✔ A Sky Full of Stars [Zarry AU]

Chapter Twenty Four

"Zayn I'm sor-"

"Please, don't say anything." Zayn cut off Crystal's sentence. He had visited the house that she shared with her 'earlier introduced as cousin' Kurt. He was watching, sat on the sofa glancing at them from the newspaper. "Who told you about this?" She asked, her voice breaking at words. Kurt placed the newspaper on the coffee table and walked towards the duo.

"Doesn't matter." Zayn said. "All that matters is that you didn't, which you should have. Maybe things wouldn't have ended like this." He wanted to yell at her for doing all those things to Julia, but nobody knew it. Probably, nobody did except Julia and Crystal, and maybe some of the school mates. 

"Zayn." Kurt came into the conversation. "She didn't tell you because she was afraid that you wouldn't like her if she did. She really likes you, you know?" Zayn closed his eyes for a minute before shaking his head disapprovingly. 

"Sorry. I'm sorry, but I can't." He said before walking out of the house without another word. Kurt was about to call out for him when Crystal grabbed his arm, stopping him midway. "Don't. It's my punishment, I get it." She said. Kurt didn't say anything, just watched the star slam the door shut on their faces. 

*

"I know what you did." Zayn jumps at the voice as he turns around to see Candace smirking behind him. He chuckles while taking a sip from his wine and smiling at her. "You ghost whisperers are scary." He replied. He was at a bar, drinking his heart out after everything that had happened today. 

"You haven't met any ghost whisperers other than me." Candace said. She got herself a beer and sighed. "Anyways, you confessed Mr. Styles who kind of disappeared when you woke up, then you broke up with Crystal for real and now you're drinking your heart out because that will absolutely solve all of your problems." Zayn didn't say anything. He just offered her a grin. 

"I'm happy that you did so. Confessing, I mean." She said. "Seriously didn't expect that. But I see it all on your face, you're happy and a little scared because you don't really know Harry as much as you think you do. Let me tell you one thing Malik, it will turn out well if you played your cards well." Zayn pays for his drink, and even for Candace's beer. He turns to her with an amused look on his face. 

"This is just like a game." Zayn said. "A game that one never wants to play, and one never wants to lose." Candace nods at that. She takes a big sip from her beer, letting the bar music sink into her while smiling at the pretty bartender. 

"You know a lot." She said. "You might win if you keep up your pace." And with that she got up from her bar stool. "Adios amigo." She said with a grin before walking out of the bar. Zayn watched her leave, wondering what had she even came here for. 

*

"I know, I get it." Evelyn told Harry who sighed. They were in The Village Studios' as Harry got the information that Eve and Aline used to record after 10 at night till 2 in the morning. Eve tells him it's fun, yet a bit tiring since she doesn't really like night timings, she thinks people should be asleep before a good 9:30, just like Harry's mother would say till the age of 13 to her little boy. Harry shakes off the thoughts about his mother, looking back at the lyrics that Eve was memorizing. 

"I like this song." Harry said. "Can we trade?" Eve laughs at his suggestion and replies a straight 'no' as Harry pretends to get hurt. They were in Studio A right now, Aline was in Studio D. Studio A's lounge was pretty empty. Eve's writer, Meredith was busy in her own world. The producers, vocal coach and directors were having their own little talk and Harry swore he heard them mention about Cats and Cakes. 

"I asked Joshua if I could meet Zayn." Eve said. "But he told me that Zayn's manager, Reid wouldn't let him meet anyone. Tells me that Zayn is busy and tired of everything, needs a little space. I totally get it, he must be getting serious with Crystal." Harry didn't really say anything in return. He realized that Zayn's breakup wasn't really official yet. He wondered if Zayn's management had any idea that he had broke up with his perfect girlfriend. 

"Don't think so." Harry said in a low voice, remembering how Zayn had told him that he liked him. Like, like him. He smiled to himself while Eve nudged his arm. "Come on, tell me then." She said. "You're blushing. Oh my god, tell me."

