Chapter 94 : "Timing"

T A T E

By six fifty-seven in the evening, someone rang my doorbell. I hurriedly walked to it and fixed myself first before opening it.

There stands Zayn with a huge smile on his face and a bottle of wine on his hand. "Hi. I'm three minutes early." He says.

I chuckle. "Hey. It's fine. Come in." I widened the door for him and he walks inside my house.

"Wow. You have a lovely home Tate." He complimented.

"Ah, thanks. I haven't been here since... I don't know.. June?" I shrug. "I'll take that wine?"

He hands it to me and accepted it with both hands. "I haven't done making the pasta though. Is pasta fine with you?" I asked.

"Sure. Let me help you around the kitchen."

I hear his footsteps following me to the kitchen and as soon as I placed the wine inside the fridge, Zayn was already standing by the kitchen counter. "I didn't know you cook." He says.

"My mom was... Ummm... She loved cooking and uhhh this is her favorite dish to make. You'll get to taste the side of Spain." I smile.

Zayn smiles too. "Wow. That really fantastic. I can't wait to taste it."

I smirk.

"So you live alone? Here?" He asks.

I nod.

"My friend, Monique, she comes over every once in a while." I answer him.

"And Harry too?"

I pulled my head up to him and he smiles ruefully. "Sorry for mentioning him." He adds.

I shake my head. "No. It's fine."

"What really... Happened to you and Harry?" He asks doubtfully.

I exhale heavily as place the pasta over each of our plates and put some toppings on it. 

"I'm sorry Zayn." I say to him.

"You're sorry for what?"

"I promised you that I won't leave Harry. I promised you that I won't hurt him. But I did. I left him. I hurt him. I'm sorry."

Zayn walks up to me and takes both of my hands together. "Hey, every person has reasons why he or she does things. And I know you have a bigger reason why you left him."

I smiled weakly.

"We can talk it better at the table?" He asks me as he grabs both of the plates.

I nod, "Let me grab the wine and two glasses."

When we settled on the table, we sat right across each other and Zayn was kind enough to pour wine onto our glasses.

"This truly looks delicious." He commented.

I chuckle as I begin to twirl my fork over the pasta. "Well... Thank you. I hope it's as delicious as how it looks." I smiles.

He begins to twirl his fork over the pasta too and shove some into his mouth. "Hmm. Delightful. You could already pass as a wife."

I snorted. "That could wait."

We began to eat quietly first, I didn't know what I was found to talk to him either so I just remained quiet, but then later on we talked about a lot of things then. We got casually comfortable after a few minutes of awkward silence. Then he complimented more about my pasta and how I made it so perfectly. I even gushed when he said the toppings suited the dish's taste. I talked to him about how delicious the wine that he brought here tonight too.

He was talking more about random things that weren't the usual topics that I would have with a guy. We talked about English history, politics, my religious views, the stars and the constellations, even some celebrities that he had met he talked to me about it too. He also mentioned his most embarrassing moments even when he was already famous. We just kept on laughing when Zayn brings up some good ole jokes. It was just a casual night for me and Zayn. It felt like he was more of being a brother to me and that felt great because he treated me with all respect of how a woman should be respected.

"So.." He snaps. "Let's talk about you and Harry? If you don't mind. I would really want to know about the truth."

I take a deep breath in and exhaled then weakly smiled as I kept my eyes on my plate. "Things just... Well as best to say it, went out of hand." I started answering him.

I pulled my head up and looked back at Zayn who was already looking back at me.

"Harry was..." I muffled. "Harry was willing to give up everything.... for me."

Zayn's brows began to crease. "W-what do you mean?" He asks.

"He was willing to give up all he's got to be with me. He wasn't even going to renew his contract with the management. He was willing to leave the band. He was willing to do all of that Zayn to be with me but I won't let him." I muffled.

I shake my head. "I can't let that happen. I can't let him turn his back to his own fans. I can't let him leave the band and I can never let him ruin his own future just for me."

Zayn looked over the table and sighs.

"I was seeing him ruining his own self and I was so scared because he was willing to do it all for me. But I can't let that happen because of me. Zayn, if you were on my shoes would you even let the one you love turn his back to something that he has worked on for years and his passion and you're the reason of it?" I asked him.

He looks at me worriedly. "I can't really blame you Tate. I know you had the reason behind the things you've done. I didn't know it would be that way."

I sigh. "Me too. But Harry said that he won't be doing it anymore after we've talked it through. He said he won't leave the band and he will renew his contract but then..."

"The management." Zayn continued for me.

He exhales heavily. "They got involve."

"H-How'd you know?" I asked him back as I felt my tears building behind my eyes.

"I figured it out. You won't leave him just like that if it wasn't for them intervening. What did they do?" He asks with his brows creasing at the center of his forehead.

I tremble in fear whenever I think about it. I don't wanna say things to Zayn because he might tell any of the lads and that might be some huge trouble between them and the management. Most especially to Harry. Things will get more complicated if I will speak up but then if I won't it will continue ruin Harry and me. Harry will forever hate me for what I've done to him.

"Tate tell me. What did those asshole do?" Zayn asks me again.

I take a deep breath in. "They... They sent someone over to my hotel when Harry and I were in London."

"What?" Zayn spat. "Who? Who did they send?"

"This woman named Mrs. Summers."

He groans. "That bitch never does give up. She's like Richard's third hand in the company when it comes to planning things for us. She plans everything and I mean everything for all of us. From the schedules, to the fake interviews we had but we really didn't just for those stupid magazines and too keep people buzzing about us, to the schedule for the publicity stunts and who we're ought to be with."

