PAYBACK » Zarry ✔

One

"Tell me the truth." Zayn says as he folds his arms and stands in front of Harry's view of the television.

"I've already told you, Zayn. The only person I've been with is you."

Zayn shakes his head. "I don't believe you."

"So what's the point of telling me to tell the truth if you're not going to believe me?"

"Because you're not telling the truth and I know you aren't."

Harry throws his hands up impatiently. "Z, I really don't have time for this crazy talk." He says. "I'm not cheating on you."

Upon hearing that, Zayn's mouth parts. "How can you call me crazy when you know that you're lying?! Some nerve you have!"

But the hollering doesn't faze Harry at all. "Can you please move out of my way? I'm trying to watch TV." He even shoos Zayn out of the way before rudely propping his feet up on the coffee table.

Zayn stops and stares at him for a moment. Harry does not appear to be bothered. He doesn't care how this is making him feel. Those thoughts alone tear something from Zayn's heart and he can't stop the tears from coming. He turns away and jogs toward the bathroom so he can get tissue to dry his eyes.

He can't believe what's happening right now. This is the man he's loved for three years now. How could he knowingly cheat and then turn around and lie to his face when confronted about it? Is that really how he felt about his partner, the one whom he claimed to love?

After cleaning his face up, Zayn stares into the mirror at his puffy eyes. He knows he isn't tied down to Harry. He knows that he can leave him anytime he pleases. But he doesn't want to. He loves him and he needs him. Harry is his everything.

He's supported him in everything for a long time and he has devoted the last three years of his life to him. When Harry wanted him to move in with him, he did. When Harry wanted to suddenly move to a bigger house that meant being a little bit father away from where he grew up, he did it. Harry even told Zayn he would marry him if he promised to wait until he was ready to marry him. And he is still waiting. Zayn would do anything for him and he doesn't care how pathetic his loyalty makes him look.

As he stands there peering at his pitiful reflection, his mind wanders in different directions. He knows that Harry is seeing someone else by the name of Nelson because he's seen the messages and the nude pictures in Harry's phone when he accidentally left it unlocked one day. But he wants to pretend that maybe he isn't being unfaithful to him. That he's as loyal as he said he would be until the day they decided to finally tie the knot. Sure, he has broken his promise. But what does he do when he's hopelessly in love with him? He can't just go like that. He can't.

Suddenly Harry's reflection appears in the mirror, indicating that he's standing in the doorway. Zayn holds in his breath when Harry walks forward and spins him around gently. "I'm sorry." He says.

"Sorry for cheating?"

"I'm sorry that you always make yourself so upset. If you didn't pry so much into things that are not meant for you, you wouldn't be so angry."

Zayn's jaw drops. Wow. So he still isn't going to apologize for cheating? He's still not going to admit it? "Okay." He mumbles.

"I loved you originally and I love you now. You do know that, don't you?"

He shakes his head. "But you're cheating."

Harry grips the sides of Zayn's arms, tightly and aggressively. "Zayn, stop it! I said that I wasn't cheating, so leave it alone! I'm sick of having this argument every fucking week with you! This is the last time I want you to bring it up. Do you understand?!"

Zayn looks off to the side and doesn't say a word. But Harry shakes him. "I said do you understand, dammit?!"

"Yes!"

"Good." As far as Harry is concerned, the conversation is over. So he leaves the bathroom.

For the rest of the night, Zayn stays away from him and doesn't push the issue. He doesn't bring up the cheating and he doesn't make a fuss about it for fear that Harry may get angry again.

And that's another thing.

Harry isn't the same kindhearted and caring person he used to be when Zayn first began to date him. When Harry's upset, he gets aggressive. He doesn't exactly abuse Zayn daily or anything of the sort. But sometimes there's a mark on his wrist where Harry grabbed him too hard or a bruise on his side from where he was unintentionally pushed into the counter. Even when Harry doesn't mean to hurt Zayn, he hurts him. So at times, Zayn has to pick and choose when he wants to discuss something that's bothering him.

Harry loves him. He said so. So there is no way Zayn will believe otherwise. Perhaps not talking about it will make Harry happy. So Zayn will just do that. He thinks that by doing that, it might go away. Maybe Harry will see how much he's hurting him and give it up. Isn't that possible? Don't people change?

He's really hoping that Harry will. Because he sees no life without him. And honestly, he doesn't know what he'll do if he's ever forced to do so.