Someone Different [Zayn Malik Romance]

21. Many Little Distrations

                It was so weird, walking around for the next few days like everything was okay. I was still trying to figure out for myself what was going on, and why Zayn wanted revenge so badly. Did he really think I hurt him on purpose? I tried bringing myself to call Niall or Harry or Louis or Liam or anybody that held answers to my questions, but it wasn’t until Friday that I actually did it.        

                I took a deep breath before I called. I had checked everything to make sure it was an appropriate time from the time difference, that I wouldn’t be saying anything that made me look stupid, and how to make them tell me the answers. Now all that I needed was the confidence to carry it out. So, I sat on a park bench while Niall’s phone rang.

                “Hey, Lela,” Niall’s not-so-chipper voice answered. “What’s up? Why are you calling?”

                I took a deep breath. “Because I’m trying to figure out why my boyfriend is planning revenge behind my back.”

                There was a long, awful silence before Niall spoke. But when he finally did, I couldn’t even hear him because I heard a bunch of unrecognizable voices and looked up to see they had cameras. They were wearing all black and I realized them instantly to be paparazzi. Blinded by a flash, I muttered a goodbye and ended the call.

                I got up and pushed through, ignoring their pleas for ‘one picture, only one picture’ and questions that they would sell off to some magazine. This is what it’s like dating a celebrity as just me, huh? I heard a bunch of derogatory comments that were supposed to ignite some sort of spark in me and make something news worthy.

                But I knew better.

                People in the park stared in confusion, and I wondered how to paparazzi even knew about me by now. We’ve been dating for a week or more, but that was it – why did they already know how and where to find me? What I looked like, what I would wear?  When they stopped chasing me, I burst into my favorite coffee shop and took a seat.

                “Rough day?”

                I looked up to see a worker looking down at me, his pad and pen in his hands but not in an pushing manner. I laughed.

                “Yeah,” I agreed. “You could say that.”

                He was handsome, sure. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, the stereotypical Abercrombie and Fitch model for the guy clothes. But I didn’t even care about his looks, considering I didn’t exactly have time for drama in my life or any other guy but the One Direction boys. They were a handful already.

                He offered me a smile. “Want to talk about it? Coffee shop workers are like therapists.”

                I laughed. “Is that so?”

                “I guess we can just start out with getting you a coffee, though.” The guy told me with a nice smile.

                I returned it and ordered. He left and came back a minute later, stuffing his notepad and pen into his little waiter apron and sat down. I looked questioningly, and he just told me simply he was on break anyway. Was I really going to spill to this guy?

                He leaned back. “Well, go on then. Oh wait, maybe you should know my name first. I’m Brad.”

                “Lela,” I said with a nod. “Nice to meet you.”