Malik's Daughter
Chapter 20 - Apologies
"MOVE!" Natasha screamed at the top of her lungs as she dove at Zayn with her dagger held high.
As unwilling as I was to leave Zayn unprotected, my reflexes acted without a second thought and I jumped to the left, falling to the ground. I heard the sick sound of Natasha's dagger being struck with deep force and the splatter of blood. I couldn't get myself to turn around and face Zayn's body, watching the last seconds of his life. I stayed on the ground, struggling to suck in enough air for my respiratory system. I couldn't take in anything that was going on. None of this made any sense.
Natasha had followed us into the forest. She somehow knew Zayn would be here. She had come prepared. Dagger at her hands and ready for murder. Now Zayn was dead. His blood was spilling through Natasha's hands. My father's body lay on the floor of the forest, lifeless and still. This had been Natasha's scheme all along. I know I should be crying. My father is dead. He is no longer alive. I hadn't known him for more than a couple weeks and he was gone. Just like that. I should be weeping my soul out. But I couldn't. It didn't feel right. Something seemed off.
"Ellie! Run!"
I gasped, whipping around to see if what I heard was real. Natasha's dagger stuck out from the heart of a giant, black, hairy bear. Not Zayn's heart. A bear's heart. She sat on top of the bear's stomach with her hand plunged deep into its chest, blood oozing out from within its thick fur. Zayn lay to the right at the foot of the bear, panting as he shuffled himself up to his feet. He was alive. Natasha hadn't killed Zayn. She had saved his life. Our life. She never wanted to kill Zayn. No. Wait. I don't know that for sure. Why did she bring a dagger with her into the forest in the first place? Why had she followed us here?
"Ellie! Get out! Now!" Zayn hissed, under his breath.
"Why?" I asked, stubborn as always.
"Ellie! NOW!" he shrieked.
Surprised by his tone, I pulled myself up and hurried away from the intense scene. As Zayn grew further and further away from me, I grew more and more frightened. I had never expected my day to turn into an action-adventure fairytale. My pulse quickened and my lungs dried up. I yearned to rest, to get a glass of water, to relax, but I knew that was way out of my options right now. I ran deeper and deeper into the forest, completely confused as to which direction was which.
Perrie's POV:
My head was spinning. I had stayed silent the whole time, watching everything with my own eyes. I would never have believed it if I wasn't here myself. I know I shouldn't be here. Zayn had asked for some private time with Ellie. I should have granted it to him. But it was too late now. I'd have to show myself sooner or later.
I sighed. Sooner it is. I got out from behind the tree that I was hiding from. Zayn who was still perched beside the huge bear's foot, didn't notice me. But Natasha did. She narrowed her eyes, looking at me with pure distaste.
"Zayn?" I whispered.
He snapped his head around to face me.
"Perrie?" he asked, surprised.
I nodded, ashamed.
"Perrie! I told you I wanted to speak to Ellie! You weren't invited!"
"I know," I muttered.
"Well? What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking, but..."
"But? But? But what, Perrie?" he questioned.
I looked down at the ground.
"No explanation. Just what I thought," he said, disappointed.
"I'm sorry," I said, again.
"You know what? Forget it. What's done is done. Now let's get out of here," he said, turning around to the direction Ellie had fled from.
"Wait," I said.
He stopped and faced me again.
I turned to Natasha, "If you don't mind, I'd like a private conversation with Zayn," I said.
She huffed, "Private or you're private?" she asked.
"I know I didn't respect Zayn's privacy with Ellie, but Natasha, please leave us alone for a few minutes," I said.
She pulled out her dagger, which was still stuck in the bear's heart, and left in the opposite way from where Ellie had disappeared. I made she had truly left before I turned back to Zayn.
"Can we talk?" I asked him.
"About what?" he asked.
"Ellie, you, me, everything," I told him.
"We have to do this here?"
"Safest place we've got,"
"But Ellie - she just ran off into the forest... alone," he said.
"I know. She'll be fine," I said.
"Perrie... I don't think -"
"Please, Zayn. I want to get this over with,"
After a moment's hesitation, he nodded.
"Alright, fine," he said.
