Are you here?|Zauren

AYH?-1

"What's for dinner tonight?" Zayn asked sitting down beside me on the sofa. I tapped at my chin. "I don't know. I was thinking pizza delivery or tacos?" Zayn rubbed at his chin as if he was deep in thought. "Hmmm, I think I'm leaning more towards the taco side."

"Alright then tacos it is. We can eat tacos and watch a sappy love movie." I batted my lashes at him. Zayn laughed and nodded his head.
"Sounds good."

"Can we go to I Scream for Ice-Cream after? I am just craving that butter pecan."

"How about I run to that ice cream shop you like so much and I'll be back before suppers finished, right?" Zayn suggested. I nodded and he leaned down placing a gentle kiss on my lips. "Let's see who's faster, you making supper or me getting the ice-cream," Zayn teased.

I stood up and put my game face on. "You're on Malik," I said. We shook hands.

"Winner has to clean up all the dishes," he said.

I giggled at that one and pulled my hair up into a bun.
"You are so on."

"Ready, set, go!" he called out and ran out the door. I ran to the freezer and pulled out the taco meat, and got that ready on the stovetop before I pulled out the vegetables and started cutting them.

Zayn and I had been together for three years. I was just seventeen when I met him, he and a group of his friends were international transfers at my university in New York and when I was eighteen, Zayn asked me to be his girlfriend over skype on April 14th. All the adults in our lives were skeptical on how long we'd last with one another with not only the stress of school eating away at us but also the stress of being long distance. We proved them wrong when Zayn moved in with other international friends when I was nineteen and he was twenty. We graduated school, and moved into an apartment together just last year.

My phone started ring just as I was seasoning the taco meat. I smirked when I saw Zayn's name and picture. I slid to answer and tilted my head squeezed the phone between my ear and shoulder. "Hey baby," I greeted him.

"Hey beautiful," he said.

"How's it going?" I said shaking taco seasoning on top of the ground beef and mixing it in.

"It's going great. I'll have you know that I got the butter pecan ice-cream that you like so much and I even got myself some peanut butter swirl ice-cream, and I am on my way back home as we speak."

"What did I tell you about being on the phone while driving?" I questioned.

"Ah ah ah little one, I will have you know that I am still walking through the parking lot and I am almost to the car- Did you hear that beep? That was the car. I'll be home in a bit. Happy dishwashing."

"You wish," I said. "I'll see you in a little. I love you."

"And I love you more than all the stars in the sky." I blushed and nodded my head.

"Bye baby, I've tacos to finish."

"And dishes to wash," he laughed. "Bye babe. I love you."

I had time to set the table up and I knew that I won. Zayn would be home any minute now and he'd walk in to a table set up already for a build your own taco session. I expected to get out of the shower and Zayn would already be there eating tacos and telling me, "you took too long in the shower. I could wait, but my stomach couldn't."

Zayn wasn't there when I got out of the shower, and I never got a phonecall telling me that he was stuck in traffic or made a quick stop somewhere else. I sat down on the couch and curled up hugging my knees. "Hey babe, just wanted to tell you that I absolutely dominated your ass and I've got a few dishes waiting for you already," I giggled. "Hurry up and come home! I want tacos and cuddles. I love you, bye."

I placed the phone down and made my way to my bedroom, where I laid on my bed and started reading the next chapter of my book. I could hear the news on the television from my bedroom which told me that it was already six thirty. Zayn had been gone for two hours. I placed the boom against my chin, trying to keep myself from being a worry wart. Maybe he went to the grocery store. I did tell him that we were running low on a few things. He probably saw a friend and they got to talking. He always found a friend no matter where we were.

I decided to try and give him another call, so I headed back out to the living room and grabbed my phone. I stood in the dining room and I pushed around the lettuce that was starting to turn brown from sitting out. "Hey Zayn, where on Earth are....." my thoughts trailed off when out the corner of my eye I saw a breaking news story.

"Car accident caught on traffic camera! This terrifying car accident occured at around six pm, this evening on route 16 in Sunny county. As you can see by the footage here the black SUV had the right of way, and the man in the white truck just zoomed through the red light and slammed right into the black and suv and a white honda accord. We will stop the video there, but everyone in all three cars are in critical condition and were rushed to the hospital the moment medics arrived, we'll have more on that later. I'm Jan Beaker, back to you James."

My heart began beating hard against my chest and I felt a lump form in my throat as I looked at the grainy video on the television. It was over and they were talking about something else, but I couldn't stop replaying that car crash in my mind. I Scream for Ice-Cream was on the route 16 exit. Zayn drives a black SUV, and Zayn's not answering his phone. I ran to my bedroom and grabbed my car keys from the dresser, and then bolted out the front door, not even sure if I locked up.

I got in my car and I know in this dazed state I was in, it's super dangerous to drive but I had to get to the hospital. My hands were uncontrollably shaking and everything was blurry, but I just had to. "It's not Zayn," I kept mumbling to myself over and over again.

I made it to the hospital still in one piece and just as I was rushing to the check in counter, hearing "Developing story on the route 16 accident," I spun around to face the tv playing in the waiting room. "Three were left dead today in the tragic car accident on route 16 in Sunny county. The driver of the white van was intoxicated beyond the alloted limit, and he is still in critical condition, and unfortunately, medics couldn't make it to the hospital with the remaining three. They passed away in the ambulance, medics did all they could do. A gentleman in his early twenty's identified as Zayn Malik, the driver of the black SUV has passed away from blunt force trauma, and a thirty year mother named Ella Pagan and her two year old daughter, Amy Pagan also passed away. This will be a developing story-"

I felt my knees buckle and the air was kicked out of my lungs as I fell down crying and screaming. I don't remember anything after that besides little things like the security guards running up to me and me screaming at the top of my lungs, and my best friend Ally coming to pick me up. I don't remember walking into my house. I don't remember getting into my bed. I don't remember any of it. I didn't want to remember any of it.