Panic Attack - H.S. AU

Chapter Twenty-Three

-Valerie-

It'd been two weeks since Angie, Lexi and I got Zayn suspended from his job. Even though we wanted to believe Zayn would get fired for bad publicity, we were hit with the reality that his suspension was just for show and it didn't take long for Zayn's publicist to make all the bad press go away as if nothing had ever happened. At least that's what I observed from his social media. I hadn't seen or spoken to Zayn ever since. He looked like he was doing well. He's been on magazine covers and made plenty of "successful bachelor" lists. 

I never paid attention to just how relevant he was in the media until he became a stranger to me. Seeing him in this point of view felt strange. It felt like a part of my life was fading away from me. Part of me knew I shouldn't feel that way since I chose Harry over him multiple times, but it was weird having to accept that Zayn was out of my life. I couldn't help but miss him.

My phone rang suddenly, and I felt my heart race as I saw "Zayn" flashed onto its screen.

I cleared my throat before answering, "Hello?"

"Hello love. How are you?"

I hesitated slightly before replying, "I'm fine. How are you?"

"I miss you."

"Zayn." I sighed. "Honestly, I've missed you too."

"Come over. I want to see you."

"I'm with Harry now, Zayn. I can't do that anymore."

"Please Val. I need to see you," he pleaded.

"Fine," I gave in. "I'll be there soon."

Before I could process what I was doing, I gathered my things and headed over to Zayn's place. As I stepped out of the cab I had hailed, I gazed at the tall building before me. I then took a deep breath and headed inside. Zayn was standing in the lobby waiting for me. He looked dapper as ever in yet another one of his expensive suits.

"Val," he said softly with the biggest grin on his face. "I'm so happy to see you."

"What's this about Zayn?"

Instead of answering me, he took my hand in his and led me into an elevator. As we waited to reach his penthouse, he'd glance at me every so often as if he wanted to make sure I was still there.

When we arrived, he grabbed my hand again and led me over to his terrace. We stood toward the edge and looked down at the city below us.

"You used to wake up early just so you could watch the sun rise from this view," he said quietly.

"It's beautiful."

"Yes, you are."

I looked over at him and he was smiling that brilliant smile of his and as much as I wanted to smile back, I held my ground. "You can't say things like that anymore, Zayn. I mean it."

"Or maybe I could." He took a step closer to me. "We could start over. I'll be better this time. I'll do anything to get you back, Val just give me a chance." He then cupped my face in his hands and softly added, "Please".

I stared back at him, speechless at what was happening.

"Please don't do it," a third voice said.

I turned my head to find Harry standing in the doorway to the terrace.

"Harry?" I quickly removed Zayn's hands from my face and stepped away from him. "How did you get up here?"

"Don't go back to him, Valerie. Please!" he begged me as tears started to fill his eyes.

"I never said I was. I was just—"

"Just what? He cut me off. You're nothing but a liar. Everyone in my life lies to me and I'm sick of it."

Next thing I knew, Harry pulled out a gun.

My eyes widened in fear. "H-harry, where did you get that?"

I watched as he aimed it at his head. "Will this finally get your attention Valerie,"

"Harry stop! You're scaring me!" I cried.

"Well then you really won't like this," he replied.

"No!" I shouted as he put his finger on the trigger. "Don't do it!"

"Do it!" Zayn encouraged.

"No!" I shouted over and over.

**

"Valerie," Harry called my name.

"Hmm?" I replied, trying to bring myself back to reality.

"I think you were having a nightmare. Are you okay?" He asked me.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine. Everything is fine," I lied.

"It's been happening a lot lately. Are you sure you're okay? You know you can trust me."

I cracked a smile at the sweet boy sitting next to me. I wanted to believe I could tell him anything, but this was the same person I saved from jumping off a building just months ago. There was a good chance that confiding in him could break him and I just couldn't risk that happening.

"It's nothing." I lightly pressed my lips against his. "I promise."

He smiled back at me as he leaned back on my couch. He continued to stare at me with a grin on his face and I began to blush. "What? Is there something on my face?" I joked.

He chuckled and shook his head. "No, you're just so beautiful."

I raised my arm to cup his cheek in my hand and smiled at him. "I think you're beautiful too," I teased him. "So, what'd you start watching after I felt asleep?"

As Harry began catching me up on the movie he was watching, my thoughts drifted elsewhere. I thought Zayn was the issue in my relationship with Harry, but these nightmares I was having was proving that there was something really messed up going on in my head and I needed to figure out how I was going to deal with it before they got worse.  

A/N: Sorry guys, I never realized how much writing I'd put into a chapter so this one is shorter than previous ones. Anyway, I'm so sorry it two years before finally coming back to this book, but I went through the longest writer's block ever so I just took a break and lived life. Thankfully, it gave me so many ideas on the direction I wanna take this book in if you guys are still interested. Let me know!  :)