Life With Mr. Malik (ON HOLD)

Chapter 13: Late Night Strolls

We were once again sitting around the dining table but this time, the only source of light was from the chandelier hanging above our heads. After Connor and Elliot had been tucked to bed, my parents and Austin dragged Zayn and me to the dining room and forced Zayn to sit down. I, of course, had a hand glued to my forehead in despair the entire time.

What was my family up to now . . .

"So, you're the famous Zayn Malik, huh?" Dad asked in the most serious tone I've ever heard him use. I got a glimpse of Zayn gulping before nodding in reply.

I feel so sorry for Zayn right now.

He's in the hot seat.

Usually, when I get a boyfriend or dad just speculates I have one, they would either put me or my "new boyfriend" in that seat. Then, you'd get an avalanche of questions, you'd feel like you had just been invited to a talk show. Like, this one time, I dated this guy named Lucas who I had met at a Maroon 5 concert and when my family had found out, they sat him down on the same chair Zayn was occupying at this very moment and started torturing the poor guy.

What are the names of your parents? Do you have a dog? Oh, cat person, ey? Why so? Not a big fan of playing fetch, are you? Do you have a criminal record? Have you ever tried doing the samba? Are you a member of a fraternity? Butter or cheese? Do you think Leonardo DiCaprio deserves an Oscar? Me too, son.

Trust me on this.

No guy would ever want to be in the hot seat.

Like, personally, I'd rather eat poo off the floor than be in that seat.

IT HOLDS ALL HORRORS.

Dad rubbed the stubble on his chin as he examined Zayn. "Are you sure you would want to be in a relationship with my daughter?"

Oh, good God.

We've only been dating for a day and my dad's already offered him an easy way out.

Gee. Thanks, dad!

If later in the night, I begin shoving spoonfuls of chocolate sundaes down my throat because of heartbreak, the entire blame is ON YOU.

"Yeah, of course," Zayn said, fiddling with his fingers as he changed seating positions uneasily. "You have such a wonderful daughter, Mr. Everley."

"This relationship isn't fake or anything, is it?" Mom asked with a worried expression, instinctively wrapping an arm around my shoulders as if to protect me. "Miles told me before that you two were just a fake couple."

Zayn laughed nervously. "Well, yeah, it may have started out like that but um, somewhere along the way, I don't know . . . I . . . I realized I really do love her." He turned his gaze to me and I felt my stomach twist into knots. He had to be the sweetest guy I've ever met. And he's mine. And he's mine. And he's mine, I chanted happily in my head.

Austin, who had just been watching the whole time, leaned forward to rest his elbows on the table and eyed Zayn, his eyes squinted, "How do we know you're not just playing with my sister's feelings?"

I groaned, clapping my hands to my eyes in frustration. "I think you're all forgetting the fact that I'm just Miles Everley: a nobody! If he were really just horsing around, I don't think I'd be the perfect choice like, hello! Why horse around with a bloody nobody like Mildred Everley when you can horse around with a goddess like, I don't know, Megan Fox or something?"

"Oh, stop it, Miles. You're not a nobody." Mom reassured me, giving my shoulder a squeeze.

My mom is such a mom, if you know what I mean.