Love Lock

Preface~Goodbyes

"Sort of feels like a bad dream doesn't it?" Liam whispered, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand as the four of them lingered in the hallway.

"I didn't expect it to be so soon...I mean I knew one day we'd stop making albums and someone would initiate the end but...this? It's so..." Harry struggled to find the words as he looked helplessly at his three friends.

"Sudden. It's so sudden," Niall finished as he crossed the circle to hug Harry.

The four boys were standing together in their shared flat after a particularly heart breaking discussion with Zayn.

~

"I'm sorry," Zayn started with a voice so quiet he wasn't sure they heard.

"Zayn, mate why are we here, what are you apologizing for?" Liam pressed, attempting to match Zayn's volume.

A feeling of dread took over the room as the raven haired boy met Liam's gaze with tear filled eyes.

"I..I can't..." He whispered brokenly.

"Zayn just tell us," Niall pleaded, beginning to get choked up too.

"I can't do this anymore," he finally said. His vague words only caused more of an uproar.

"Do what anymore?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Is that a joke?"

"This band, I can't stay here any longer. I'm falling apart."

Zayn stared down into his lap, leaving the four boys to gape cluelessly at one another.

"You mean you're leaving us?" Niall whimpered and it took everything in Zayn not to hug him close and change his mind completely. After all, this was his family.

"I just don't feel like I can be myself. This music doesn't speak to me anymore. Do you guys understand?"

"So that's it then?" Louis finally spoke, words full of resentment.

"Zayn, is there anyway we could work this out? How about we talk to our team and let you write more? Would that change anything?" Liam tried desperately.

Zayn shook his head, tears fully dripping down his tanned cheeks. Harry buried his face into his friend's shoulder, begging him to stay.

"Im asking you boys to let me go, I wasn't meant for this," Zayn pleaded with them.

"And what's going to happen to One Direction?" Louis started again, malice laced strongly in his tone.

"You go on as a four piece, without me."

"This is hard, I'm not going to lie or sugarcoat it. I don't know how long it's going to take until we can be on good terms again but if you have to leave to feel like yourself, you should go."

Harry let go of Zayn and sat back up to agree with Liam's words.

"I love you and I want you to be happy," Harry forced a small smile.

"I couldn't have asked for better friends. You boys have become my family and I don't want to lose you, I love all of you like brothers but I understand if you need time," Zayn stood up slowly.

All four boys watched as he moved out of the circle and turned back around with words begging to come out. But instead, Zayn bowed his head and left his feelings hanging on his lips.