Forbidden Desires {Ziall AU}

Chapter 4: it's not a perfect narrative

chapter title from Best Friends by 5 Seconds of Summer

Hello! Welcome to another chapter, the last one until March, unfortunately.

This is a very dialogue-heavy chapter,  just a warning.

"Hello, father." I sigh, "To what do I owe this pleasant call?" I step into my dorm, flopping down onto my bed.

I hear him scoff on the other end of the line. It's weird, my father never calls me unless necessary. If he can text it, he will. Not that I'm complaining, I'd like to have as little contact with the wretched man as possible. My mother was the only thing keeping him in check, and ever since she ran, there is nothing stopping him from being as harsh as he wants. In this case, he hasn't talked to me in at least a month. Maybe longer than that. We haven't spoken since I went into the warehouse that day. We've fallen into a routine of sorts, Niall and I. We show up at each other's dorms when we need it, no questions asked. "How have you been?" he asks.

I roll my eyes, staring at the dull ceiling. "What do you want?"

"Is a father not allowed to call their son to see how they are?"

I let out a bitter laugh, "Not you."

He scoffs. Who put him up to this? Why is he calling me?

"What do you want?" I repeat, wanting to get off this call as soon as possible.

He sighs in defeat, "Liam told me you have been distant lately," I furrow my brows. "Secretive almost."

My hand clenches around the phone, "And why the hell would he say that?" I growl.

"I was hoping you would tell me." He says, too calm for my liking. "You know you need to be at the top of your game..."

His voice gets drowned out by the ones in my head. Why would Liam say something like that? I thought he kept things like that between us. Better yet, when the hell did he talk to my father? I didn't think he noticed that I wasn't around as much. Though, he obviously did. And he told my father about it.

"You should be careful about the company you keep."

I freeze, his voice hitting me like a ton of bricks. It's like he knows. What if he knows? He could, it wouldn't be hard for him to pay someone. What would he do? I swallow my anxiety, "What is that supposed to mean?" I choke.

The small silence stretches on for eternity, "You know."

Before I have a chance to open my mouth, he hangs up.

I drop my phone, and it's like I've forgotten how to breathe. I sit up, running my hands through my hair.

He knows.

He knows.

He knows.

Liam opens the door, and walks into the room. Perfect timing. Before I can think about what I'm doing, I slam him onto the wall. He lets out a cry, looking at me with furrowed brows.

"What the fuck did you tell him?" I hiss, my hands twisted in his shirt.

He looks at me confused, "What are you on about?" He tries to push me away, but I push him harder.

"My father."

A look of recognition crosses his face, "He called me, out of the blue. Asked how you were."

I sneer, "Bullshit."

He holds his hands up, "Honest!"

I look into his eyes and see something I never want to make him feel.

Fear.

He's scared of me.

I push myself off him, and I stumble back until I hit the desk.

"Are you ok?" he asks, putting a hand on my arm.

I shrug him off, stepping further away.

He takes the hint, staying where he is. "What did he say to you?"

He doesn't know. "I can't do this."

I push past Liam, walking towards the door. He grabs my arm on the way out.

I twist out of his grip, "Please, just leave me alone." I beg.

I stumble down the hall, and I feel like it's closing in around me. I manage to reach the now familiar door. I try to steady my breathing, to get the room to stop spinning.

Niall opens the door, "Hi." He looks me up and down, "Are you ok?"

Why is everyone asking me that? Do I look like a trainwreck? I just want to stop thinking. I step forward, capturing his lips with my own. "Distract me."

He pulls back, scanning my face. He rests his hands on the side of my neck, "Ok."

He pulls back, walking across the room. He gives me a smirk, and with a click, we're blanketed in darkness. I feel his gentle hands gliding up my neck, pulling me in for a sweet kiss.

Word Count: 777