Monsters Inside Him (Completed)

Chapter 40: Reconnection

 Chapter 40: Reconnection

“I don’t understand what’s going on.” I muttered, furrowing my eyebrows and trying to focus harder. Zayn let out a groan of frustration and picked up the little pamphlet.

“I tried to explain it to you, just read this, maybe that’ll help.” He thrust the pamphlet at me and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest and looking away from me in aggravation.

“I READ IT, Zayn!” I threw the pamphlet back at him and stood from my chair. He rolled his eyes at me and started to pick up the little pieces scattered across the table.

“You know what? You’ll understand it better once you actually play. It’s hard to do with two people so maybe whenever the lads come by again, I’ll have them help me teach you.” He resolved, giving up on me completely.

“I don’t know why I have to learn this game in the first place, it seems stupid.” I felt offended that a board game was able to outdo me, so I couldn’t help but let anger and embarrassment control my actions. Zayn packed up the game and put the instructions pamphlet on top so it would be easier to access in the future.

“It’s not a stupid game. It’s a lot of fun if you actually know how to play, Darlin’.” He spat. Zayn has very little patience, so it was safe to say that we were borderline on an argument over the stupid board game.

“It IS a stupid game. I’ve never even heard of it before. It must be some British guy who invented it.” I insisted, not willing to be second to a fucking game.

“Ok, Hannah. The United States definitely has Risk. You’ve just never heard of it but it’s definitely an international game.” He replied, pushing the box back into its place among the other three games Zayn had in his home; a poker set, chess, Risk, and Mastermind were the only games he owned and the only four games I didn’t know how to play.

We decided to stay in for the day to educate my board game skills. Apparently, Zayn felt bad that I was so sore and decided it’d be best to relax.

“Should I even bother trying to teach you the other three games or will you fuck those up as well?” He glanced back and forth between me and the games.

“I know something else I’d like to fuck.” I smiled at him, hoping to lighten up the conversation. He groaned again.

“Darlin’, if you tempt me, I won’t be able to control myself but I don’t want to hurt you again.” He spoke slowly as if he were explaining this to some toddler. I shook my head at him and waddled, yes waddled, over to the fridge.

“How about we cool off and I’ll make us some lunch?” I suggested. I started searching through the cupboards but my attention was drawn back to Zayn when his booming laugh echoed through the small room.

“What are you shitting yourself about?” I snapped, knowing damn well what his response would be. Every time I tried, he would laugh at me.

“You’re going to cook lunch? Please.” Of course, he could never miss an opportunity to poke fun at my skills, or lack thereof, in the kitchen.

“For your information, I can make a mean sandwich, thank you very much.” My attention returned to looking for supplies but his cabinets seemed bare. I popped open the fridge and found the same thing- no food.

“Where’s all the food gone? I swear we had food last I checked.” I turned to Zayn, who was wiping his eyes from laughing.

“We ate it, dumbass.” I bit back a smart remark and just rolled my eyes.

“When was the last time you went grocery shopping?”

“I’ve never been, Eleanor always goes for all of us. She doesn’t mind.” He shrugged. I stared at him in shock. How can someone who lives by themselves never go grocery shopping?

“Well, I know what we’re going to do today.” I decided.

“And what’s that, grocery shopping? Darlin’, can you imagine the shock of the poor citizens when Zayn Malik meets them in the bread aisle.” He snorted. “Just give El a ring.”

“No, I’ve already decided and I can be very persistent, so stop fighting me.” I tutted. I made my way to our bedroom to get changed. He followed behind me and stood in the doorway, watching as I slipped out of my sweats and into a nice pair of jeans and a sweater. I may feel like shit, but I wanted to at least look good if we were going out. I wandered into the en suite to put on makeup, having him following me and standing in the doorway again.

“Do you know how embarrassing it’ll be to be seen at a grocery store?” He tried again.

“No I don’t, and you’ll get over it.” I swiped concealer over the remaining bruises on my face.

