Secrets | Zayn Malik

» [12] His Weakness «

A/N: first of all, I'd like to seriously apologize for this incredibly late update. but, I will be writing from Zayn's pov for a bit, and will continue to do so as the story progresses. and this: ʑ will be an indication that the story will be told in his pov, not maci's. and if the text is italicized, especially when reading the story in zayn's pov, it's just a flashback. ps. i had a hard time picking out what music to provide for this chapter, so if you want you can either read it without playing anything or you can read it playing this song i provided or one that you'd rather listen to. lol either way it doesn't really matter. oh and btw, all the parts told in zayn's pov are flashbacks, despite the text that isn't italicized (though i don't quite know why) so yeah. enjoy. xx

october 18:

The gunshots had scared me to the point where I tensed underneath Zayn's gentle hold, biting my lip to prevent myself from letting out a scream. Though the terrifying noise came from the garden, I kept my full attention on Zayn.

His arms were now strained, and that soft, innocent and mesmerized look that had taken over his face seconds ago had disappeared and now he looked at me with a hint of concern.

"Get down." His hands let go of my waist and he stepped around me, as my eyes only followed.

"Why?"

"I said," he turned his head to me slightly, "get down." His voice was firm and anyone could tell he wasn't messing around.

Gulping, I did as I was told to without saying a word. Crouching down into a fetus position, I hugged my knees to my chest and looked at Zayn as he kept his hand on the trunk of a rather large tree, staring intently at the garden.

"Cover your ears and don't say a word." He said, though I hadn't done it quick enough to usher the next sound that I, honestly, wasn't prepared to hear.

Screams. Horrifying screams filled my ears and my hand went to my mouth as I breathed in and out deeply, my eyes bulging wide and wondering what was happening. It was a girl; the shrieks were coming from a girl, or so it sounded like. And anyone could tell she was frightened. It literally sounded like she was about to get murdered.

And then a voice. The same exact voice that had asked me for a dance earlier.

"Come out come out, Malik. I've got your precious little Maci here." He spoke through a microphone, his voice echoing from the garden and out into the mountains around us.

Precious little Maci? I was right here, with him, with Zayn. Not in there.

It then dawned onto me that he wasn't lying about what he'd told me earlier, that he was actually serious about using me to, 'lure Zayn out'.

"Zayn--"

"Yeah. I know."

That shrill, ear piercing tone that microphones make when too close to a speaker made its way into my ears, followed by a series of thumping noises and grunts, and loud profanity coming from a man's mouth.

A breathless voice now replaced the one I had just heard, his breath landing hard against the microphone. "Don't listen to them Zayn, Maci's not--" he was cut off and I was almost convinced that someone had shut off the microphone when gunshots were heard again.

Scared or not, I could tell that voice belonged to Derek. It was shaky and loud and didn't have that cocky tone to it like usual, but it was definitely him.

I stared at Zayn, my heart beat increasing and terrible thoughts invading my head as to what had happened to Derek; why he had stopped talking, whether he had gotten hurt for the gunshots--