Panic Attack - H.S. AU

Chapter Fourteen

-Zayn-

"Hey, thanks again for picking me up from the airport, Liam," I said to my good friend.

"You do this every time Malik. It's no big deal," He replied.

Liam and I had been friends for a pretty long time. We interned at the same company and became close and coincidentally ended up becoming co-workers once again. He was in a slightly higher position than me, but we both knew who was going to take over as president of our company. I wasn't the type to brag, but the president made it pretty clear to me that he wanted me to take over.

"I can't help it. I'm a nice guy." I laughed.

Liam rolled his eyes at me. "Anyway," He began. "You came back a little earlier than expected. What happened?"

"I was supposed to stay for the entire two weeks, but" I sighed, "all I could think about was everything that was going on in the city without me, and more importantly I just can't get my mind off of Valerie."

"Hey, how is Valerie anyway?" he asked.

"Honestly, we've been going through a tough time recently, but I think this time apart has been good for us," I told him.

"Yeah, it'll take a little while before you really get used to each other."

"Oh, so now that you're married, you're some sort of expert?" I teased him.

"Well, yeah," He chuckled. "Anyway, we're here."

I looked out the window and saw the tall building where Valerie lived. I tried to smile at the building that basically started it all, but lately that felt harder to do. She had been going back and forth on what she wanted from me so often that I was growing exhausted with her indecisiveness. I tried to convince myself that I put up with it because I loved her, but I also couldn't help but question if this was what love really was... A constant push and pull filled with uncertainty and doubt.

I stepped out of Liam's car and waved to him goodbye as he drove away. After taking a deep breath I headed into the building and eventually ended up outside of her door.

It was silly, but I felt a bit nervous. I just didn't know what to expect. Things could be the same as I left them, Valerie happily in my arms or things could change again. She could tell me she's changed her mind once again and I was supposed to be okay with that.... Again.

Just as I was about to knock on her door, I heard her giggling along with the sound of someone else's laughter. It was a man's voice and I immediately assumed the worst.

I loudly pounded my fist against her door and said, "Valerie, open up! It's your fiancé." I purposely added in hopes of scaring off whoever she had in that apartment with her.

The only guy friend of hers that I'd ever met was Louis and he knew better then to visit her alone when I was out of town.

"Valerie!" I repeated, louder this time.

Her apartment grew silent until I heard heavy footsteps race across the apartment. This made me angry. Now I knew she was hiding something.

Normally, I was a gentleman and never bothered to use the key to her apartment that she'd given to me because I respected her privacy, but privacy and secrets were two different things.

So, I took out the key I always kept in my wallet and unlocked her door, letting myself in.

As soon as I stepped inside, Valerie rushed up to the door and she did not look the same way I had left her.

"Your hair..." I said quietly.

She looked down at the wooden floor and shyly looked back up at me. "What do you think?"