Someone Different [Zayn Malik Romance]

4. Trouble

                It wasn't long until I came to the conclusion that it was time to call my dad. The few extra days let me figure things out, and I was fairly certain that I had enough excuses to escape when I needed to be Perrie instead of Lela.

                So I got my suitcases that I had stowed away under the huge bed and called a cab to pick me up. I changed into my clothes, which were nowhere near as fabulous as Perrie's, and climbed into the cab without a glance back to see if anyone had seen me. The driver looked at me through the rearview mirror, not the least bit concerned with who I was or what I was wearing.

                "Where are we going, miss?" He asked me in a bored monotone.

                I smiled at him, "Twelve hundred Bishop Drive."

                He nodded and started driving and I began to text my dad about how I would be there soon, and the flight had landed about a half hour ago. He responded to tell me he was excited and I smiled, suddenly feeling bad for putting it off almost a week before I could make the time to see him. I don't know if this was good or bad, but my father's hose was only five minutes away.

                I paid the driver and got my things before starting to walk up the pathway. I didn't even ring the doorbell before my father, whom I haven't seen in well over eight months, came outside to hug me and tell me how happy he was that I was here.

                "Lela," My father breathed, giving me one last squeeze before letting me go to eye me up and down. "You got so big!"

                I grinned, "That's what happens, dad. You get taller and fatter."

                At the last word, I poked my stomach.

                He chuckled: "Nonsense! Come inside, would you? I want to show you the room I had made up for you and everything."

                "Dad, you didn't have to make a room up for me," I said sheepishly. "I could sleep on the couch."

                My dad waved me off and helped me with my bags until we were inside. I grabbed all of them and followed him up the spiral staircase, looking at the beautiful and expensive looking décor hanging on the wall of each step. We got to the top of a polished, wooden hallway when he started to tell me that he had his friend and his friends' wife, Rachel, help him pick out everything.

                When I got in the room, I was in awe. I was expecting a twin bed, maybe a pink duvet cover, but not this – not light purple walls with an entire wall covered with a black and white painting of the Eiffel Tower, or a gorgeous black canopy bed with a white comforter that matched the curtains. I didn't even expect the vanity in the corner of the room that reminded me of Perrie's.

                "Dad..." I said, completely breathless and awestruck at the room.

                He stood beside me and beamed down at me. "Do you like it? I had only a month to get it done, but I think it came out lovely."

                My jaw almost dropped, "It's amazing, dad!" Then, as an afterthought, I reminded him, "I'm only going to be here the summer!"

                He smiled tentatively, then sat down on the edge of my bed before looking up at me. "Well, I was thinking... Maybe you could consider going to college here? You'd be close to home – or to me, anyway – and that way you wouldn't have to pay for laundry or food or even housing. It's just a thought, Lela, I don't mean to be putting all this on you now.