Our Cheeky, Movie Star Romance (Zouis Talik)

Chapter 9

This might seem like just a filler, but there are a few things in this chapter that are important to the story:)

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Zayn got home just in time for dinner. He stepped into the house with a smile on his face, and was in a great mood as he pulled plates out of the cabinet for his family.

Patricia eyed him strangely as he whistled a made up tune, but she let it be, watching as her son passed by and spooned some potatoes onto his plate. He went to sit down in the dining room while the rest of his family filed in.

Under his breath, Zayn quietly sang the chorus to a song that was playing in Louis's car. It was then, while his sister sat down next to him, that his phone vibrated.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the device, smiling when he saw who had sent him a message.

From: Louis

Hi Zayn:)

Zayn replied with a quick greeting, and barely noticed his family members sitting down as he kept the conversation going with Louis.

He would text with his right hand and spoon small bites into his mouth with his left. When he sent a text, he'd lay the device down on the table, only to pick it back up about thirty seconds later when he got a reply.

"Zayn, who are you texting?"

He finished typing a smiley face and looked up across the table. Everyone was staring at him with curiosity. Well, except Yaser, who seemed mildly irritated.

Zayn set his phone down, shaking his head.

"No one," he said, sitting up straighter and taking a bite of his food. Waliyha let out an unimpressed noise.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Probably Louis. Would explain why you're smiling like an idiot," his sister commented, earning a glare from Zayn.

"I am not smiling like an idiot," Zayn defended, feeling his phone vibrate against his palm. He almost went to check it, but his mother had other plans.

"Why don't you wait until we're finished," she suggested, and even though it seemed like just a suggestion, Zayn knew that it was an order in disguise. He reluctantly slipped the device back into his pocket and picked up his fork.

"You never denied that it was Louis," Waliyha murmured, meaning for Zayn to hear. Zayn shot her a dirty look.

"Shut up, Waliyha," he retaliated.

She laughed, turning back to her plate. Zayn rolled his eyes and began eating again.

It wasn't until everyone was finished eating and Zayn was in the kitchen loading the dishwasher that he decided to bring something up to his mother.

"So, um, I was thinking about, ya know... Moving out," he proposed, shutting the dishwasher and pressing a few buttons on the front.

He turned to lean his frame against the counter casually, watching as Patricia cleaned up the last of a spill that was splattered across the countertop. She stood behind the breakfast bar, using her elbows to hold her upright.

"Like, soon?" she asked, and Zayn nodded. One of her hands rose to her face, pushing a stray lock of hair back into place.

"Like, I still have some money from my old job saved up, and I'm getting paid for acting... I think it's time that I do it, to get out of your hair and stuff," Zayn explained. And because I need to get out of this stressful environment.