Come Back To Me

Chapter 3

{Payton's POV}

I sat at my kitchen counter watching my mom make some pancakes. I told her what happened when I saw Zayn at the cafe. My mum was really good about listening. She was always there if I wanted to talk about it, even though I rarely did.

"Hey Mum?" I asked as I was flipping through some old magazine that was laying around on the counter. She looked up at me smiling.

"Yeah, honey?" 

"Is it wrong for me to be so mad at him, Zayn, I mean?" I looked down and of course the first face I saw in the magazine was Zayn's. This is exactly why I don't read magazines anymore. His face is everywhere.

"No. Not at all sweetie. You both have some unresolved issues." She went back to her cooking and I sighed. I still don't know what reason Zayn had for being mad at me. From what I remember, I haven't done anything wrong to him. He's the one who left me in the dust.

"It's just, I know I should be proud of him and happy because of how successful he's become..but a part of me is just still so angry and torn up about everything. It's hard for me to be happy for him."

My mum set down her spatula on the counter and made her way over to where I was sitting. She took my hands in hers and looked me in the eyes. 

"Payton. You and Zayn were friends for a very long time. You have to remember, before he left for London you two hadn't spoken in almost three years. I don't think him leaving for his music is what's really making you upset. I think it's something that happened way before that. You just have to figure out what that something is."

My mum was always right. I don't know how she did it. She always knew what was going on inside my head. It was like she could read my mind or something. I don't even know what is really making me so upset with Zayn. 

"I guess you're right." I said right as the pancakes were ready. It was just me and my mum today because my little brother, Navid, and Neya were away with my aunt in Holmes Chapel. 

That's a whole other story. My aunt just so happened to be Harry Styles's mum. Harry Styles was my cousin. I know it's a little awkward. Now that I think about it, I don't even know if Zayn knew that. Whatever, he doesn't need to know.

I took a bite out of the stack of buttermilk pancakes on my plate. My mouth was filled with the taste of cinnamon as it warmed my throat. My mum's pancakes were never a dissappointment. 

I looked at the clock and I realized I was supposed to meet my friend Tessa in an hour. She would probably be on my ass if I was late. We were meeting at the local mall.

"Thanks for breakfast mum, I have to go meet up with Tess." I gave her a tight hug and kissed her on the cheek before I threw my plate in the sink and headed out the door. 

Tessa knew everything about what happened with Zayn. She wasn't a huge fan of One Direction after that, actually. Tessa grew up in Bradford with me and Zayn. We didn't really become close though until grade nine. 

I pulled into the mall parking lot and it was almost empty. I guess that's what happens at 9:00am. Tessa always loved to come early because she could get her shopping done without the mall being packed. 

I saw her silver car and I pulled up next to it. Her blonde hair was tossed into a messy bun and she had on a football hoodie. She smiled and got out. I did the same and we hugged each other quickly before heading off towards the Mall entrance. 

I didn't pay much attention to which stores we were going into mainly because I didn't care. Me and Tessa just went in and out of whichever stores came up. We tried on a bunch of different dresses and shoes. I loved shopping with her because she was so easy to be around. She never gossiped with me about anything. We just kind of enjoyed each other's company.