“Darlin’, you’re already not feeling well, let’s not push you.” He tried a different approach. I turned to give him a hard stare before batting my eyelashes onto the mascara brush.

“Zayn, you’ve left me in worse condition before. I’m fine and we’re going.” He groaned, obviously accepting that he wasn’t getting out of this one and wandered off to change

It always amazes me how little effort he puts into his appearance and how great he looks. Simple black jeans, a white T-shirt and a black leather jacket transform Zayn from a model to a god. He puts gel in his hands and runs his fingers through his hair to get it into its infamous quiff.

As soon as we entered the store, Zayn was grabbing things and placing them in the cart. I couldn’t believe how enthusiastic he got once we were there. It was literally like a kid in a candy store.

“Can we get these? Eleanor used to buy them for me but then she stopped.” Zayn held up a box of Hostess Twinkies.

“She stopped because they’re absolute shit for your body, but sure, why the hell not.” I muttered as I looked at various pastas. He smiled broadly and placed the item in the cart, walking along side me for a moment before getting distracted by another item.

“Zayn, I’m going to the vegetable aisle. Why don’t you go get one box of cookies we can have tonight while I go find carrots and radishes?” I offered.

“Just one box?” He complained like a toddler. I rolled my eyes at him.

“We already have twinkies, chocolate cake mix and brownie mix in here. We only need one box of cookies, now go!” I laughed. He stalked off towards the sweets aisle, getting some head turns as he went. People were definitely shocked to see the notorious gang leader Zayn Malik in the store, but then again I was still shocked I managed to get him to come.

I pushed the cart passed a couple bickering over spices, a little girl deciding between two candy bars by the registers and a teenage boy looking at different boxes of condoms in the drug store aisle.

“Oh, sorry Darling.” A voice apologized as another cart bumped into mine. I placed the carrots in my hand into my cart and looked up at the woman.

“Oh it’s no-” I instantly stopped talking as I looked over the woman standing in front of me.

She was middle-aged, but absolutely beautiful. She was Caucasian but with dark features. Her smile was dazzling and warm and her eyes were so kind.

Tricia Malik.

I recognized her from the funeral.

Recognition crossed her face as she obviously remembered me being the girl on her son’s arm from the event. We both kind of just stood there for a moment until another voice interrupted us.

“Mum, I can’t decide. I think I’ll just get both.” The little girl deciding between candy bars approached us and looked up at her mother. The girl, Safaa I think, looked exactly like her older brother. Her dark hair was straight around her round face, but when she smiled at me I could see my boyfriend in her expression. Zayn told me she was ten, but her brown eyes seemed more knowing than a ten year-old. This little girl was an infant when her mother took her away, so I doubt she knew who I was, but she could tell that something was up by the way her mother was looking at me.

“I said one, Safaa.” Tricia said, looking at her youngest daughter briefly. The girl pouted.

“But I can’t decide!”

“Well, you’re going to have to. The last thing you need is two candy bars.” Her mother turned her attention back to me, looking me over slowly.

“What if I get one for me and one for Doniya?” Safaa pressed, making her mom focus back on her.

“I know that Doniya will just give it to you, Safaa, nice try.” That ended the argument.

“What Doniya does with her candy bar is her business…” Safaa muttered, placing one candy bar in the cart and the other on a random shelf. Her stubborn spirit was almost identical to that of someone that I know.

“Sorry about that…” Tricia smiled at me. I shook my head and offered a timid smile in return.

“She’s adorable.” I started to pull my cart away, not sure what to do in this situation, but Tricia stopped me.

“I’m sorry to be so rude, Darling, but are you- do you know my- I… I think I saw you at a funeral recently.” She sputtered out awkwardly. Knowing that I couldn’t lie, I nodded solemnly.

“So you’re… I’ve heard about you.”

“You have?” I asked nervously. I know Zayn and his mother have had a complicated past, but I still felt nervous about what she thought of me. She is my boyfriend’s mother, after all.