"Maybe. Just, maybe if you promise to keep your mouth shut." He said. Eve pretended to zip her mouth and smiled at him. "My lips are sealed, promise." She said. Harry nodded, glancing at everyone else in the big room who were busy in their own world. He noticed the table which had loads of scones in a huge plate was empty. He frowned internally before returning his attention back to Eve. 

"Zayn and Crystal broke up, probably." He said. Eve nodded, but was now looking at him like she was expecting more. "And...?" She asked. Harry raised an eyebrow in confusion, making her groan in frustration. 

"They broke up, you're blushing and nobody is 100 percent straight! So tell me, are you a thing?" She asked with a smile as Harry's mouth was slightly open, wondering if all of these things were written on his face. "What...?" He asked as she praised herself in a low voice, glancing up at her directors who were still talking with each other. 

"This is so cool." She said. "I love the idea of you two." Harry shook his head slightly at that. "But we're not really... it's kind of complicated." 

"I get it." She said. "Nothing is easy. Love is complicated, especially when you're famous and stuff. You have to look after the public opinion, but I don't think that's necessary. Like, fuck everyone else. As long as you have the one you love, who cares about anybody else?" Harry agrees with her. He's about to tell her that she's amazing, but just then her vocal coach is yelling out for her to practice.

"Duty calls." She said with a small smile. Harry just nodded and started thinking about the events happened at the afternoon... Zayn Malik, the Zayn Malik confessing to him. "I'm gonna head home now. I need some sleep." Harry announces 45 minutes into hearing Eve build up the tunes for her song. 

"Sure, take care Harry." She says with a smile. He winks at her before saying his 'byes' and 'nights' to other people present there and finally heading out in the dark, a small walk to his building nearby. He was lucky that Cameron had a place this close to the pub and the studio too. The street lights where flickering as he held his jacket tight around his body, thinking about everything.

I like you too.

He smiles to himself while biting his lower lip, glancing at the streets which were a little more empty than usual. It was about 12:45 am, he doesn't blame the public. "Get in my van kid, I got candy." Somebody whispers right into his ear as he jumps at the voice, taking a few fast steps ahead and turning around.

Candace was laughing at him. He glared at her for a minute before chuckling to himself. "Really?  Seriously?" He asks as she's catching her breath. "The look on your face!" She said. "Priceless!"

"Seriously though, what are you doing here at this hour? Chatting up with your ghost buddies?" Harry asked. She shook her head almost disappointedly. "No, I wish I was. But there are no friendly ghosts here, some vengeful spirits are there but they're grumbling to themselves so everything is fine." 

"Fine then. What are you doing then? Stalking me?" He asked. "Yes." She said. "Let's walk together." He agrees. They walk and talk about his upcoming music, avoiding every unnatural topic till they reach his building. 

"So," He asks, stopping. "You coming to my house?" He asks. She raises her eyebrows with a smirk as Harry chuckles. "I'm gay."

"No shit Sherlock." She mutters. He shook his head lightly, watching a motorbike pass by with full speed as he remembers his own bike. Must be somewhere in Birmingham, abandoned and dirty. Maybe somebody might have stole it, or broke it. Or just threw it off a cliff because who cares? 

"Just tell me one thing, Harry." She said in a low voice. "You like him. You really do, right?" 

"Why are you asking me?" He asks surprised as she shushes him. "Just answer my question." She said in a serious tone which shuts him up.

"Okay." He said. "I... I think I like him. I like him a lot, he's been the nicest to me and... this is something I've felt after a long time after Louis, I think I can move on." He smiled. She smiled back, putting her hand on Harry's cheek.

"Then stay to your word, and be with him." She said. "Don't freak out when you wake up, and don't you yell when you find me. Everything will be alright, just listen to me and follow my steps. Nobody would remember. Just you, me, Zayn and Evelyn. Okay?"

"What?" Harry asks, but before he could ask further questions, everything went white.