𝓒𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒, 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄, ᶻᵃʸⁿ ᵐᵃˡⁱᵏ

𝐗𝐈𝐈𝐈. 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲

zayns pov

i drove back to my place after leaving the studio, the evening weighing heavily on my mind. the night had been a maelstrom of emotions, filled with old feelings and new uncertainties.

as i replayed our interactions over and over in my head, i couldn't help but feel a deep sense of nostalgia and regret.

one thing that kept coming back to me was belle's new house. it was on my old childhood street, the very one where i had grown up. and not just anywhere on that street—her house was one of the best on the block.

it was beautiful, a real gem among the other homes.

seeing it had stirred something deep inside me. did she choose this place with me in mind, hoping that one day, i might come back and see her? the thought was both comforting and unsettling.

i wondered if she had always hoped that i would return to that street, that our paths would cross again. maybe she had chosen the house as a kind of beacon, a signpost waiting for me to come home. it felt almost romantic, like she had been holding onto the hope that we could rekindle what we once had.

and yet, it also made me question whether my return had been what she really wanted or if it had just added another layer of complexity to an already tangled situation.

i settled onto the edge of my bed, staring blankly at the wall. i tried to make sense of everything that had happened tonight.

seeing belle again had been like opening a time capsule. we fell back into our old rhythm so easily, it was almost like no time had passed at all.

but the reality of the years that had come between us was not so easily forgotten. her house, with its familiar address, seemed to symbolize everything that had changed and everything that might still be possible.

i couldn't help but think about how different things might have been if i hadn't let simon's advice steer me away from isobella.

simon had been insistent on focusing on my career, on making the right choices for my future. but in doing so, i had pushed away the person who meant the most to me.

if i had listened to my heart instead of letting career pressures dictate my decisions, who knows where we might be now.

maybe we would be married by now, living in that beautiful house together, laughing about how we let time and distance come between us.

i ran a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of regret pressing down on me.

i had hoped that reconnecting with her would be simple, that we could pick up where we left off. but the reality was more complicated. i had to be honest with myself— i missed her more than i had realised.

and seeing her again had stirred up feelings that i wasn't entirely sure how to handle.

when i had been singing tonight, letting my guard down, i couldn't help but notice the way she looked at me.

was there something more in her gaze, or was it just the nostalgia of our shared past?

i wanted to believe that there was still a part of her that felt the same way, but i also had to be careful not to read too much into it. i didn't want to make things more complicated than they already were.

as i sat on the edge of the bed, my thoughts kept returning to the possibility that maybe i had unintentionally flirted with her. i had been so focused on reconnecting that i hadn't considered how my actions might have been perceived.

if she felt that i was crossing boundaries, i needed to address it head-on. the last thing i wanted was to make her uncomfortable or to jeopardize our chance of rebuilding our friendship.

i grabbed my phone, staring at the screen as i debated whether or not to send a message. i wanted to be clear about my intentions, to make sure that isobella understood that my main goal was to reconnect as friends.

i wasn't looking to complicate things with romantic gestures or mixed signals. i just wanted to be a part of her life again, in whatever capacity she was comfortable with.

i started typing a message, trying to find the right words to express how i felt. "hi belle , i've been thinking a lot about tonight, and i just wanted to say that i'm really sorry if i crossed any lines. i value our friendship so much, and i'd hate for anything to jeopardize that. if you want to talk or need some space, just let me know. i'm here for you, no matter what."

i decided not to hit send and put my phone down, feeling a mix of regret anxiety.

it was up to her to decide how to move forward. i hoped she'd just understand that my intentions were sincere, that i was committed to being a better friend and making things right.

the silence of my apartment felt oppressive as i lay back on my bed, staring at the ceiling. the weight of the past and the uncertainty of the future were heavy on my shoulders.

i wanted to believe that this message would open a door to rebuilding our connection, but i also knew that it was up to isobella to decide how she wanted to proceed.

i thought about the possibility that she had chosen to live on my old street because it was a place where our paths might cross again. it was a beautiful, hopeful thought, but it also made me question whether i had been too quick to assume that everything would fall back into place.

if i had been more patient, more understanding, maybe things would have turned out differently. maybe we could have found our way back to each other without all the complications that now seemed to surround us.

the night felt long, and the future uncertain. but as i lay there, trying to sort through my feelings, i knew that whatever happened next would require patience and understanding.

i needed to be prepared for whatever response isobella might have, and i needed to be ready to respect her boundaries, no matter what.

i hoped that, in time, we could find a way to rebuild our friendship, to find common ground once again. the path might be difficult, and there would likely be obstacles along the way.

but i was willing to take it one step at a time, to navigate the complexities and uncertainties of our renewed connection.

for now, all i could do was wait and hope that this message would be a step toward something positive. i wanted to make things right, to be a part of isobella's life in a meaningful way.

and who knew—maybe, with time and effort, we could find a way to look back on the past with a sense of appreciation for how far we had come, together o

𝐚𝐯𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬!

so like they're both kinda in denial..?