I unwrapped one of the ring pops. “Give me your hand.” I demanded.
“You are not putting that piece of shit on my finger.”
“Just give me your hand Zayn.”
He stuck his hand out in my direction and I forced the ring on his finger; he winced as I forced it on. “You know what we used to use these for?” I smiled to myself as I looked back down to the other pop, opened it and placed it on my finger. “What?”
“Well, in kindergarten we used them when we got married.” A smile still sat on my lips thinking back at the memories.
“Oh.” I watched him look at his hand where I placed his ring. “How many did you marry?” His voice cracked down, my plan was working already. We were getting to personal stuff, personal stuff is good. “Only one. None of the rest where good enough.”
As I spoke he hopped off the bench and got on his knee. I instantly began to laugh knowing exactly what he was going to do. He slid his ring from his fingers.I couldn’t help but laugh harder as a smile lit up his face.
“Will you ring pop marry me Spencer Layne?”
I hid my face in my hand as I continued to giggle watching Zayn look up at me with his sparkle in his eyes.
I looked up at him and his hopeful eyes. “Yes.” I said softly
“WOHOOO!” He slipped the ring on my finger. I quickly stood up and leaped at him.
The burning flush on my cheeks beamed as I pulled out of his beautiful arms. His beauty was undeniable.

“What are the crackers for?" Zayn sat back down on the bench that we were sitting on out looking a small lake. “Feed the ducks." I shrugged my shoulders due to the lack of ducks around today.

“The website said that lots of ducks come here. GOD I hate false advertisement!" Zayn let out a cold chuckle. “This day just isn’t turning out how I planned. It’s already 3 and I-"

I looked over and stopped talking as Zayn got up and grabbed for the bag. I followed him stumbling as I got up. “What are you doing?!" I caught up to Zayn who was stomping along a trail that went right down by the water, I attempted to keep up but he was to fast. “Zayn?" I questioned after walking for a few minutes not receiving an answer to my previous question.

“I’m trying to find a damn duck. They have to be somewhere around here." He trotted on. I laughed a little to loud at Zayn’s persisted on finding a silly little creature just to feed it. “Zayn we don’t have to keep-" I looked back to see the distance we had traveled in such a short period, the car was not within any distance I could see.

As I looked forward I ran into Zayn and huffed out as he froze in place. “There." He pointed out two ducks that were walking on the trail only a few feet in front of us. “Zayn you-"

Zayn began to speed up to catch them but as he sped up, so did the little ducks wobbling on the path. I sped up to be right next to him. After following a couple feet behind the ducks Zayn became aggravated. He ran, grabbing into the bag and pulling out a handful of crumpled crackers and throwing them as two frightened ducks pursuing in flight. “STUPID PEICES OF SHIT!"

“Okay!" I grabbed the bag from him as the ducks disappeared. “Maybe feeding the ducks wasn’t the best idea for you."

Zayn looked at me defeated and aggravated. “Let’s just go back."

+


We got back to the bench and took a seat. Zayn took the bag of mainly broken crackers and stuffed some into his face. He looked at me and offered the bag but I refused. “You’ve got a temper." I blatantly spat out.

He gave me a heart clenching glare than continued stuffing his face with the crackers. “We should play a game." I insisted.

“Like what?" His eyebrow furrowed as his gaze reverted back towards me.

“I don’t know…20 questions? To learn more about each other." My suggestion seemed to peak his interest, he scooted closer to me

“Alright, you start."

“Ok. um…" I ran hundreds of questions through my mind. “Question 1. What were you like as a child?"

“Loud… And happy all the time. Better.. than I am now."

The aroma around us evolved into an eerie sentimental taste. We sat in silence for a moment before he asked his question. “Question 2.Ever had a one night stand?"

His question caught me off guard, I sat and stared at him. “No." I mutter softly. “Question 3. If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?"

I watched his hands start to fiddle with each other and his fingers begin to make circles like mine so frequently did. It bothered me seeing him do this, seeing we both did the same thing when we were nervous. I slipped my hand into his to stop him from his fighting.

He looked down at our hands than back up at me, giving me a warm expression. “The way I treat you. You & all other girls." His head fell again and he began rubbing circles into my hands. “Question 4.Would you ever have sex with me?"

“ZAYN!" I groaned, we were making progress. “Sorry, sorry. It was worth a shot." He lightly smiled while mumbling

“Alright, question 4. Have you ever had a dream about me?"

