Princess (Ziam)

Tacit

Sorry this is being published so late in the day. I took an SAT, then I took a nap lol

I am happy to announce that the rewards you have chosen will be announced right after this chapter, so head on over there to see which four have the most votes and how they're going to play out!

Miss You is fucking incredible! I love the sound of it, and it has been on repeat since I heard it! An absolute bop, and Louis is so honest in his lyrics that it hurts.I am so proud of all of my boys!

Anyway, please read on and enjoy! 😊💕

Chapter 71:

I woke up in the middle of the night to the home phone ringing. Stretching out a bit, I felt Zayn still beside me. He passed out before me, and I wondered how exhausted me must be. Not just to the point where he felt the heavy need to sleep, but beyond that, in his every day life.

He was carrying around a constant pain, and he never knew when the memories would rush at him, ruining what could have been a good day. How was it for him to feel constantly broken up inside? Sure, I've had my share of pain and misery, but none of it compared to everything Zayn has endured for years and years, how manipulated he was against himself, how confused and alone he felt inside. At least I knew who I was as a person, I never denied my sexuality, and the constant thought of my father only haunted me when I allowed it to. Zayn didn't have control over his memories.

I climbed out of bed slowly, being careful not to wake Zayn, and I made my way out of my bedroom to find the phone. On the end table by the couch, I saw my mum's purse, so it was obvious she was home, but she was probably exhausted as well from long work hours. It still amazed me that she worked well into the night, yet she was still being laid off.

I finally reached the home phone, and I picked it up, the ringing coming to a halt as I held the phone to my ear and spoke in a voice laced with sleep.

"Hello?" I mumbled out, rubbing my eyes and doing my best to suppress a yawn.

"Liam, this is Colette," I heard her speak, and the first thing I noticed was that her voice didn't sound as if she had just woken up. She had to have been up all night, and I knew why she was calling, why her voice held worry and fear.

"He's here," I immediately informed, hearing her sigh of relief and the way she seemednto choke back her emotions so she could reply.

"Thank goodness. He left without telling me, and I waited for a while, then I went to his room to make sure he never came back and wasn't sleeping or anything. And Liam, I'm so worried about him," She admitted. "I found a half empty bottle of wine and broken glass. And I know that the redness of the edge of that glass wasn't wine," She described.

I could only imagine walking into a scene like that, and I thought about Zayn. How hurt was he in that moment? How insane did he feel when he really wasn't at all? Did he feel like he was dying; like everything was falling, tearing apart at the edges and there was nothing he could do?

"He told me that he tried," I confessed, knowing about the cutting but the alcohol was completely dismissed. I wasn't angry. I couldn't expect Zayn to constantly divulge everything to me, but I couldn't help but feel slightly upset. "He tried, but he stopped himself before he could cause any actual harm to himself," I assured.

I heard Colette let out a low sounding gasp, one that seemed to be holding back tears. "He hasn't in so long. And to see that... I was just so scared. I never meant to hurt him, and I think he knows that, and I understand why he left, but it was torture when he never came back or texted me like he usually does," She said.