Chasing Winter

Chapter 1

Questions coming from the paparazzi overwhelmed me as I stepped up to the podium.

"Just give them what they want," Liam had told me earlier.

All I can hear is the clashing of voices and it gives me a headache. I gesture with my hand for them to calm down and they eventually do. On paparazzi raises her hand and I choose her.

"Is it true that you and Perrie Edwards have broken up?" She asks in a very loud voice.

Everyone in the room stares at me. I can feel their stares burning through my skin.

My hearts breaks once again as I lean over the podium slightly and say into the microphone, "Yes."

The room starts buzzing with gossiping murmurs and another paparazzi raises their hand.

"What happened between you two that caused you to break up?" they ask.

Then, I get a flashback.

    Me, coming home drunk and high and disgusting. Fighting with Perrie until she kicked me out. Listening to her swear at me in hatred through gritted teeth. Telling me she never wanted to come near me again. Telling me it was over...

    "Answer?" I hear someone in the crowd say.

I snap back to reality and look over my shoulder at Liam.

He's already looking at me with a sympathetic gaze and mouths the words, shaking his head slowly, "You don't have to."

I think for a few seconds & look at the crowd.

"It just wasn't working out for either of us. Things too the wrong turn and, well... It just... Happened...," I trail off.

There were a few more questions before we needed to go. The crowd is escorted out the door, but I still stand at the podium and think about that night.

    It keeps replaying over and over in my head, her words fresh in my mind. I cover my face with my hands and think. I feel an arm drape across my shoulders and look up.

Liam is there, looking down at me sadly, "Zayn, we have to go. The limo's waiting outside."

I nod and Liam to the limo like a lost puppy. My head is hanging down in shame and despair. Why did I come home like that? Why did I have to start a fight? Why did I- OOF! I snap back into the real world and look up to apologize to the person I just ran into.

    And that's when I saw her.