Your Creation • Zarry

54. It's my birthday vol 2

February 2017

"Another round of Casamigos shots for everyone!" I called out as the crowd of people cheered and joined in the celebration around me.

"Happy Birthday Harry," Adele said to me, planting a kiss on my cheek and offering a cheerful smile.

"I'm up next for karaoke," Cuba said, making his way to the mic. "This one's for you buddy," he spoke, pointing his finger at me and grinning as Come Together by the Beatles started playing.

Nope, that didn't remind me of anyone. That didn't remind me of him. I quickly took another shot.

It was my twenty third birthday and I had invited a whole mess of people to Cafe Habana in Malibu including my manager Jeff, Xander, Adele, Cuba Gooding Jr, Tommy Lee, Cindy Crawford and her husband Rande as well as a few others from Columbia Records.

I guess you could say the company I was keeping was pretty eclectic and I was really starting to like it that way. I realized at some point that I was making an effort to befriend older people because I was growing tired of being stuck around people my age. Everyone who was over thirty just had more insight, more wisdom, more interesting stories to share, better taste in music and I was trying to grow and learn from them all.

I stood next to Jeff, noticing one of the girls from the label was staring at me across the way but I tried to pretend that I didn't see her and turned to Jeff instead.

"Thanks for everything by the way."

"You know I got your back, H. I think this is going to be your year. I can sense it."

I smiled.

I had so many plans coming up. I had an album coming out in May. I was planning on releasing a single before that, my first big song which was a ballsy six minute piano ballad, and I had a world tour that I was going to embark on. I was feeling anxious, excited, but mostly hopeful.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone, browsing through a ton of happy birthday texts from friends and people I knew. I saw texts from Niall, Louis and Liam, whom I had barely spoken to since the band ended, but it was nice that they were still thinking of me.

I wish I could have said that we were all going to stay friends forever, but the truth is that without the band, the four of us didn't have that much in common anymore. I suppose the only person who was an exception was Niall, and I made a mental note to check up on him soon and see how he was doing.

As I made my way to the toilets to take a leak I heard someone nearby playing a familiar song on their phone.

I don't wanna live forever cause I know I'll be living in vain

And I don't wanna fit wherever, I just wanna keep calling your name until you come back home.

I looked over at one of the brunette girls from Columbia playing Taylor's new song "I Don't Wanna Live Forever," and it just so happened to feature Zayn.

The song came out just a few days ago and since then I had wondered three things. Firstly, why was Zayn collaborating with my ex girlfriend? Second of all, why did he put out another song right before my birthday? And finally, why did I have a feeling it was about me?

I had heard the song and I had seen the video a few times already and although it was Taylor's song, I just knew Zayn penned it and although it was Taylor's song, I just knew that Zayn was the mastermind behind the music video, and after the last two years of not speaking to each other, I had wondered if this was his way of reaching out to me. Did he want me to come back to him? What did he expect from me now? He knew how to pick up the fucking phone and dial my number.

But we were both extremely stubborn.

I exited the bathroom after taking a piss, ordered a few more drinks, mingled with my friends and around two in the morning I decided to finally head home. As I got into the car I felt my phone vibrate. Retrieving it from the pocket of my trousers, I opened up the text message.

Hey..

And it was from Zayn. I swallowed hard staring at my screen in total disbelief. Hey? That's it? After two years of not speaking all, all I got was a hey? Not even a happy birthday. I was feeling annoyed by this.

As the car drove away my thumbs lingered over the keyboard, unable to move, unable to type anything. How should I respond? I pressed my lips together in thought before I finally answered him.

Hi.

I waited awhile to see if he would say anything else but he never did. I sighed outwardly and leaned my head back against the seat eager to get home and pass out already before my mind became filled with too many thoughts and I ended up texting him something that I'd regret later since I had a tendency to do that in the past.

Eventually we pulled up to my house and I hopped out of the car, thanking the driver and proceeded to walk towards the gate. I started fumbling with the keypad to enter the code when I heard a cough behind me, which made me jump.

I turned around and saw Zayn leaning up against his Bentley Continental GT and I still remember the day that he bought it so many years ago. He was wearing a loose grey t-shirt, black jeans, his hair was a mess, but he looked good. Really good.

But I couldn't fucking believe that he was at my house.

"Surprised to see me?" he asked as he began walking towards me.

I felt my entire body freeze as he came closer and his face was illuminated by the outside lights, his eyes sparkling and when I looked into them everything flashed before me. Every moment, every longing stare, every tear I cried...

"I am actually incredibly surprised, yeah. But...what are you doing here?"

"Well I was in the area so I thought I'd drop by and see if you were home."

"You couldn't have texted me that instead of just hey?"

"Well it would have ruined the surprise if I did that."

"Fair enough," I responded, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly, hoping my heart wasn't beating so loud that Zayn could hear it.

"So..."

I raised a brow at him.

"So..."

"Are you going to invite me in?"

I stood there for a few seconds thinking about it. Why was he even at my house? What did he want from me? There were too many thoughts racing through my mind and I was doing my best not to act like I was overjoyed to see him because I was trying to play it cool but all instincts inside my body just wanted to run up to Zayn and hug him tight.

"Sure."

I punched in the code on the gate and it swung open while I motioned for Zayn to follow me inside. His heavy footsteps trudged behind me through the foyer as we made our way into my living room which was plastered with art, sculptures, plants, records and I realized he hadn't ever been to my house in Beverly Hills, even though he had also been partly living in Los Angeles the entire time.

"Would you like anything?" I asked as he plopped himself down on one of my big leather couches. I was trying to be polite because I wasn't sure exactly what I was supposed to be doing.

"Just you," he answered.