Someone Different [Zayn Malik Romance]

22. In A Lifetime

                “Hello?” I answered my phone carelessly, smiling as I passed other interns and walked outside to hear whoever was on the phone.

                A familiar voice answered: “Do you mind explaining what that call was about the other day?”

                Niall.

                I bit my lip and fidgeted in my stance, swallowing and wondering why this was such a surprise when I was waiting for it for almost a week. “You heard me. Why is my boyfriend planning some sort of twisted revenge on me?”

                I heard a sigh. “Who told you that?”

                “So it’s true.”

                I had wished it hadn’t been; that I had misunderstood, or misheard. But no, my best friend and Zayn’s best friend was admitting to the crime all at once, and I felt like I needed to crawl up in a ball and take up the art of invisibility. But instead, I waited for an answer, my chest puffed out and face giving off nothing – even though this was all over the phone.

                “I’m not going to be the one that explains this for you, because obviously, I’m against it.” Niall finally sighed.

                I narrowed my eyes and gave a cynical laugh. “Such a good friend.”

                “You don’t understand. I’ll just call Zayn and–”

                “No; don’t. Let me talk to him.”

                And then I hung up. Kind of mean, I know, but considering the way my heart was crumpling in my chest just like it had when Zayn first hated me, I had the right. I wanted to see his face when I told him that I knew – that he couldn’t pull one over on me, and I wouldn’t let him make me go through so much hurt all over again.

                I was going to show him that I was strong, independent, and didn’t need his bullshit.

~*~

                “Lela?” I heard once the front door shut. “Are you home?”

                I didn’t answer. I was sitting at the counter with a mug of full tea in my hands, letting the heat coming from outside of the cup calm me down. When he walked in, my boyfriend smiled at me and came over, oblivious to any emotion I was giving off and kissed my cheek. It wasn’t until Zayn pulled away with the smile I fell in love with that he sensed something was wrong.

                He frowned, his brow furrowing as he sat down next to me. Inside, I pumped myself up: you’re not going to let him get away with all of this, are you? No! You are strong, and you don’t need a man pushing you around because you made a mistake in the beginning of the summer. Tell him that you’re not any girl he can mess around with!

                                “Why are you trying to get back at me?” I asked him, my voice as steady as I could force it to be as I looked up at his big brown eyes. “I heard you on the phone at the coffee shop.”

                Zayn looked like he had been punched in the face. “You heard me?”

                I nodded. “Yeah. When I called to see if you wanted to get coffee…” I trailed off, grasping my cup tighter and looking into the liquid. “Why did you lie? And why are you doing this?”