The Memory Jar [Zayn Malik]

Chapter 17: Discovering

Hello everyone! Hope you're all having a lovely December! 

Break is coming up for me, but first there's finals. Ew... So, yeah, that's happening in my life right now... 

I dunno, but about the story, I actually really like this chapter. It's really interesting and I think I wrote it half-decently, so yay for that. If you didn't see my broadcast message, when Wattpad was having glitches, it deleted most of the comments from the last chapter. So sorry, I would've responded otherwise though! 

As usual, please vote and/or leave a comment! I love to hear feedback, it means the world to me! Thank you all and happy December! :) 

Dana  

            Even driving to my damn session with Emma is tense. 

            Zayn and I seem completely unable to look at each other the same way as before. Every time I even slightly turn my head he tenses up and avoids eye contact, and same vise versa. 

            I just wish things could go back to the way they were before I made that awful mistake. Before everything went to hell. 

            “Your hand fits in mine, like it’s made just for me.“ 

            Zayn’s grip on the steering wheel tightens as Little Things begins to play on the radio. 

            Last time we listened to this song, we were in the exact same position we are now, only we were much happier. Now the song seems almost bitter, yet neither of us makes a move to stop it. 

            “I know you’ve never loved, the crinkles by your eyes…” 

            I don’t know if I can do this, sit here and just listen to this beautiful, yet torturous, song play, with Zayn sitting right next to me. 

            “I’m in love with yo-“ 

            Suddenly, Zayn’s arm reaches out and he forcefully hits the power button on the radio, causing an uneasy silence to take over. 

            He exhales slowly, and seems to relax a bit.

            I have to admit I feel the same way, though you think the silence would be worse, it’s actually much better. It doesn’t seem to make either of us think about what once was anymore.

            By the time we pull up, go inside, and enter into Emma’s office, the tension is stretched to a barely measurable amount. Zayn sits down stiffly beside me on the couch, and I can see the muscles in his jaw clenching and unclenching. 

            “How’s everything going?” Emma questions, smiling across from us.

            Her smile is strained though, and I can tell she senses something’s wrong, she’s just too afraid to ask.

            “Fine,” Zayn and I say at the same time. Our eyes meet for a brief moment afterwards, but immediately flick away. 

            Emma licks her lips before clearing her throat. “So!” She tries to sound cheery as she picks up my Memory Jar, turning it in her hands. “You seem to be doing positively brilliant, Dana. Your jar is close to full now!” 

            I can only nod and force a smile. 

            “You know,” she continues brightly. “As long as you keep doing your exercises like I assume you are, I think your complete memory may come back any day now!”