Chapter 2

"That's a cool name! Raven! It has a cool ring to it!" Louis explained after the boys introduced themselves. He kept repeating my name, making me chuckle a bit. Zayn didn't say anything to me besides shaking my hand. He just looked at me. Once he heard Kris say 'Raven', disappointment and sadness swept through his eyes.

"It suits her well," Zayn added. He wouldn't take his eyes off me. I shifted uncomfortably. That one statement, 'suits her well...' Memories of that one night flooded back to me. Of that one random night.

"Thank you," I said awkwardly.

I looked beside me to Jade reaching for me. Liam made a funny face behind me, triggering a laughing fest for Jade. "Who's is she?" He asked, trying not to sound rude. He pointed to Kris with questioning eyes.

"No no! We aren't ready for that yet." All eyes landed on me again. The boys sat around the table. Zayn was across from me, with Liam on my free side. He kept playing with Jade while she was in my arms.

"She's mine," I said with a smile as I watched Jade's face light up. I puffed my cheeks out at her and she squeezed them with her pudgy fingers.

"I hate to sound rude, but is there a father figure?" Louis asked.

"Um, is there a father figure? No..." My voice trailed off as I caught Zayn's eyes staring at Jade intently.

"I'm sorry..." Liam apologised, patting my shoulder.

"It's ok, we're doing... We're doing just fine."

"Raven," Tracy said sternly. I shook my head. Jade reached across the table to Zayn, triggering my heart to jump.

"Mind if I take her?" He pointed to her with a questioning expression. I shook my head slowly. He got up and walked over to me, taking Jade gently. She stared at him, their brown eyes connecting with each other.

"Dude, Zayn! Her eyes look like yours! That's so cool!" Niall pointed out.

"Holy shit! Look at them! She's almost like a splitting image of him!" Louis exclaimed. I started to feel my hands shake, so I fingered the cup in front of me.

Zayn's eyes found mine. I knew what he was wondering. He had thousands of unanswered questions as soon as he saw me. As soon as I said Jade was mine.

"How old is she?" Zayn asked.

"She turned one in June," not looking up to him. He looked at the table, losing interest in the people around him and Jade. His eyes explored over her face, then mine, then hers again. He looked directly in my eyes, his widening.

I simply nodded my head once.

"I-I... I'll be right back." Zayn handed Jade to Niall, who looked frightened at first. Jade just smiled, which relaxed him.

"Go talk to him," Tracy whispered in my ear. I saw him go out the back door, so I ran after him. I pushed the door open and spun in circles. I saw Zayn leaning on the wall, about to put a cigarette in his mouth.

"Hi," I breathed. His cheeks were wet with fresh tears. He's crying over this?

"She's mine, isn't she?" He asked. I didnt answer. "I'm not stupid. I can do math, I know where babies come from." I finally nodded in return. He placed the cigarette inbetween his lips and took a deep breath, exhaling the smoke.

His eyes found mine and just looked at me. He wouldn't look away. Finally, I disconnected the stare, and he flicked the end off his cigarette.

"I'm sorry..." He whispered, so quietly, I could barely hear him.

"Don't be sorry," I replied. His eyes found mine again, and he pushed off the wall.

"I-I didn't even bother finding out your last name, for christs sake! And here you are! A year later! Being the mother of my child!" He threw the cigarette on the ground and stomped on it. "I have every right to be sorry, Miss Taint."

-Miss Taint?- I thought. "Please, Zayn. Don't be sorry..." I stepped closer to him and touched his arm.

You'd think I'd despise this man. Not even bothering to know who I am. I only found out he was Zayn Malik a couple days later when I saw him on a magazine in Tracy's house. I didn't find a reason to talk to him, until I discovered I missed my period.

"Wh-why didn't you tell me sooner? I could've helped you!"

I shrugged. "I didn't need the help then," I stated plainly. He cocked an eyebrow.

"Then?"

"Well, you see, Zayn..." I can't ask him of this! This is absurd! "Never mind..."

"No! Tell me! I can help!" I shook my head.

"I couldn't ask you to help me with this." I spun to walk inside, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Please, one year gone. I don't want to miss another one..." I saw tears swell in the corners of his eyes. I looked passed the sadness to see love. Pure love. He must have it for Jade. There's always that father-daughter connection.

"I'm a victim of identity theft. I have 100£ to my name right now..."

"And you're asking if I could help pay with child support..." He crossed his arms and looked like he thinking.

"It's too absurd. I'm so sorry, just forget about it..." I turned again, but he just pulled me back. Again.

"No no, but going through child support can be tricky and take too long. Plus, management might not be fond of the idea of me being in court. The press can blow it out of proportion," he explained. I nodded in agreement.

"So, I'll just buy you anything Jade needs. Absolutely anything."

"Alright. If that's, um, what you want to do. Stop by later and I'll give you a list?"

"Sure sure," he cooed. I wrote down my address on a napkin once we got back inside. He shoved it in his pocket and started in to the conversation Kris had with the rest of the boys.

Maybe this will turn out fine. Everything will be the way it's suppose to.

After lunch, Zayn kissed Jade's forehead and have me a quick wave. All the other boys said goodbye to us, thanked Kris, then hopped in the slick black SUV, and sped off.

"So?" Tracy looked at me, awaiting an answer as we lounged in the living room.

"So what?" I was playing with some loose hairs that fell from Jade's braid as she was sleeping on my chest.

"What did he say?"

"He knew as soon as I said she was mine. Once he asked how old she was, it all clicked for him," I explained with ease.

"Ok, then what?"

"He told me he'll help me, but not through child support. He'll just buy us what we need." A small smile spread on my lips.

"So he was ok with it?" Tracy crossed her arms and smirked. I nodded.

