Riley
Louis and I talked for a while, trying to find different solutions to the same problem. But each time we came back with the same answer. Perrie was lying.
"But why would she lie?" Louis asked as he scratched his head.
I bit my lip. "Maybe she wants him back," I returned. "But if that's really what she wanted, why didn't she try harder to corroborate her story? I mean, she didn't look pregnant to me."
He nodded as he stood. "I'm going to call Liam. Give me a sec."
I watched as he walked over to the curtains with his phone at his ear. Once he started talking, I zoned out. Could it really be that she was lying? Would Zayn believe it?
Just a few minutes later Louis sat in front of me. "Liam doesn't seem to think she's telling the truth either. He told me she's acting shady. I asked him to talk to Zayn for us and see what he thinks. I don't know. Maybe he'll understand."
Zayn
I held my head in my hands, trying to keep myself calm. I shifted my gaze up to Perrie where she sat, looking me dead in the eyes. I wanted to insult her, to hate her. I wanted her gone. I wanted Riley. But she'd left with Louis and my baby. And here I was with Perrie and another one of my babies. Except this one I didn't want, no matter how much of an asshole that made me sound.
"So, when do we tell the press?" she asked, her voice bitter.
I wanted so much to wipe that smug look off her face. I had to hold myself back when she snapped at Riley. I knew that I could never touch her. But God did I want to smack the living hell out of her. I don't even know what I ever saw in her.
I sighed. "I don't know."
Her eyes narrowed. "We have to tell-"
"I don't..." I interrupted angrily, "know," I finished calmly. "I don't know."
I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Liam. "I need to talk to you," he said, pulling me into the hallway and then to the now empty room where Riley had been.
I sat on the bed and held the sheets in my hands, remembering what it'd felt like that day we'd slept together. "What?"
Liam stood straight in front if me, squaring his shoulders. "I just talked to Louis."
I looked up at him, feeling a wave of worry in the pit of my stomach. "Is Riley okay?"
He held up his hand. "She's just fine. Don't worry about her. Louis is taking good care of her," he said, allowing me to relax just a little. "Thing is that they were talking and they came up with something that got me thinking. You can tell that Riley's pregnant, can't you?"
My eyebrows pulled together. "Well, yeah, she's five months. How could you not tell?"
"Exactly. I mean, if Perrie were telling the truth, wouldn't you have been able to tell the moment she walked in that door?"
I looked down at my hands and thought. Perrie isn't showing.
"You think she's lying?" I asked.
His head hung low. "Yeah. I do."
I bit my lip. I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed it before. "I lost Riley. She didn't even take the baby stuff. Liam, I need her back."
I felt my heart drop all over again. I hadn't realized how much I actually wanted her until she'd gone. I love Riley. I love her.
As I walked back down the hallway, I saw that Perrie was standing at the door with Harry.
"I'm about to leave," she told me as she shrugged on her coat.
"I'd like to take you to the doctor tomorrow to make sure everything's alright," I returned, slipping my hands into my pockets. "I'll pick you up around eight."
Her eyes widened just a little. "I went a few weeks ago. The baby's fine."
"I'm picking you up at eight, Perrie. Drive home safe," I told her, turning around and walking to my room again. I'd find out whether or not she was lying once and for all.
The next morning, I was at her front door ten minutes early. I texted her that I was waiting and she came down a few minutes later. She slipped into the car quietly without a word.
"Wear your seat belt," I told her. I backed out of the space where I'd parked and drove.
I looked over at her from the corner of my eye to see if I could notice any sign of hesitation. But all she did was look out the window, her hands resting idly on her lap.
Once we pulled up, I led her inside and walked up to the desk. "I made an appointment yesterday," I told the receptionist.
"Yes. Just give me a minute," she returned, waving for us to sit.
We sat in complete silence until she called Perrie's name.
"I can go alone," she said while standing up.
I stood up as well and walked into the doctor's office, ignoring her completely. By now I could sense that she was nervous by the way that she sat at the edge of her seat and didn't look anyone in the eyes.
Once the doctor had asked her a few questions and written them down in her file, he led her to lay down to perform a sonogram.
I sat nearby, making sure that I could see the screen from where I was sitting.
Once he got a clear picture, he smiled. "You are definitely pregnant."
Perrie's eyes met mine, a glint of triumph in them. I imagined mine were full of defeat.
"From what I can tell, you're about two months along."
And that's were her eyes widened and a small smile of relief broke out on my face. "Thank you, doctor. Perrie, I'll meet you in the car."
I walked out, my stomach and heart settling to normality. As I waited in the car, I couldn't keep myself from thinking of Riley. I needed to go see her. I needed to get her back.
Perrie sat in her seat, shut the door behind her and I began to drive.
"Zayn, I didn't mean to lie to you," she said.
I scoffed. "Please, Perrie. You knew that baby wasn't mine. The question here is: Why did you lie?"
"I still love you, Zayn. I never stopped loving you."
"And that's how you show it? By lying to me? Telling me that you were pregnant with my baby when you're not? God knows who that baby's father is," I told her, my tone rising with every word. "You didn't honestly think that you could get me to love you again, did you?"
I could tell that she had rolled her eyes. "And why not?"
"You cheated on me! I loved you so much and you slept with another guy! I was going to marry you, Perrie!"
"Then you could love me again," she said, her hand resting on my thigh.
I shook it off. "I can't. Because even if I could forgive you, I love Riley. She's everything to me. She's sweet and understanding. She's carrying my baby. She'd never lie to me..."
Just as I'd finished talking, I parked at Perrie's apartment. She unbuckled her seat belt and looked over to me. "I do love you."
I nodded and she took that as she slid out of my car.
I backed up and drove in the other direction toward the hotel where Louis and Riley were staying. I was going to get her back.
I decided to dedicate this chapter to sonadoras for having added my story to her library and for being too sweet to me. Go check out her stories "The Timekeeper" and "Stay Here".