Lessons Learned

Jealous

“Not much, Harold,”  He smiled. “Niall invited me for pizza.”

“Pizza that I won!” Niall shouted.  “Because Zayn’s an idiot!”

“Shut it, Horan.” Zayn called. 

“What was the bet?”  I raised an eyebrow.

“That he couldn’t go more than 6 hours without a cancer stick,” Niall said matter of factly.  “He failed.”

“I lasted 5 and a half hours, though.” Zayn said proudly as he stood to his feet.  “So, I’m happy with myself.”

“Are you trying to quit again?” I asked.

Zayn looked to Kaylyn and smiled, lending his hands to pull her to her feet.  “Yeah, man.”

“Cool,” I nodded. “It’ll be better for your health.”

Louis stood beside me and raised an eyebrow.  Always suspicious and always syndical.  “Why, Zayn?”

“Just because.”

“Why Zayn?” he repeated.

Zayn looked to Kaylyn and made a face, then back at Louis.  “Because, just like Harry said…it’ll be better for my health.”

“Well,” Sierra looped a finger through one of the belt loops on my jeans and rested her head against my shoulder. “Good for you, Zayn. I’m happy for you.”

“Zayn,” Louis squinted his eyes at him.

“Louis,” he squinted back mockingly and chuckled.

“We’ve been telling you all along that smoking wasn’t good for your health and now you suddenly care?  Spit it out, Zayn. What’s the real reason.”

“I already-“

“Because of this,” Kaylyn turned to the side and lifted up her baggy t-shirt, revealing her slightly swollen stomach.

Sierra lifted her head from my shoulder and squealed. “Are you-“

Liam and Niall both looked over, their eyes wide as they gasped.

Zayn looked at me and Louis, nodding proudly. “I’m gonna be a dad.”

A smile curled onto my lips and I moved to embrace my friend.  “Congratulations, Zayn!”

“I knew something was up,” Louis chuckled, pulling Kaylyn into his arms.

“Well, there you have it.” Kaylyn said with a giggle.

“How long have you been hiding this?” Sierra asked.

“A few weeks,” Zayn replied. 

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”Niall asked from behind me.

“Well, we just kinda wanted to enjoy it for awhile,” Zayn shrugged. “I mean…it was nice to kinda be a normal couple for awhile.  It won’t be long before she’s really showing and it’s on the cover of every magazine, ya know?”

“Totally understand,” Liam nodded. “If my breakup has lined the papers like this, I can only imagine what the headlines will be now.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Kaylyn smiled brightly, looping an arm around Zayn’s waist.  “We’re having a baby…and we are ecstatic.  I’m pretty sure that nothing can change that.”

~*~*~*~*~

Zayn’s POV:

Kaylyn and I went back to our room after everyone had finished eating.  She was tired, so was I.  But, instead of going straight to bed I went into the bathroom and ran a bath in the over-sized jacuzzi tub.