Hate That I Love You

Chapter 25

Harry continued to hold Zayn's head under the tap, rinsing him perhaps more than necessary and with more force than would actually need. "You're a fucking idiot," growled his friend.

Zayn began to gasp, eventually breaking free from his grip and escaping the icy water. "Did you want to drown me?" the dark-haired man snapped, grabbing a towel and wiping his face. After Harry stuck his fingers down his throat and made him throw up again, and again, and by now, Zayn had begun to recover noticeably, although all his movements were still slowing down and the world was still not quite stable.

"Maybe!" Harry exclaimed. "When the fuck were you going to tell me, huh?" he asked.

"Never!" He answered. "I said I'm not going! What do you want me to tell you?"

"You're even more of an idiot!" Harry slapped his arm.

"oww!" he moaned, rubbing it. "What was this for?"

"If you're afraid of commitment, don't blame me, clear?" he threatened him, pointing his finger at him.

"Do you think that's why?" Zayn blinked. "No," he shook his head slowly. "Absolutely not. I want to spend the rest of my life with Liam, we told each other and-I wanted to tell you about it, but then you started getting into trouble and, I don't know" he shook his head, sitting on the edge of the big tub in pottery from Harry's luxurious penthouse.

"Zayn" Harry said, sighing he sat down next to him and put his arm around his shoulders. "You don't have to think about me. Go to Liam, I'll visit you often. You know I have an apartment in Manhattan."

"It would be different too," he said. "You know. I can't help you from that far away, and I don't have so much money like you that I can afford a plane ticket every now and then."

"Stop messing with yourself," he rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine."

"Nobody can get by on their own," he said, looking at him out of the corner of his eye.

Harry tightened his grip on the edge of the tub. "It'll be fine," he whispered, a fake smile on his face.

"You need me, Haz," he continued. "Now more than ever, I can't abandon you now. We've always been there for each other ..."

"Zayn" Harry stopped him. "You've saved me loads of times already. Millions. You've been there when no one has ever been and I'll never be grateful enough for that. But Liam is right, it's time to let me go."

"I can't," he shook his head, as a veil of tears filled his eyes. "You know that the disease your mother has could be genetic and I don't want it someday ..."

"Hey, hey, hey," Harry stopped him. "It won't turn out like that, it's different."

"You are about to marry a man you don't love, Haz. You need support, and who will give it to you but me?"

"I don't need support, you have to stop protecting me," he said seriously. "You have to go and live your life. I'll be fine, really. Xander will be by my side anyway, then there's Gemma, she would never leave me. I won't feel alone," he lied, to reassure him. "And then, I'll come and see you every time and that I can, I promise," he nodded.

Zayn bit his lip, looking at him out of the corner of his eye. "Are you sure you can do it without me?" he asked.

Harry smiled, nodding visibly. "I'm not sure otherwise, more than anything else," he wrinkled his nose.

The dark haired boy laughed then, fading the smile, rushed to embrace him, holding him tightly to himself. "I will miss you," he whispered.

Harry closed his eyes, deliberately ignoring his eyes that had started to tear. "You too, idiot," he smiled anyway. "And now go to your love" he urged, breaking away. "He's lying in bed waiting for you."