The Worst

Chapter 52

Zayn’s POV

“Zayn, wake up!”

“No.” Go away.

“Zaayynnn...pleeeaaase? You said we can color today. Come on, I really wanna color right now.”

Fucking shit. We have all day to color, but she picks-I search around the floor for my phone-6:27 in the fucking morning. You see what I mean? I guess I should be thankful she didn’t actually jump on my head, though. “Rai, do we have to do it right now?” I grumble, pulling the cover over my naked back. I hope that’s the only part of me that’s naked; I don’t recall if I put my clothes back on after last night. I don’t feel entirely naked, so I guess I’ve got something on-boxers at the very least.

Ugh, last night. What a fantastic time.  

“Yes, Zayn. Please…come on…” she tugs at my arm that hangs over the side of the couch.

“Aright, alright. Give me a minute.” I’m fucking beat. I stretch, feeling my eyes start to close once more….sleep…wonderful, wonderful sleep…

“Zayn, Marley’s sitting up. He’s gonna cry.”

Of course he is. In 3, 2, 1…

Charlie rests beside me, curled up to my side. With my arm slung loosely over her and our legs somehow tangled together, she’s bound to wake up when I move. I don’t want to wake her up, but I don’t see how it could not happen. “Zayn he’s hungry. Hurry up,” Raihana exclaims in the midst of Marley’s whimpers. How does she know he’s hungry?

I feel significantly better than yesterday, but I still feel like shit. And I’m all too aware of an impatient 4 year old standing in front of me as I stand up and stretch once more. “Zayn you really should put on pants.”

She makes a valid point. I mean, I’ve got boxers on, but still. So I find my sweats on the floor, mixed up with Charlie’s shorts and my shirt (and luckily nothing else.)

“Zayn’s coming but you just have to hold on for one minute Mar,” I hear Rai tell him as I go into the kitchen, grabbing one of his premade bottles. My eyes are still closed as I walk back into the living room towards the crib. He’s waiting expectantly, lips pouted just like Charlie’s. I have to chuckle when I read his onesie; ‘I had boobs for breakfast. What did YOU have?’

Well, if you must know Mar, I too had boobs for breakfast.

I collapse back onto the other part of the couch, letting my head fall back against the top and my eyes flutter closed while trying to get Marley to hold his own bottle. If I could somehow sleep, color and feed this kid at the same time…I’d be golden.

*

“Pancakes! Pancakes!” Safaa and Raihana chant. Rather than get everyone dressed and go out for breakfast, I figured it’d be easier if I just made it here. “Can you put chocolate chips in them?”

“I don’t have--

“Zayn, your phone is ringing,” Charlie croaks from the couch.

“Don’t burn the pancakes like you did the brownies, Waliyha,” I tease, handing over the spatula. She rolls her eyes, going to defend herself but hey, it’s true. Someone burnt the fuck out of those brownies; they might as well have been charcoal briquettes. And I fully intend on blaming Waliyha.

“Hello,” I get the phone just in time.

“Zayn, old buddy old pal. Long time no see. How are things?”

“Good,” I glance at Charlie, who’s sort of awake on the couch, watching me with a smirk. I sit next to her; she instantly moves her head to my lap, staring blankly into the distance while playing with the two strings on my sweatpants. Oh. Let’s not do that.