the one that got away, zayn malik

chapter twenty two

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
3rd of april 2016

THE atmosphere in their apartment was thick with tension as olive stood in front of him, fists clenched at her sides. it felt like a storm was brewing, one they had been tiptoeing around for too long.

"zayn, we need to talk," she said, trying to keep her voice steady, though she could feel the frustration bubbling up inside her.

he barely looked up from his phone, a hint of annoyance crossing his face. "what now?"

"it's about gigi," she began, taking a step forward. "you keep saying she's just a friend, but it feels like you're spending all your time with her. more than with me."

zayn straightened, irritation creeping into his posture. "olive, i've told you before. she's my friend. we've known each other forever. why are you making this a thing?"

"because it feels like you're putting her first," olive shot back, frustration making her heart race. "you're out with her more than you're with me. the media keeps saying you two are together like it's some big romantic thing, and i'm just supposed to ignore that?"

he crossed his arms, his expression hardening. "you know how the media is. it's all bullshit. i'm not doing anything wrong."

"maybe it's not about what you're doing wrong," she said, her voice rising. "it's about how you make me feel. i shouldn't have to compete for your attention with someone you claim is just a friend."

"olive, you're overreacting. you're acting paranoid," he snapped, his voice sharp.

"paranoid? i'm not paranoid!" she retorted, her frustration spilling over. "i'm telling you how i feel, and you keep dismissing it. it's like you don't even care."

"maybe you need to chill out. it's not like i'm cheating on you," he said, his tone becoming defensive.

"chill out? you think i'm crazy for wanting to talk about this?" olive felt the sting of his words, and the memory of how management used to dismiss her feelings flooded her mind. "i'm just trying to understand what's going on."

"crazy? i never said that," he said, but the defensiveness in his voice made her heart drop.

"you didn't have to," olive replied, taking a step back as hurt washed over her. "you're saying i'm making a big deal out of nothing. you're doing exactly what they did to me, acting like my feelings don't matter."

"can't you see how ridiculous this sounds?" zayn said, frustration leaking into his voice. "it's just a friendship! you need to stop making everything about you!"

"about me?" she said, incredulity rising in her voice. "you're the one spending all this time with gigi while i'm here trying to be in a relationship with you! the press is talking about you two like you're a couple. it's not just in my head."

"just stop," he said, his voice rising. "you're making it harder than it needs to be."

"harder for who?" olive felt her anger boiling. "you're the one who won't even acknowledge how this is affecting me! i shouldn't have to feel like i'm losing you to someone else!"

"losing me?" zayn's jaw tightened, and for a moment, olive thought she saw something in his eyes—maybe guilt, maybe regret—but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. "i'm not going anywhere."

"really? because it doesn't feel that way. it feels like you're choosing to ignore how i feel while you're off with her. the press is saying things about you two that make me question everything."

"maybe you're just too much sometimes," he said, the words slipping out in a rush of anger.

her heart sank at his words. "too much? you've got to be kidding me. i thought we were supposed to be in this together."

"can't you just trust me?" he asked, his voice softening slightly, though his frustration lingered.

"trust you?" olive felt a wave of sadness wash over her. "how can i trust you when i feel like i'm losing you?"

"maybe if you just backed off a little—" he started, but she interrupted him.

"i can't keep doing this," she said, her voice shaky. "if you want to hang out with gigi, then just say it. but don't pretend like you're still here with me."

zayn opened his mouth to respond, but the words wouldn't come. the silence stretched between them, heavy and filled with tension.

"do you even want to make this work?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

he hesitated, the silence in the room deafening. "i'm trying, olive."

"trying isn't enough anymore," she said, shaking her head. "if you can't see how your actions affect me, then maybe we need to rethink this."

"maybe you're just crazy for thinking that way," zayn said, the anger in his voice surfacing again.

"crazy? is that what you really think of me?" olive felt her world tilt, the familiar sting of betrayal piercing her chest. "you're saying i'm crazy for being upset about losing you?"

he stepped back, the weight of his words hanging in the air. "i didn't mean it like that. you're just...you need to see it from my side."

"from your side?" she echoed, incredulity rising. "you think that dismissing my feelings makes you right? if you really cared, you'd understand why i'm hurt."

zayn ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident on his face. "i'm not trying to hurt you. can't you see that?"

"see what?" olive felt her heart breaking. "that i'm trying to fight for us while you're out there living your life with someone else? it's like i don't even exist to you anymore."

"maybe if you just calmed down and stopped overreacting—"

"stop! just stop!" olive shouted, tears brimming in her eyes. "you keep saying i'm overreacting, but you don't see how your actions have pushed me away. i shouldn't have to fight for your attention!"

he was silent for a moment, clearly struggling to find the right words. "i never meant to make you feel this way."

"then what did you mean? because it feels like you're choosing to ignore me," she replied, her voice trembling with hurt.

zayn took a step toward her, desperation creeping into his voice. "olive, please, i—"

"no," she said, shaking her head. "it's too late for that. you think i'm crazy for feeling this way, but i'm not. i just want you to see how much this hurts."

"i'm trying to explain—" he began again, but she held up a hand to stop him.

"i can't do this," olive said, her voice breaking. "if you can't even acknowledge how you make me feel, then maybe we shouldn't be together."

as the words left her mouth, she turned away, feeling the weight of their argument crash down around her. zayn reached out, trying to grab her arm. "olive, don't go—"

"just let me go," she said, her voice barely above a whisper as she opened the door.

"please," zayn pleaded, but she stepped out into the hallway, feeling her heart shatter as she closed the door behind her.

AUTHORS NOTE
idk how i feel about this🤔🤔🤔🤔

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