Why was that important? This game wasn’t exactly what I was thinking about but if I knew any better I would know to expect the unexpected from Mr. Malik.

“Yes." I mumbled and quickly asked another. “5. Have you ever been to jail?"

“Spencer who do you think I am?!"

“Well I don’t know. You never know!’

“Of course I’ve never been to jail…"

He nodded his head at me. “Ok just ask another."

“Alright 6. Are you a virgin?"

“Enough Zayn! We’re supposed to be getting to know each other better."

“That’s what I’m doing." He defended

“No.. You are getting to know my vagina."

“Same thing." He grumbled pulling hand away from mine.

“Whatever. Yes…I’m a virgin." Alright if he wasn’t going to play at my level, I would play at his. “Question 7. Am I better kisser than Emerson?"

“GOD NO!" His level hurt. I instantly regretted even asking.
"Question 8. Will you accept my dare?"

“Um-m sure."

“Would you kiss me? He looked at me with puppy dog eyes.

I flipped my hair around my shoulder and brought my face inches from him “it’s going to cost you." I mumbled before tenderly pressed my lips to his. I felt the urgency in him to grab at my hair but I forced our lips to part as he ran his hand up my cheek. His precious eyes looked into mine longingly as his arm dropped. “Alright question 12." My voice cracked.
“Twelve? We were on eight.”
“Yea, but than you asked if I would kiss you so that was nine and than I said it would cost you. So you are down and out 4 questions, which means I get to ask four and you have to wait your turn.”
He looked at my like I was an idiot. “Fine. Whatever.”
“Alright. Number 12, why do you hate me so much?”
“What?” The raspy-ness of his voice made me cringe.
“W-Why do you hate me so much?”
“S’not like if matters.”
“Could you please just answer the question?”
“You’re happy.”
I squinted my eyes and furrowed my eyebrow.
“Oh come’on don’t bull shit me Zayn.”
“I’m not, you’re so happy. Genuinely happy and it’s annoying.”
“It’s not something to hate someone for.” I anxiously rubbed my arm.
“Just keep going with your questions.”
I rolled my eyes and continued. “Fine, number 13. Why are you so closed off? I know you’ve told me before but there has to be more too it…. no bull shit.”
Zayn let out an exhaust of air and ran his fingers through his hair. “Can we pick another question?”
“No.”
The chirping of birds filled the air, the quiet calm air.
I caught a short glimpse of Zayn’s chocolate eyes,
He looked away.
“I-I- My- um- sister… she passed away a month before we met.”
Zayn’s words came as a shock. Zayn’s face contorted in pain, his brow creased and I reached for him, trying to intertwine our fingers. But I couldn’t.
He pulled his hand away.
“I… I had no idea.” I tore my eyes away from his face when I noticed how much pain he was in and how insensitive I had been to his situation.
“Just-Just… ask your next question.” His voice crackled.
But I didn’t want to ask anymore questions. I wanted to hold him.
I wanted him to feel okay.
But could I really make him feel better. He had been dealing with this all along and I hadn’t been able to help him so far. Why would it be different now?
“Okay…um…Question 14…Can I kiss you?” I didn’t allow him to answer, instead I took initiative and moved myself towards his head and placed a soft and sweet kiss on his lips. But he didn’t attempt to try and kiss me back this time.
“Question 15.” I swallowed hard.
“What are feeling right now?”
“Like shit Spenc.” He spat rubbing his head with his fingers. “She died and I wasn’t there, I wasn’t there to save her and I couldn’t be there for my mom. I couldn’t be there to help her.”
“It’s not your job to be there for her Zayn, it’s your dad’s.”
“That’s SHIT!” He yelled out and stood up. Pacing back and forth.“My dad is a mistake of a father. He’s never been there and he never will be!”
It hurt me to see him like this. I wanted him to open up but never expected anything like this. I watched him pace feeling my heart throbbing.
In frustration and irritation I stood up and grabbed at his shoulders to stop him. “Zayn.”
I looked into his eyes that were on the brink of letting out a tear, they were moist and I realized his purpose for pacing, it was to keep him self from crying.
“It’s okay. Your mother is strong.”
“How the hell would even know?” His mouth twitched along with his eye.
“Because she raised such a strong son.”
As a small tear fell from his eyes I snaked my arms around torso and pulled him close. “Please don’t cry.” I whispered into his chest, he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and help me tight.
“I’m sorry.” He mumbled into my hair. I ran my hand up and down his back attempting to calm him down. It was as if he was just now dealing with her death.
“I shouldn’t have… have told you.” He finally let me go and sat back down. I watched his fingers start to run circles around each other. I stood in front of him, forced him to look at me and whipped away the water the tear had left on his cheek. “I’m glad you did.” I gave him a pathetic smile.
“Question 16,
You’re going to treat me differently now, aren’t you?” I sat beside him and flipped my body so I was facing him on the bench.
“I will treat you the same. This doesn’t change or make up for your shitty behavior.” I growled but smiled.
He let out a sigh and small chuckle, looking down at his fingers and stopping them from moving.
“Question 17, Do you want to talk about it? Talk about her I mean.” Talking about my mother’s death always helped, it made me realize that she was still with me in spirit and looking over me.
“You remind me of her.”
“So I’m like your sister?” I rose an eyebrow and turned my head.
That was a little disturbing. So kissing me was like kissing his sister.
Um…. Did he kiss all of his family members like that?
His eyes bulged out in realization “No! Not like that! God no!” A dry laugh emitted from his lips. “I meant, she was happy, like you. She always knew what she wanted, wasn’t afraid. She was also always thinking, said all the perfect things… She was a good person… She didn’t deserve this… She deserved a better family.”
His words awestruck me, I had nothing to say.
I wasn’t sure what to think anymore.
“Question 18, could you tell me about your family?” He peered at me seemingly interested.
“Oh-um- yea—okay. Well you know about my mother, um… my dad he lost it a little when she died, I had to take care of my sister for a few months while he went through rehab.”
“And your sister? What is she like?”
“She’s sweet and seven. Her name is Sophie and she is- she is perfect.” My fingers began to twirl when I realized almost the exact same explanation he had used to described his sister.
"Question 19." I muttered sternly. “Do you like me? at all?"

