'Till forever h.s.

It never stops hurting (42)

A/N: Being intentionally misled is probably one of the funniest and most heartbreaking ways for a character to be wrong in my opinion.

***

A villain is just a victim whose story hasn't been told.

Zayn's POV

I know about things I wish I didn't. That's a fact and I can't change it no matter how much I want.

Sometimes I wonder if I made different choices, I would be somewhere nicer now. I suppose I could blame this on my parents, I mean they did get me involved in all of this mess and sometimes if feels like this thing is being passed down from generation to generation and there's no way to break the cycle. But another part of me knows that this was somehow always bound to happen.

Maybe I've always been more comfortable around chaos, wanting to admit it or not.

We arrived at our destination about three days ago, it turns out Liam brought me to a ship which explained the swaying of the ground all the time. The extreme Californian heat made me perspire, sweat trickling down my bare chest as I stared at the open window.

After leaving the ship, we got into a car with completely blacked out windows and after an hour or so of driving, they brought me to this place that looked more like a fortress than anything. A main building of five stories accompanied by multiple smaller buildings and a stone wall protecting it, there were guards at every corner so I assume someone very important is staying here.

I had gotten my own room, very plain and nothing like the penthouse. There was a simple single bed with light sheets because of the extreme heat, a small wardrobe with clothes that somehow fit me perfectly and a wooden desk with nothing but a few books by Charles Bukowski. I've always hated that author so I don't even bother.

During this week Ben has been weirdly nice, not that he ever was rude but he's always checking on me, and I honestly don't know how to feel about it. He told me again and again about what happened in the accident and some of it is starting to make sense, I guess this would be a good reason for Davina to never tell me anything. He also said if I decide to help them, I can see my dad soon.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm so fucking exhausted and alone? I've never really had trouble with my emotions and knowing where I belonged but the last couple of weeks have been so challenging and I'm starting to wonder if maybe being on my dad's side will stop making me feel this way. I just miss being part of something, belonging would be the word.

A light knock to the door snaps me out of my thoughts, quickly composing myself before standing up and opening the door to reveal Liam- Ben. It takes some getting used to.

"Can I come in?" He asks softly, giving me a small smile to which I for once return genuinely. He's treated me so nicely for the past days and even before he told me everything, he makes me feel like I'm not a lost cause.

I give space for him to walk through, closing the door as he takes a seat on my bed. I sat beside him, our legs brushing and a fluttering feeling erupting against my chest.

"Can I ask you something?" I whisper carefully, resting my elbows on my thighs and looking up at him.

He only gives a small nod, reaching for my overgrown hair and putting it behind my ear. Reminds me to get a haircut, it's been months and I can't deal with it especially now that we're in California.

"How did you get over it?" I was too afraid to speak up, afraid to shatter this atmosphere and him going back to his very old ways. "The accident I mean."

Liam takes a while to analyze my words, his eyebrows furrowed but more in thought than in anger. "I told myself to stop being weak, you know, just grow up and get over it." His eyes water but he hides it almost professionally, memories playing like a broken disc behind his eyelids. "Then I never felt anything again."