The Way We Do (Ziam)

Chapter 13

I think I'm gonna win this time... 

Zayn leaned against the dryer, dropping his head into his hands as he fought the urge to go after Liam. This was what he wanted, for Liam to leave him alone, he reminded himself as he absentmindedly picked up the camera he'd left behind, clicking through picture after picture of Waliyha and Calum. He paused when he came to a selfie Liam had taken of him and Safaa, both of them looking into the camera with goofy grins.

Zayn shut the camera off quickly and pushed it to the side, repeating I love Clark like a mantra in his head, until he wasn't thinking of Liam at all. Which was why he didn't know why Liam's face flashed into his mind as his phone buzzed repeatedly in his jeans, his name on Zayn's lips as he pulled it hurriedly from his pocket, hoping that Liam was already breaking his promise by texting him.

A hard knot of disappointment settled in his stomach as he saw that it was only Doniya.

Don:  Why was Liam just up here looking like he was about to cry?

Don:  And why wasn't he wearing a shirt?

Don:  WHAT DID YOU DO ZAYN???

Zayn shoved his phone back into his pocket without bothering to answer her. He had no fucking clue what he was doing lately, but he knew he didn't want to hear any shit from Doniya. She really didn't have room to talk, considering how badly her last relationship had ended. He knew that the anger he felt towards her was misplaced, but it was better than thinking about Liam.

Liam, with his puppy dog eyes and his perfect abs and his soft, sinful mouth. This whole staying away from him thing would be so much easier if he wasn't so annoyingly attractive. Or so sweet to his sisters. Or such a good kisser. It would really be for the best if Liam could just stop being himself entirely, so that Zayn could stop wanting him so badly.

Zayn pulled his phone back out, dialing Clark's number before he could stop himself, needing to hear her voice so that he could remind himself of how much he loved her.

She answered on the third ring, her soft, "Hey babe," calming him immediately. 

"Hey," he said quietly.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, because she knew him better than anyone, able to tell with just one word that he was upset.

"Yeah," he lied. "Just missing you," he added, tucking the phone under his ear as he bent down to move the clothes into the dryer.

"I miss you too," she said. He could hear the smile in her voice as she spoke, and it made him smile too.

"You think you'll be able to come down here anytime soon? Maybe for Christmas?"

"My parents were actually planning on coming here. Dad wants to get out of the city for the holiday," she said before pausing. "You could...you could come with them. You know they'd love to see you."

Zayn hopped up onto the washer and took a sip of his beer before answering. "Yeah...maybe I will," he told her, though they both knew that he wouldn't. He changed the subject, moving onto safer topics like schoolwork and Safaa's new claim that Benjamin was, in fact, a girl dog.

They spent the next hour like that, talking about anything and everything. Everything but the thing, which was that Zayn was kinda, sorta falling for someone else and would it be okay with her if he dated them both? But he obviously couldn't ask her that, or mention Liam to her at all, afraid if he did that she'd hear something in the way he said his name, his tongue curling around the word Liam like a kiss.

He felt better when they got off the phone just as Zayn finished folding the laundry, the words "I love you" falling easily and truthfully from his lips. As he headed back upstairs he told himself that this was why Clark was good for him. He needed someone who calmed him down; someone who knew everything about him and loved him anyway. What he didn't need was someone who pissed him off as much as he turned him on.