Thorns

chapter forty-six.

zayn.

"What the fück is going on?" Perrie snapped, glancing between Rose and I.

I feel the thorn embedded into my heart, thickening, swelling, reaching my throat and restricting me from breathing. My mouth moves but no words leave my mouth.

"You tell me right now Zayn, do you love Rose?" I gulp, gripping tighter onto Lucy.

"Of course I don't, I love you. Rosie's just my high school crush, of course there's a small amount of love for her but that's it. She's nothing to me Per." I speak, but before Perrie could respond, Rose is brushing past me and running out, not before turning around and screaming a line of fluent profanities before I feel impact on the back of my head, a huge sob cracking and the lift shutting.

"Mummy." Lucy let out a feeble cry, I turn around, picking up the white container and shove it in my pocket, and following after Perrie into the main hotel room.

"Daddy stop, daddy, mummy that way." Lucy speaks, squirming in my arms.

"Daddy we go swimming? You say we go swimming when mummy go hosp-tal. Daddy?"

"Yeah darling, anything for you." I find myself saying, rubbing her back to soothe her.

"Daddy we get mummy and we go swimming." Lucy speaks, trying to gain my attention once more.

"Yeah sure Lucy, we will." I tell her once more, her hair tickling my chin as she snuggles into me for comfort.

"Let's set the wedding date, the sooner we get this done with the better so the world will know we're officially together forever." Perrie speaks, seating down and opening her laptop.

I seat beside her, Lucy still clinging onto me, her head buried in my chest, legs on either side of me as she breathes quietly.

rose.

I run, not stopping, never stopping. I shouldn't stop. I'm nothing. The tears don't stop running when I stop, resting my forehead on a brick wall, letting it cool me as my breath fanned out, bouncing back at me as my sobs crack, my throat demanding for water. I should've know it was always Perrie. I should've known she was always going to be the one. Why did I ever think that maybe Zayn would forget about her and love me? Why did I believe we still had a chance.

"Having trouble there babe?" My head snaps up and I freeze, why the hełl was he here?

"Carl?" I question, backing away immediately knowing I had to run.

"You alright?" He questions, his voice soft, hand reaching for me. I see the grazed knuckles, my mind working quickly to work out the evidence he was giving me.

"Y-you punched Zayn!" I conclude, my mind buzzing as I watch him near.

"I did it for you." He speaks, reaching out for me but I back away once again.

"How did you get here? How did you know I was here?"

"That kid is all over the media babe, it wasn't rocket science." He chuckles, eyeing my body. I don't reply, eyeing the streets and planning the routes back.

"Come home with me." He speaks, taking my hand in his. I shake my head, snatching my hand back.

"You hurt me." I speak, inching away from him.

"I only do it because I love you." He speaks, my senses becoming alert.

"You love me?" I ask, insecurity heard in every word.

"Of course I love you, I'd never leave you, you mean everything to me."

"Everything?" I repeat, watching a smile take over his lips.