Stumbling Upon This Thing Called Love

{Chapter 5} ~Zayn~

Annabelle is on the brain again as I drove home that evening. Her smile, the way her eyes crinkled in the comers when she laughed. She was quite beautiful even with the cancer.

I pull into the drive way of my house and groan when I see Harry's black Range Rover and Louis' Porsche parked there. There were in my home again and probably messing up more of my stuff. They gave my housekeeper hell with all the messes she had to clean.

Maybe if I just--

"Zayn!" Harry shouts as soon as he saw me. I stoop low, trying to pretend I don't see him, but no such luck.

"What's up? Louis and I came to see you, but you weren't home, so now were leaving to get some grub," Harry explains. 

I stare at him warily. "You didn't mess anything up, did you?" 

"Of course not!" He places a hand over his heart as if he'd never done such a thing, but experience lead me to know better than to believe him. 

"Zansh! Hi! Whah you beh mah?" A voice mumbles behind me, its words muffled by something. I turn to see Louis standing there, wiping drool from his swollen looking cheek. I raise an eyebrow in silent questioning, praying that Harry hadn't knocked out his tooth or something in their rough housing.

"I weh tah da dentish tahda ah had shish cavashties filled," Louis garbles.

Harry translates for me. "He went to the dentist today and had six cavities filled,"

"Ih hurh lih hell!" Louis comments.

"It hurt like hell?" I verify. Louis nods.

"That's what you get for not brushing your teeth, I don't know how Eleanor puts up with you," I tease. He punches me playfully on the arm and I punch him not-so-playfully back.

"Zayn! Have mercy upon him, he's feeling enough pain already," Harry put a protective arm around him as Louis pretended to sob into his shoulder. Sometimes I forget who the oldest really is in the band.

I roll my eyes. "Will you guys' just leave already and stop coming to my house without invitation? I am starting to regret giving you my keys in the first place,"

Harry fake pouts, but they say their goodbyes and leave. I enter my home to find it moderately neat with just a few crisps bags on the floor. The events of the past few hours have tired me so much, I don't even have the energy to take off my clothes, I just fall into the bed, sneakers and all.

I could kill for a smoke, but Annabelle took my last pack and I was too lazy to go out for more. The most important fact, though, was that I had promised Annabelle I wouldn't and a promise is a promise. I was going to try my best to quit-- for her.

*Two Hours Later*

As I shake in my bed from nicotine withdrawal*, I silently curse myself for being too lazy to get more cigs and Annabelle for being so distractingly beautiful when she took them. Her eyes were so full of hope and anguish I just gave in and let her take them. I silently cursed women, too, for being so good at the art of manipulation.

I try to sooth my thoughts by thinking of my happy place, but my brain always winds up thinking about cigarettes. The smooth feel of dragging in the intoxicating smoke, the slippery feeling of a fresh-out-the-pack stick held between your fingers. . .

I am so not getting any sleep tonight.

*The Next Morning*

I am awoken to the annoying sound of my phone vibrating. I blindly search around the nightstand for it.

"Ello?" I don't bother to check the caller I.D., I barely even have my eyes open wide enough to see anything.

"Zayn, we gotta be in the studio in an hour, Ed needs to do another recording of She's Bad News**" I recognize the voice as Niall's and he sounds just as tired as I do. I check the time on the alarm clock and audibly groan when the glowing digits tell me it's six a.m.

"I feel your pain on that one. Just be happy he didn't give you his lovely personal wakeup call of a blow horn shooting into the speaker. I swear, that was the first time in my life I felt I was actually going to crap myself from fright,"

I laugh, finding the image of Niall shooting out of his bed and crapping his pants incredibly funny. "Okay, well I'll go get dressed. See you at the studio,"

We hang up and I trudge to the bathroom to get ready. my jaw aches from grinding it all night and my precious quiff is utterly deflated. I am in no mood to take the thirty minutes to revive it it so I slip a gray beanie on. I pair it with a casual black tee, gray sweats, and white Toms. I even dressed tiredly today. My eyes are rimmed with dark circles from lack of sleep, so I grab a pair of large sunglasses on my way out.

I stop by Starbucks for a Mocha Latte and two chicken sausage breakfast wraps. Niall eyes my food enviously when I get there. I eat it super slowly just to torture him. Harry and Louis are messing around with some of the instruments and Liam is trying to get them to stop, but his efforts are futile because when those two join forces, nothing and no one can get in their way.

I lay on one of the love seats in the room as we wait for Ed. By the time he arrives, I have polished off the chicken sausage wraps and am sucking down the rest of my Mocha Latte. He gets straight to business.

"Alright, you were all probably bitching and moaning about how early I called you in here today, but our fans our waiting and we need to get this album done as soon as possible,"

Turns out, all we need to do is re-record the chorus. It takes no more than thirty minutes and soon we're free to do whatever we want.

I drive around aimlessly; I don't have anything planned for today. Annabelle creeps her way back into my mind and I decide to drop by the hospital for a quick visit.

When I get there, Annabelle is at the front desk, looking extremely attractive in a pair of dark skinny jeans, crop top, and her hair pulled into a messy bun. Her face is lit up with joy and a husky man stands beside her, waiting for her to finish her conversation with the nurse. i assume the man is her father, so i approach her cautiously, watching where my hands go.

I tap her on the shoulder lightly. she turns around, facial expression going from shock to one of pure happiness. God, I love her smile. Am I over Perrie already?

"Zayn! What are you doing here?" She gasps. The man I assume is her father sizes me up.

"Yes, Zayn, what are you doing here?" He repeats menacingly. I gulp  and put on a brave face to mask my fear.

"I didn't have anything planned this afternoon and decided to give Annabelle a visit. I see that she is being released and would like to take her out--with your permission of course," I quickly add.

He gives me another once over. Annabelle gives him a pleading look; pleading for me. He gives into her doe eyes and begrudgingly allows her to go.

"Thank you, Daddy!" She throws her arms around his broad shoulders, having to stand on her tippy toes just to get there. I guessed correctly, that is her father.

"I'll have her home by--"

"Eight. Eight is the latest she can stay out," He cuts me off. I don't expect to spend the whole day with her, but the opportunity has sprung, so I take it.

"That's perfect,"

Annabelle smiles warmly at me before giving her father a kiss goodbye. We sit in the car, a slightly awkward silence ensuing before anyone says anything.

"So, where are we going?" Annabelle asks.

I decide to miss with her a little bit. "You'll see,"

*Don't know if this actually exist and don't care. It’s called fan FICTION

**Please note, i am not a psychic, i have no idea what their future songs will be titled so do not hold that against me]