The Worst

Chapter 15

Zayn's POV

"Will you just do what I fucking said to do?" I run my fingers through my dark hair for the fiftieth time this morning. I hardly slept at all last night after Charlie left. It seems to be that way when she's not in the bed now, but I'll never tell anyone that. Ever. 

"Why should I?" Louis smirks, sitting back in the stool on the kitchen counter. He's fucking mocking me-they all have since I came downstairs (either that or rolling their eyes), but I'm not dealing with their bullshit today.

I'm all out of options right now. "Please." I've been bugging Louis to help Charlie get her phone on anyway, but now I want her to have it on more than ever. Not because of her, but because she just took my fucking kid and left. "I need to know where she's at. Someone needs to find out."

"You act like she's actually going to answer you. Actually, you act like she hasn't already taken a hammer to the phone, considering you bought it," Harry states nonchalantly, his voice appearing in the kitchen before he does. "You really fucked up, mate. Like really, really, fucked up."

"Well, it was the truth," I mumble, sipping on my water. "She was being stupid and she deserved to know."

"And completely losing your shit and calling her a raging whore is connected to her being stupid how? And how is she even stupid?" He opens the refrigerator and pulls out the carton of eggs. Why the fuck is he so gung ho about defending her?

"You made her cry, Zayn. If this is your way of staying the hell out of it like I told you to, then you're a hell of a lot dumber than you look. No offense," Harry says easily, walking over towards the stove.

"Offense taken."

Louis leans over the counter. "As much as it rips at my soul to say it, curly's right. And you know how much Chuckie gets under my skin, but you were-dare I say it- downright mean last night. She only lied about spending time with her boyfriend, which I ship so hard by the way-not like, being in a drug ring or something."

"Watch it," I spit to which Lou throws his hands up. I rest my elbows on the counter. My fingers lace through my roots once again as my head rests in my palms.

"I'm just saying; you might have to apologize for this one."

I lift my head up. "Are you gonna fix the phone or not?" Maybe I was a little harsh last night, but she deserved to hear everything. She can't be with Luke...she just can't. And she was being stupid, as per usual. 

And she lied to me about it. Why lie to me? 

"Might have to apologize? You were a royal dick last night," Luke's deep voice sounds out as he prances into the kitchen, shirtless. He glares at me on his way to the counter, grabbing an apple. "And I should really beat the shit out of you for talking to my girlfriend like that."

Hold the fuck up. "Girlfriend?" I can't believe the poisonous words rolling off of my tongue. This has gone way too far. I don't know how the fuck Harry expects me to just sit here and watch this shit unfold; like it's a fucking puppet show and I'm some stupid little kid sitting front row and watching. This is the last time I'm ever listening to him.

And now that they're official, I don't know what the fuck I'm going to do.

"And I don't suppose you know where Charlie is, do you?" I ignore his idle threat. As much as I hate to ask him for shit, I know for a fact if anyone knows where Charlie went, it's him. Or Harry. "And don't you ever fucking threaten me over a fake relationship."

"For fucks sake, why don't you just give up already? She likes me and I like her, and now we're together, so just let us be. Not to mention, I bet I can treat her a hell of lot better than you can. And no, I don't know where she is, but I know she needs time to cool off. She wouldn't want to see you anyway," he fires right back at me over the counter separating us. Oh how I just want nothing more than to punch him square in the God damned jaw, but I know my parents will have my ass if I do.