"It Just Hurts"|| z.m

[82]

82- Zayn
Dedicated to: @BubbelButt for always voting for this story, no matter how shitty or okay the update is 😘😘 and also for following me. Thank u!! 💕

Zayn shook his head, softly pushing the plate away. "I'm not hungry, mum." He sat up straighter as Nina applied the salve to his back. A shiver ran down his spine from the cool ointment, but relief followed after. His back didn't hurt like it used to and sometimes it would stiffen, but apart from that, it seemed to be healing.

Nina seemed to agree as she turned to him with a smile. "You're getting better, Zayn. Don't let last night's events discourage you."

Zayn forced a smile and nodded. His mum looked at him worriedly, and Zayn wished she would stop. It hurt him to see her so sad and stressed. Louis tossed him a sweatshirt and Zayn took it on, shivering. Liam and Niall had gone to bring snacks along with Safaa. Doniya was talking on her phone in the hall and Waliyha was watching tv silently while Harry scrolled through his phone. Zayn decided now was the time.

"Mum," Zayn said quietly. She turned to him. "Yes?"

"Now that Tom's caught, I'll have to stand in court right?"

She nodded unsurely. "Zayn, you don't need to worry about that."

Zayn nodded. He'd dreamt something really strange today, almost relived everything that had happened last night. The fear, the real mess of it had been really weird. It had finally crashed to him that last night's events had been real, it had happened. Zayn snapped out of his depressing thoughts and grabbed his mother's hand. "He told me things that I don't think the police knows. And even if they do, it can raise his sentence. I want him away for good." The words came out harsher than he intended them to. Zayn wished Tom would sit in jail for the rest of his life. He couldn't hurt him himself, but maybe the authorities could in their own way.

Louis, who seemed to have been listening, sat down in the armchair. "That's what you wanted to tell me earlier today?"

Zayn nodded. "I don't think it's going to be good to tell the other boys what happened. It's not important bit of information, anyway," he said quietly.

Louis' brows furrowed. "Zayn, I already told them."

"Oh." Zayn frowned. "Okay then. I thought everyone was going to react badly." He sighed. "Not that I'm complaining. It's over now and everything will be fine." He wished he could believe it. But that's what he'd been thinking before Tom came to kill him.

"By the way Louis, your mum called," Trisha recalled. "You should call her back."

Louis nodded and stood up to leave. Zayn grabbed his hand before he could do so. "Do me a favor?"

Louis rolled his eyes playfully. "If it's taking you to the bathroom again, you've got the others to-"

"No." Zayn frowned. "Go home, all of you. Fly back. I'll be fine here."

Louis' eyes hardened. "That's not happening. We left you for one freakin night and that bastard shows up. We're not leaving you again."

Zayn clenched his jaw. "Louis please, I'm doing this for you guys. I've got the girls and mum..." Zayn trailed away, sighing at Louis' furious shake of the head. "Nope. I'm not going anywhere."

Zayn was frustrated. How was he supposed to convince him? He couldn't ruin Christmas and the rest of the break.

"I'm older than you so I get to decide for myself," Louis said, pulling his hand out of his to cross his arms in a juvenile way. Zayn shook his head. "Okay, but will you please fly home for a few days?"