‘Alright Lads.’ Zayn finally said, his face was hard as his eyes stayed fixed on the three boys. The three of them nodded and muttered something before quickly going down the hall into the kitchen and closing the door. I looked at Zayn then back at the kitchen door. I questioned in my head whether to go into Denzel and ask what was up but I decided to leave it be and go to lunch with Zayn. We got into the car and Zayn drove along the road that lead to the shopping centre where there were some cafes and restaurants.
‘Do you know my brother and his friends?’ I asked Zayn. I looked out the window as I waited for a reply but when he didn’t answer I eventually looked at him.
‘I wouldn’t say I know them…’ His voice trailed off.
‘Okay, so you know of them?’ I asked, raising my eyebrows at him. I didn’t understand why the atmosphere between them was so tense.
‘That Joe kid used to go out with my sister Waliyha a few months back.’ He replied but anger could be seen in his face.
‘Did that end badly?’ I questioned and he nodded slowly.
‘He messed her around, a lot.’ He replied. He was obviously thinking about whatever happened because his grip on the steering wheel tightened and his jaw locked.
‘I guess you protected her and now they’re scared of you?’ I asked again.
‘I suppose, yeah.’ The conversation ended there and we didn’t mention it again. Why would we? I didn’t think there was any more to it than that. Zayn parked the car and we walked across the car park together, our arms brushing against one another’s. We walked through the shopping centre and up the stairs to the floor where we could find somewhere to eat. We stood in the middle where all the restaurants and cafes could be seen.
‘Where do you want to go?’ He asked. He came closer to me and rested his hand on my lower back.
‘Hmm…I’m feeling subway.’ I replied and he let out a chuckle.
‘I like a girl who knows what she wants.’ He whispered into my ear as we walked towards Subway and I turned to look at him smirking.
‘You even make lunch sound sexual.’ I said and a large smile spread on his face. His teeth were extremely white and they were a perfect shape and size, I was beginning to question whether he actually had any flaws. We ordered our food and after a mini fight over Zayn paying for me and wining, we sat down and began to eat our food. We talked about a lot of different things varying from the fact we eat the same sandwich in Subway right up to my ex boyfriends.
‘I can’t believe he ended it with you by text.’ He said while he began to break up one of the cookies in the paper bag.
‘I can, it was completely his character.’ I replied. We were talking about my recent ex boyfriend Jack. We had been together for nine months and after a month of constant fighting and trying to make each other jealous, he told me it was over by one simple text message and I haven’t spoke to him since. I was still at school when it ended so we would see each other in the hallway but never even look at each other. That break up changed me as a person because I was pretty sure that one day I would marry Jack, I thought we were going through a rough patch that would hopefully blow over but apparently not.
‘Then why go out with him?’ Zayn asked.
‘When he was good, he was the best but when he was bad, he was the worst.’ I spoke low as I stared at my hands that were wrapped around my drink. I suddenly felt a warm touch, Zayn’s. I looked up at him and he was smiling with his eyes, one of the best things about him.
‘You deserve somebody better.’ He stated. I began to giggle because it was no secret that Zayn wanted me to be his girlfriend, he had asked me and I had rejected him but yet he was still sitting here eating lunch with me.
‘Is that you telling me that you’re better?’ I joked while cocking an eyebrow at him.
‘No at all. You deserve somebody a lot better than me, but I want you and I’m willing to try and give you what you deserve.’ His words shocked me. Neither of my boyfriends had ever been so…open about their feelings. Jack and I never even said ‘I love you’ to each other, which I’m glad of because I soon realised I didn’t love him at all. I stared at him with a slight smile on my face as we both remained silent. I wasn’t really sure how to reply and he sensed that. He rose from the table and put our papers into the bin. I stood to my feet and swung my bag over my shoulder before heading for the door. Zayn walked close beside me when we exited Subway so I took the opportunity to hold onto his hand. My cold hands against his warm ones startled him slightly, but in a good way. He entwined our fingers as I leaned my head against his arm. He suddenly lifted the arm I was leaning on and put it around my shoulder, our hands still attached. I liked the way we were connected to each other, it was comforting. I nuzzled against the side of his body as we walked along the ground.
‘Shit.’ I heard Zayn say which made me look up. Walking towards us was Max from Aimee’s party who was holding hands with a girl. She was quite tall, not much smaller than Zayn and her body was beyond perfect. Her hair was a silvery blonde colour and it was in a pony tail on the top of her head, she was absolutely gorgeous.
‘Is that Max’s girlfriend?’ I whispered seeing as they were approaching us.
‘Yeah. That’s Taylor.’
My heart began to beat fast and I became incredibly nervous. This was Zayn’s ex girlfriend who was now Max’s girlfriend. He never told me that they started to go out with each other. I let go of Zayn’s hand which was on my shoulder but his arm stayed in position as if he wanted them to see us together.
‘Hi Zayn.’ She said bluntly, she tried to continue on walking but Max soon stopped her.
‘Finally got yourself a new girlfriend so you can stop obsessing over mine?’ Max said. ‘Hiya Danayi.’ My stomach turned when he said my name. It made me feel sick even seeing him with Taylor because last time I had seen him, he was telling Zayn how he could take me like he took Taylor from Zayn.
‘Fuck you.’ Zayn spat and Taylor rolled her eyes. She didn’t seem to be that much of a bitch to be honest but she had hurt Zayn pretty badly.
‘When are you ever going to get over it?’ Taylor spoke. Okay fuck that, this girl was a complete asshole.
‘I’m over it. Don’t worry.’ Zayn said coldly.
‘With her? What age is she? Twelve?’ She said, laughing at her own supposed joke.
‘She is seventeen.’ I spoke up. Zayn dug his finger tips into my shoulder, encouraging me to be quiet.
‘I didn’t know you were a paedophile Zayn.’ Max chuckled which made Zayn and I look at each other in confusion.
‘Max, you’re twenty one.’ Zayn spoke up, completely and utterly correcting Max seeing as Taylor was the same age as Zayn.
‘And I’m pretty sure you said ‘I could easily have her as well’ in reference to me like two weeks ago.’ I stated, making Zayn again dig his fingers into my shoulder. Taylor’s eyes darted to Max and she quickly trailed him away from us.
‘Do you not know how to stay quiet?’ Zayn snarled when they were far enough away. I pulled away from under his arm and stared at him.
‘Excuse me?’ I replied. One hand on my hip and my eyes brows raised.
‘You don’t know anything about it so don’t say anything.’ He almost yelled. I stared at him in shock, I literally said two things and one was to back up Zayn. I shook my head in disbelief at him and turned around, continuing to walk through the shopping centre.
‘Don’t get angry at me.’ He jogged up alongside me as I walked fast in front of him.
‘I stuck up for myself, and you. Yet you’re pissed.’ I replied, my eyes firmly fixed on the path in front of me.
‘I don’t need you to look after me.’ He said while stopping in front of me to block my way.
‘I don’t need you to look after me either.’ I said. My arms now crossed over my chest and my jaw locked. We stood silently for a while just staring at each other, both angry with one another.
‘I want to though.’ He said softly, looking at the ground in the process. Although I was angry with him, I couldn’t help but smile at his sweetness. How could somebody so rough edged be so cute and lovely? I’m not sure, but I like it.
