After a long, mental battle, with himself, Zayn decided on some therapy. Family therapy. His parents and sisters were happy to see him around, but very well knew his visit was spawned by something else.
He was gloomy since his arrival in Bradford. Not even his mum's homecooked meals could cheer him up.
"What's wrong?" Waliyha asked, unable to take the grey clouds looming over her brother's head. "Looks like you found out you're adopted."
Usually, her cynical humour worked, but not this time. Zayn didn't even look at her, his eyes stayed focused on the TV screen. However, his mind was elsewhere.
Back in whatever city Lauren was performing at.
"But you two look alike," Safaa interjected cheekily, plopping down on the empty space of the couch next to Zayn. "Are you adopted, too?" She teased Waliyha, who simply rolled her eyes.
That caught Zayn's attention, and he laughed. It was short lived, though. Initially, the sisters thought he grunted in annoyance.
"Seriously, what's the matter?" Waliyha interrograted, poking his knee to garner even a bit of his attention.
"Nothing," he drawled, simply answering to shoo them away.
The therapy they were offering wasn't the kind he implored. If anything, he wanted to speak to Doniya or his mum, but they were both busy. Even his dad would have made a better shrink, but he had matters to deal with, too.
So, Zayn was left with the other two Maliks.
"Liar," Safaa sang, shaking her head. "Come on, you can tell us. We won't tell mum! Did you impregnate somebody? Is Lauren pregnant?"
The mere mention of her name had Zayn clenching his jaw. The two sisters noticed, and the once saucy smiles on their face disappeared. They hit a nerve, but it was too late to weasel around it.
"So, she's pregnant," Safaa whispered as if she hit the nail square on the head.
Waliyha groaned as Zayn flashed the youngest an incredulous glare.
"Saf!" Waliyha warned, motioning her to keep her mouth zipped shut.
Safaa was about to complain, mouth opened to protest, but she saw her brother's unpleasant stance and shut herself up. "Sorry."
Waliyha inched closer to Zayn, resting a comforting hand on his knee. He jolted, startled by the warm touch. For a moment there, he thought it was Lauren. His mind was so heavily rife with thoughts of her.
"If you want to talk, we're here. I know you'd rather talk to mum or Doniya about this, but we can try to help," Waliyha said softly. "It's better than to keep things to yourself."
Safaa nodded in agreement. She was no longer curious for her sake, but worried for her brother's.
Zayn was really against telling them. They had big mouths. The whole family would know before the clock strikes the next hour. And that was in twenty minutes.
But the guilt was eating him up and he could no longer manage to keep things inside.
Begrudingly, he told them. Throughout his tale, they kept quiet. Nodding here and there. Humming, to reassure him that they were paying attention. From the beginning of their relationship—how it was all for show, again—to actually becoming borderline real and him ruining all those chances in one night.
The newfound information was a lot to take in. Safaa managed to barely understand. As for Waliyha, she had many questions soaring in her head.
"Let me get this straight," Safaa murmured. "You and Lauren aren't really dating?"
Zayn wet his lips, about to answer, but Waliyha cut him off. "No, dummy. And he basically threw all his luck at them ever becoming authentic out the window."
Trust her to be the tactless one, but Zayn figured he deserved to hear that. He was a sucker for pain. He felt entitlted to it since it was all he supplied Lauren with.
"Instead of trying to make things up to her, you're here?" Safaa practically shrieked once she grasped onto things.
Zayn gulped. "Yeah."
Waliyha groaned, throwing her hands up. "You are such an idiot."
"This is why I don't tell you anything," he complained, not that he didn't agree with her. Just award him with a #1 idiot badge.
"You should go and talk to her!" Waliyha insisted, pointing at his lifeless phone on the coffee table.
"What part of she doesn't want to talk to me right now don't you understand?"
"Wow, you are an idiot," Safaa dryly laughed, and Zayn pinned a dark look onto her. "What? I'm just telling you what you already know!"
"Okay, where is the helping your big brother part of this session?" He questioned, irritated they were just rubbing salt into his wounds.
Waliyha shook her head, her chuckles patronizing. "Silly Zayn. You would think living with four women would teach you a thing or two. Girls always say the opposite of what they mean!"
Zayn pursed his lips in realization. That was true. He recalled all the time he asked Doniya what she wanted for her birthday and she would say nothing. Thus, he got her nothing and she got upset.
But he really didn't want to push his luck with Lauren. What if his persistence only deterred her farther away. How would he be able to reach her without overexerting himself.
"I don't know," he uncertainly mumbled.
"It honestly cannot hurt to try," Waliyha commented, shrugging. "You won't get anywhere by sitting on your arse all day, sighing and moping about."
Zayn sighed. Maybe they did provide him with new insight. He glanced over at his phone, but made no move to pick it up. Safaa and Waliyha just watched him with disappointment. They tried their best, but he was on his own now.
--
It had been a good week and few days since Lauren has last seen or spoken to Zayn. He finally got the message and stopped harassing her phone with calls. For a moment, she thought he got tired of her. Who wouldn't. Nobody she knew was that persistent.
Then again, Zayn wasn't like anyone she knew.
second last show in the us today right?
After not receiving a text since his last one, Lauren was thoroughly convinced he forgot about her and moved on. Obviously, that wasn't so.
Did she cross his mind as much as he crossed hers? A few days after the incident, Lauren tried to call him, but she was never brave enough to see it through. Instead, she tried to forget him. It didn't work. A lot of things led back to him.
She couldn't eat vanilla ice cream in peace. Nor could she pass by McDonald's without a surge of memories resurfacing, demanding for attention.
Her mind was cruel.
And speaking of Cruel, she stopped listening to that. Along with the Beatles. Too many flashbacks occurred. Too many thoughts and images were associated with the things she had once cherished.
Most notably, she avoided anything that Zayn liked. And him, in general.
Fortunately, the bastard wasn't active on anything social media. Lauren didn't even know if he was alive.
Her fingers skimmed across the electronic keyboard, contemplating on whether she should reply or not. The thought of him appearing at their concert transpired. Irvine was close enough to LA and he lived there, for the most part.
But Lauren told herself not to lift her expectations. What if he didn't come? She'd be disappointed and angry for childishly assuming the best case scenario.
Best... and worst case, to be exact.
are you going to send whatever your typing or you going to delete
Lauren cursed. Damn iMessage. He fingers stopped. She didn't type anything, but she accidentally pressed a few letters here and there, without her knowledge.
lol i see your not ready to talk yet. best of luck on your show lo
Her eyes rolled. Why was he was so unrelenting? Lauren was almost flattered. But no, she couldn't be. He was a jerk.
you bored and have nobody to text huh? nobody to pass the time?
She wasn't supposed to hit send but she did, anyway. She cringed the moment she saw him typing, preparing herself for his response.
lauren if you just let me talk to you i could explain
There was not a bone in her body that didn't want him to explain, but her heart was passionately against the ludicrous idea. Talking to him meant seeing him. Seeing him meant... seeing the man who made her happy that past summer.
If she laid eyes on him, Lauren would be back to square one; immaturely liking somebody who didn't share the same regards.
and no your not somebody to pass the time please just talk to me
She scoffed out a dry laugh. Why did that semi-illiterate text affect her so much. She didn't even know if he was telling the truth. After all, it was easy to lie.
i have a concert in a few... i can't deal with this rn bye
And in the spawn of his response, Zayn confirmed her estimations.
see you there mami
Her heart flipped and she snapped. Why was it elated. She thought it was angry with him. Stupid Zayn and his power to make her feel angry and relieved all at once.
No, she must stand firm.
don't call me that or i'll fucking cut you
--
😘💖💖