Behind Closed Doors

37. Breathe

"I love you, Harreh."

Silence.

Panicking, Zayn had to look away from those green eyes and rose parted lips that dressed Harry's face of pure shock.

Their eyes met immediately as Harry began to speak again, "Rep—"

"Zehn, where'd you put me charger?" Perrie interrupted, her voice coming from his bedroom.

Quickly getting up to save himself from prolonged embarrassment, Zayn walked to the bedroom to help Perrie look.

He found it a few minutes later between the wall and his headboard. After handing it to her and receiving a peck to the cheek, Zayn went back to the sitting room to find it empty.

The dull ache quickly consumed him once more.

Perrie left within the next few hours and Zayn was back to square one. Smoking and wanting to cry in his room, but this time there was another emotion besides heartache. Utter embarrassment.

The lads called him but he had been ignoring them for the last hour. As his phone rang again, he saw it was his mum and decided to pickup.

"Hey, mum," Zayn spoke softly.

"Zehn, is that youh sunshine?"

He couldn't help but chuckle. She always seemed to ask him that even though her cell phone obviously had caller ID. "Course it is, mum. Unless you've got another son I dunno about."

"Babe, what's wrong? Why're you ignoring your friends?"

Her voice was laced with shear worry causing the dark haired boy to feel a tad guilty. Zayn could burst into tears just at the sound of her voice. It was his mum. His safe place. Home.

"I wanna come home, mum." He said as his voice began to crack.

Next thing he knew he was full on sobbing as Trisha spoke words of comfort in his ear.

"Sweetheart, it's alright. Talk to me, love. What's got you soh down in the dumps?"

"I don't wanna talk about it, mum. Okeh? Please just know I'm okeh but I really could use you right now."

"I want to see youh, you know I always miss my favorite boy. You'll be headin to the states the day after tomorrow won't yah? Once youh come back you've some time off. Why don't you come home then, love? Spend some time with the family and let us shower you with love. We miss youh soh much, Zehn. Wali won't admit it but I caught her sleepin with your old action figures the other night. I can send ya the picture if you'd like?"

Zayn listened with a smile on his face as the tears began to subside with the sound of his mothers voice.

"Yeah, mum. That sounds really nice. I'll definitely be by when I'm back."

"All that posh London air is probably what is it. Youh need some Bradford air. Soothes the soul, I'm tellin ya!" She said as Zayn began to laugh.

"Those people can't make a good curry dish to save their lives, eh? We'll be sure to fatten youh up and send you back with good spirits, love."

"You're probably right mum. The air is definitely weird here." He quipped with a chuckle.

They spoke for a good hour, Zayn mostly listening as she filled him in on his sisters lives and reminding him to call his father.

"I'll be sure to call your dad and have him over soh we can all smother youh at once, okay?" Trisha said as they were about to end the phone call.

Zayn considered himself really lucky with his parents relationship. They weren't together anymore but always got along great and were more than able to be in the same space for extended periods of time. They were friends first and foremost is what his mum always said. On more than one occasion he'd caught them kissing and admittedly, his sisters and him had tried to play parent trap. Perhaps his parents weird dynamic affected him in his relationships today, who knows. But Zayn appreciated their love towards one another and never pressed either on the subject now, as an adult.