Invidious. *Zayn Malik Vampire FanFiction*

Chapter 36.

I stared out the window over the lake holding a warm mug of coffee in my hands. I wasn't drinking it, just trying to get some warmth into my freezing body. It rained all night, causing a chill to fall over everything, and dew to blanket the grass outside. It was early, way to early to normally be up, but I couldn't sleep. As soon as the first birds started to chirp I wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and went downstairs to start a fire. I was colder than usual and nothing was helping warm me up.
"Cal?" I shook out of my thoughts and turned to find Aspen standing on the bottom stair. "I thought I heard someone down here, didn't think it was you though. Are you alright?" She walked all the way into the kitchen and took a seat on a stool. I nodded and set the mug down on the counter.
"I'm fine, just freezing." She nodded and pulled a stool out beside her, motioning for me to sit.
"It happens when you first get changed. Remember a few summers back when I was always cold no matter how hot it was outside?" I took a seat and nodded.
"It was the summer I met Liam." I muttered. I still hadn't told her about Liam coming back those weeks she had been gone. She scowled and nodded.
"Yeah, that one. That was a few months after I got changed." I raised my brow and reached for the mug again.
"How exactly did you get changed." She sighed and glanced out the window. She was quiet for a while and then finally parted her lips and began talking.
"I was walking home from Percy's house one night and I decided to take the long way to prepare my self for my mom's lecture on being home late. I was almost home, like only a block away, when I started hearing footsteps behind me. I ignored them figuring it was someone coming home from work or something." She stopped talking and looked down at her hands. "I never seen the man who did, just felt the pain." I parted my lips trying to find something to say, but my mind was blank. After a moment she looked up at me blinking a few tears away.
"I took me so long to tell Percy what had happened. I thought he'd think I was crazy but little did I know, I had been dating a vampire for two years." I smiled and punched her shoulder lightly.
"Isn't that just the cutest love story you've ever heard?" She smiled and punched me back.
"Shut it, Cal." I chuckled and laid my head on her shoulder. "Are you ready for your birthday?" I groaned slightly.
"No, I'm dreading it." She reached for the mug in my hands and took a sip.
"Why is that?" She asked setting it back in my hands.
"I'm just not ready I guess. I mean I won't age so what the point of birthdays anymore?" I could feel her nod.
"I get what you're saying, Cal. You still have to be somewhat excited though, right?" I sighed and sat up.
"Yeah I am, but still, I just don't want tomorrow to come." She nodded and gave me a smile.
"It'll be fun, I promise. We have some surprises you'll love!" I rolled me eyes and grinned.
"Okay, fine! But I'm complaining even more next year." She rolled her eyes and I stood up and walked toward the stairs. "I'll see you in a little while. I'm going to see if I'll get warm upstairs." She nodded and I quickly hurried upstairs. I actually wanted to finish her photo album with the pictures from the proposal before tomorrow. I climbed into the bed next to Zayn and picked my computer up from the bedside table. I began working again.
~
Zayn started to stir next to me after a few hours. He rolled onto his back and looked toward me, a surprised look falling into his face.
"How long have you been awake?" He asked yawning in between words.
"A few hours, I was cold." He nodded and glanced at the album on the bed.
"Is it done?" I was quiet for a moment as I printed the last picture. I smiled and stood up, walking toward the printer.
"It is now." I walked back to the bed and slipped the last picture into the last page. I flipped through the album, checking over my handwritten notes and small doodles I had done. I handed it to Zayn and he began looking through it.
"You did this in two days?" He muttered flipping to the next page. I nodded and smiled.
"Do you like it?" He grinned and pulled himself up in a sitting position.
"Like it? Calla this is amazing! She's going to love it!" I laid my head on his shoulder as he finished looking through it.
"Are you giving it to her now?" I shook my head.
"Tomorrow." He closed it and handed it back to me.
"Oh, you're the type of person to give presents on your birthday?" I rolled my eyes and set it back on the bed.
"Shut it, Malik." He chuckled and climbed out of the bed. He walked toward the dresser and pulled out a pair of black jeans and a gray tee.
"I'm going to jump in the shower." As he walked toward the bathroom, his text tone emitted form his phone. He groaned and walked back to the other side of the bed. He picked up his phone and his expression immediately changed.
"Zayn? What's wrong?" He shook his head and looked over to me. He quickly made himself smile to make it seem like he was okay.
"I've got to go have a word with Leon." He threw the clothes on the bed and quickly hurried out of the room.
*Zayn's POV*
I quickly ran downstairs to the basement where Leon's room was. I opened the door his room and walked toward his bed.
"Leon, wake up!" I shook him slightly and he didn't even move. "Leon!" I shook him harder and he groaned.
"What do you want?" He groaned rolling over to look at me.
"That fucker changed it. He wants me to leave tomorrow night." He sat up looking at me completely confused.
"Who? What are you talking me about?" He ran his hand through his hair.
"The Job! James!" He eyes got wider and he was suddenly wide awake.
"What happened?" He asked pulling himself out of the bed. He walked toward the closet and pulled a black shirt and some jeans out and slipped them on in two quick motions.
"The fucker just texted me saying there was a change in the plan and he needed me to leave tomorrow night." I took a seat on the end of the bed and put my head in my hands. "I can't leave her on her birthday, Leon. I can't fucking do that." He pulled his jacket from the chair and walked toward the stairs.
"You won't have to. I'll be back soon." Before I could even say anything he was up the stairs and out the front door. I could hear his truck struggling to start from the cold weather from the night before. I put my head in my hands once again and sat there trying to calm down. After a while I heard a small voice.
"Zayn?" I looked up to find Calla standing at the bottom of the stairs with her arms wrapped around herself. I finally noticed how much colder it was down here than upstairs.