I smiled. "Thank you," I whispered.
"Yeah, yeah. So?" he asked.
"Zayn, I've been horrible to you. For fourteen years. I haven't spoken to you... I haven't contacted you... I have kept so many secrets from you... and I'm sorry. For everything," I said.
He looked at me, his eyes making my insides melt. The chocolate-brown iris still had the same effect it had on me fourteen years ago. His long eyelashes batted against his cheek with every blink of his eye. I hadn't seen him this closely for so long. I'd missed him. Every single bit of him.
"Perrie, you don't have to apologize. I was the one who was the jerk. I'm the one who needs to apologize. I decided to split up with you at the perfect time. The time you needed me most. I was an idiot," he said.
"You didn't know, Zayn. You had no idea I was pregnant,"
"But I had no real reason to break up with you, either. I think I just let the press get to me. You remember all the 'Zerrie will break soon' headlines? I took it into my head," he said.
"I should have told you. I should have told you I was pregnant,"
"That may have changed my mind," he said.
"Maybe we would have been a happy family right now if I'd told you a little earlier. Just like Louis and Eleanor. Harry and Samantha. Everyone of our friends," I said.
Zayn focused on me. "Is it too late to still be like that?" he asked, softly.
My eyes blurred with tears. Did he mean what he was saying?
"I don't know," I whispered.
His eyes moved down my face, stopping at my lips.
"Would you like to give it a shot?" he asked.
I lowered my gaze to his lips too.
"Definitely," I said.
Zayn's lips curved into a tiny smile as he leaned in. I brought myself closer to him. The next thing I knew, his lips were on top on mine, fitting perfectly as if it were meant to be. I couldn't resist the urge to get my hands tangled in his hair. He pulled me closer to his chest. It was perfect. I could have stayed like that forever. Maybe this would actually work. Hope had found itself into me, once again. I smiled against his lips, careful not the break the kiss. I still did love him.
As unwilling as I was to leave Zayn unprotected, my reflexes acted without a second thought and I jumped to the left, falling to the ground. I heard the sick sound of Natasha's dagger being struck with deep force and the splatter of blood. I couldn't get myself to turn around and face Zayn's body, watching the last seconds of his life. I stayed on the ground, struggling to suck in enough air for my respiratory system. I couldn't take in anything that was going on. None of this made any sense.
Natasha had followed us into the forest. She somehow knew Zayn would be here. She had come prepared. Dagger at her hands and ready for murder. Now Zayn was dead. His blood was spilling through Natasha's hands. My father's body lay on the floor of the forest, lifeless and still. This had been Natasha's scheme all along. I know I should be crying. My father is dead. He is no longer alive. I hadn't known him for more than a couple weeks and he was gone. Just like that. I should be weeping my soul out. But I couldn't. It didn't feel right. Something seemed off.
"Ellie! Run!"
I gasped, whipping around to see if what I heard was real. Natasha's dagger stuck out from the heart of a giant, black, hairy bear. Not Zayn's heart. A bear's heart. She sat on top of the bear's stomach with her hand plunged deep into its chest, blood oozing out from within its thick fur. Zayn lay to the right at the foot of the bear, panting as he shuffled himself up to his feet. He was alive. Natasha hadn't killed Zayn. She had saved his life. Our life. She never wanted to kill Zayn. No. Wait. I don't know that for sure. Why did she bring a dagger with her into the forest in the first place? Why had she followed us here?
"Ellie! Get out! Now!" Zayn hissed, under his breath.
"Why?" I asked, stubborn as always.
"Ellie! NOW!" he shrieked.
Surprised by his tone, I pulled myself up and hurried away from the intense scene. As Zayn grew further and further away from me, I grew more and more frightened. I had never expected my day to turn into an action-adventure fairytale. My pulse quickened and my lungs dried up. I yearned to rest, to get a glass of water, to relax, but I knew that was way out of my options right now. I ran deeper and deeper into the forest, completely confused as to which direction was which.
Perrie's POV:
My head was spinning. I had stayed silent the whole time, watching everything with my own eyes. I would never have believed it if I wasn't here myself. I know I shouldn't be here. Zayn had asked for some private time with Ellie. I should have granted it to him. But it was too late now. I'd have to show myself sooner or later.
