no song because the song for the next chapter is heartbreaking, I think.
enjoy! :)
||
| Jailen |
Three weeks.
It's been three weeks since my dad's funeral.
It's been three weeks since I promised my mom it'd be the last time she ever saw me.
It's been three weeks since I've seen and heard from Harry.
He dropped us off at home that day, said goodbye to Hayden, and drove off before we even got in the building. I was convinced he would come up and stay but he didn't, and I was grateful at the time because I just wanted some time alone with my daughter.
I figured he just needed time to cool off after what happened and that was fine.
But he didn't call or text to say goodnight to Hayden like he usually did when he wasn't with her and I figured he had just gotten busy. Until one day passed, and then another, and then another.
When I would call, it would ring a few times and then go to voicemail, as if he was declining them on purpose. My texts would get delivered and it would be hours and hours before he would read them, so I knew he wasn't dead or anything, which only pissed me off more.
As far as I was concerned, the only person in my life that was dead was my father and I got over that pretty quickly. Well, I wouldn't say I'm over it, I'm tremendously sad but I'm not... destroyed, if that makes sense. I mourn when I think of him but I don't cry. He just wasn't here. It's the same way it's been for the past four years and years before then.
It's just how my life has been.
I stared at my phone, a picture of Peyton and Harry out last night covering my screen. One of his arms was around her waist, the other was in front, his hand sprawled over her stomach and he was whispering something in her ear. Her smile was wide and when I zoomed in, I could see that he was also smiling. My heart skipped a beat.
Had he been with her this whole time?
I swallowed the lump in my throat and locked my phone. I wasn't even upset about him hanging out with Peyton, it's not like we were together. I was more upset that he seemed to have forgotten about his daughter.
Maybe I was just a little bit upset about him and Peyton. I didn't like her. Which only upset me more considering I had no reason to dislike her. It's not her fault Harry can't be trusted.
I paused. Trusted? I didn't have to trust him. We weren't together.
Frowning at myself, I stood up from the couch. I needed a drink. But just as I was making my way to the kitchen, a knock sounded at the door. I didn't think twice about who it could be as I absentmindedly walked over to the door and pulled it open.
"Mommy!" Hayden yelled the moment I came into view.
"Hey, pretty girl," Zayn grinned, waving one hand, the other still holding onto Hayden.
I furrowed my eyebrows, confused, "Why aren't you in school?" I asked, moving out of the way so that they could come in.
"We went to get ice cream," she said, showing me the cone that I hadn't noticed until now.
I looked at the time on my phone and then at Zayn, "She isn't supposed to get out of school until 3..." I scoffed and he shrugged. I turned my phone towards him, "It's 12!"
"It's 3 somewhere, Jai," he said, leaning in and placing a brief kiss on my lips, "You got vodka?"
He didn't wait for me to answer before he was making his way towards the kitchen. I was stuck, confused about everything that had just happened. I looked around me, surprised to see that Hayden had already occupied herself with the TV. She was watching a rerun season of Little Women: LA and I hummed. She laughed at one of the jokes and I blinked. Where the hell did she learn about this?
I opened my mouth to ask her who got her watching this but Zayn screamed my name from the kitchen. I hesitated as I stared at Hayden. She seemed content. I folded my arms across my chest and with one more lingering look at my daughter, I walked into the kitchen.
"Quit yelling," I scolded Zayn, "I'm right here."
"Wanted to make sure you heard me," he smiled, pouring vodka into two cups.
I walked further into the kitchen and stood next to him. His cologne surrounded me immediately and I cleared my throat.
He glanced over at me and hummed, "You've been crying?"
"No," I said a little too fast.
Zayn nodded, obviously not believing me before he handed me one of the cups, "Don't fucking lie to me. Drink."
I held the cup in my hand for a second, and considering I was already on my way to get a drink before they came home, I decided to down the cup. I grunted, putting the cup back on the counter and not even seconds had passed before Zayn filled it up again.
"Why are you here again?" I asked him, eyeing the cup but not thinking twice as I picked it up and took a sip, slower this time.
"Well," Zayn poured himself another cup and leaned against the counter, "I haven't heard from you in a while. Are you mad at me?"
I narrowed my eyes at him, "Why would I be mad at you? What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything," He smiled and I couldn't help myself when I smiled back.
"So, why would I be mad at you, Z?" I asked, taking another sip of my drink and he shrugged.