He rolled his eyes like I know he would. “Are you positive you want to waste your last questions on something so stupid?" He scoffed

I nodded my head like an eager child. “Alright."

He took a huge breath in, his chest rose as he fixed his eyes somewhere else. “Yea, I like you."

My face beamed with a bright smile.

“Your cool I mean, stubborn and obnoxious but I don’t hate people for stupid shit like that."

“Oh." It was a stupid question. why did I ask that!? STUPID STUPID.

As I scolded myself internally he asked his last question. “20. Do you like Harry, like like him?"

Always the unexpected with Mr. Zayn Malik.

“I - I. no." I lied.

I wasn’t sure if I liked Harry. He was sweet but he was like that with every girl. Not a bad thing I guess, just leaves me in a place to feel like just another girl.

“Why would you ask that?" My eyes fluttered as I looked curiously at him.

“Oh-I-um-was just wondering." His fingers made nervous circles.

“You have to tell the truth"

“I am!" He protested.

“No, you are not."

“How would you know?"

I let out a sigh “Because…" Big exhale in. “You do the same thing with your fingers that I do when I’m nervous." I pointed down to his fingers that stopped moving as I spoke of them.

“Who said I was nervous?" He guarded. He always guarded

I slipped my hand into his, entangling his digits with mine. “Be honest. Why did you ask if I liked him?" My throat drew dry as I spoke and waited for an answer.

“I-I." He looked at me in a panic than his eyes wandered to his surroundings. “I-um- don’t- don’t want you all on my mates, that’s why." He lied.

I knew he was lying. Something else was bothering him.

“Why?"

“Eh-eh. Hey! You’ve already asked your share of questions." His finger wavered in front my face.

“Oh come on Zayn. Just answer it."

“Nope. You said 20 questions." He took him hand from mine and crossed his arms snuggly across his sculpted chest.

“Ugh!! So what, it’s just a game to start a conversation!" I was desperate to know why me hanging out with Harry bothered him. Not like we have ever even hung out.

“Fine, if I answer will you let me take you somewhere?"

“Okay. Okay. Fine. Yes!" I said quickly without even thinking. I would most likely regret that.

“Alright. I don’t want you hanging on them because your mine. Now, let’s go." He got up, pulling me and dragging me across the park back to the car before I could process what he had just said.

He viciously opened my door and threw me in quit painfully into my seat and shut the door.

I watched him walk around the car, get in and slam his door shut tightly. I sat in silence as his statement replaying in my mind ‘because your mine’


Because your mine

Was that supposed to be a compliment? Or was it just him hiding his feelings? It was it him claiming me? The possibilities of what it could mean where endless.