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tmz Well, well, well... Ayla Clermont was spotted in New York City sneaking out the back door of the cafe, Sable & Sage. But here's the twist—she wasn't alone. She was with a boy, and not just any boy... Zayn Malik.

This marks Ayla Clermont's first-ever public spotting with a potential love interest. Known for keeping her dating life extremely private, Ayla usually flies under the radar when it comes to romance. As far as anyone knows, she's never been linked to anyone—until now.

Zayn Malik, on the other hand, is a different story. The star has been in the spotlight for years and has made headlines with his past relationships. Ayla's quiet history is a stark contrast to Zayn's high-profile love life.

So, is Ayla just another girl in Zayn's story, or could she actually be something more (we doubt it). We'll let you decide. Drop your thoughts in the comments.

user1 wait this is so major

user2 yikes ayla has never been spotted with a man before and her first spotting is with zayn?? not a good start

user3 she's 18 and he's 20.. thats lowkey weirddddd
| user4 no its not😭its legal

user5 AYLA STAY AWAY FROM MY MAN

user6 i wonder how chandler is going to react to this news lmaoooooo

user7 why am i just realizing how young they are💀

user9 ayla does NOT fit with zayn LMAO

user10 ayla trying to beat the prude allegations be like:

user11 a tear just fell out of my eye

user12 damnnnn she really doesn't care what the media thinks about her

user13 guys this might sound like such a crazy idea but like how about ... we leave her alone???
| user14 for real because why is everyone coming at ayla when zayn is the article literally admits that zayn is the man whore

user15 zayn DOES NOT want her
| user16 i hate ayla but she's really pretty so zayn probably does want her
⤷user15 for her body if anything
   ⤷user17 what is there to use ??😭

user18 fuck everybody yall are so goddamn annoying like leave ayla alone omfgggggg get a life

user19 he looks absolutely beautiful then she's there
| user20 the way you can't even see their faces

user21 I LOVE YOU AYLAAAA

❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。
—NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

𝗔𝗬𝗟𝗔

I was jolted awake by the sharp ringing of my phone. Groaning, I reached for it, my heart skipping a beat when I saw the caller ID.

Chandler.

Immediately, I sat up straight, brushing the sleep from my eyes. Without realizing it, I took a deep, steadying breath before answering.

"Hello?" My voice came out soft, almost tentative.

There was a pause on the other end, followed by a sharp inhale. My stomach twisted. I could tell this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation.

"Ayla," Chandler said, his tone curt and deliberate, sending a chill down my spine.

"Yes?" I replied, trying—and failing—to keep my voice from trembling.

Another pause, longer this time. The silence was loud, and when he finally spoke, his words hit me like a train.

"Do you care to explain the article that's making the rounds about you?"

I froze, furrowing my brows in confusion. What article is he talking about? There are many. I didn't know which one he was talking about.

"What article?" I asked cautiously. "There are a lot of them."

Chandler's frustration crackled through the phone. "The one about you and Zayn Malik leaving Sable & Sage together," he snapped. "It's everywhere. People are calling you his girl. Now, I'm asking you—what the hell happened?"

My stomach dropped. Heat rushed to my face, and I fumbled for words. "It's not what it looks like," I stammered, knowing how unconvincing that sounded.

I can't believe it got out. Fuck, I should've known that flash that we heard wasn't just nothing.

"Then what is it?" he shot back.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. My mind raced as I tried to piece together a coherent explanation. "I ran into him at the café—literally," I said, my voice low. "There were paparazzi outside when he got there. He offered to help me leave without causing a scene. That's all, Chandler. Nothing else."

The line went silent, but I could feel the his judgment through the phone.

"You realize this complicates things," he said finally with a disapointed huff.

"I didn't ask for this," I said defensively, my voice barely above a whisper.

"No, but now it's on you to fix it," he snapped, his anger cutting through the line. "This kind of attention? It's the last thing we need right now, Ayla. Right before your big performance? What the fuck were you thinking?"

I stayed silent, gripping my phone tightly, unsure of how to respond. But, as always, once Chandler started, he didn't stop.

"The comments are even worse," he continued with a sigh. "We can't have your reputation tarnished right before Aurora's Embrace. And Zayn Malik? He's exactly the type of guy I've been warning you to stay away from."

"I know, I know," I murmured, placing my head in my hands. "It was nothing bad. He was just being polite."

I don't know why I find myself defending him, but I do. It seems like I have too for some reason.

"That's how it starts, Ayla," Chandler said sharply. "They're polite at first, and then they slowly drag you away from everything that matters. And you girls—you never see it coming. If he breaks your heart, it won't just hurt you; it'll hurt your career. You're on the rise, Ayla. You can't afford to slip now."

His words stung more than I cared to admit, but I swallowed my pride and nodded, even though he couldn't see me. "I understand," I said, forcing my voice to sound steady.

"As you should," Chandler replied curtly. "So, what's the deal? Are you two friends or what?"

"No." I said quickly, my voice rushing out. "Not at all."

Even though I couldn't see him, I could picture Chandler shaking his head.

I understood where he was coming from. Chandler wasn't new to this. He'd been my manager and ballet instructor for years, working with other big names long before me. He knew what it took to make it, and I knew better than to dismiss his advice.

"I'm not saying you can't be friends with him, Ayla," he said, surprising me. I had been bracing myself for another scolding, so loud that he would lose his breath. "I'm just saying you can't let yourself get caught up with boys like him. You've been good so far, and notice how I said so far. But if, for any reason, your performance starts to slip..." His voice grew even more hard. "There will be consequences. Got it?"

I hesitated, letting his words sink in.

"I said, got it?" Chandler's said, the kind of tone that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. He wasn't joking around when he used this tone.

"Got it," I echoed, trying to sound confident, though it felt hollow.

"Good." His response was brisk. "Now, I'll try to get the article pulled. See what I do for you? Cleaning up your mess."

"Thank you," I mumbled. All I wanted was for the call to end so I could collapse back into bed and scream into my pillow.

Chandler didn't respond. The line clicked, signaling he had hung up, and I let out a long breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. I stared at the phone, the screen dark as my reflection stared back at me. A sinking feeling settled in my chest. The phone slipped from my hand as I stared blankly ahead, Chandler's words in my head.

I didn't know if I should keep my distance from Zayn or if I was just overthinking everything. Either way, one thing was clear—Chandler wasn't wrong. The stakes were too high to risk anything.

But I couldn't help but think it wasn't fair. He didn't know Zayn, and honestly, neither did I. But I felt like Chandler was lumping me in with everyone else, like I wasn't capable of staying focused just because a boy was helping me.

But a feeling in my chest told me that staying away from Zayn might be harder than I wanted to admit.

©𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