Hidden Beneath Brown Eyes (A Zayn Malik Fanfiction)

Chapter 65 - Night Changes

Zayn introducing me. That's all it took for every ounce of fear I'd held in for the last five years, to take over me and compel me to run. My heart was beating unnaturally fast, and I could feel the cool sweat that formed along my hairline as it absorbed back into my skin. I'm not sure if I'd ever been so terrified in my life, and it was all because of a simple introduction.

I'd been afraid of meeting Zayn's family for five years, and if I'm being completely honest, it contributed to my decision to keep myself and Jack away to begin with. Even just looking at them now, they seemed like good people. They appeared to be a very strong unit, and I'd already disrupted that enough. Me being almost felt like rubbing salt in the wound. I felt vulnerable, raw, and above all, scared. 

I tried to focus on the warmth of Zayn's hand, that until now I hadn't noticed was still clasped around mine, but I couldn't shake the weight brought down on me by six pairs of curious eyes. I wanted to keep my head down, hang it in shame, glue my eyes to the floor, but I just couldn't allow myself to make that kind of impression. I guess that despite my fear that they already thought the worst of me, there was still a part of me that hoped for redemption.

As my eyes continued to jump from one gaze to the other, I noticed that they weren't all just looking at me. Their gazes were shifting back and forth between me, Zayn, and Jack. While his mother was looking at Jack, Safaa, Waliyha, and Doniya were looking at Zayn, and Doniya's husband was looking at me. Then, as if on cue, they'd all change their focal point at once.

It was an odd kind of game that we were playing, and I'm sure its purpose was to put off speaking for as long as possible, but eventually the dreaded time had to come.

"My god, Zayn. He-he looks just like you." Doniya declared loudly, with her eyes fixed on Jack. To my relief, it seemed as though everyone had completely ignored my introduction, not that I blamed them and not that I minded.

"I told you. He's the spitting image of his father." Mrs. Malik proudly confirmed.

"He's got your ears, and-and your jaw, and he's got your lips. He's like a clone!" Doniya spoke again, disbelief in her voice. I almost expected her to do that cliche "rubbing the eyes to make sure you're not dreaming" thing. 

Then they all proceeded to tell Zayn specifically what features of his he'd passed along to his son, which I agree, was just about everything. It was kind of nice actually to be paid no mind, yet at the same time, I felt a little hurt by it. I think what I feared more than hatred, was indifference, so it's needless to say that I was shocked when Doniya's husband took center stage and spoke.

"But ya know what? He's got Ada's complexion, and more of her bone structure in the cheeks and forehead." he stated, remaining calmly in his seat next to his wife.

Everyone silenced immediately and quickly focused in on me. Suddenly, those six pairs of eyes were all staring at me, analyzing every detail of my physical appearance, from top to bottom. It was unnerving to say the least, but what was even more unsettling was the fact that somehow Doniya's husband had managed to watch me long enough to gather those observations in the first place.

I could feel the color rushing to my cheeks as Zayn's family all took a good look at me, their first real look at me; the woman who tore apart their family and ruined Zayn's career and his life. They didn't even know half of the damage that I had caused, and I knew that they'd dislike me even more if they ever found out.

"Ya know, you're right, Patrick." Waliyha admitted, her eyes still fixed on me.

Everyone in the room nodded in collective agreement, and then the silence came again. It was the kind of silence that falls when the conversation has died and nobody really knows how to continue it. We were all obviously uncomfortable, but it seemed that no one knew how to make the air bearable.