promise

I stood entrapped in Zayn's arms, startled by his declaration. What the actual fuck?

"First of all, get up out my face. I can smell the fucking Ciroc in your breath and I'm about to vomit," I started, shoving his chest roughly, which made him stumble back a few steps. "Secondly, you must have lost your damn mind—"

I didn't get to finish my sentence because he yanked me forward, held my face in his hands and kissed the words right off my tongue.

I fell again, not completely to lose myself to him, but enough for me to lose focus on everything else for the time being.

"Cash, you're not listening to me," he said, pulling away from my face. I was a little dazed at the fact that he kissed me breathless, but I quickly recovered and stood my ground.

"I'm listening, but all I'm hearing is foolishness," I spat. "Get the fuck off of me. You have a girl."

"For the last bloody time, she's not my girl!" He yelled, rolling his eyes. "Why is it so important to you what my relationship with her is?"

I stared at him for a minute, baffled at his low level of intellect. "Are–are you being serious?"

He stayed silent while looking into my eyes, and I wanted to slap him silly because he was so dense.

"I'm not an idiot, and I sure as hell won't be taken for one," I said calmly, before pushing him away again.

"I just—Cash, I really think we have something here," he told me, latching his hand onto my arm. "Jasmine means absolutely nothing to me."

"Then drop her so I know you're serious about this," I told him, crossing my arms across my chest. "I'm not asking you for the world."

He bit his lip (which weakened my resolve just a tad) and looked at the ground. "I don't know if I can."

I blew up, finally having enough of this back and forth with him. "Then why are you here?! Why aren't you with her? Why are you trying so hard to convince yourself that she means nothing, when she clearly doesn't!"

"She's just someone who's always been there for me!" He shouted back. "Why can't you just accept that?"

I was suddenly so tired, tired of this conversation and tired of Zayn. Being around him was taking a toll out of me. "You know what? Fine. Let's not do anything about this. Jasmine isn't your girl, but she's more important. I'll just fall right back into the masses of students that go here like nothing ever happened."

"I can't do that," he said, trying to link his hand through my own but I snatched it away.

"Well, you have to," I snapped, moving away from him.

Diego finally decided to walk through the kitchen door with Liam in tow, holding two drinks in his hand. "Hey, your cute roommate is looking..." his voice trailed off as he glanced between Zayn and I, a confused expression clear on his face.

"What do you want, D?" Zayn asked, irritation clear in his voice.

"I'm here with Cash," he replied as he handed me a cup. "It's Coke and XO."

"Thanks," I sent him a smile, completely ignoring Zayn. "Let's go back out there."

Before we could leave though, I heard a chuckle from Liam, which surprised me because I forgot he was even there. "So you couldn't get Zayn and you needed second best I see."

I couldn't let him get to me, so I continued to walk away before I did something I would regret.

"Louis was right," he said, and that name made my blood freeze within my body. "You're just a fucking whore who puts out for a whole team."

My whole body tensed as I paused in place, my limbs frozen in shock. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't stop the thoughts that emerged from that sentence.

"Whore," I repeated to myself in a low voice, before the tears started to fall. I could feel the red solo cup slip from my trembling hands and spill onto the floor.

"Cash—" Diego couldn't finish his sentence before I went running out through the backdoor of the house and away from everything.

I ran until I couldn't hear the loud music from the house, I ran until I couldn't hear anything but my own pulse in my ears, I ran until my lungs couldn't take it anymore.

That's what I do. I run.

Collapsing on my knees, I gasped for air and I clawed at the grass to help steady myself. Everything I ate today came rushing up my throat, and I vomited.

"Cash! Hey!" I heard Diego's voice from behind me as I fell back to look at the stars in the night sky.

I didn't respond as I continued to take deep breaths and look up.

Suddenly, my view was blocked by Diego's large head. "Are you alright?"

I nodded, even though I was far from it. "Yeah, I guess I just overreacted."

He lowered until he sat next to me on the grass. "No one overreacts like that, but I'll let you tell me when you're ready."

It was in that moment that I knew there was more to Diego that meets the eye. He wasn't just some football player. He was my friend.

"Maybe one day you'll tell me when you're ready too," I murmured to him, tilting my head so I could look at him.

He turned towards me and held out his large pinky. It was almost the size of my thumb. "Pinky promise?"

I hooked my pinky with his and squeezed. "I promise you."

------
a/n: this is so short I'm sorry

but I'm so tired and I just want a chapter posted so I don't hold off anymore days

AND HOLY FUCK 1K READS THANKS A BUNCH

-rachel

(the song in the media thingy reminds me of cash and zayn's [zash? cayn??] relationship, if you could call it that)