One Night With Zayn & Nine Months With His Baby

Chapter Thirteen: I'm Sure It's Nothing

        "Aren't you supposed to be touring the world or something?" I asked Harry one morning while we ate breakfast. By the third month of pregnancy my nausea had practically become nonexistent, and the boys took turns making me breakfast in the mornings.

        He shook his head. "Nah. We haven't announced a new tour yet. We're taking a break."

        I stood and walked over to the sink to wash my plate, but Liam's hand snaked around me and took it from my grasp. "I've got it."

        I sighed as I let him have it. They weighed on me hand and foot at every hour of every day. I never did a thing. I couldn't so much as move without being asked what I was doing. But I tried to ignore it since it would keep them at ease.

        They had finished furnishing my room and I'd helped empty my apartment. Zayn had finished building the baby's crib and he'd let me help by handing over the screws and the tools, after he'd made me promise I'd be absolutely careful with them.

        I looked at myself in the mirror. I looked like hell. I looked thinner in the face, yet my stomach wasn't absolutely flat anymore.

        I heard a knock on my door before Niall poked his head in. "Hey. Zayn asked me to tell you that he's going out and won't be back until later in the afternoon. Do you need anything?"

        "No. I'm fine," I tell him.

        I heard his footsteps become more and more faint as he walked away. Zayn left everyday at around ten in the morning, sometimes earlier, and got back around two in the afternoon. At first I'd question him, asking him where he went all the time. When he and the boys continued to shrug it off like it was nothing, I began to believe it. And I let it go. It wasn't like Zayn and I were together. He didn't even think of me in that way. He'd made it crystal clear in the video that had been posted on Christmas day. It didn't bother me at the least. I knew that he cared.

        But lately something in me ached for Zayn. I thought that maybe it was because he was always gone. Or the way that he'd treat me when he was around. I'd miss him and then he'd put me on a pedestal. It was a good feeling to know that he missed me, too.

        I knew I didn't love Zayn. I hardly knew him. He was nothing more than the father of my unborn baby. A stranger. But whenever he was around, I felt safe, like nothing could touch me. I was invincible. My skin tingled when he was near, and I was set on fire when he touched me. He lit things in me that I'd never felt before.

        It felt like the only reason I wanted him was because I didn't want him to leave. I knew that was irrational. Zayn would never leave his baby. He'd made it clear that he was going to be in his or her life. But what would happen after the baby was born and the Zayn Malik baby drama died down? I'd move out. We'd settle out an agreement between us and the baby. He'd have him or her on weekends and I'd parent on weekdays. Or something along the lines of holidays around his tour dates. Because he wouldn't be on vacation much longer.

        And something about that didn't sit well with me.

        I looked around me, searching for my phone. I saw it at the foot of my bed and picked it up, unlocking the screen. Opening the search engine, I went for the top where it said I had two unread emails. But just as I was about to touch the screen to open the page, I saw a picture of Zayn on the top news. I was just about to ignore it when my eyes darted to the title: Zayn Malik and Perrie Edwards Reunite.

        My heart nearly fell out of my chest as I read on. There were photos of Zayn and his ex fiancee Perrie sitting at a table eating lunch. There were many, actually, where they both wore different clothes on different days. That's why he'd leave every day.

        I wanted to throw up. I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt, but the evidence was out. Zayn was going out with Perrie. And there was nothing I could do about it. I lost my chance.

        I stayed in my room, my mind wandering, thinking of what Zayn would be doing at the exact moment. Were they talking about getting back together? Clearly it was a possibility. They'd once been engaged, so obviously there were still feelings between the two of them.

        "Hey, aren't you hungry?" Louis asked as he walked into the room, sitting at the edge of my bed.

        I'd been laying there for hours, torturing myself internally. I had to accept that maybe Zayn still loved her and that Perrie loved him back. I had to tell myself that it was possible they'd be getting back together.

        Louis saw my phone in my hand and took it, automatically seeing what I'd been looking at. "Riley, I'm sure it's nothing."

        "They've been engaged before. They could get back together," I returned, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. But I knew that Louis understood what I was feeling either way.

        He swallowed as he locked my phone screen and set it down gently. "Why don't we go have some lunch? Liam's been cooking," he said.

        I sat up, nodding as I slipped out of bed, following him into the kitchen. I sat, smiling up at Liam who was handing me a plate of food. "Thank you."

        My heart sank as I heard the door open and saw Zayn walk into the kitchen, a smile plastered on his face like he'd just had the time of his life. It was the same smile he'd had after our night at the club.

I dedicated this chapter to XxarEEmaSxX. I know how much you're enjoying this story and I want to say thank you. Go read her One Direction Fanfic : Let My Heart Decide. She's fabulous.

 ~Hayley CT