Forever Marked (z.m.)AU

Puzzle Piece

Madison POV

My heels click behind me with every step I take. I feel someone staring and I know who it is. "How are you supposed to work if you keep staring at me Mr. Payne?" I ask without turning around. "To be quite honest Miss. Summers, I'm not really sure." He says and I smile sitting down at my desk.

The man is whipped. And, wrapped right around my finger. I know that, I wish that maybe that wasn't the case, and that he didn't like me. Let alone love me. But, right now, he's the only thing keeping me sane. And holding me here.

He's the only thing keeping me from depression and falling into a dark abyss. In life you lose things, people, and it can build you up or break you down. Zayn had done both, he built me up and made me feel alive, then he broke me down when he left.

I shake my head at the thought and get back to work. All I do is answer the phone and fix meetings, I could stick a pencil in my ear, fall over, and not notice. This monotonous cycle is killing me. "Want to get some lunch?" I look up to see Liam and I nod laying the pencil down and walking towards him.

"I love you." he whispers in my ear as we walk to the elevators with his arm around my waist. "I love you too, you big goof." I say as he fakes offense. I laugh and so does he as we ride all the way to the ground floor. "Where do you want to eat?" He asks as I shrug.

"What about this little Chinese place just down the street?" He asks as I nod with a smile. We walk hand in hand down the street. I feel a bit uneasy, and I know that feeling, that unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. I turn my head and search the streets, looking around I guess I was wrong.

I guess I wasn't being watched by, him.

But, I was.

Zayn POV

I watched as Madi and Liam walked down the street together. I seen her head turn, and I knew that she knew I was watching. I could see it in her eyes, the hope of seeing me.

I can't read minds, but I can read her. I know he better than she knows herself. I told her that once upon a time. But, here is something I never thought I'd say.

I miss her.

I missed her the moment I left. I threw myself into my work so I wouldn't think about her that much. But, I still did.

Girls would come into the shop and hit on me, but they weren't Madi. Nobody is just like her, she is so unique, so many perfect imperfections. That was Madi, and she never truly admired herself as much as everyone else does. She is such a selfless person.

She is the puzzle piece that I'm now missing, and I won't get her back. Not that I couldn't, I just don't want to ruin what her and Liam have. I see it.

I see the love and admiration in his eyes, how he holds her, and looks at her. His smile. I know that it's probably weird to know all of this, but I've watched people for as long as I can remember, and I know that look. He's in love, and she's slowly falling right behind him.

I want to run across this street, take her into my arms and tell her how much I fûcking love her, place a kiss on her lips, and hope she feels the same way. But, I'm not going to. Call me a coward, but she needs love that is normal, and she needs someone who is normal. She wants normal.

I get out of my car walking through the throng of busy people always claiming they have to be somewhere at a certain time. I walk down the alley to get back to work. "Zayn watch out!" I see Niall scream in fromt of me as I look back.

Madison POV

"Liam, thank you for the lunch." I say as we sit in the booth at the resturant. "No problem." He says his smile broad.

RING RING

His smile drops as he grabs his phone frowning. "I have to go back to work. You have another thirty minutes for your break. Go get some dessert from across the street and bring me something back." je says as he stands up handing me a ten dollar bill. He bends down kissing my cheek walking out of the resturant. And he waves at me through the window as he passes by.

I stand up walking out of the resturant onto the street watching as people are walking so fast they might as well run. RING RING I grab my phone seeing the caller was a number that wasn't on my phone. "Hello." I say as I lay against the bricks of the resturant. "Madi."

"Zayn?"

"Yeah, listen. There is an alley across from the street to you right now, remember to go to the shop?" He asks as I look across the street, the split of concrete dark. "Yeah." I say as I wait for him to speak. "Walk across the street, come to me, now." his voice demanding and I nod as I hang up the phone.

I walk across the street and into the dark alley to where Zayn is. He wants to talk he does. I smile as I walk deeper into the alley, the shop coming into view. "Madi!" I turn to see Zayn and a man in all black. Zayn then falls to the ground in a slump. "Zayn!" I yell as the man comes towards me.

"Get away from me! Liam will come after me!" I scream as I hear the man chuckle. "Liam!" I scream hoping and praying to some unknown that anyone would hear me. The closer he got the more I knew what I had to do. Run.

I ran, somewhere along the way I had lost my heels, but I don't care, they were slowing me down. I feel arms wrap around me and I hit the ground with a thud. The weight of another person on top of me. A hand goes over my mouth, and a sweet smell fills my nose.

The last thing I saw was a pair of business shoes, and a familiar chuckle filled my ears.