Help Me // z.m

Chapter 37

I scoffed. "That's a first."

He sighed. "Emily, I don't know how to say this. I'm sorry, for everything. For blaming you and beating you and shutting you out."

What the heck is happening?

"What is this?"

"I've been taking therapy and it's helped a lot. And I've talked with Margaret. It's made me realize that what I did was wrong. And I'm really, really sorry."

He started tearing up. He was actually crying.

"What do you want me to say?"

"I'm just hoping you can forgive me. After your mother's death I didn't know how to handle it. I should've been there for you and I wasn't. I blamed the whole thing on you when it was all my fault. If I wasn't out getting drunk that night, I could've been there with her. I-I could've stopped her."

I started crying now too. I quickly wiped my tears away and looked at him.

"You're right. You should've been there. But I should've gotten home early like I was supposed to. But it doesn't matter who's fault it is anymore. Mom wouldn't want us blaming ourselves."

"No, she wouldn't. Emily, please, can you forgive me?"

"I can't. Not this soon. After everything you've done to me. . ." I took a deep breath, "I can't right now."

He nodded. "I understand. I'll give you time. I'm sorry, Emily."

We both just sat in silence, only our quiet sobs were heard.

***

~A month later~

Zayn and I were at his apartment watching TV together. My leg has mostly healed and Zayn is doing better too.

Everyone visited me at the hospital. Eleanor, Louis, Niall, Liam and even Sophia. Liam and Sophia are dating now. I'm happy for him, they're good together.

At one point even Luke and Harry came to see me. They told me how Zayn was doing at the time, and they informed me of what would happen now that Chris was dead. After all the serious talk, they stayed for a little while longer and used their time to make me laugh, they did that well.

"You hungry, baby?" Zayn asked.

"Yeah. Let's order a pizza."

"Okay. I'll be right back." He got up and went to his room where his phone was.

I looked around and saw a picture on the table beside the couch, I grabbed it and looked at it. There were four girls in the picture standing next to Zayn. One of them was older, old enough to be his mother. I looked closer a realized how much they all looked alike. This was his family. His three sisters and his mother.

He looked so happy, grinning as he stood in the middle of two of his sisters.

I heard Zayn's footsteps before he came back into the living room. He saw me looking at the picture and quietly sat next to me.

"What's their names?" I asked.

He sighed and pointed to each of them as he told me their names. "That's my older sister Doniya, my mum, and my two little sisters Waliyha and Safaa."

"They're beautiful."

He only nodded. I placed the picture back on the table and turned to him.

"You should go see them. I bet they're worried about you."

"With everything that's happened. . . I don't think I can."

"Zayn, think about how they feel. Your sister's sick and then you leave them and come here and not once have you called them."