her," I stated.

Zak nodded. "Yeah, he does. Has done for a long time, since we were about ten." He laughed and then turned to me, signalling a full stop to the conversation. "Why did you run away?"

I pulled my hand from his and crossed my arms over my chest. "Why do you think?"

"We were only talking."

"For about half an hour while I was waiting like an idiot." Swallowing, I waited for Zak to turn it on me, to make it seem like my fault, like I should have gone to the toilet with him if I didn't want to be left alone, like I should have gone looking for him sooner.

He dropped his head and sighed. "I'm sorry. I should have come back to you sooner. I shouldn't have left you for so long."

It wasn't what I expected. But he was still talking to her, though. He still looked like he was enjoying their conversation.

"It wasn't just that, it was how you were talking to her."

Saying the words again didn't make them sound any less stupid than they had the first time. They didn't make me seem any less neurotic.

Zak studied me, opened his mouth, and then closed it again. After licking his lips, he nodded. "Okay, I know how it must have looked, but I know Connie. Me being harsh with her back at the house and ignoring her didn't seem to have worked, she's been following me around all night." I thrust my hands to my hips, annoyed that she hadn't taken the hint. "Yeah, I know. Whenever I went to the bar, the toilet, when I went to get you some food, when I went outside for a smoke, she followed me and each time I practically told her to fuck off. When I came out of the toilet this last time she was there, waiting. So," he said with a huge sigh, "I thought I'd try being nice. Try talking to her and explaining that it wasn't going to happen because of how I feel about you."

Before he said that, it felt like my heart had been deflated, like a dinghy, and then it unfurled with each pump of air it received. It expanded to the point of pain, because I was in no doubt that I was in love with him. Deep, bone crushing love that no matter what happened would stay with me forever. He was my first love and the idea of him even talking to his ex-girlfriend had hurt more than I could imagine.

"And did it work?" I asked quietly.

"I think so. I told her about school, about our circle of friends, about the parties we've been to, the laughs we have, and the shit that we talk about." His arms came out and wrapped around my shoulders, and instantly I was plastered against his chest, his mouth against my forehead. "And then I told her I was happy and loving my new life, and it was mainly because of you. I told her what I had with you was different than what I'd had with her."

Leaning back, so that I could look at him, I asked, "How?"

"It's real, Maddy. What we have feels like the start of something. I know we're young and we're about to start on the next big step in our lives, but I just feel like maybe…" He blew out a breath. "I don't know, I'm shit at words."

It didn't matter because I knew exactly what he was saying because I could see it in his eyes. The honesty.

"When you came over," he said, "I was telling her about and me and Liam trying to get Liv's case out of the rack on the train and how it got wedged in. That's what we were laughing at, but I know it must have looked bad and I should have come to find you."

"And what did she whisper in your ear?" I asked, unable to stop myself from poking at the sore that was still festering in my chest. "What was it that made you smile?

He rubbed his bottom lip with his thumb, his silver ring brushing against his chin, and he looked so worried it was quite cute. "She asked me how I felt about you. Whether it was the real thing or not."

The relief was instant. That smile had been for me.

"It's fine," I said. "Let's forget about her. I believe you." I was about to move in for a kiss when I saw Connie approaching us. She was smiling, but I wasn't totally convinced. I wasn't sure that one conversation would sway her from chasing my boyfriend. I cleared my throat. "Connie is coming this way."

"Fucking hell." Zak groaned. "I didn't tell her we could be best friends."

"It's fine. We can be nice for a few minutes, but then can we go home? Please ."

"Yes, sure," He took his phone from his pocket. "I'll message everyone and get them to meet us at the front door." He plastered on a grin. "Hey, Connie."

"Hey you two. I'm just heading home, so thought I'd say goodb?—"

"Shit!"

"What the fuck," Zak groaned as we found ourselves covered in beer from a guy who had lurched into us.

"Oh, sorry, geezer," he slurred, laughing as he stumbled away.

"You okay?" Zak asked me.

"Yeah." I shook the beer from my hands and then brushed it away from the short, red jersey dress I was wearing—yes, I'd chosen a red dress, too. "Did he get you?"

"My phone is soaked, I'm soaked."

"Pass me your phone," Connie said. "I have tissues in my bag." She unzipped the blue Pom Pom London bag that she had across her body. When she took out the packet of tissues, she held her hand out to Zak. "Phone."

Zak handed it over and then turned his attention to his t-shirt and jeans. When he looked up at me he started to laugh. "You're a bit wet, gorgeous."

"Just a bit." I giggled, throwing myself into his arms and kissing him hard.

I wasn't sure how long we were kissing for, a fair while, but we were interrupted by Connie clearing her throat.

"Sorry," I said, pulling away from Zak and biting my bottom lip.

Her smile was tight, but it was a smile. "Here you go." She handed Zak his phone back. "It's all cleaned up and dry."

"Cheers, Connie." Zak wrapped an arm around me and pulled me into his side. "Been good seeing you."

"Yeah, you, too." She turned to me. "Nice to meet you, Maggie."

"You, too, Carrie."

With a tight smile she ran a hand down Zak's arm and then left throwing her hair over her shoulder. As we watched her go Emma and Liam appeared, both looking more than tipsy.

"Finally," I said, looking Em up and down and noticing her dress was on back to front. "Had fun have you?"

"So much fun," she giggled. "So much fun and wine."

Liam swayed with a stupid grin on his face, and I noticed that he was holding on tight to Emma's hand. I wasn't sure if that was to stop him from falling over or because they'd obviously moved on a step in their relationship. Whatever it was, it was cute.

"Have you seen Liv?" I asked. "We're thinking of leaving now."

"Oh, thank God," Emma sighed. "I'm knackered and so ready to sleep."

"I've messaged her." Zak pulled my hair over my shoulder and kissed my neck. "She was outside, she's coming in now."

Within a few minutes she appeared at our side, holding hands with Teddy. He was looking at her like she was made of diamonds or something equally glittery, while Liv was smiling, and her lipstick was gone from all the necking on she'd been doing.

"Hi peeps, are we all okay?" She pulled her shoulders back, shaking her sheet of long blonde hair. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah. Hi Teddy." Zak nodded at his friend. "You coming back with us?"

"No, he is not," Liv cried, extremely put out. "He's lovely and everything, but we're nowhere near that close."

Zak chuckled and fist bumped Teddy. "Good seeing you, man."

"You, too, catch you again soon? Manchester is my first choice uni, so I'll be around a lot of weekends and stuff."

"Nice one," Zak said, placing his hand in the small of my back, "Anyway, we'd better go, our Uber will be outside in five."

After more goodbyes to Teddy, we all trailed outside, a little drunk and feeling tired. I realised that I hadn't once thought about Ana and that made me feel bad—but something else, I hadn't worried about my dad and whether he was okay—so maybe I was ready to go away to university after all. When Zak hung his arm around my neck and pulled me close to kiss the side of my head, I knew I was.