English Love Affair » z.m au

31. "I couldn't shake you."

Zayn

As soon as the door opened, I forced my way in, my eyes frantic, searching for the damage caused upon Louis. I was pissed at him, yes, but Harry’s text scared the living hell out of me.

“ What the hell happened, Louis, are you okay?”

What the fuck?

He looked fine.

Upset, on edge, but fine.

I then saw Harry rising from his seat on the couch, followed by-

Wait. What?

“ Scarlett? What the hell is going on here? Is this another one of your set ups, Louis, because I swear to fucking God-“

“ Jesus Christ, Zayn, would you settle down?” Scarlett interrupted, as Harry protectively took Louis’ hand, pulling him to his side, with a deathly frown on his features, almost as if he was willing to step in whenever needed.

“ I am trying to fix it.” Louis whispered, shaking his head in disappointment at my continuous attacks.

“ How?”

“ You wanted me here, so here I am. Bring it on.” Scarlett said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“ The guy from the restaurant, and then the café, who is he?”

“ Niall.”

“ Don’t play smart with me, Scarlett, I am not in the fucking mood. Who’s Niall?” She rolled her eyes at that.

“ Niall is my friend. We went out on one date, at that restaurant, and it had something to do with the fact that he looked like you know who, and I was in that place at the time, so.”

“ You didn’t correct me.”

“ It doesn’t bother me as much.”

“ What, so you’re fixed now?”

“ Fuck no, I just happen to hear something other than his consistent yells in my head, you know, I’m still mad as fuck, but not as mad as I was back then.”

“ So it helped.”

“ A little.”

“ And that DJ from the café?”

“ You’ve got to be kidding me.” She let out an unamused laugh, shaking her head.

“ Just answer me.”

“ Just. A friend.” She repeated, her patience wearing thin, but to be honest, I didn’t give a fuck, I was relieved.

“ So you’re okay?” I asked, after what felt like an eternity of electrified silence.

“ Zayn.”

“ Scar.” And I couldn’t help the small smile taking over my face, upon seeing her famous smirk.

“ Okay, what else?” All that I had been bottling up inside me for months on end now, had dissolved into a single look into her sparkling eyes.

“ Where have you been ever since you were released?”

“ Around. I travelled for a bit, trying to find myself, possibly escape from all the mass destruction I caused here. Then I came back, found a job at that café, found myself a small apartment close to it, and that’s pretty much it.”

“ Why didn’t you try to contact me? Or Mary?”

“ You’re on first names basis with my grandma?” She seemed utterly amused by the fact that I knew her grandma’s name, which dusted a layer of the many layers of dust under which I had buried all that was ever good and bright about the world.