Rising Up From Ruin - Ziam (AU)

Chapter 21 - Back In Your Arms

Zayn’s P.O.V.

            “Josh!” I yelled barging into our small apartment noisily.

            “Huh?” He groaned, obviously just waking up from a nap.

            “Look!” I said, still gripping the piece of paper tightly in my hands, “Look what Liam sent out! He wants to find me,”

            There was this dumb smile that I just couldn’t wipe off my face. Josh smiled back at me and then took the paper from my hand.

            “Whoa, Zayn, you’re bleeding!” He exclaimed, jumping up and grabbing a towel from the other side of the room. I hadn’t noticed myself, but I must have cut my hands when I fell back in the alleyway. My hands were covered in blood all over my palms, and the piece of paper that Josh was now holding, had many bloody finger prints all over it.

            “Oh, it’s fine,” I said, “Just read it!”

            Josh finished gathering things for me so I could wrap up my hands, and then he sat down, reading the letter over slowly.

            “There’s an address,” He said, smiling, “Are we going to go? Are we?”

            “Yeah, yeah, I think so,” I said, “I mean, if Liam wants to find me, if he still really does care, and still really does want me, then I have to go to him. I have no other choice.”

            Josh just nodded, and handed the bloody piece of paper back to me, “Well, we should go find the address, shouldn’t we?”

            I nodded and waited for him to stand, but then he froze, his face distorting in thought, “What about me though?” He whispered. “You aren’t going to leave me all alone, are you?” Josh’s eyes widened as he look up at me, his face looking so vulnerable, and so unsure and self conscious. It was a look I used to get from Liam all the time. It hit a weak spot with me.

            “Of course I’m not going to leave you,” I said with a smirk, “Now c’mon, we have a house to find,”

            So that’s what we spent the rest of the day doing. Going around and showing people the address, hoping we could be pointed in the right direction. But no one had ever heard of the street name, and that fact alone was discouraging. Why didn’t anyone recognize it?

            “Oh, wait, I know that street name,” An old man said happily. We had found him sitting inside an ice cream parlor.

            “Really?” I asked, excitement flowing through me. Let’s just say it had been a long day. “Can you lead us in the right direction?”

            “Of course,” He smiled, “That’s the fancy house just a few blocks away. It has it’s own private drive, that’s why no one has probably recognized the name,”