Hold Me (Sequel to Save Me) A One Direction Fanfic

XXII

The door opened up as a pretty woman peered out from behind it. Her feet covered in thick socks and her oversized sweater reaching down to her pajama covered knees. Her eyes were the same as his, dark brown hidden behind thick eyelashes as she blinked hoping her eyes weren’t playing tricks on her.

“Hi mum.” Zayn greeted her as she wrapped him in a massive hug pulling him into the house.

“Baby, your soaking wet!” She laughed as she peeled his coat off of his shoulders and tugged him into the kitchen, the warm fire crackling in the sitting room. “Let’s get you a nice hot cup of tea!”

Zayn followed her without hesitation as he sat on the kitchen chair kicking his shoes off, just as a gray cat jumped into his lap.

The cat purred as he scratched her behind her ears making her meow. “I missed you too Prada.” Zayn whispered to the cat as she curled up in his lap. He smiled remembering how happy Perrie had been when he’d brought Prada home for her, she played with the cat for hours.

His heart ached a little bit more as he wished that memory away trying to forget just how Perrie looked when she smiled at him that night.

“Here you are love.” Tricia said happily as she put the cup of tea down on the table in front of him.

“Thanks mum.” Zayn said politely as he took a sip of the warm liquid allowing it to trickle down his throat, warming him the entire way down. Prada continued to purr on his lap as he pet her silently.

“What happened?” Tricia asked suddenly.

“Nothing, can’t a boy just fancy a trip home to see his mum once in a while?” Zayn lied taking another sip of tea.

Tricia leaned forward pressing a kiss to the top of Zayn’s head holding on to him for a moment.

“What was that for?” Zayn asked curiously.

“You just looked like you needed it baby. You’re not a very good liar you know.” She smiled at him taking his hands in hers, Prada jumping off his legs to the floor with a loud thud. Zayn smiled weakly up at her.

“Thanks mum.” He whispered again.

“So do you want to talk about it?” Tricia asked.

“Promise you won’t laugh.” Zayn asked anxiously, he looked like a little child.

Tricia promised.

“When Per died, I was a mess.” Zayn began as his mum watched and listened quietly. “After she died, I saw her still. Not in my memories either. It was like she was there with me. I could talk to her, and touch her still, I could hold her in my arms. She was there.” Zayn spoke softly, his voice forming the words that he’d never said before so easily.

“Like a ghost?” Tricia asked.

“No. Like an angel. She would always come visit me when I needed her or just to say hi. She would just appear right in front of me.”

Tricia just listened as Zayn continued to talk until he had told her the entire story, leaving out nothing.

“She isn’t coming back mum. I really lost her this time.” Zayn cried as Tricia held him, her own tears splashing down on his shoulder. The cried together for a while, just holding on to each other in support.

“Baby, you are the most wonderful man I’ve ever known. You don’t deserve to feel the hurt that the world has dealt you and yet you handle it gracefully and maturely. You have always been so caring of everyone else’s feelings over your own but baby, you have to do what’s right for you now.” She whispered into his ear, still holding on to him tightly.

“I don’t know how to be without her.” Zayn whined, his face showing all the pain he’d ever felt in one expression.

The phone rang as Zayn pulled his eyes open, jolting from the sound of the rings.

“Hello?” Tricia answered her voice muffled from the other room. Zayn rolled over on to his back looking up into the ceiling. He looked at the star stickers that stuck to the wall, he remembered how they used to glow in the dark eliminating his room as soon as he shut off the lights each night before bed.

“He’s here, sleeping right now.” Tricia spoke her voice barely making it through his door. Zayn groaned pushing her out of his mind as he continued to stare at the ceiling. Deciding he better get up he lifted himself into a seated position scanning the scattered paraphernalia that resembled his old childhood room. Why his mom kept his room like this he had no idea, but here it was just the way he had left it that morning he left to audition for XFactor. He stood up walking around the small room looking at all the forgotten things he had left behind. His copies of the Harry Potter series sat neatly on the bookshelf, and a worn looking sketch book beside it with stacks of paper stuck loosely between the other pages.

It didn’t feel like it was his anymore, this belonged to another Zayn entirely. A better Zayn, less beaten by the world Zayn, and a much happier Zayn he noted.

“Ok, I’ll tell him. Thank you for looking after the twins.” Tricia said kindly as she hung the phone back on the receiver. Zayn listened as she made her way towards his old room, her footsteps growing closer.

A knock on the door sounded as Zayn grunted a reply before she cracked the door open peering inside at him.

“Oh you’re up.” She smiled as she stepped into the old room.

“Just. Who was on the phone?” Zayn asked.

“Liam. He was worried when you didn’t answer your phone and when you didn’t come home.” Tricia answered watching him as he continued to scan the room looking at his old toys in awe.

Zayn didn’t reply for a moment as he reached out touching a Power Rangers action figure that stood on his desk. The black ranger, it was his favorite.

“I’ve got supper on. If you’re hungry.” She said sweetly trying to fill the silence of the room.

“Do you think I’m crazy?” Zayn blurted out turning his attention to her for the first time since she came into the room.

“Crazy?” Tricia asked startled by his question.

“Be honest. I show up talking about seeing my dead wife’s ghost. That qualifies me as a crazy person in my own book.” Zayn laughs, realizing how ludicrous he must have sounded to her earlier.

“No. I think you are heartbroken.” Tricia replies softly her eyes warily watching him, a hint of sorrow in them.

“I really did see her you know.” Zayn mulls over that first night she came to him. “She stayed with me that first night on my own. I couldn’t sleep and she laid with me until I finally fell asleep.”

Zayn smiled at the memory.

“That next morning I didn’t want to believe it was true. It was crazy sounding. But I ended up stepping on this.” He tugged the necklace she wore on their wedding day out from under his shirt holding it in the palm of his hand for Tricia to see.

 “Her necklace?” Tricia asked as she traced the jewel with her fingers against his palm where it lay.

Zayn nodded.

“Only thing is she was wearing it that day. Our wedding day. The day she died. It was never recovered from the crash.” Zayn cried.

“Oh baby.” Tricia cooed as she pulled him into a hug rubbing his back as he wept.

“Don’t you see mum? That night she left it for me to find, so that I knew that she was there. That she was really there.”

AN:

Hi guys! Sorry these last few ch have been so short but I wanted to give you a little more before i went offline for the next few days. I will be back after Christmas! Until then... enjoy!

vote if you want to give Zayn a hug! I know i do!! 

Em