I sigh even hearing the words publicity stunt.

"Our fans doesn't even know what lies that the management had been doing behind their backs. I couldn't bare all the lying. The management has been setting the five of us when to date, who to be seen in public with and it's been totally sickening all these years." He sighs.

"Fuck I shouldn't have said that." He adds.

I looked at him worriedly. "What do you mean?"

"The management... they set everything for us. Everything means everything. They choke us and I couldn't take it anymore. I just couldn't... I left because fuck they're all lies. They make us want to lie to our own fans. They want us to date women we don't even want to be with. We can't be with the real people we love because we aren't allowed to. Because we signed that fucking contract!" Zayn's voice raises.

He breathes vigorously. "I'm sorry... I apologize for even cursing."

I shake my head. "It's fine. I can feel how mad you are at them. I'd be that mad too."

He shakes his head and looks back at me again with furrowing eyebrows. "What did she do? What things did she tell you?" He asks sternly.

I wipe my tears. "She... She... Ummm.. She said some things to me."

"What did Summers say?" His voice now sterner.

I bite my lower lip and felt my tears building fast again behind my eyelids. I exhale heavily and just glued my eyes on Zayn.

"Tate. You need to tell me." He insists.

I bite my lower lip harder and slightly bending my head a bit lower.

"Please." He pleaded.

I breathe out through my parted mouth and pulled my head back to face him.

"She..." I trailed off. "She threatened me about Harry and how Harry's future is going to be ruined because of me. She wanted to push me out of his life and how she asked me to name my price just so I can stay away from him."

"That psycho! That stupid psycho! I can't believe they would actually go this far on ruining Harry's happiness! They've already ruined his happiness way before years ago."

"But they were all true. I will ruin Harry's future if I didn't let him go."

"Tate, you don't know how long Harry's been single because of Anastasia. Modest went between them too. They've deprived Harry from really being happy." He sighs heavily.

"But I didn't accept any money from them. I didn't receive anything at all." I tell him.

"I know you wouldn't even dare to accept money from those filthy people Tate. I trust you too much to actually trust them. I just can't believe that Modest had went this far again!" Zayn shakes his head.

"She even said that if I stay longer with Harry, they will still ruin me and him. They will separate me from him. And I don't want that to happen..." I sobbed and continued to wipe my tears that had now fallen over my cheeks.

"Modest had done enough to ruin not only our lives but also other people's lives. Those son of a bitch are always one step ahead of us. They're just too hard to please no matter how much sacrifices we've already done for them." Zayn rants as I see his fists curling on top of my table.

Zayn pulled his head up to me and looks at me ruefully. "Tate... Does Harry even know about this? Does Harry know that the management offered you money just to stay away from him?"

I shake my head. "He doesn't."

He gapes. "What? Why didn't you tell him? Why didn't you let him know?"

"Because I can't do it." I answer him. "I don't wanna be the reason why him and those people from that management will have a feud just because of me."

Zayn looks at me pitifully while he licks his lips slowly as he leans a bit forward on top of the table. "You're too good for those people. You chose Harry's safety and future but didn't even save your own future with him."

I smiled ruefully. "Because I wasn't meant to be a part of Harry's future Zayn."

He sighs. "Tate don't say that. Harry was even more than ready to be risking and giving up everything for you so you two can be together."

I pressed my lips together and just let my tears fall over my cheeks. I don't know what to think anymore because it's been months since I broke up with him and I don't know what Harry has been thinking of me lately or if he still even thinks about me. I don't even know if he will still forgive me after leaving him like that.

"I don't know anymore Zayn. I've been regretting things that I've done so much to the point that I needed to be away from everything related to Harry." I muffled as I constantly shake my head sideways. "But I can't. You know why? because he's everywhere I go. Even if I was back in Spain, he's all I see. He's all I think about. He's everywhere around me." I cried.

I wiped my tears. "I regret... So much for leaving him but I can't do anything anymore. I left him. He doesn't wanna see me again. He hasn't contacted me or talked to me Zayn. I know I've hurt him so badly but... But I guess--"

"Tate." Zayn cuts me off.

I watch him as he stands from the table and walks closer to me. He extended his hand forward to me and ruefully smiled.

"Take my hand." He instructs.

And so I did. I stand from my chair and we just stood in front of each other holding hands. It was pathetic because my hand was shaking and I think is getting clammy too but he didn't mind.

"Sorry about my clammy hand." I gushed.

He shakes his head sideways. "I like it clammy."

I snorted.

"But seriously Tate, I know Harry loves you more than he had ever loved anyone else before. I have never seen him willingly give up everything he worked for just for someone. He wanted to do this for more than thirty years but you... You made him wanna turn his back on showbiz and be with you without hesitations."

He smiles weakly. "He loves you dearly Tate. I know he does. And if you just explain to him and tell him everything I'm sure Harry will understand. Talk him out. Personally."

I smile back at him.

"Even if you have to go to London or Los Angeles or any parts of the world, I'll let you use my private plane just so you can go to Harry if you want to talk things out with him." He adds.

"Oh Zayn..." He wipes my tears.

All of a sudden, someone rang on my doorbell without a warning. Zayn and I looked at the door then back at each other. "Are you expecting any guest aside from me?" He asks.

"I bet it's Monique. She mentioned to me a while ago that she was going to visit." I answer.

The doorbell rings again.

"I'll get it." I added.

I walked towards the door while I wiped my tears that were on my cheeks. I take a deep breath in before grabbing the doorknob, and as soon as I swing it open, I froze.

"Harry?" I gaped.