“My eldest daughter, Doniya, hears the gossip of London even in the town we’re from, Bradford. We-we know about Zayn’s, erm, pastime. Doniya said she heard about a girl who caught his heart and is changing him for the better. You must be Hannah Olson.” I blushed. I knew that Zayn was well known, but I never guessed that my association with him would be too.

“The one and only.”

“Oh my goodness, I can’t believe I’m meeting you. It’s a pleasure really, Darling.” She moved around our carts to wrap me in a brief but warm hug before pulling away and smiling at me. I noticed her habit of calling me darling. It sounds so much like how Zayn calls me Darlin’. I wonder if that’s where he picked it up from…

“I’m just- I worry so much about him because we hear things and none of its good. And then I heard about you, I just…. I haven’t been a mother to him the past ten years and I’m just happy to know that someone’s taking care of him.” Tears welled in her eyes and I instantly felt bad.

“I love your son,” I whispered, hoping to only please her. Safaa watched on with wide eyes and listening ears, no doubt drinking in all the information her mother forgot to censure around her.

“I don’t know if I want to know the answer, but I have to ask: Is he good to you?” She bit her lip, obviously having heard about Zayn’s track record with women, with violence, and with me.

“Zayn and I get into fights, sure, but he’s nothing I can’t handle. A friend of his said that I’m the only person who can give him a run for his money.” I answered as honestly as I could without upsetting her with the gory details of our relationship. She smiled at me, obviously taking a different meaning out of my answer.

“Do you think maybe you could give him this?” She fished in her purse for a little piece of paper and wrote something on it. When she handed it to me, I glanced over it. A phone number.

“I was wondering if you could get him to call. Darling, I really want to form a relationship with him.” She begged me. I slipped the paper in my back pocket.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.” Zayn was just recuperating from his father’s death and I didn’t know if it’d be good to put more stress on him.

“Please. I know I’ve been a horrible Mum to him, but I want to change that if he’d let me. The girls and I decided to stay in London for a little while. I was hoping to get in touch with him before we return to Bradford. Please, you’re my only chance of a reconnection.” She grasped my hand tightly and pleaded shamelessly. I glanced nervously back and forth between Zayn’s mom and the female, ten year old, Zayn look alike.

“I’ll bring it up, but I don’t know if-”

“Darlin’!” I whipped my head around to see Zayn jogging up to me, his eyes glued down at the objects in his hands. Uh oh.

“I know you said only one box of cookies but I can’t decide.” If the situation weren’t so serious and awkward, I would have laughed at the irony that 21 year old Zayn faced the same dilemma as his sister, who happened to be 11 years younger than him.

“Zayn, I-” I cut myself off as he looked up at me and then at the people I was talking to. His mouth popped open a little bit, his eyes shifting back and forth. His mother stared back at him in shock, while his youngest sister just looked at him curiously.

“Zayn…” Tricia Malik moved slowly as she reached out for him, but he quickly moved away, to stand next to me.

“What the hell, Hannah?” He spoke lowly, but slightly angry.

“We bumped into each other. We recognize each other from the funeral, Zayn.” I whispered back, even though I knew both his mother and his sister could hear us. He looked back at his mother, but then down at his sister and I swear I saw tears form in his eyes. He looked at the little girl with an instinctual love, even though he had never actually met her. Quickly, he blinked the tears away and forced his gaze back to me. I could see panic in his eye as he tried to send me a silent signal.

“Zayn, I-” Zayn’s mother looked about close to tears as she looked over her estranged son, “I gave your girlfriend my number. I want us to reconnect.”

“Funny you should say that now, after ten years of no communication.” He spat, turning on his heel and storming off.

“Zayn, please.” His mother begged after him, but was ignored.

“Hannah! Come on! We’re leaving!” He called back for me. I looked back at his family once more.

“I’ll try to talk to him, just give me time.” I promised before following him out.