Allana was residing in hotel La Meringue which was situated at a substantial distance from my mansion. As I drove towards her hotel a feeling of contentment washed over me. It would have been easier for me to take a flight back home but the urge to go on a long drive in the presence of tranquility exhilarated me. Moreover Allana’s company was the cherry on top .Her presence comforted me in a manner which was indescribable .
I had texted her five minutes ago to be at the entrance so I could pick her up easily without attracting much attention. Driving smoothly towards the entrance area of the hotel I saw her standing with a medium sized bag by her side, tapping her feet impatiently. Stopping the car near where she stood the window on the passenger’s side slide down and I called her name to grab her attention.
She opened the door and sat on the seat with the bag on her lap. A girl having a medium sized bag for an outdoor trip. This is a miracle. “Someone is on time. Good to see you being punctual.” She winked at me. I smiled taking in her appearance. She was wearing denims with a long sleeved white shirt which reached her midriff showing her toned stomach .Her belly button had a piercing. Her long black hair were pulled back in a sleek ponytail and the silver chain was still around her neck. It must be her favorite piece of jewellery. Nonetheless it suited well with her casual dressing style.
“Can you check me out in a conspicuous manner rather than ogling at me directly. It would be more comfortable for me.” She said with a hint of amusement in her voice. I felt the colour rise in my cheeks. Running a hand through my hair which is more out of habit when I get nervous I smiled at her.“You know I won’t take your bag and run away. So it would be better if you keep it in the backseat. Also that would enable me to a great a proper view of your legs.” It was her turn to blush now. “Zayn”,she huffed swatting my arm.
Once Allana and her belongings were settled in the car our journey to Bradford began. “ How are you ?” She asked gazing intently at me. “Spectacular. What about You ? I looked towards her. “I am anxious and excited.” Niall did mention that she was seeing an old friend after a long time hence she was bound to be excited but the thought of her being anxious bounced of my head. “Why are you anxious ?”
“ I am meeting Tristan after a long time. It has been nearly 4 years since we spend time together. I am just wondering if he is still the same person I knew or has he changed.”.
Tristan is a boy. Way to go Malik such a genius you are to figure out his gender, the voice in my head chided me. “So Tristan is your….” I trailed off purposely leaving my sentence incomplete hoping Allana would complete it. “ He is my ex boyfriend. We dated for two years in high school. Our break up was mutual but I still couldn’t bring myself to being friends with him. He shifted to Bradford last year and when I decided to visit U.K. I thought of paying him a visit as well.We do share some great memories together. I can sense it would be a bit awkward and that is why I am anxious.” She said fidgeting with her silver chain.
“Is that a gift from him ? I asked pointing towards the chain. “No this is a gift from my mother.” She said in a quiet voice .Was I imagining or did her eyes dim at the mention of her mother. She seemed uneasy and I mentally slapped myself for making her uncomfortable.
“It is beautiful you know but a little less than you.” The words escaped my mouth before I intended them too. Her eyes widened at my compliment but a smile played on her lips. “ I never thought The Zayn Malik would consider somebody else more beautiful than him.” She said cheekily. “I never said more beautiful than me. Clean your ears. Besides I’m sexy and you know it.” I said winking at her.
The rest of our journey was spent playing 20 questions which enabled me and Allana to get more acquainted with each other’s likes and dislikes. We were different yet similar to each other. She wasn’t typically girlish which was quite a relief. I recalled Perrie and her obsession with the colour pink. The memory made me gag. On the contrary Allana’s favorite color was purple but she preferred black when it came to her clothes. According to her black made her look slim which sounded absurd to me considering she was fit as hell. But luckily I kept my thoughts to myself this time. I didn’t want her to miscontrue I was hitting on her. She liked trekking , dancing and cooking. She admitted to being a foodie with a soft spot for cupcakes. Her favorite singer was Katy Perry and she had a major crush on Zac Efron. Autumn was her favorite season and she couldn’t swim just like me. She had been a straight A student in school but always scored a D in drawing. The way she pouted on her hatred for her drawing teacher made my heart melt. Her laughter is similar to Niall’s except when she laughs she reminds me of sunshine.
After two bathroom breaks , an intense staring competition on the music to be played in the car (we both settled on Bruno Mars eventually ) and a short trip to Burger King by Allana (She did not want me to leave the car afraid that the fans would mob me. It was not particularly due to her interest in my safety but mainly due to the fact that she didn’t want the driver YES she called me the driver to be a cause of delay in reaching Bradford )we finally reached our destination.
I decided to first drop her at Tristan’s house following the address provided by her. Tristan resided nearly eight blocks away from my house. I drove into his driveway and halted my car. It was nearly 9pm and Allana seemed visibly tired after the long journey. Getting out of the car I took her bag out from the backseat. As the night descended upon us the weather got cold. She shivered slightly but gave me a huge smile as she closed the distance between us by hugging me.
“Thank you Zayn for letting me come with you.”She said .Allana’s height was perfect , when she hugged me her head rested against my chest and mine against her shoulder. She was wearing an intoxicating perfume and I inhaled her fragrance. She released me and I instantly regretted missing the warmth of her body against mine. “I am glad you came.” I told her and God knows I genuinely meant it. Her dark black orbs twinkled.
Despite my insistence on dropping her till the doorstep she stubbornly asked me to go home. Standing by the porch she waved towards me as I drove by.
As my house came in view I could literally feel by heart bursting out of my ribcage. I love my family deeply and it hurt me to spend months away from them. But their infinite faith in my dreams had contributed significantly to my success and given me the strength to bear staying apart from them. After parking my car in the garage I decided to sneak inside through the kitchen door. My parents were not expecting me till tomorrow afternoon. As I opened the back door trying to make less noise as possible I heard someone clear their throat. The kitchen was dimly lit and I could see a figure standing in front of me. “Old habits die hard don’t they Zayn ? Always coming home late and then sneaking in quietly.” My mother scolded me softly.
The lights were switched on and I could see my mum walking towards me with open arms. “I missed you sweetheart.” She sobbed in my ear. I hugged her tightly trying to convey my emotions to her. There was a lump in my throat and I did not want to cry. I am 22 cmon and besides my sisters would take the mickey out of me if they saw me shed tears.
I freshened up while mum warmed my food filling me with information regarding my sisters.My elder sister Doniya was on a college trip and would be returning day after whereas my younger sisters Waliya and Safaa were at my cousins place for a sleepover since they were unaware of my unexpected arrival .Dad was in Scotland due to his business commitments. He had met me last week in London before leaving but the house felt incomplete in his absence.
After chatting with mum and gorging on home cooked food my eyes started to droop indicating my need for sleep .Laying on my I checked my phone. I had a couple of texts from my friends and Allana.
From Allana 10:47 pm.
Pretty boy I hope you reached home. Thank you once again.
Wasn’t she considerate ? I replied back.
To Allana 11:45pm
I am good and I ate home cooked food a bit too much for comfort. I hope you are comfortable at Tristan’s house .
My screen flashed and I saw her reply
From Allana 11:46 pm
Arent you a very fast texter :p .I am settled here. Enjoying hot chocolate and recalling old times.
I was glad she was settled at Tristan’s house and her anxiety had ended.
To Allana 11:48 pm
Alright then I won’t disturb you much. If you need anything I am here .Just give me a call.Goodnight Al
Al seemed the apt nickname for Allana.
From Allana 11:49 pm
You can never disturb me and I know you are there for me. Now sleep pretty boy.Goodnight
I chose to follow Allana’s orders and drifted off to a state of dreamless sleep.
A/N
Hey guys this is my longest chapter n I hope u have a blast reading it xoxo