The Affair (Zarry/Zouis)

chapter 17

"You two already know each other?" Ann asks. Harry nods just as Zayn says no. Harry's mom looks at them weirdly.

"I met Za- Mr. Malik at a college event a couple of years ago," Harry says, sort of telling the truth.

"It's been a long time, Mr. Styles," Zayn says.

"It has," Harry says dryly.

"I'll leave you guys to get reacquainted," she says, leaving them alone but they didn't notice. They were both lost in each other.

Harry breaks out of it first, blinking hard and stopping himself from running to go hug Zayn. "Sorry, I-I have to go," he says, walking away.

"Harry wait!" Zayn calls after him. He doesn't wait, he keeps on walking faster with Zayn trailing after him. "Please wait, I just wanna talk to you."

Harry stops after hearing that, looking at Zayn. "Why did you even come here, Zayn?"

"I didn't know I'd see you I swear," he says.

"Okay. Now what do you want?" Harry asks, making Zayn flinch from how cold his voice is.

"I just- I-I don't know," he says. "I hate how we ended things, and I'm sorry Harry. I'm so fucking sorry, I treated you like crap."

"You did," he says. "You didn't even fight for me."

"What?"

"You never came back. You never left him, you never tried to look for me. You just let me leave like that, like I meant nothing..." Harry says.

"I thought you wanted me to leave you alone. You did everything in your power so I wouldn't contact you." He defends himself. "I did what you wanted, what else was I supposed to do?"

"You could have tried harder!" Harry raises his voice making people look at them weirdly. Zayn realizes they're in a public place and people are watching them.

"Let's talk about this somewhere else," Zayn says.

"Shouldn't you be getting home to your husband?" Harry asks bitterly.

"I should be," he says.

"Let me guess. 'You're more important Harry', 'you'll always come first', 'I'll always choose you'." Harry says.

"I wasn't going to say anything like that," Zayn says. "Why are you being so bitter? You were never like this."

"Because while you were happy and building a family with him, I was miserable!" He complains. "I was stupid enough to think you'd come back for me. You'd come- divorced and single and you'd beg me to forgive you, then I would have probably gone running to your stupid arms again like the stupid fool I am."

"I know I fucked up, it's what I do. But I never meant to hurt you Harry. I didn't come back to you because I know you deserved better." He says. "I'm going to be a father now, would you have still wanted me like that?"

"It doesn't matter anymore," he says. "You should just go to your husband."

"I- can I have your number?" He asks, feeling small at the way Harry looks at him. It's strange how Harry has changed, the tables have turned and he's the one feeling small. "Not for what you think. I've changed, I wouldn't cheat on Louis... again. I've just missed you so fucking much."

"I don't think that's a good idea," he says.

"Please? I promise I wouldn't do anything." He says.

"Fine," he says. "But don't be surprised when I don't answer your calls."

"Thank you." He says. "Harry... did you drop out of college because of me?" He asks because the guilt has sort of been eating him up.

"I-I took a semester off. I needed to think things. It wasn't because of you Zayn," he assures.

"I'm relieved," he says. "You've changed. But in a good way, a really really good way."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."
...
I want to end this book so badly 😩
Dedication: farawayelounor