Malibami / 1d

chapter twenty-six

"There goes nothing." I whispered before touching the call button. I stared at my father who was sitting next to me. We both stared at the screen until my mother's face appeared on the other side.

"Lily!" She yelled, eyes wide. I bit my lip and looked away. "I thought your father was playing some joke on me but then I asked Rob to see if you were at your dorm hiding and then he asked Liam if he knew where you were and he said no." She said, rambling.

"Why in heaven's sake are you in England and why did you not tell me?" She said, obviously upset. I stared at my father, unable to speak. 

"Karen." My father said, making her stop talking. "Lily is not here for fun." He said, staring at me. "She basically fled here." He said, making my mother furrow her eyebrows.

"Fled from what? Not from me I hope." She chuckled, confused. "Why didn't Liam know you were gone either?" She then asked. She was so confused and I couldn't blame her. It was just hard for me to come clean now all of a sudden.

"Mum, there are a few things I haven't told you." I said, playing with my hands under the table, scared of what would happen when I finally did tell her.

"Liam and I are not on speaking terms." I said. The first bomb was dropped and it could only get worse from now on. My mother furrowed her eyebrows and then there were some sounds in the background.

"Is that Lily?" I heard, closing my eyes and letting out a sigh. "Rob." I whispered to dad. "Lily!" He said, walking in to the screen. "Oh you are with your father, thank God you are safe." He said, sitting down next to my mother. 

"Lily, I'm sorry, what do you mean you aren't on speaking terms with Liam?" My mother said, making Rob furrow his brows now too.

"We got in to a fight at the beginning of the school year." I said, biting my bottom lip. "So you haven't been on speaking terms with him ever since the beginning of the school year?" He said, confused as ever.

"What was the fight about?" Rob then asked. I looked down. "Lily, you have to tell them." My father said and I nodded. "I'm pretty sure you both know Zayn Malik." I said. Rob dropped his jaw and my mother gasped.

"Lily did you- no!" Rob said, shocked. "Why would you! After Liam told you not to hang out with him! After I told you to!" He said, raising his voice. "Okay, calm down everyone, Lily has had enough yelling and fighting for the rest of next year." My father said, making Rob nod. "Sorry." He said, staring at me.

I nodded and showed him a small smile. "Lily, Zayn is bad news." My mother said, breaking her silence. I nodded, "I know that now." I bit the inside of my cheek and stared at them.

"I was basically dating him for the past semester, staying at his frat, which I know isn't actually allowed, or I was staying with these other girls." I said. Rob just furrowed his brows, probably confused how this could happen.

"What about Camilla?" My mother asked. "Liam basically kicked me out of his frat once he found out Zayn and I were a thing and Camilla was right in the middle of us so I just got my things and left." I said, thinking back I sound like such an asshole.

We were all quiet for a little while until my father spoke up.

"Eventually, four days ago I got a call from Lily. She begged me to let her come back to London. She told me she had to. I told her if your mother is alright with it, sorry Karen, I should have checked if you had given your consent before buying her a plane ticket, but she was so upset I thought it was best for her." My mother and Rob both nodded, "you're forgiven." She smiled. 

"I'm sure you want to hear the entire story, that's why I booked us both a ticket back to Miami so we can spend Christmas Day with you. I get to see Liam again and we can just be together after being apart for so long." My father said. 

"You're always welcome, we've got plenty of empty rooms." Rob said. I smiled, I was happy my father and Rob were so friendly. I don't know if it was an act to make me feel comfortable or if it was real, it was just nice to have them act like this.

"I just need to know one more thing, Lily." My mother said, biting her lip. "Zayn Malik- he's dangerous. Should we be worried?" She said, looking slightly scared. "I don't think so, but just to be sure, stay safe, lock the doors and don't go out at night. You know more about what he's capable of than I, after last year." I said, feeling so stupid all of a sudden.

"And please, do not tell Liam and his friends. I'll tell them when I get back. I just need you guys to stay silent, it's better." I said, hoping they could promise me this. They both nodded and stared at each other, "we'll promise." 

I let out a relieving breath. "Thank you." I said, smiling. 

"We'll see you soon." My father then said before our last goodbye's. Then he disconnected the call and closed his laptop. "Relieved?" He asked, making me nod. "It went better than expected." I said, letting out another relieved breath.

"Since we're going to be in the plane tomorrow, on Christmas Eve and we won't be able to do it on Christmas Day, why not do our annual Christmas To-Do List today?" My father asked, making me smile. "I would love to." I said excitedly.

"Go get dressed in your warm outfit and we'll leave in twenty." My father said, giving me a smile. I got up and rushed to my bedroom, getting in to my thermo leggings and two sweaters. First on this annual to-do list was going to the ice skating rink. We did this every year, ever since we were little. Usually Liam was there too, but after the divorce he wasn't anymore, obviously. 

I walked back downstairs and my father was already waiting for me. "I am so excited!" I said, clapping my hands. He handed me a bag in which my ice skates were. We had our own because we did this every year, we didn't want to hire bad quality ones at the rink itself.

With excited chatter, we got in to the car and drove off to the park. Everything was decorated and it already started getting a little dark out so it looked magical, snow everywhere and just gorgeous place to be at right now.

There was no place I'd rather be right now.