Stealing Hearts (Zayn Malik Fanfiction)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

‘My turn.’ Zayn says, leaving me speechless about the last words he said. ‘Why did you want to be a teacher?’ His eyes don’t leave mine and I can tell that he’s genuinely interested in what I’m about to say.

‘I don’t really know. I always wanted to be one I guess.’ I think about it while explaining my thoughts to him. ‘It’s never been a question. I always knew I wanted to be a teacher.’

‘There has to be a reason why.’ He smiles at me, leaving me confused about myself.

‘I think I love the idea of taking care of all those children.’ I think about my words while I say them out loud. ‘Like I have 21 children in my classroom and I love every single one with all my heart. Even the ones who aren’t always easy to handle. I want to teach them things. It’s the thing that can brighten my days: seeing that they learned something of me. I love that feeling.’ I really have to try my best to not start crying again, because talking about my class reminds me of Jasper and his mom and it still breaks my heart to think that she hates me that much. I fail at it though. And when the tears start slipping again, Zayn’s smile disappears.

‘Hey… I didn’t want to make you upset again.’ He sits himself forward, having that look of doubt on his face, whether he should come over to me or not. ‘Did something happen at school today? Is that it?’

I nod slowly, while rubbing the tears away with the edge of my sleeve.

‘Do you want to talk about it?’ He asks again.

But I shake my head. ‘Next question.’ I say instead, thinking that keeping my mind of things will help me better than talking about it. ‘Why are you here?’

The question I choose for him to answer, takes him aback for a couple of seconds.

Just when I think he isn’t going to answer it, he opens his mouth to talk. ‘I’m going to be honest with you, because that’s what I owe you after taking care of me last night.’ He starts slowly, no sign of any smiles now. ‘I left my gun under your couch and I needed it back. I wasn’t planning on staying. I just took the spare key out of the vase in the corridor. That’s how I got in. What reminds me to tell you to take away that key because it’s not safe for you.’ The way he says it gives me shivers. I cannot help but stare at him, barely able to keep my mouth shut. ‘I got in, took the gun, but right when I wanted to leave, I heard you in the hallway. I’m not going to jump three flights down out the window, so I just waited until you got in. That’s it. That’s why I’m here.’

He leaves us in silence, and I take my time to take it all in, because it’s a lot to take in.

‘Can I see it?’ I can’t believe I’m asking this, but it’s happening. And I have no idea why.

‘See what?’

‘Your gun.’

He frowns. ‘Why would you want to see that?’

It makes me want to hit my head. Exactly, Evelyn… Why the hell do you want to see the thing that almost killed you, up close?

But before I can react, he opens his leather jacket and rolls up the dark grey sweater he’s wearing. And there it is. A black gun, sitting stuck between his belt and his black skinny jeans. I even can see a dent in the belt of where the gun always sits.

‘Is it not dangerous?’ I mumble, loud enough for him to hear. ‘I mean. It’s just sitting there under your belt. What if it goes off?’

He chuckles at my words. ‘It’s not loaded. It’s only loaded when we have a job to do. It’s never loaded when it’s sitting there.’

‘Oh…’ I only breathe, trying not to show my inner reaction to the word ‘job’. A stealing job? A killing job? ‘What kind of jobs, Zayn?’ I ask him eventually, not able to keep my curiosity to myself.

And just when he’s about to say something, suddenly a phone goes off that is definitely not my phone. It’s his.

‘Yes.’ He answers the call, leaving my eyes. He’s face expression suddenly looks stressed. Like he lost track of time. I can’t pin point what it is. ‘I’ll be there in 5.’ He says before he ends the call and stands up from his seat.

‘I really need to go.’ He repeats the thing I already figured out. ‘You sure you’ll be okay?’ He doesn’t move away just yet. It’s like he really needs me to answer.

‘I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.’ I smile weakly, ready to cry some more from the moment he’ll step out that door.

He frowns and shakes his head. ‘No lies, Evelyn.’

‘It’s not a lie. I’ll be fine. I’m not fine now but I will be… Tomorrow. Hopefully…’ I mutter near the end.

He just stares at me for a while, his eyes turning soft in the process.

‘You’re a very interesting person, do you realize that?’ Zayn smirks suddenly, making me doubt about where that’s coming from.

‘Should I take it as a compliment, or…?’

‘You surely have to. Yes.’

‘Okay. Thank you… I guess.’ I slowly say.

He starts to move towards the door and suddenly there is this panic rising inside me out of nowhere. Because how can he create such a reaction on my like that. It’s not that I’m starting to like him… Do I?

‘Oh, yes. Lyn?’ He suddenly turns around towards me again, right in front of the door, just not opening it yet. ‘Don’t put that key in the vase again, please.’ His voice sounds serious, just like the way his eyes look at me. I cannot do anything more than nod at his words. ‘It’s not safe.’ He just adds.

‘Yeah, but what if I forget my key? That’s why I put it there.’

He thinks about it for a second. ‘You have a mailbox on the first floor, haven’t you?’

I nod.

‘It probably has also a mailbox slot, I suppose?’

I nod again.

‘Tape the key down just on the top, inside the mailbox, so you can still reach it with your fingers if you need it. That’s a better place.’

I give him the final nod. I cannot believe I’m discussing where I have to hide my key with the person who broke in my home just now. I’m turning mad. I definitely am.

He suddenly grabs the doorknob and the panic starts coming back and I have no idea what to do with it.

‘Zayn?’ My emotions speak.

He stops and looks back one last time. ‘Yes?’

‘Are you coming back?’

I asked it. I did it. And I cannot believe myself.

‘You want me to?’ He smirks at me and his brown eyes shine brighter than ever in the light of the room.

‘I… think so.’

‘Then maybe I will.’

And with one move he’s out the door. Leaving me behind with even more questions than I had before. If he comes back, we definitely need to continue that question game.