Calamity [Zarry Stylik AU]©️

Chapter 38: IT'S JUST US, OKAY?

H,

Earlier that day

When the news broke of the divorce the word went quiet. I was happy. Boy, was I happy!

However, I was so anxious at the same time. With Gigi out of the way, everything was real. It was all true. Zayn and I weren't some fruit from my imagination, we were the real deal. I couldn't contain my emotions of relief and utter anxiety for the future ahead.

I read headline, after headline, comment after comment. All speaking about their relationship, a wrap-up of accomplishments in the three years of marriage. They had done so much together and did create a brand and followed behind them. Many considered them 'goals' and were obsessed with them as a pair.

I decided to follow their timeline.

I saw old pictures of them for fashion magazines, interviews, and photographs taken by the paparazzi as they walked down the street hand in hand or went to parties. They were glamour and fashion. Gigi was always ahead of her time with costume-made dresses and stunning looks whenever they attended a party or high-end street ware whenever she walked down the street. A trendsetter. Whatever she wore, was it for the season.

Gigi always smiled for the pictures, even at a distance and made sure to always have one hand on Zayn - which I thought was odd. My love was a bit more reserved, even when standing next to her. Zayn was always closed off, with eyes with no shine, no smile, guarded up and wearing mostly dark clothes. I saw him with black hair, yellow, and blue and I thought that was a distant person from the one I knew. In the pictures with her, Zayn was either smoking a cigarette, a joint or drinking something. They looked like a weird pairing when analysed individually, but together made sense.

Looking at my lover's picture on a red carpet, I saw how saddened Zayn looked. Knowing him now, and being able to read all his emotions from him, I saw sadness and emptiness in him.

Out of curiosity, I searched Tom's name with Zayn's - I wasn't expecting much, but the difference was obvious. Firstly, Tom was handsome. He was indeed tall, hovering over Zayn easily.

So handsome he was! And yes, whenever pictures existed of Zayn and Tom in the public eye, they were always smiling towards one another. This Zayn I recognized. The one that smiled with his eyes, wrinkling his nose. In every public picture with Tom, he was smiling, even with Gigi next to them. I found this beautiful picture of the three of them together at the beach.

My lover looked so happy, and Tom did too - it was probably one of the good days. I wasn't jealous of his former lover. Of course not. I was proud of myself for being able to see Zayn smile this way and to make him more happy or in the same manner that Tom did. I quickly found the articles regarding his death and felt sorry.

Moving forward in Zayn and Gigi's online history, that same smile never appeared again and the moments where they did show up together were scarce.

My lover had suffered so much.

Sitting on the couch, by the TV, I looked outside the window to see the day was half gone. My mum, Trish, Gemma and Taryn spoke at the dining table. I was happy that they all got along and that my world and Zayn's were melding into another. I could see more encounters like this in the future, which made my heart grow warm.

My phone vibrated in my hand, and I looked at who was calling. Again, it was her and my heart froze. It was the third time she was calling. Firstly, back at my house after buying cookies for Zayn, and secondly when we were having lunch at my mum's just before Taryn arrived and now. Your army was closing in, Louis. Not giving me a chance to breathe or relax.

I had made the decision not to mention any of this to Zayn - we were good. Having Louis come in between us and arguing over him stressed me. I didn't want to argue about him with my lover. I didn't want to create a wedge between my love and me because of Louis - something that ended three years ago.