Zayn Malik's Long Lost Sister (Unedited)

82. Jason and Emily

I couldn't believe that they were here.

Picturing my parents anywhere else but in their cozy routine back at home was difficult, even now as they hugged me.

"Why are you guys here?" I finally ask, pulling back from the three person hug.

"Well, Zayn got a hold of us. He said he wanted to fix all of this and do it right." Emily answered. "So we gave him some advice for what used to help you calm down before and he insisted to fly us out here last night."

"Well, early this morning." Jason corrected.

I turn my head to look over at Zayn who just stared at me, his eyebrows furrowed and his lips pursed.

"I didn't know what else to do." My brother says, his tone stern instead of calm. "I don't want to lose you."

"Darling." Jason says, causing me to give him my attention again. "We've got to meet them and we see how much they truly love you, maybe give them another chance?"

"You guys hated them." I say.

"That was because we thought we were losing you to them." Emily answers. "But when we all go back home, you'll regret not forgiving them at least."

"Go back home? You plan on taking me back to Florida with you guys?" I say, my eyes never resting as they bounce back and forth between my parents and then those behind me before looking straight at Emily. "Look, I'm mad at them, but that doesn't mean I'm not upset with you two anymore. You two still lied just as they had."

"I know, I could only hope." She says with a pained smile.

"Is there anything specific you all wanted to talk about?" I ask, motioning toward the table for everyone to sit down.

I made no move toward the benches, Jason and Emily walking over and greeting Landon as if they were akward strangers meeting once again only after a brief meeting years and years before.

"Hello... Landon." Jason says, his head nodding once just as Emily joined in with a small and forced smile. "How are you?"

"I'm pissed, thanks for asking." Landon says, his voice sarcastic but his lips formed a smile.

"Mom-" I said, but I cleared my throat when I noticed both women looked at me. I turn my attention toward Patricia and Yaser. "Patricia, can we all get this over with?"

She only nodded, her hand taking her husband's and leading his back to the table. Liam sat between Landon and Jason, Emily at the edge to her husband's side while Zayn and Edward sit across from them. I stayed standing.

"From what I've gathered," I started, everyone seeming to wait for me to begin. "Is that you're all sorry and want my forgiveness?"

Everyone but Landon and Liam nodded, the only response given.

"I think it goes without saying that I do forgive you guys. All of you." My eyes moved around the table to those who these words were for. "But trust and forgiveness are two very different things. I know I sound stubborn and annoying, but this is all you get for now. I wanna stay with my dad for a little while, just to clear my head."

"Marley." Liam interrupts, clearing his throat a bit. "You kind of have three dads sitting at this table."

"Oh." I raise my eyebrows and motion toward Landon, my cheeks splashing with slight color. "Sorry, I mean Landon."

"That man is many things to you, Marley, but he is not your father." Jason says sternly.

"There's no need to be jealous that she came from my nut sack instead of yours, mate." Landon snips at his former best friend. "She can think of me as anything she likes."

"I wish you could've thought of that when she was little instead of forcing her to think you were her only friend. Do you remember that, 'mate'?" Jason bites back.

I was about to speak up but Yaser cleared his throat rather loudly.

"Got something to say?" Landon asks, his tone still snippy.

"Yeah, actually. You two sound stupid." Yaser answers. "You two were so kind separately and now that you are reunited in front of Marley, you really think it's the best time to argue? The past is the past, she is who she is. Why not make this about her and what she wants to do instead of making it about how you two formed a problem so many years ago?"

I nodded once and quietly thanked Yaser, but it only upset Jason and Landon.

"And you think you know her because you spent a little bit of time with her?" Jason asks.

"Lied to her for more than half of it, I gather." Landon says. "You have no part as a father to her, so don't step in."

"Wow." I scoffed quietly, shaking my head and looking at Landon. "So this entire time you've been playing sweet, it was an act?"

"No, sweetheart, it's not like that." He says with a shake of his head. "I just- it's years of built up emotion resurfacing now that Jason is right here. All the things I've figured out with and without your help, knowing why he decided to rip an important part of my life away from me was because he was selfish, it angers me."

"Don't be mean to Yaser." I tell him.

"He's the one-"

"That stuck his neck out for me just now. He may not have known me for as long as Jason, but he knows me enough and it's shown." I take in a deep breath and peer over at Patricia. "But I have a question for you."

"Anything, petal." She answers.

"Why, after so long of trying to get me to accept you, did you do this? Lie to me?"

"Because accepting me and staying here with us are two very different things." She looked down at the table in front of her. "You showed signs that you weren't all that willing to stay, and I know that if you would've read that letter, it may have pushed you all the way back to Florida and I can't lose you again. Not after you've finally come back."

"I... I don't know what to do." I say, placing my hands against the table and leaning against them. Liam reached his hand out and patted the back of mine but it didn't last long because Zayn cleared his throat.

I'm unsure of what else to say. I thought through it around in my head over and over, trying to come up with anything else I've wanted to bring up, but everything I ever wanted to tell them is now lost to me.

We all sit in silence as the world moves and goes on around us. Happy children playing chase around another table in the park that was taken up by another family, birds chirping at the thin layers of clouds that blew by slowly overhead.

I looked over at my brother and furrowed my eyebrows as Patricia asks what we are all to do now.

"You all can go. I wanna speak to Zayn alone." I resond, leaning away from the table and crossing my arms over my chest as everyone stands from the benches. Yaser, Patricia, and Edward walk over to the car parked parallel to the curb against the parks edge.

My eyes stayed trained on Edward specifically, wanting to stop him as my mind replayed the feelings he gave me, the fluttering roars in my stomach in reaction to his smile. But I didn't move toward him or say anything.

"We'll talk to you soon, Marley." Jason says as he comes over to me, kissing the top of my head before Emily kisses my cheek.

"Maybe we can all go out tomorrow night, or something. Discuss anything you want." She says and I only nod, wanting them to go and not engage in small conversation.

"Landon and I will be at his, then." Liam tells me as they both walk over. Landon whispers a small apology and that was it. They were soon gone as well.

I look over at Zayn as he remains the last one sitting. I let out a heavy breath and sit down right across from him, relieved to be off my feet.

"Hi." He says.

"Hey." I respond.

(I know this chapter may seem short, but I'm not sure what to do right about now. I'm trying, I promise. Bare with me. But thank you all for your support and I'll try updating again soon.)