Zayn's Pov
Me and the boys stood in our spots, lights dark as we put on our mics. This was the last part of the show; the performance. Our first one together as a band again and man, I couldn't be happier. Liam was currently helping me with my mic and I watched Niall laugh with Harry. Louis seemed to be nowhere to be found.
"Do you see Louis?" Liam voiced my thoughts, voice quiet. He pulled away and led my hands to my earbuds so I could wrap them around my ears.
"No," I answered finally. "But Harry and Niall don't seem too worried that he's not here."
Liam didn't seem to answer me so I looked back at him to see that he was looking at someone appearing from the darkness of the studio. It was Louis but his face was solemn. We watched as Louis joined Harry and Niall, quickly hugging Harry close to him before pulling away. His lips started to move and that was our cue to move closer and join the rest of our band.
"-West is beyond angry with the interview," Louis was saying when we joined them.
"Wait, what happened?" Liam questioned.
Louis sighed heavily, looking down. "Simon told me West had called him. Because the whole interview was streamed on live tv, west obviously watched it and well, he isn't happy at the slightest."
"But why?" I shrugged, anger fizzing into my veins. "Why is he mad?"
Louis looked up, rubbing at his face. "It's because we said on live tv that it wasn't your choice to leave me in America. I bet if we check Twitter, our fans are already picking up the pieces we're dropping."
Harry crossed his arms with a scoff. "Good. They both need to be knocked down a couple pegs."
Louis shook his head with pleading eyes on Harry. "Hazza...this isn't a good thing. They could sue us."
Harry's face tightened with anger. "So let them."
Louis looked away, shattering. "Harry. Why do you think you were able to have so much freedom with your solo work after the band broke up?"
My mind immediately went back to the studio, the day I found out West was still assaulting him.
Flashback...
"You want to know what happened, Zayn? The fucking hiatus did! He has me and all of us tied by fucking leashes for fucking contracts! I'm making sure he doesn't fucking do it to you again, or any of the other lads! I am trying my fucking best, Zayn, to protect all of you so he didn't fuck with any of you during the hiatus or screw you, Haz or Ni with your solo work! I had to sacrifice my own fucking time and shit and make sure you lads didn't get fucked over and to make sure he didn't bring you and Liam apart again!" Louis confessed, breaking apart.
I cursed soundly at what he had said. "God damn it, Louis! Why the fuck didn't you fucking tell us? Why do you always have to bring onto your shoulders?"
Louis blanked out, any scrap of emotion entirely gone. "I don't need fucking help."
"Then why do you do this? Why are you letting West win-" I questioned but he cut me off again.
"Because its my freedom or yours," The words were filled with such raw emotion that I thought I heard him wrong. "Its me or you lads, its my freedom or yours and Liams...its my freedom or Harry's..."
I froze, blinking at him and the tears that started to well up in his eyes.
"I don't give two fucks about what happens to me...why do you think Simon and West never questioned or grilled you, Harry or Niall about their music or when they switched agents because their contracts with Syco, quote on quote, allowed them to?" His voice started to tremble fiercely. "Why do you think you and Liam got by with the things you did together, thinking you two were being sneaky but you guys really weren't fucking subtle?
YOU ARE READING
What An Old Heart Wants (L.s)
Fanfiction*UNEDITED!!*WARNING: there are triggering topics in this book. There are warnings in certain chapters!* One direction had said they were going on an eighteen month break. Now it had been close to two years since their hiatus but it was time for them...
