"Why do you even care?" I asked, my voice quieter this time. There was a vulnerability there I didn't mean to show, but it slipped out before I could stop it.
Zayn's expression softened, and for once, he wasn't smirking or teasing. "Because someone has to, Ember. And whether you like it or not, I care."
I stared at him, unsure of what to say. No one had ever said anything like that to me before. I was used to being the one who had to take care of herself. The one who had to figure everything out on her own. I wasn't sure how to handle someone like Zayn, who seemed so unbothered by all the chaos in my life yet still managed to be there, waiting, whenever I needed him.
"Well, I'm a mess right now," I said, trying to break the tension. "And I just threw up on you, so... your timing's a little off."
