The Strings Attached | Zayn Malik

Chapter 16

"The fault in our price tags."

Days have passed and Christmas was nearing.

The boys have been traveling around England and the US with little breaks for me to fit in the extravagant picture. They continued their lives without me, myself alone and bored.

"I love Lucy and she loves me-" the television blared and consumed the stuffy air. There wasn't any silence to let my brain think.

For that, I was grateful.

My face dreary and the dark bags under my eyes I must have looked like I went through hell and back. Who knows? Maybe I have.

I hum to my true guilty pleasure, the show I Love Lucy. I halfheartedly laugh when I usually would feel tears of joy coming down my bright pink cheeks. I didn't know why I was acting like this, and I was afraid it had something to do with Zayn.

Of course it had something to do with Zayn! A whiney voice yelled inside me.

It's not like you like him or anything! Great, now I'm being sarcastic... To myself.

While Lucy goes on about "change of routine" I have been arguing with myself. Because that's what sane people do, talk it out... With themselves.

Only few moments before, the television was loud enough to block my thoughts. Now I'm arguing with myself!

This boy has messed me up good.

Cozied up in my dark red and white traditional winter sweater and black leggings near the fireplace I would usually feel like everything is right in the world. This time, I know I'm wrong to think that.

My sad glances at the clock watching the time tick by into the early morning of 1 am turn to glares of annoyance hating the thought that I'm feeling lonely.

Now I sound like I'm horny. Great.

Picking up my white Mac to search through tumblr, I listen to the comedy and the electric fireplace hum in the background of my life.

Suddenly the sounds of gracious angels singing sprang loudly from my laptop.

In black bold letters the following was imprinted on the screen:

Skype with Zayn Malik

Accept?

I calm myself quickly realizing I was smiling stupidly. I click on the neon green accept button with, hopefully, a heart warming smile.

"Hey!" A smile crept onto my lips as Zayn looks at the camera.

"Hey," I shyly reply.

"I haven't talk to you in a long time! How are you?" In reality we had talked this week, but I wasn't complaining sense I felt the same.

"I'm great! How's the tour?" I sit up more comfortably on the couch.

"Amazing! I'm so grateful for our fans and everything they do for us. They have no idea what they mean to us, every single one of them matters. Hey, are you crying?" I hadn't noticed the salty tears down my face.

I shook my head.

"No, does it look like I am?" I cover up easily.

"Oh, yeah it does. I guess it's the lighting." I nod agreeing.

Why was I crying? I'm not going to say I never cry, but I definitely don't do it without realizing it.

"Are you coming home for Christmas?" I move out of view so I could wipe my eyes. When I come back into view I see regret and when we meet eye contact he loses it almost immediately. "Zayn? Are you coming home?" Hearing nothing in response, I take a deep, shaky breath. "Zayn, why are you not responding?" But I knew he why, he wasn't coming home...again.

"I want to! It's just the fans are expecting a new single and we still have to work on it and we thought we should collaborate with some guy name Jackson Hale."

Where have I heard that name before?

"I'm sorry, Jane." Zayn sighs into the camera. I bite my lip trying to prevent myself from ruining the moment by saying something unethical such as 'come home for me' or 'your fans can wait' or better yet, 'I miss you.'

"It's fine, Zayn." I spit out. I didn't realize how many emotions this boy caused until that moment. I wanted him home. I wanted to see his charming smile on his perfect face. I want the stubble his jaw always invites after two days to kiss my cheek while I kiss his soft, nurturing lips. I wanted him here. I wanted him now.

* * *

Later that evening I got a call from Louis. Other than Harry and that one time with Liam and Niall, I never talked with the other boys, we never seemed to have much connections so to see Louis' bright smiling profile picture, I picked up immediately knowing this won't be a leisure call.

"Hello?" My voice wavered only slightly.

"Relax, everyone is safe." I quirk an eyebrow at his strange wording. I had always been an observant person and I have picked up that the saying 'relax, everyone is fine' is more frequently used than the word 'safe'. Does that mean not everyone is fine?

I am getting really paranoid.

"I'm calling because of Zayn."  Yeah, that's not worrisome.

"What's wrong?" I sit up straighter than before.

"What did you say to Zayn?" Louis' voice was harder than expected. I hesitate thinking of the call.

"Um, nothing that should have concerned him or upset him?" I rank my brains for a mistake I had made.

"Well he thinks you want to break up with him. Do you?" My heart stops a beat and my eyes grow wide.

"Absolutly not."

* * *

My eyes searched through the racks upon racks of peculiar and uninviting gifts. I wanted to find something perfect for Zayn, but I couldn't find anything in the usual suspects such as the mall so I have adventured out into the world from thrift shops to cute little corner stores around the area.

Even though Zayn wasn't coming home, I knew I could send the gifts out to him. Fiddling with little trinkets I found along the way through the store I hear my phone go off in my black bag that was securely rapped around shoulder. Picking up the violently ringing object I answer with a small hello.

"Jane! I need you to come around my place. Quickly!" And with that I heard the click that meant that Jack had hung up and I felt my feet jogging my way to the car.

* * *

"What is it? What's wrong?" My breath was hitched from running up the stairs, too impatient to wait for the elevator.

Jack's smile appeared as he slowly let go of the door and let it slide all the way open revealing a smiling 5'9" ft boy with open arms.

"Surprise!"

/ / /

Wow um I haven't written anything for this book in like... forever!

Sorry for all those who have kept this story and had hope I would update, but I had other story ideas and I wanted to make them alive so in the process I ignored this story.

Plus it's weird writing about Zayn.

But we're not going to get into that...

Thanks for reading lovelies :)

Chapter Question:

Who is Jackson Hale? And how will he be in the story?