"Avan." Tess finally broke silence, "What a wonderful surprise."

Avan didn't seem happy of what he walked into. I didn't think my talk with him would actually cause him to come. I was hoping he would open up, but it's still shocking. At least to me because I don't really know him.

"We're so glad you could join us." She smiled starting to walk up to him with her arms open. He took a step back before she came too close, as if he was mad at her.

"Actually," He looked at us with his his eyes now turning black. "I think I should get going."

"But you just got here?" Tess looked at him with hopes of him changing his mind to stay.

Avan didn't look so welcoming. He wanted to leave more than anything right now.

We watched as he swiftly turned around, pulling the front door open but suddenly stopping. A call that filled the kitchen in complete awkward silence.

"Avan, wait." Zayn breadth out in not as much enthusiasm from behind me.

Avan remained stiff, head raising to look out in front of him and outside the door frame. It was as if he didn't want to look at us.

I looked up at Zayn, as so did his Mom. We were all waiting to see what he had to say next.

"I have to talk to you."

Avan chuckled, turning around to look at Zayn. "We have nothing to talk about." He turned to me as if he was going to tell Zayn about what happened earlier this afternoon.

I think it's best if I just leave with Tess and leave then solve their problems. That's exactly what I did.

Walking up to Tess, I grabbed her hand and tugged her up towards the stairs. "Come on, I think we should leave them alone."

"But I can't leave them like this." She begged looking back at her two sons.

"They'll be fine, they're just going to talk." I comforted her.

Hopefully I ment what I said.

ZAYN'S POV:

The second Paige left with my Mum, I got straight down to business.

"There, you have me?" Avan joked, "So could you hurry up? I kinda have a girl I'm going to be meeting in a few minutes?"

I looked at him and studied his face. Suddenly realizing something else.

"Are you serious?" I questioned the makeup stains on his left eye. He was in a fight, I know so. Even I tried that in some point in my life. I know all the tricks there is in the book and if he's planning to not go through what I went, then her better stop with this nonsense.

He looked away a bit guilty for being caught.

"Who were you fighting with?" I growled.

"No one you care about." He looked down.

My body stiffened, holding back to punch I wanted to plant onto his face. Maybe that will give him the wake up call he deserves.

"Why is it always like that for you?" My voice ranged in anger, "That I never care for you or Mum or anybody, as a matter of fact?"

"Because it's true! You manipulate them the way you manipulated me. I'm not blind, Zayn!" He yelled back slamming the front door closed.

"No it's not! I'm trying to tell you I've changed!" My voice got louder as I fisted my fists in front of me, almost begging him to see that the guy that came here before is gone. "So just tell me, Avan." I relaxed, "Who were you fighting with?"

Avan nodded his head from side to side, pinning his eyes at me. "You're unbelievable, you know that?" He paused, "I don't give a fuck who you were last time? I give a fuck about the guy who's standing right in front of me. And that one day when he's gained his trust back from everybody, he'll leave again just like he did before."

"But I'm telling you I'm not leaving." I shouted, "Once I realized what a jerk I was I decided to apologize and I'm not going back down that road." I paused, "And neither are you! So tell me, who did you get into a fight with?"

Avan stared at me with the eyes as black as ever. "Is that all you can say? Who did I fight with?" He paused taking multiple steps closer to me. "If you want to know so badly then why don't you ask your little girlfriend?"

My body froze at the thoughts of her getting into that mess. I know she has a problem with getting into them even though I strictly tell her not to, but that's just the way she is.

"What did you do to her?!" I exclaimed fisting the fabric of his coat in my fists. I didn't know what else to do, he brought my girlfriend into one of his fights.

"Nothing." He laughed."She came to me."

"When did this happen? Did she get hurt?" I swear, if Paige got hurt because of him and he forced her not to say anything, he won't see daylights for as long as there is one.

"No." He laughed again, "But she got in. She's a feisty one."

I gave him another small shove to shake away those thoughts of Paige. Who does he think he is? That's my girlfriend and he's my brother?

"What was she doing there?" I asked growling at his face.

"I don't know. But she did come in and threatened the guys she'll call the cops on them and they left."

"She could've gotten hurt because of you!" I yelled in his face.

"I didn't make her go there, I was fine on my own." He spattered back.

I calmed myself down, wanting nothing more than to argue about Paige because right now it's not about her. This is about his light attitude which needs to stop.

My grip on his coat eased as I finally found the strength to let him go.

"Look, I'll deal with her later. But right now, I need you to believe me when I say I'm starting over."

Avan didn't agree. Instead he opened the front door once again.

"Avan!" I called out once more.

He didn't turn his head all the way but just enough for me to know he was letting me speak. "Don't do this. Don't meet that girl."

I know what he's planning to do. The more I see what he's doing, the more I see him, the more I see me. He's doing exactly what I used to do at his age. And it's all my fault.

"And why not?" He rolled his head towards me.

"Because it's no use. You don't care about her. Trust me, you'll regret all of that later." I explained looking down and remembering that that used to be me.

"I'm not you, Zayn." He growled, "So just stay out of my fucking life."

And with that he was out and the door was slammed closed leaving me alone to ponder over our argument. Getting an apology from him is going to be difficult, and I understand why. Growing up he was suppose to look up to me, and he did a hell of a job because that's exactly who he turned into.

PAIGE'S POV:

"I can't stand them looking at each other like that." Tess looked down at her lap.

