The A-hole Next Door (completed)

THIRTY ONE

Lauren lifted her head from Zayn's bare chest. "Holy hell!" She gasped. "That's so huge!"

Zayn chuckled heartily, then ran his fingers through Lauren's hair, moving them away from her face. "I know. I still can't believe it," he replied. He just finished telling her about the latest opportunities for his band. When he arrived at her apartment, he was supposed to gush about it right away, but then he saw her wearing his plaids and no words were uttered next 'cause he dragged her to the bedroom.

Lauren kissed his cheek. "I'm sooooo happy for you, babe. Seriously. You deserve all of these."

"Thanks, jaan," he smiled.

"Does your family know about this already?"

"Uhm, no. Not yet."

An idea flashed in her head. "How about you visit them and tell the good news by yourself?"

Zayn stared at her, shocked. "Visit them?"

"Yep. You promised your Mom that you're gonna see them soon, right? I think this is the perfect time, Zayn. When your mother asked you to visit them at home, she was almost begging, you know."

He pursed his lips. He noticed it, too. He hadn't set foot on Bradford after his argument with his dad months ago.

Lauren saw the hesitation in his eyes. "Is there something you're not telling me? About your family? You're like, a bit reluctant with my suggestion," She asked, curious. Zayn never opened much about his family, he just showed their pictures to her.

He smiled wistfully and returned his fingers through her hair, stroking them gently. "I had a very bad argument with my Dad when I came back here from LA," he confessed, almost whispering.

"Why?"

Zayn took a very deep breath first. "He wanted me to quit the band and pursue another career."

"I thought your parents do support your passion?"

"They do. My Dad was very supportive at first when I tried my luck in LA. But after a year of trying and getting nothing, he told me that I should give up and set my life straight."

"Which you just couldn't do because music is your life," Lauren murmured.

"Yeah," he agreed. "When I came back from LA, I went home in Bradford. But I left the same day because Dad and I argued over my decisions again and it kinda went wild. We both have terrible tempers and we just both exploded. It was such a mess that I ended punching our wall. My mother and sisters were crying." Zayn explained, his throat closing as he recalled that day. "I'll never forget the fear in my youngest sisters' eyes. Safaa was so scared of me."

Lauren felt the regrets and pain in Zayn's voice. She planted a soft kiss on the boy's chest. Now she could fully understand why Zayn stayed in Luigi's house after the gas leak. They were almost in the same boat, and it made her sad. She could tell that Zayn was really close to his family and even to his father, and it broke her heart to discover that a misunderstanding affected their relationship.

After a few minutes of silence, Lauren spoke. "I think you should talk to your Dad again, babe. I'm sure they'll be very happy to hear the good news. Don't let a misunderstanding ruin your family."

Zayn didn't say anything. He was debating with himself if he would follow Lauren's suggestion or not. He had to admit, he missed his family so bad. He missed Bradford. He missed his mother, his sisters, especially his dad. His father had always been his rock since he was a kid.

He held her chin and lifted her face slightly so he could meet her gaze. "Will you go with me? In Bradford? It'll be much better if you're with me."