'Counting Stars'

Chapter 6

I woke up to Zayn screaming and thrashing in bed.

"Don't hurt her!" he shouted, a tear rolling out his eyes. Am I suppose to wake him up?

"No!" he shouted once more. The tears were increasing. I felt bad for Zayn and all these dreams he's having. I'll just wake him up. I placed my hands on his arm.

"Zayn wake up." I spoke gently.

"Hayden!" He panted, jumping up and looking around. This is exactly what happened last time? I wonder what he dreams about, that involves me. That makes him cry and scream?

"What do you keep dreaming about?" I murmured. I probably shouldn't be asking him this question right now, but I wanna know. He sighed then fell back on his back. He was sobbing on his side facing away from me.

"Zayn?" I pushed. i wonder what he's wincing about.

"It just keeps happening." He said.

"What keeps happening?" I asked.

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"What have you been doing since you left my party?" Leah asked, and focused back on the movie we were watching at my house.

"Nothing much, hanging out with that guy Zayn ya know?" I said, shoving popcorn into my mouth. She turned her head and gave me a confusing look.

"Zayn Malik?" She questioned. I nodded slowly, wondering why she was looking at me like I was insane.

"He use to be gang banger, drug dealer. I heard he has nightmares too." She explained. Drug dealer? Gang banger?

"He hits women too. He's been to jail plenty of times for it." She added. Zayn doesn't seem like he could hurt anyone.

"Well I gotta go!" She squeaked giving me a hug then running down the steps. For some reason I feel like she was lying? There is no way Zayn could be a drug dealer? I mean he is super skinny, but that doesn't mean anything. A gang banger? Well he does have graffiti on his walls...and most people in gangs do that. The nightmares that he has is what is bugging me. He won't tell me what they're about. Maybe I don't even want to know what they're about. I grabbed my phone and dialed Leah's number.

'What does Zayn have nightmares about?' I asked.

'Ummm...his ex girlfriend."

'What happened to her?'

'She got killed by the group of guys that Zayn gets his drugs from.'

I hung up. What if Zayn gets me killed? Why does he say my name though? Why did his girlfriend get killed? Maybe she had the same name as me. I have so many questions I want answered. There's only one person I know that can answer them and that's Zayn. Do I want to ask him? What if he gets mad? I won't know if I never try. Should I ask him in person or through phone? text? I'm gonna go with person.

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"Zayn can I ask you something?" I questioned looking up at his sharp jaw. I scooted away from him. I didn't want him to freak out on me for asking questions.

"Yes."

"What do you have nightmares about?" I asked, giving him a sympathetic look. He dropped his eyebrows and sucked in his cheek.

"Stuff." He said, not looking at me.

"Like your ex girlfriend?" I rushed out of my mouth. The face That went to Zayn's face made me regret asking that question. His eyebrows went narrow and his breathing increased.

"Who said that?" He spat, glancing over at me.

"Is it?" I asked, dodging his question. He laid his head back up against the couch and his jaw gaped and he pushed his hands through his thick hair and closed his eyes. He looked beautiful in that way. He let out a deep breath. About five minutes passed of silence.

"Yes it is." he answered after so long.

"Were you a drug dealer?"

He shot his head up and looked straight into my eyes.

"Who keeps telling you this?!" he snapped. His tone of voice was loud and angry. I backed away a little more.

"L-l-Leah." I stuttered. He mumbled something under his breath.

"Yes." he answered.

"Gang banger?"

He inhaled, letting the air release from his breath.

"Don't worry about it, Hayden!" He shouted, throwing his hands down at his side. I backed up a bit and softened my eyes. Zayn yelling was the scariest think ever. The way his eyes widened and his pupils got huge and he showed his teeth. The spit that flew in the air. A few minutes passed of silence and I realized I have been looking at him with the same shocked expression.

"I think I'm gonna go." I murmured, standing up. He batted his eyelashes then shut his eyes. He turned to the side facing away from. He grasped the blanket and pulled it over his thin body. I heard the sobs escape his lips.

"Zayn are you okay?" I asked, I couldn't tell if he was crying since he was facing away from me.

"I-it's my fault. I told him not to hurt her, but he did anyways. Once I got there I was too late. And she was gone." Zayn cried. So everything Leah told me was true. I wasn't mad or anything, because that's in the past and stuff. I walked over in front of him and seen the tears dripping down his face. He looked so upset. I went down on my knees and put my hand through his thick hair.

"I-I just don't want t-the same thing to happen to you. Whenever I look at you I get the thought of her lying lifeless on the ground in the middle of nowhere, but instead I imagine it being you. I just-" He stopped. That's probably why he yells my name. The last thing you think about before you sleep, is what you dream about.

"So you dream about me, getting killed?" I questioned. Zayn having nightmares about me getting killed is not what I wanna hear. He took his bottom lip between his teeth and shut his eyes a tear swishing from his eyelash as he nodded.

"I promise nothing will happen to me." I murmured, taking my hand away from his hair.

"That's what I told her." He said.