brilliant discovery • zauren

18

Lauren felt awful when she read through the article. Her Twitter was bombarded with questions and hate. Mostly hate. That wasn't the reason she feld bad, though. Luis had a girlfriend, a close friend of hers, too. She didn't want the fabricated story to spark something in their relationship. She and Luis were only friends.

They ended on good terms.

Anyway, his girlfriend understood the whole thing. She was there during the beach outing. Actually, she hung around Lauren more than Luis did, but that wasn't published because tabloids only want scandals.

Zayn didn't even bother to reach out to her regarding the whole fiasco. But why would he. She was certain he didn't care.

A big part of her wanted him to. Sadly, expectations are meant to never be met.

"Lauren!" Taylor yelled from the first floor of their house.

"Whaaat?!" Lauren answered back, glued to her bed as she listened to his stupid-ass voice singing. Damn him for having such heavenly vocals.

Taylor didn't seem to hear and shouted again, "Lauren!"

"What?!" Lauren snapped a bit more ferociously.

She heard heavy footsteps race up the stairs. Assuming it was Taylor, Lauren didn't bother fixing herself up. She was in a ripped t-shirt, messy pony tail and old pair of gym shorts from high school that surprisingly fit her more womanly curves.

"Lauren." Bingo! Taylor popped her head in through the small crack of the door before fully opening it.

Lauren scowled, twisting her head to the direction of the hall. "What the fucking hell are you doing here?"

Zayn matched her equally pissed off expression and waved between them.

"We need to talk."

--

After a long flight from LA to Miami, Zayn was exhausted. The workshops along the West coast kept him preoccupied. Kept him sane. Of course, until he saw those articles all over social media.

Worst part about it, he didn't even know what to feel. Angry. Furious. Outraged. Those were overstatements. A hyperbole. After his talk with Liam, he knew he didn't have a right to feel any of those emotions.

However, he still did.

He didn't know what pissed him more. The fact he told himself he shouldn't, couldn't, wouldn't feel jealous, but he drowning in it or the fact she looked so happy without him—that she was hanging all over her ex and smiling so brightly.

What the actual fuck.

That smile should be reserved for him. Only he should be making her estatic. Then again, just maybe, he wasn't adaquate or suitable... Zayn groaned, scrubbing his hands across his face in frustration. He didn't know what he was thinking anymore. His mind was playing a cruel and twisted game with him.

Or was it his heart?

He sat outside, on the footsteps of her backyard porch. Lauren told him to get out while she changed into more suitable clothing, which made him scoff. As if he hasn't seen her in far less clothing before.

Taylor had asked him if he wanted anything as he waited for her older sister, but he declined. He wasn't in the mood for anything. There was a lump present in his throat and his stomach was disgustingly in knots.

"You came to talk, so talk."

Her raspy voice no longer surprised him when heard the back door jiggle open. Lauren stayed to his right, not wanting to stand too, too close. But the steps were only so wide.