"Just making sure," He cleared his throat, moving closer so that he was standing right next to me.
I glanced up at him, a confused smile on my face, "You're being weird."
"No, I'm not," He chuckled, "Are you busy tonight?"
"Yes, I'm busy every night, I have a four-year-old. You know, the one you stole from school today?"
He rolled his eyes, "I didn't steal her. The office let me sign her out."
I scoffed, "Somehow that doesn't make it better," I needed to start to look into another school for Hayden. It was becoming clear to me that they didn't prioritize the safety of their students and that wasn't something I was going to risk, "You're not even on the list of emergency contacts."
"I am now," Zayn grinned, "Harry arranged that last week."
My body perked up at this. So, he wasn't MIA, he just didn't want to talk to me. I was glad he wasn't hurt but I couldn't lie and say I was fine with being ignored. In fact, I was far from fine. I was pissed!
"I know that look," Zayn commented, bringing the glass up to his mouth, "What's the matter, Jai?"
I exploded, "The fucking AUDACITY!"
"Oh-"
"How dare he?" I yelled, slamming the glass down on the countertop, ignoring the vodka that splashed over the rim from the impact, "Who the fuck goes THREE WEEKS without seeing their daughter? Especially after he was the one that begged to be in her life!?"
Zayn shook his head and shrugged, "Pfft."
I paused, narrowing my eyes at him. He looked at me cautiously as I walked closer to him until we were centimeters apart. I poked his chest, "You've talked to him?"
"Yes," He answered immediately, and that only made me feel worse. I pursed my lips and took a step back from Zayn, "He's been... away. I didn't know he didn't tell you."
"He didn't," I confirmed, "And Hayden's been asking about him but he won't respond to me and he's been out with that b-... Peyton..."
"I know, I saw that," Zayn snickered.
"It's not funny," I glared at him.
"It's not," he raised his hands in surrender, "But it does bring me back to my earlier question; are you busy tonight?"
"I have no one to watch Hayden."
Zayn hummed, pulling his lip between his teeth as he thought about something. Then he perked up, reaching out and putting his hands on my shoulders before shaking me, "I got the perfect person."
—
"No." Jonah deadpanned.
"Oh, come on!" Zayn groaned loudly and Hayden giggled, "Why not?"
"I am Mr. Styles's butler and assistant, not a babysitter," Jonah sighed tiredly. We've been at this for the past ten minutes. It was funny to watch them go back and forth and even though Zayn was being annoyingly pushy, Jonah wasn't budging at all.
Zayn adjusted Hayden on his hip, "Exactly. This is his daughter, so shouldn't your ass assist in watching the little shit?"
"Excuse me," I said, reaching over and pinching his arm.
He rolled his eyes, "This wonderful angel of a child... I mean seriously, how could you say no to this face?"
Jonah looked over at Hayden, the corner of his lips twitching as if he was going to smile but it was gone within a second, "No."
"You're an asshole!" Zayn said back and Jonah shrugged.
I sighed, "Okay, enough. Your methods of asking fucking suck," I then looked at Jonah, "Please, would you watch Hayden for a few hours? I'll pay whatever amount and I'll convince Harry to give you as much time off as you want. Please."
Jonah hummed, his eyes flickering over to Zayn who just waved. Jonah scowled at Zayn and then sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time since we knocked on the door and woke him from his nap, "Fine. I'll watch the child, only because you asked. But, I will not take your money, Jailen. The vacation, however, I will need after this."
I screeched and clapped excitedly, throwing myself forward and hugging him tightly, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I pulled away and Zayn handed Hayden to Jonah, along with her bag with all of her supplies before kissing Hayden on the cheek and running to the car, "I promise, you will start your vacation tomorrow!"
"I'm holding you to it," Jonah said, unable to help his smile as Hayden poked at his greying beard.
Zayn honked the horn obnoxiously and I quickly wrapped my arms around the both of them, placing a kiss on both of their cheeks, "I have to go! Thank you again! Bye, baby! Be good, okay? Mommy loves you, bug!"
"Bye!" Hayden yelled back as I ran to the car.
Zayn reached over and opened my door from the inside, barely giving me time to close the door once I was in before he was pulling away from Harry's house. I looked over at him and he grinned, "Put your seatbelt on, pretty girl. We got a long drive ahead of us!"
||
Zayn's so funny, I can't.