the one that got away, zayn malik

chapter thirty one

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
13th of september 2016

THE  air in london was brisk, the early morning chill biting against olive's skin as she made her way toward the little café. she tugged her coat tighter around her, the familiar streets bringing with them a swirl of memories she'd tried to leave behind. her suitcase still sat unpacked at home, but she couldn't pass up the chance to see liliana.

the café was just as she remembered—quaint, cozy, and bustling with quiet energy. the bell above the door chimed softly as olive stepped inside, and the warmth of the space immediately enveloped her. she glanced around at the small tables, the soft hum of conversation filling the air, and for a moment, she felt an ache in her chest. this had been their place once—hers and zayn's. every corner held a memory, from the booth they'd always sat in to the pastry counter he'd jokingly raided more than once.

shaking off the thought, olive slid into a seat near the window and pulled out her phone. a message from liliana lit up her screen

stuck in traffic. so sorry, i'll be a bit late xx

olive sighed, replying quickly:

no problemo, got us a table xx

she set her phone down and glanced out the window, the street bustling with life. it felt surreal to be back, like stepping into a world that had moved on without her.

the bell above the door jingled again, and olive instinctively looked up. her stomach flipped. walking in, looking as graceful and polished as ever, was trisha malik.

olive immediately ducked her head, her heart racing. of course, she thought bitterly. of course, this would happen to me.

"olive?"

the soft, familiar voice made her stomach drop. slowly, she looked up to see trisha standing there, her expression a mix of surprise and delight.

"hi, mrs. malik," olive managed, her voice tight with nerves as she stood.

"oh, none of that!" trisha said warmly, waving her hand before pulling olive into a hug. her perfume was the same, a soft floral scent that instantly brought olive back to those days. "it's so lovely to see you, darling. how long has it been?"

olive hesitated, unsure how to answer. "a while," she finally said.

"it's a shame what happened," trisha said gently, her tone careful. trisha stepped back, holding olive at arm's length to look at her. "you look wonderful. and congratulations on your song- waliyha hasn't stopped talking about it! everyone's been talking about it—you must be so proud."

"thank you," olive said, a blush creeping into her cheeks.

they moved to sit down together, and trisha's presence, once overwhelming, began to feel oddly comforting. they talked about the little things: olive's life in la, her return to london, and how strange it was to be back.

"it's so nice to see you doing well," trisha said, her tone genuine. "you've always had such a gift. and to think... well, i'm just glad you're sharing it with the world now."

"thank you," olive said softly. her fingers toyed with the edge of her sleeve.

as the conversation wound down, trisha glanced around the café. "what brings you here today? alone?"

"i'm meeting liliana," olive replied, grateful to have an easy answer.

"oh, liliana! she was always so lovely. it's wonderful to see you two are still close." trisha stood, adjusting her scarf. "well, i won't keep you. it was truly a pleasure running into you, olive."