Neon Red [Order The eBook] [Zayn]

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(DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. It's important to remember this is all totally fabricated, embellished, and exaggerated for entertainment purposes.)

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"What studio were you at?"

"Shahid's," I uttered, growing numb.

"Oh...that guy,"

"Yeah, that guy," I repeated, acknowledging his disdain over my newfound friendship. He and the other guys had been super wary of me hanging out with a new producer and dabbling with music on my own, and they hadn't been too shy about cluing me in on it either. Louis made tons of snide remarks whenever I talked about my studio time in Ealing, and Liam had even scoffed at the notion of me going off to the Asian Awards on my own. Something along the lines of 'Well, look at you. Gone off without us then. We see where we're not wanted.' He even asked if white people weren't allowed to attend the ceremony, which was such an idiotic assumption I didn't have the energy to correct him. I just told him he was correct.

"He's been gud to me...despite what youh all may think."

"I'm sure he has," he said wryly, twisting my glass of water around at the base. "Pretty sure he's just conditioning you, though..."

"Oh god, here we goh..."

"M'serious, mate. I think you should watch yourself. I don't get a good feeling from those guys..."

"'Those guys?' What guys? Brown guys? My cousins? His mates? Who exactlyh are youh talkin' about??"

"I didn't mean it like that—"

"Sounds a bit prejudiced if youh ask me," I spat, becoming hella defensive. My embarrassment over following him was long forgotten.

"What the fuck is your deal, alright? You know I care about you, Zayn. I'm just looking out for you. You know I always have your best interest at heart. I mean, genuinely, mate."

"Well, I tend to think that if youh cared about me soh much, youh wouldn't have ditched me then ignored me for four months straight."

"I didn't ditch you. We broke up, remember? And, uh, I haven't ignored you for four fucking months. Fuck's sake, that's a complete exaggeration and you know it. A borderline lie. We've both been super respectful of each other. Let's not ruin that ok?" I glanced at him briefly and could only shrug. He continued, "And I don't have time to ignore you. I've been busy with other people, and other things, and that's not my fault. Sure, we haven't spent as much time together lately, but, uh, things aren't how they use to be. We don't, like, have a reason to make time for each other anymore, remember? We're over. You make time for Perrie and your job, and now your new friends. You don't need to spend time with me, it seems."

"Whatever youh say, Haz. Believe what youh want, maan. Don't worry about me or who the fuck I'm spendin' time with, okay? And I'll do the same. How about dat?"

"Fucking perfect."

"Maybe youh should get back to your date, then. You guys headed back to your place after this? Get a little alone time in? You're being rude to him by sittin' here with me, y'know."

"First of all, he's not my date, dickhead, and I don't appreciate the insinuation behind those remarks. They're nasty. Fuck you. I don't need that accusatory bullshit from you. He's just a fucking producer."

"Soh basically you're allowed to hang with new producers, but not me? The minute I do, it suddenly spells trouble? Youh think I'm not mature enough to handle new friends in the industry or sumthin'? Youh the only one allowed to have those?"