I sighed. Sooner it is. I got out from behind the tree that I was hiding from. Zayn who was still perched beside the huge bear's foot, didn't notice me. But Natasha did. She narrowed her eyes, looking at me with pure distaste.
"Zayn?" I whispered.
He snapped his head around to face me.
"Perrie?" he asked, surprised.
I nodded, ashamed.
"Perrie! I told you I wanted to speak to Ellie! You weren't invited!"
"I know," I muttered.
"Well? What are you doing here?" he asked.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking, but..."
"But? But? But what, Perrie?" he questioned.
I looked down at the ground.
"No explanation. Just what I thought," he said, disappointed.
"I'm sorry," I said, again.
"You know what? Forget it. What's done is done. Now let's get out of here," he said, turning around to the direction Ellie had fled from.
"Wait," I said.
He stopped and faced me again.
I turned to Natasha, "If you don't mind, I'd like a private conversation with Zayn," I said.
She huffed, "Private or you're private?" she asked.
"I know I didn't respect Zayn's privacy with Ellie, but Natasha, please leave us alone for a few minutes," I said.
She pulled out her dagger, which was still stuck in the bear's heart, and left in the opposite way from where Ellie had disappeared. I made she had truly left before I turned back to Zayn.
"Can we talk?" I asked him.
"About what?" he asked.
"Ellie, you, me, everything," I told him.
"We have to do this here?"
"Safest place we've got,"
"But Ellie - she just ran off into the forest... alone," he said.
"I know. She'll be fine," I said.
"Perrie... I don't think -"
"Please, Zayn. I want to get this over with,"
After a moment's hesitation, he nodded.
"Alright, fine," he said.
I smiled. "Thank you," I whispered.
"Yeah, yeah. So?" he asked.
"Zayn, I've been horrible to you. For fourteen years. I haven't spoken to you... I haven't contacted you... I have kept so many secrets from you... and I'm sorry. For everything," I said.
He looked at me, his eyes making my insides melt. The chocolate-brown iris still had the same effect it had on me fourteen years ago. His long eyelashes batted against his cheek with every blink of his eye. I hadn't seen him this closely for so long. I'd missed him. Every single bit of him.
"Perrie, you don't have to apologize. I was the one who was the jerk. I'm the one who needs to apologize. I decided to split up with you at the perfect time. The time you needed me most. I was an idiot," he said.
"You didn't know, Zayn. You had no idea I was pregnant,"
"But I had no real reason to break up with you, either. I think I just let the press get to me. You remember all the 'Zerrie will break soon' headlines? I took it into my head," he said.
"I should have told you. I should have told you I was pregnant,"
"That may have changed my mind," he said.
"Maybe we would have been a happy family right now if I'd told you a little earlier. Just like Louis and Eleanor. Harry and Samantha. Everyone of our friends," I said.
Zayn focused on me. "Is it too late to still be like that?" he asked, softly.
My eyes blurred with tears. Did he mean what he was saying?
"I don't know," I whispered.
His eyes moved down my face, stopping at my lips.
"Would you like to give it a shot?" he asked.
I lowered my gaze to his lips too.
"Definitely," I said.
Zayn's lips curved into a tiny smile as he leaned in. I brought myself closer to him. The next thing I knew, his lips were on top on mine, fitting perfectly as if it were meant to be. I couldn't resist the urge to get my hands tangled in his hair. He pulled me closer to his chest. It was perfect. I could have stayed like that forever. Maybe this would actually work. Hope had found itself into me, once again. I smiled against his lips, careful not the break the kiss. I still did love him.
Notes
Hey! A change of events! Not what you expected huh? But I know it's a bit cheesy... sorry about that :) it will get better, I promise.Squeezed in some romance into this one! Is that what you guys wanted?
This chapter is a it weird... I mean Perrie and Zayn have their little 'chat' in the middle of a forest... and all that nonsense... :)
If you didn't like it, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make a crappy chapter, but the next one will be a LOT better! Promise! A promise is a promise, and I will always keep my promises! :)
lol
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Update
8/12/14