Believing in love...Again (A Zayn Malik story)

Chapter 7: I don't want to be Rashel Davis

ZAYN:

I saw Rashel hugging her brother and I realized that Zach wasn’t the only person who was important. Her brother was there too, Andrew, not Drew. Man, he had looked at me threateningly when I called him Drew. It wasn’t my mistake. Rashel told me that his name is Drew. How could I’ve known that he didn’t like anyone other than his sister calling him Drew?

Suddenly, I saw Rashel’s expression of happiness be replaced by that of panic. I don’t think Andrew noticed it because he just kept on running his hand through her hair. Seeing Rashel’s mood change was weird. She seemed really happy on meeting her brother. For the first time since yesterday, I saw her grey eyes sparkling with happiness. I wanted to see how she looked when she smiled with that twinkle in her eyes and now I knew. I wondered what went through her head to remove that twinkle.

Andrew and Zach were talking about Andrews’s experience in Manchester. Apparently, Rashel and Andrew were meeting for the first time in over a year and a half because Andrew moved to Manchester. I guess that’s why Rashel was so happy. I listened to their conversation passively because the larger part of brain was trying to figure out Rashel Davis. I wanted to know what had happened to her. I had caught her staring at me at the kitchen counter and when I had looked into her eyes, I could see that she wasn’t even trying to cover the pain in them. It was like she had bared her soul for me to read without even realizing it. I couldn’t exactly tell what had happened to her but I knew that she has had her heart broken by some guy. What was the deal with Rashel Davis?

‘So, Zayn, how did you end up at Shortcake’s?’ Andrew asked me. I snapped out of my thoughts and answered him.

‘I needed a place to stay, Rashel offered me one.’ I said. Zach was still not used to this. When I told him in the morning that Rashel offered me a place to stay, he was shell shocked, like he never expected Rashel to offer help to anybody. This only intrigued me more. Why would Rashel not help me?

‘That’s my sis, helping everyone.’ Andrew said and smiled down at Rashel. Rashel smiled back at him and I could see that it was very forced one. I recognized the expression on her face. She was guilty. Why the hell was she guilty? I looked at Zach and he had the same expression on his face. Were they hiding something from Andrew? And if yes, why would Rashel hide something from her brother? I knew the answer, she was way too guarded. Zach knew because he lived here. If that wasn’t the case, I could swear that even he wouldn’t know about anything.

‘What’s wrong, Shortcake?’ Andrew asked. I knew it, he will catch that something was wrong with his sister.

‘Nothing, Drew.’ Rashel said and I admired her for her acting skills. She must’ve been doing this for a long time to have perfected them.

‘So, I am gonna go to the diner to catch up with Cara. I’ll be back soon.’ Andrew said as he got up from the couch.

‘I’ll drop you, I gotta visit dad. He’s been asking for me.’ Zach said.

‘You came just now.’ Rashel whined and Andrew just chuckled.

‘And I’ll be back soon. I need to see her.’ Andrew said and he and Rashel shared a look. I wondered what it was about.

‘Fine, brother. Bye.’ Rashel said as she closed the door behind Andrew and Zach. She rested her back against the closed the door and breathed a sigh of relief. Just then her knees gave out and she collapsed to the floor. It looked as if she was tired of pretending and she was breaking down. I quickly ran to her side. I caught her by the shoulder and she looked up at me. It was like she realized that she wasn’t alone and she needed to be tough. She quickly got up and put on the tough façade.