Someone Different [Zayn Malik Romance]

15. Aftermath

                The first time my phone rang and it wasn't my father was three days later, and it was Niall calling me and asking if we could meet. I had been lounging in sweats – that I had been wearing for the past two days – so I forced myself into the shower and then into some clothing.

                I hadn't gone in Perrie's house since the talk with Zayn, and I didn't exactly plan on it, either. In fact, I didn't plan on talking to any of them ever again, or acting like it had happened – I was going to continue my normal life of Lela Oswalt.

                But I met up with Niall in a coffee shop at noon the day he called me, sunglasses over my face to hide the fact I wasn't wearing make-up and my hair in a top bun. I was wearing jeans and an oversized, ratty dark blue sweater to keep from drawing attention to myself.

                "You look..." Niall said when he saw me, and I knew he wouldn't say 'pretty'. "Um, is it bad if I say awful?"

                I gave him a fake smile, but moped and sunk deeper into my seat. "I know."

                He sighed. "Things didn't go well."

                "Not quite."

                "Things didn't go well for me, either, when he asked if I knew about you."

                To that I perked up, leaning over the table with my eyes wide behind the sunglasses. "Why would you do that?"

                He shrugged. "I didn't want to lie. I suppose you want details?"

                Yes. "No."

                "Are you sure about that?"

                No. "Yes."

                He looked suspicious, but I knew he would wait for me to ask how things went before telling me. I kept myself from asking though, and instead we talked briefly about what I was going to end up doing. I told him that I had to tell Perrie, obviously, and was avoiding all contact with her house.

                I told him that I would finally start spending time with my father. I told him all of these things, how I would suddenly change my way of life, but as the words left my mouth I knew I wouldn't be able to do it. I could barely concentrate on this conversation – how would I concentrate on the summer?

                "I'll call you when he finally talks to me," Niall said after twenty minutes, standing up and giving me a short hug. "Just hang in there."

                And that's what the Irish boy said to me, exiting the coffee shop and continuing his fabulous life full of fame and riches. I wondered if he even cared about this lame, miniscule problem compared to everything he deals with in one day. But then I realized that Niall wasn't like that – in fact, none of the guys were. Not their girlfriends, either.

                So what did this mean?

                I guess it was time to finally do what my father flew me out here to do – spend time with him.

~*~

                Four short days later and no call from Zayn. I only had gotten texts from Niall asking me how I was and tying to update me on their fight status, and from what it sounded like, Zayn was pretty upset. I suppose I couldn't blame him.

                It was that day that I went to Perrie's to rid my things of her room and house and load them into a car that my father had let me borrow when he left for work this morning. I had way more in the car than I was expecting – I hadn't even realized I brought so much there – when I finally left.