Love Me Like You Do - A Zayn Malik AU

Chapter Three

School was so short that I am already done with school. Lily walks with me towards my locker. "What are you going to be doing now that you have to go to the king?" She asks. I am nervous, yes. "Well, just go there?" I say kind of questioning but what can I do. "I have to go, Ryan is waiting." She says looking at her watch. "Good luck." She says and then leaves. I take my stuff out of the locker and lock it behind me. I sigh and then head to the parking lot.
I put my stuff in the passenger's seat and start the engine. I drive the car towards the palace. It is a 15-minute drive. 

I arrive at the palace. Automatically the gates open in front of me, so I just drive and park my car. I walk up the steps of the palace and knock on the door. After a couple of seconds, the door is opened by a lackey. "Mrs. DeLafayette, how can I help you?" I smile at how he recognizes me. "Is the king in the palace?" He shakes his head. "Mrs. and Mr. Malik are on a trip to New York." I nod. "The prince is home." He opens the door a little further and lets me enter.
"Wait here, I'll get him for you." I am now waiting for the prince of England, in the palace, in the royal living room. On the walls hang pictures of the family. A portrait of Zayn alone, his parents. I walk towards a table. I pick up a picture that I see in a frame on the sideboard. It is a picture of a little boy. I turn it over and read:

Zayn Malik, 1993.

"Interesting?" A voice breaks the silence. I quickly turn around. "I-i'm sorry." He smiles. "Don't worry, love." He says with a deep voice. "So, what brings you here?" I take the papers out of my bag and hand them over. "They are for your father." I say, I am nervous. Why am I nervous? He takes the papers and reads them through. He then looks back up at me. He walks towards a table with different types of bottles. He pours a brown liquid in a glass. I'm guessing it is Bourbon. It is the same that my father always drinks. The only alcoholic drinks that I drink are wine and champagne. "Would you like some?" He asks, holding out a glass. I shake my head. "No, thank you." He chuckles and then drinks the glass. "So, we meet again, here." He says. All the memories of the night, play in my head again. How he held me close to him and us dancing along to the music. He looks at me and probably thought the same thing. "It was a good night." He says with a smile. I nod and smile at the memories. He lays the papers down on the table, he then walks towards a huge stereo and presses a button. The sound of an orchestra, beams through the room. He then walks towards me and reaches out his hand to me. I look at him with a questioning expression. "If you want we can bring back the memories." He says. I smile still a little shocked. "Don't worry. I won't bite." He says. I take his hand and stand up. He leads me to the open room next to the living room. It is a large ball room.
It is so vintage and so beautiful. The music sounds through the speakers on the ceiling. He holds me like that one night.
Without saying anything, we just dance. His hand goes to my waist and with the other hand, he holds my hand.

The song ends and he looks at me. "Well, did you enjoy?" He asks me. I nod and smile. "I did too." He says with a warm smile. "Thank you for this all." I say with a thankful tone. "Don't worry." He says and then lets go of my hand.
We walk back towards the living room. I take my bag. "I better get going." I say. I really don't want to leave but I probably never want to leave if I don't go now.

***

I am home and sit down on the couch. I think about a couple of hours ago, I was dancing with Zayn. I pinch myself once more for the third time this day. I lay out a deep sigh and go upstairs. I change into a pair comfortable clothes and start up my laptop while looking on my iPhone. I read my notifications.

1 missed call:
Emma

I click on Emma's contact in my list and call her number. She picks up after two dials. "Hey, I have news." She says with a mysterious tone in her voice. "What is up?" I ask and listen to what she is going to tell me. "So, I went to Bella Italiano with Chloë today and saw Jack, Niall and Kyle sitting at the table next to ours. Guess what happened?" I don't have to think long about that one. "He asked you out?" I ask carefully and get a scream from the other side of the line which makes me almost fall from my chair. "Yes, he did!!!!!" She yells full of excitement. I laugh and tell her I am so happy for her. "He is picking me up at eight o' clock tonight." We talk a little more and then hang up. I work on an essay and then save it on my laptop. I shut down my laptop and step in the shower.
In the shower I think about school. I met Emma because of Jacob. Jacob and I went to a Christmas party two years ago. Emma was there with a couple of friends and we clicked from that moment on. Lily has known me since we were five years old, I did ballet and I met her in ballet class. We are inseparable. She has chosen other subjects than me. I chose Art/Culture classes and she chose Science/Nature. I turn off the shower and dry myself. I put on my white night gown. I put on my fluffy slippers and walk back down the marble staircase.

Rose is gone to Brighton with Lance. The parents of Lance live there. My parents are out of town for occasions and Jacob is at soccer training.
I walk towards the kitchen and Jenny asks me if she should cook something for me. She makes a pasta and sets down a glass of wine for me.
I watch some of television and then get a message on my phone.

1 new message:
Unknown

I open the message.

Meet me tomorrow night in the Midnight Park♡
X

The Midnight Park is a park behind the Royal Palace. It is exclusively for the Royal Family. Nobody is allowed to enter if they aren't royalty. How will I be allowed inside? I smile and then walk towards the kitchen and put my dishes on the counter. I lean against the counter and then get another message.

Wear something fancy ♡
X

I smile again and then head to the living room.
I sit down on the couch and watch some episodes from the Dr. Phil marathon. I hear the back door open. Jacob walks in, takes off his coat and takes of his shoes. "Good evening." I say and he says the same. Rose and I are close but Rose is a little older than us. Jacob is nineteen years old so a little closer than me since Rose is twenty-six. "Good evening." Rose is exactly my mother and I am like my father. Jacob and I can have the best conversation about whatever. Everything basically. He tells me about him and Gabriella, how soccer went and some things about school. I look at the clock. "Jenny left some lest overs from my pasta in the fridge, should I heat it up for you?" He nods and then I walk to the kitchen. "Who is Unknown?" He asks me. I heat up the plate of food and then walk back to him. As he eats I explain what happened today. He stares at me with wide eyes while eating the food. "Wow, he is into you, Nina." I feel myself heat up. "Aww, look how you are blushing." He says with a childish voice. He smiles and finishes his food.

It is currently eleven o' clock. I step in bed and quickly dream off in my sleep...

***

Songs I would request you to listen to during dancing moments are the instrumental covers by the Vitamin String Quartet. You can find them on Spotify and YouTube. ♡