We were sitting in her dark room, alone. She sat at the edge of the bed and I sat on the carpeted floor in front of her, kneeling and looking up at her as she shared her feelings with me about her sons. It really is sad that she has to go through this, watch her children hate each other.

"It's just not fair." She finished off drying her tears with a small laced rag she held all the times.

I placed my hand over hers which was in her lap and gripped them tightly. She looked down at me and started to sob. It was at that point I couldn't stand seeing her like this and stood up to hug her. I sat down besides her and she continued to cry in my arms.

"Paige, please." She sucked back her tears, "I don't know what to do?"

I didn't know what to say. I'm not a mother to fully understand what to do in these situations do my advice would be useless. This is the kind of stuff that hurts me, she has nobody.

"I'm sure you're doing everything right, Tess. Just give them some time to get used to the idea." I gave her a half smile.

Zayn's Mom nodded and also smiled, "I hope it's true. They were so close when they were babies. Now I have to get used to the idea that they're men."

It seemed as if she was having a quick flashback of the past with her two boys. She's right, they're not babies anymore, they're men which means if they keep arguing, it won't end up in a mess of juice and crackers. It'll be bloody. I just hope it doesn't go there.

We were surprisingly alarmed by the shocking entrance of someone from behind. Zayn stood gasping for air by the door frame, eyes locked on mine.

"Zayn, where's --"

"I need to talk to you, Paige." He continued, "Alone."

Tess stood up, not so happy of the way he spoke. "Now Zayn, Paige asked you a question."

"He's gone, Mum." He looked at her.

I stood up from her bed, slightly smiling at her before making my way up to him. He looked angry. I haven't seen him like this in a while. I just know Avan told him about our incident this afternoon. I should've said something, if only he knew why I stayed quiet.

Zayn made a space for me to walk through. I did. And before we knew it, we were back in his room.

My body swiftly turned around as he closed the door behind him. I could already see the veins appearing in his skin and neck as they usually do when he's mad.

"Why did you jump into one of Avan's fights?" He got down to the point.

"Zayn, he was getting hurt." I walked up to him.

Zayn quickly moved right past me before I had the chance to touch him.

"Does it look like I give a damn about him getting hurt?" His voice raised.

I don't like this side of him. It scares me. His anger takes on upon his body and he turns into something else.

"I care about you!" He finished off yelling. "Why couldn't you tell me this before?"

"Because you'll get like this." I raised my voice just as high as his so he knows I also have a saying in this. "Your brother could've died for all we know and all you care about is because I didn't tell you?"

Zayn looked down but only to raise his voice higher at me. "You never tell me anything! Paige, it's the only thing I'm asking you to do every once in a while?"

"So you can get like this?" I questioned pointing up and down his figure.

This is mainly why I don't tell him things because he's going to make me feel guilty for something I clearly didn't do on my own.

"Look, Zayn, I don't want to argue." I controlled myself, "It scares me more than you when you're angry. So can you please just not yell at me?"

Zayn ran a hand through his hair, wondering whether he should control himself or not. He did, soon actually. His figure came down to the edge of his bed, back turned to me.

"Did he hurt you?" He finally asked in a relaxed tone.

"No." I answered.

"Did you get hurt at all by anyone else?" He asked again this time looking to his bottom right.

"No." I breadth out finally giving into his ways.

I should've known this is how he gets. I should've just stayed quiet and not said anything to him about his yelling. I know he's only protecting me, but he has to know that others matter too. His brother was out there getting hurt. And when I talked to him, he was willing to forgive Zayn. Our at least talk to him.

"Zayn, please understand that--"

"You were only trying to save him." He finished off for me, standing back up to stare at me with no emotion. "The way you do to me."

The smile that appeared in my lips soon faded as the one in his did. I thought we had settled this, I thought this was the part where I run into his arms and we'll hug like we always do in these arguments. But it wasn't like that anymore.

"Just give me some time to forgive you two for what happened." He finished off.

"Forgive me for saving your brother?" I spoke sarcastically.

"Yeah, well, think about it if you didn't come back?" He grinned, "Did you ever think of that?"

My silence was all he needed for an answer.

"This is not Manhattan, Paige. Do you remember about my reputation? What if those guys knew you were with me and tried to take you just for some stupid shit I did to them in the past?" He raised his voice again but brought it down once he realized what he was doing. "I can't risk losing you!"

"You're not going to lose me, Zayn." I walked towards him. "Am I going to lose you?"

I couldn't believe that just came out of my mouth. I guess I needed to know if it was true. Zayn wasn't going to lose me, but then again, I needed some reassurance that he felt the same way.

"Of course you're not." He finally breathed out after a long period of silence.

I felt relieved of his words. I didn't think I was ready to lose him after all that has happened.

A gasp fell from my mouth as I felt Zayn's strong arms bring my waist closer to him. Our noses were just inches apart, I didn't know what to do.

"Don't ever say that." He whispered.

"But how do I--"

"Shh..." He continued, "You talk too much."

He took the words right out of my mouth by sealing our lips in a kiss. I kiss I soon drew back from. Feeling satisfied but guilty as hell.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. I thought that maybe it'd be best if both of you talked it out."

"Just don't do stunts like that again. This is not a movie where everything goes pretty in the end. In this world, there are bad people and I don't want you getting hurt." He looked down, moving some strands of hair behind my ear.

"Maybe I want the same for you." I looked up, eyes batting as they met his.

"And, Zayn." I started, "You can't be there all the time. I have to learn to handle certain situations in my own. You can't protect me from everything."

"I can try."