"Is everything okay?" She asked quietly. I smiled and stood up. I walked toward her and pulled her into my arms. I kissed the top of her head and then looked down at her.
"It will be, baby. Come on, it's freezing down here." I lead her upstairs and to the couch. I sat her down and put a blanket over her shaking body.
"What's wrong, Zayn?" I smiled and kissed her forehead.
"It's nothing, baby. It's getting worked out as we speak. I'm going to take a shower, okay?" She nodded and I turned and walked up stairs.
I stood under the hot water letting it run over my body. This is bullshit. It's like he's planned this. I quickly washed my body and hair and got out of the shower. I pulled on my boxers and walked toward the balcony. I stepped out into the crisp morning air and took a seat on one of the chairs.
The cold air felt good, it helped clear my mind. I don't know how long I sat out there, but I eventually heard Leon's old truck pull in. I heard the front door open and close, followed by a few voices. I could hear his footsteps all the way up the stairs and into my room, and when he came outside saying nothing, I knew I had no other choice than to leave Calla.
Leon began to tell me that he tried and that James had no other choice but to send me tomorrow night. Whoever the 'cargo' was for, they needed it tomorrow and if it wasn't there tomorrow this deal wouldn't go over. I had no other choice than to go if I wanted this debt gone.
Having to leave tomorrow night wasn't what bothered me the most, it was this feeling that hung over me. This feeling that I wouldn't come back. This feeling that tomorrow night would be the last night I would see Calla's beautiful face for a really long time.
Leon took a seat next to me and looked over at me.
"I'm sorry, man. I tried all I could." I nodded and shrugged.
"It's okay, Leon. That's all you could do." He looked out over the lake and then back at me.
"Aren't you cold?" I shrugged and rubbed my arms.
"Hadn't really thought about it." He chuckled and stood up.
"Come on, man. Calla's worried. Go put some clothes and think about telling her?" I nodded and stood up, following him into the room.!I slipped on some sweats and a shirt and grabbed Calla's sweatshirt form the closet. I slowly walked downstairs and into the living room. She gave me a concerned look and I smiled.
"Can we go for a walk?" She nodded and I handed her the sweatshirt. I opened the back door and motioned for her to go first.
We followed the path into the woods and walked for a while before she finally spoke.
"Is everything okay, Zayn?" I sighed and grabbed her hand. I lead her toward a log and we sat down.
"Calla, darling, I have to leave tomorrow night." She frowned and gave me a confused look.
"Leave? What are you talking about? Why?" I took her hand in mine and gave her a reassuring smile.
"I have to go to Colorado for a job in order to pay off my debt. I was supposed to leave in three weeks but they changed it to tomorrow night. If I don't go and do this I won't have another chance to get rid of this debt." She looked down at our hands and was quiet for a long time. When she finally looked back up she had tears in her eyes.
"You're coming back, right?" She whispered, face twisting with pain. I pulled her into my arms and she began to softly cry.
"Hey, don't cry. Of course I'm coming back, baby." She wrapped her arms around me tighter and I sighed. "Calla, look at me." She pulled back and looked up at me through the tears.
"Stop crying, you've already wasted too many tears on me, okay? You have nothing to worry about. I'm coming back." She nodded and wiped her cheeks with her sleeve.
"Are we still going to have my birthday?" She asked quietly.
"What? Of course we are! You're going to have the best birthday, don't you worry." She smiled slightly and I leaned forward and kissed her.
"Let's get back, I'm freezing." She mumbled standing up. I stood up and slung my arm over her shoulder. "Zayn?"I looked down at her.
"Yeah, darling?"
"I love you." I smiled and kissed the top of her head.
"I love you too, baby." We walked up the stairs and hurried into the house.
"Hey! There you guys are!" Aspen yelled as we walked into the house. "I heard you have to leave tomorrow Zayn, so we decided we should get drunk tonight instead of tomorrow." I looked toward Calla and she raised her brow toward Aspen.
"Since when were we getting drunk?" She asked leaning against the counter.
"Calla, we get you drunk every year. Are you even surprised?" Percy asked opening a beer and sliding it toward her.
"You're right." She said chuckling. She picked it up and took a long drink. "Wait, if we can't taste human food and it has no affect on us, how can we get drunk?" She glanced around at all of us waiting for an answer, but was only met by various shrugs.
"It's just one of those things." Leon muttered handing me a beer. "Don't question it, just accept it. It's a blessing." She grinned and took another long drink.
~
After countless beers, and some vodka, we were all pretty hammered. I myself only had a few beers, so I was still mostly there, but the others were a deferent story.
"You know, I love you guys." Calla slurred wrapping her arm around Aspen's neck.
"Awe! We love you too, Cal!" Aspen almost started to cry as they had a really long emotional hug. I smiled and lumbered over to the sink to get a glass of water for Calla.
"Come on, Cal. You're going to feel even worse in the morning if you don't get to bed soon." She frowned and then groaned loudly and walked toward the stairs.
"Night all you guys, I love you all. You're the best, best friends I've ever had." I chuckled and wrapped my arm around her waist to lead her up the stairs. I could hear everyone telling me goodnights behind us as we finally got upstairs.
Once in our room, I helped her get into some pajamas and then helped her into bed.
"Here, baby, drink some of this." I said holding the water toward her. She frowned and took it, spilling half of it on the bed. She slowly drank the other half and then handed the glass back to me. She laid down and within minutes she was fast asleep. I grabbed the blankets and pulled them up and over her. I walked to my side of the bed and pulled my shirt and jeans off. I climbed into the bed next to her and wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her body against mine.
I'm not ready for tomorrow.