the one that got away, zayn malik

chapter thirty

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY
CHAPTER THIRTY
10th of september 2016
11th of september 2016

OLIVE stood backstage at jimmy kimmel live, her heart racing faster than she'd ever felt before. she had been on big stages before, with loud fans chanting her name, but this felt different. this was her moment. her first time performing live in years—and the first time singing her new single "i told you things." the song felt like it had followed her, a reflection of everything that had been building inside of her since her time with one direction. she was nervous, deeply so, but she couldn't ignore the undercurrent of excitement, either.

her manager had told her that the nerves were normal, but olive wasn't sure. she had been nervous before, sure—but that had been under different circumstances, under different expectations. back then, she was part of something larger, something not completely her own. tonight, she was standing in front of an audience, alone, singing about things only she could truly understand.

"olive, five minutes," someone called out, and she forced herself to take a deep breath, her hand finding the strap of her gray, flowy dress. the fabric felt comforting, soft against her skin. she ran her fingers down the side, trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach. she glanced around at the crew running around, the final preparations before the show. the lights were being adjusted, the band was warming up, and everything was getting ready for her to step into the spotlight.

her mind flashed to her time in one direction—the harsh expectations, the endless tours, and the way everything seemed to be about other people's schedules, other people's choices. this was different. this was hers. but that didn't make it any easier. the whole world was watching.

finally, it was time. she could hear the intro music start. olive walked to the edge of the stage, standing just behind the curtain, her chest tight. she heard jimmy's voice, the familiar sound of him talking about the next guest, and she knew it was time.

the curtain pulled back. the spotlight hit her, and the stage stretched out before her. the audience was clapping, cheering, but all olive could hear was the sound of her own breath, shaky and unsure. the band was waiting, the first few chords of her song ready to fill the room. she took one final deep breath, forcing her nerves down, letting them dissipate into the music.

as the song started, olive stood still for a moment, letting the soft strum of the guitar settle around her. the lyrics began to spill from her lips, her voice uncertain at first but gradually finding its ground. she sang "i told you things that i never said, you're the golden boy and my worst regret," each word carefully chosen, each note heavy with the weight of everything she had been holding back. the song felt personal, the lyrics wrapped around her like a blanket she was slowly shedding, layer by layer.

the first chorus came, and olive closed her eyes briefly, letting the music wash over her. she could hear the crowd, their energy feeding into her, and she felt her nerves start to fade. it wasn't perfect, and that was okay. she was here, on her own, finally telling her story.

but then, at the end of the song, she found herself at the high note—the part she had been practicing for days. as the final lines "you were in my hands, but you're good at leaving" came, her voice lifted effortlessly. she hit the note cleanly, and then, with a delicate breath, she moved into a higher pitch. the change was subtle but powerful, the note trembling with emotion. her voice stretched and soared in the air, holding onto that note longer than she had planned, feeling every bit of the pain, the relief, and the truth she had poured into the song.

the audience reacted immediately. olive opened her eyes, surprised by the sudden silence that followed, broken only by the sounds of applause as they rose to their feet. she let the final note resonate, standing still for just a moment before the applause filled the room. the validation she had been seeking for so long, the feeling that she was finally free of everything that had weighed her down, was in that moment.