TAINTED | Zayn Malik

Chapter 18| Plan

It was close to hitting a month that marked the tragic day of me being here, passing by quickly but not enough to the fact it seemed like decades beyond these walls. They were so deep, dark and filled with many things which happened to be mystery after mystery after mystery. Especially with someone like Zayn Malik, a person who was so abnormally strange and private about everything in his life. It was almost hard to tell which way is up and down with him, his up could be left and his down could've been up.

I've been with him for a month and I still had no idea about him other than his job, the people he surrounded himself with and his name. After our intimate session, we got back into our old ways. He did allow himself to speak to me a bit more, not that most of them were good. A few being words that teased or mocked me, creating banter or talking about business with this guy named Brooks. Nothing changing or being different, he was also capable of keeping that moment to himself.

I didn't feel grateful but I was happy, and in return whenever I happened to catch him in the act of getting dressed, I turned my head and allowing him to have privacy. Which he returned, but me being so diligently extra. I couldn't say that I felt a bit nostalgic by not continuing our little morning ritual. It was something that was between us, a moment that was exciting and consensual on both ends.

"Got your ass." Fatima said, slamming down a plus four Uno card in the pile. We had been going at this game for hours, every time she would come to visit we would try to find numerous things to do. It was always different and sort of refreshing, especially since we couldn't leave out like we wanted too.

I groaned, picking up four additional cards before looking at them all, Fatima was definitely the competitive type. She never hesitated to kick my ass in a friendly game I didn't mind it, though. It was nice to have some company other than the people I had to constantly see around here. I enjoyed our small moments, she was becoming a real friend. I studied the cards, trying to plan out my next attack to make an attempt at beating her. I studied for a quick second until I felt someone breathing on my neck.

I turned around to see Zayn leaning over my shoulder, reading each card with concentration. He glanced at me for a few seconds, popping on his mint bubblegum and standing up. I moved my head back while he just continued to mind my personal space, being too close near my face.

"Two 4's, One reverse back to her, three 7's and a draw 4 card." Zayn said before walking around the couch, while Fatima screamed a 'yes' and going towards the balcony. I scoffed, making to put up my middle finger while his back was turned away.

"Asshole." I spat, glaring at his head while he walks toward the doors. He always made a use for bothering me, even for something that was pointless.

"Only for you, firecracker." He said in a singing tune, closing the door behind him.

I rolled my eyes at the nickname, pretty much regretting allowing myself to laugh. He's used it against me whenever he felt like I was close to going off, at one point it was funny but then it just got old. It went from being a cool name that only we could laugh about to him using it to mock me, it wasn't long before everyone in the house started using it as symbol to laugh about our entertaining banters. Of course, after awhile he got mad and forbid anyone else from calling me that, saying it was only funny to him and exclusive. I called bs on it, he just got mad because everyone else started making it a trend and ruining his work of humiliation, he wanted me to remain in the likes of him.

"He's been calling you that all week." She laughed, putting down her cards and getting a sip of her drink. Fatima wasn't oblivious to the known secrets between me and him, she was just like her brother and very observant about many of things. Some of them I didn't even know existed until she mentioned it to me.