"Told you so," she huffed. She sent me one last smirk before trudging off to the kitchen.

"I gotta head out, Trace! Zayn is stopping by soon!"

"Ok!" She said is a sing-song voice. "Love you guys!"

"We love you too!" I yelled, in hopes of not waking up Jade. She didn't even move. I cradled her in my arms, strapped her into the carseat, and headed home.

As I was unlocking the door to the apartment building, with Jade sleeping on my shoulder, I heard a door shut behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see Zayn walking up the few steps with a body guard behind him.

"Miss Taint, wait!"

"My name is Raven, Mr. Malik," I mocked. He just rolled his eyes.

"Sorry. Raven, I wasn't sure when you were going to be here. I'm glad I caught you!"

"Oh yeah! Lets head up." I pushed open the door and walked up the steps to the 1st floor with Jade in my arms.

"May I take her?" He pointed to the sleeping Jade. I nodded, slowly setting her in Zayn's arms.

I unlocked the door to my flat and allowed Zayn in. He slipped off his shoes and walked to the couch, sitting down gently, so Jade wouldn't wake up. I set my stuff down and sat down across from them.

"How're you?" He asked randomly.

"I'm just fine..."

"Anything new and exciting happening?" He asked. He began rubbing Jade's back comfortingly. "Like, what are you into?"

"Um, I'm a dancer. I'm auditioning for a show."

Zayn smiled at me. "Do you hope to be big one day?"

Now it's my turn to smile. "One day. Once Jade's a little older. She already likes to dance. She'd sit and watch me for hours if she could."

"Why can't she?"

"I don't want her to waist her time on that. She's one years old. She has plenty of time to watch me!" I chuckled as her nose scrunched up in her sleep. Zayn looked down, a light laugh leaving his lips.

"She's beautiful." He rubbed some hair from her face. The corners of his mouth turned up as he looked up to me. "She looks just like you."

"I always told her she looked like her daddy. But she never listened." I chuckled. "She's really stubborn."

"Like her mom," he smirked. I shook my head as I remember the night at the club. Zayn whispering that all the guys said I was playing hard to get.

I felt a blush burn on my cheeks. "Tell me more about yourself, Raven."

"Well, besides dancing and Jade, there isn't anything else. She's my life and so is dancing."

"When's your birthday?"

"December 21st. It'll be my 20th birthday."

"I turn 20 on January 12th! " A big smile spread on his lips. It soon dropped as it looked like he realised something. "I'm sorry I never tried to find you..."

"Why would you? It was just because we were drunk. I never thought I'd come looking for you," I replied.

"Why wouldn't you?" He looked almost angry at that. The fact that I wouldn't have told him, if it weren't for the circumstances.

"Because, you have you're own life. I was just some random girl at a club that you shagged. But this is the first baby that came out of the situation. That, babe, isn't something you just tell a popstar," I explained with attitude.

"You-you think you were just some girl?" I nodded. "Raven, you weren't just some girl. You were...more than that."

My heart jumped and my stomach dropped. "Zayn, just drop it... We don't fit in your life."

"Yes, you do. Jade and you have every right to be in my life and I'm willing to help you. I'm not just gonna leave here knowing I'm not doing something for my only daughter." I just shook my head in disagreement. I took Jade off his lap and brought her to her crib so she could finish her nap.

"Raven, listen to me. Let me explain what I thought that night. Please..." Zayn pleaded after following me into Jade's room. I brushed passed him and went into the kitchen to put dishes away.

"Raven, I saw you and I thought you were beautiful." I paused, but soon went back to putting the plates in the cupboard. "And when I asked the bartender about you, he said he only knew one thing."

"What was that?"

"That you were the mysterious, gorgeous one. The guy next to me was complaining how you wouldn't let him buy you a drink. Instead, you took his and drank it. Then walked away." He chuckled. "This guy was so confused. He said you weren't worth the time."

I groaned and started separating the silverware.

"I thought that was rubbish. So I approached you. I was sweating through my jacket because of how nervous I was to talk to a girl like you. But I couldn't leave without knowing your name." I put my weight on my hands as I hung my head low.

"But when I looked in your dark eyes, I knew... knew that you meant more to me then just some 'one night stand'."

I took in a sharp intake of air. I glanced at him through my dark hair that was hanging over my eyes.

"The moment I saw you... I felt something. The moment I touched you, I felt something. Th-the moment you let me kiss you... It wasn't just some random one night stand to me. You weren't some random girl."

I slammed my fists down. "Then why?! Why didn't you try?!" I spun around and felt the tears start to fall, leaving a wet line from my eyes to my chin. "Why didn't you come find me?!" I kept yelling. Zayn ran to me from his side of the counter.

"Because I was scared, Raven." He gripped my shoulders. I tried wiggling out of his grip. "I didn't want to scare you off. I have almost my whole life written down in a planner. I know what I'm doing a month from now. But that random night, wasn't there. I was scared to lose that plan. That schedule I had."

"Zayn-"

"Let me finish," he said sternly. "But I don't care about that planner anymore. Jade... Jade is apart of that now. You are apart of it."

"But I-"

"But I, don't care about any of that anymore. I'm Jade's dad. I deserve to be apart of her life."

I just looked at him. His dark eyes staring right into mine. He brushed back my hair and tucked it behind my ear.

"I'm not good enough for your life, Zayn..." I cradled my head in my hands and started sobbing. Zayn pulled me into a hug. We were leaned up against the counter, while his hand rubbed soothing circles on my back.

"Do you believe in love at first sight, Raven?"

"I don't know..." I answer honestly, after thinking for a minute. "Do you?"

Zayn hesitated for a moment. "Definitely."

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i felt in a giving mood...

here's the awaited chapter! <3 x

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