Love on the Road ~ Ziall Horlik

Chapter 13

Sorry for the wait! I'll try and get the next one up asap x

"Do that and I'll kill you, Tomlinson."

Just hearing his voice, I felt secure. The strength, which had left my body about a minute prior, still entrapped me to face Harry and Louis. But my heart... it sang.

It didn't give anything away. For all I knew, he still hated me – very justly – and just wanted to calm Louis down. But I just appreciated being in his presence. The days apart, knowing we couldn't be together, were agony as I tried to think of anything but his deep eyes and the way he kissed me.

Now, I needed clarity.

"What do you mean?" Louis wipes his mouth, a drop of blood meeting the dirtied bandages around his right fist. "He went and did what he did-"

"I don't care." Zayn sounded calm. Stern... but calm. It was frightening. "You touch him, you know what happens to you."

Louis scoffs at the ground and shakes his head.

"This is typical of you, Malik." He begins, eyes dark and terrifying. "You push the gang away... push me away... all to get in this rich snob's pants. It's pathetic."

Harry widens his eyes slightly before diverting his gaze straight at the ground. Even I felt like doing so.

If the silence of the man behind me meant anything, I knew to keep my eyes peeled at Louis in front of me – who looked as though he was now seething.

"You're drunk." He mutters out. "You need to leave."

"Think about what you're doing right now." Louis points a finger at him so harsh and sloppy – while Zayn remained reserved. Each man held such contempt, Louis just seemed so forward about it. "We've questioned your leadership before and we'll do it again, Malik."

I felt utterly guilty that this was a conversation I had brought on. To do this to Zayn was one thing, cross Louis another... but to involve anything to do with the gang, it just felt dirty. I needed to intervene but to quote the man I loved, lacked the balls to do so.

"I'm thinking." Zayn utters, each word and syllable falling off his tongue as though they were silk. "I'm thinking that if you question me, I will put back where you came from."

Louis' eyes dropped momentarily but hardened again to reassume his broad position.

"You're really doing this for him?" He lets out bitterly, recoiling to the ground. "That's what it is, huh?"

"That's what it is."

Louis' eyes meet mine, he shakes his head, glances at Zayn, glances at Harry and turns on his heel to leave. He was in such a hurry, so determined and fractured that the guilt and pain he exuded soon transferred to my own heart. I would rather sit at home with heartache than entice this sort of fight. I heard nothing but closeness regarding their relationship... I felt horrible.

Harry quickly shuffles to follow him.

"Styles." Zayn grunts, still out of my eyesight. I felt as though I were in detention right now, and if I made eye contact with the man I came to see, I was afraid I would cave.

The boy who had driven me here pauses and glances at his leader.

"What the hell is he doing here?"

I allowed the fight to happen between him and Louis, I couldn't let Harry find himself caught in the crossfire.

"I asked him to drive me."

As I turn to face him, I am met with so many emotions. I wanted him to smile, needed him to show that he was okay. His eyes seemed darker, a little tired, hair more scuffed back than gelled and a white tank-top that was creeping down his chest. He seemed to analyse me the same. I gulped.