It was winter in 2010, and we had a break from the X-Factor to be home with our families for Christmas.
"Zayn, could you help me in here?" my mom called from the kitchen.
"Coming!" I replied making my way to the kitchen.
"Your cousins are coming over for dinner, so are the new neighbors," my mom said.
"We have new neighbors?" I asked helping her with the salad.
"I thought I told you when you got home?"
"I don't recall."
"Well, the Fieldings are a lovely family of 4 from California. They've got 2 kids, Scarlett who is your age, and she has an older brother Nathan. He's 21."
Scarlett. I always thought Scarlett was a beautiful name, and when I met her, I realized that the girl was just as beautiful as her name.
"Scarlett Fieldings," she introduced herself.
"I'm Zayn Malik," I replied shaking her hand.
"Zayn, what a nice and unique name," she said smiling. "And that was my brother Nathan," she sighed.
"What's wrong?" I asked because she looked upset.
"Well, Nathan isn't exactly the type who leaves America," she explained.
"But he can choose not to come? He's 21, isn't he?"
"Yeah, but he has to come with us, it's Christmas."
"I see," I simply replied.
"At least someone's making friends," Nathan said sitting on the sofa.
"Cuz someone is trying," Scarlett replied. "Nate, this is Zayn."
"Nice to meet you," Nathan said shaking my hand.
"Pleasure," I replied.
Things went by fast with me and Scarlett. We were officially a couple by the new year.
"Scar! We've got great news!" Niall said. We were on the X-Factor tour, and Scarlett had joined us. We had a big surprise for her at the end of the tour.
"Hey! I wanna tell her!" I said.
"Fine," Niall said.
"We're going to the States for a little vacation!" I said excitedly.
"Oh that AWESOME!" She squealed hugging me.
A couple of weeks later, we left London for California.
"Oh my God, I'm so happy to be back home!" Scarlett said excitedly. By then, Nathan was already back in America, so he could give us a ride to the hotel.
"So this is what it's like in California," Louis said. It was everyone's first time in America, and he spoke for all of us when he said that.
"Nate, did you see my surfboard when you cleared the garage when you came home from Bradford?" Scarlett asked.
"Yeah, it's in my apartment. Why?"
"You think I can go surfing? It's not gonna rain or anything, is it?"
"You surf?" Liam asked. When Scarlett nodded, Liam excitedly told her how much he wanted to learn how to surf.
"I could teach you! I could teach all of you!" Scarlett suggested happily.
We spent the whole first day at the beach, and we watched Scarlett surf with her older brother.
Scarlett and I rarely argued. But we did have one major fight during our vacation.
"It's amazing how much you can miss home after being away for just a few months," Scarlett said. She was leaning against my shoulder as we watched the sun set.
"I know just what you mean, love," I said kissed her temple.
"Crap!" Scarlett said, getting up and covering her face.
"What?" I asked.
"Nothing. Ah, just don't look behind me, kay babe?" She said as she looked to me.
"Scar? Scarlett, baby I missed you!" A guy said. He made her turn to him, and he kissed her. But she pushed him off immediately.
"Hey, who the hell do you think you are?" I said pulling the guy up.
"Jerome, Scarlett's boyfriend. Who the hell are you?" He said.
"Ex-boyfriend, you douchebag," Scarlett said to him. "Zayn's my boyfriend," she added hugging my arm.
"What's going on?" Louis asked as they made their way to where we were.
"Jerome? What are you doing here?" Nathan said pushing Jerome. It was obvious Nathan had something against Jerome.
"I'm not leaving till London Bridge here let's go of my m'lady."
I don't know what made me do what I did next, but I didn't regret it.
"Baby, I'm sorry about Jerome, he's the J in the word jerk," Scarlett said. I looked around and saw we were back in the hotel room. What she said made me laugh a little, but my lip hurt. Apparently, I had gotten a cut from when Jerome punched me in the face.
"Ow!" I said in pain as Liam put an icepack on my eye.
"Sorry!"
"A warning would've been nice, baby," I said to Scarlett.
"What?" She was confused.
"You could've told me he was that violent," I said sitting up.
"Excuse me? May I remind you that you were the one who punched Jerome first," she replied.
"We should leave," I heard Harry say as they walked out of the hotel room.
I stood up from the bed, "Well sorry for tying to protect you!"
"But you didn't have to hit the guy!" She snapped.
I looked at her in silence as I tried to recall what had happened.
"What, so you're just gonna stand there?" She said as a tear streamed down her cheek. She was standing by the door and I was still by the bed. I watched her as she began to cry.
"Oh baby, I'm sorry," I said walking to her. I hugged her and she put her head against my chest. I liked this feeling, that I could protect her from whatever. We stood there as she continued crying over the fact we were fighting.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you," she said. She was sitting across me on the bed.
"It's okay. And I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have hit Jerome," I said. She made her way to my side of the bed and sat next to me with her head resting on my shoulder.
"Aw, they made up," Louis said as they walked in. He had apparently kept his foot by the door, so it was never really shut.
Let's fast forward, 2 years later. We were in a similar situation. By this time, we had moved in together with Liam who had ended up being her best friend among the boys; aside from me, of course.
"Zayn, why on earth would I cheat on you?" She said. I had come home after visiting my family in Bradford for a week and I suspected she was cheating on me with Liam.
"Well I don't know, you two seem awfully closer!" I said.
"I thought you trusted me, Zayn." She said softer.
"But, baby I don't wanna lose you," I said, I didn't know a tear ran down my cheek.
"Well you know what," she said getting her jacket. "Too bad Zayn Malik, because you've just lost me," she said and walked out the front door.
I know I should've gone after her but, I had to cool down. I didn't want to do anything else I knew I was going to regret.
"Zayn? Zayn!" I heard Liam and Harry walk into the house fifteen minutes later.
"What?" I said walking down the stairs. They gave me a sad look and I could already tell it had something to do with Scarlett.
"She's in the hospital," Harry said. I ran out of the house and we drove to the hospital.
Scarlett had apparently drove off. She was on her way to her best friend April's house when another driver crashed into her car.
"Scar, baby," I said as I held her hand. Louis, Niall and April were already there when Harry, Liam and I reached the hospital.
"Why was she on her way to April's anyway?" Louis asked.
"We got in a fight," I said. Scarlett opened her eyes.
"Zayn," she said with a weak voice. Everyone got up from their seats.
"Scarlett, I'm so sorry," I said kissing her hand.
"It's okay," she replied and closed her eyes again.
"Scarlett. Scar!" Everyone said.
"Excuse me," the nurse said making her way to the other side of the bed.
"Scarlett, stay with me, please," I kept saying, still holding her hand.
"I love you, Zayn," she said weakly.
"Scarlett, I love you too," I replied, starting to cry again. Liam and Louis had come to my side to comfort me.
The nurse looked to me sadly, "I'm so sorry. Truly, I am."
I pushed the front door open angrily, and walked up the stairs.
"Zayn," Liam said.
"Liam," Louis said. "Give him some time."
A few days later, we had the funeral. Only close friends were there. The boys and I, all out parents and siblings, as well as some of Scarlett's best friends from the States.
Here I am, after another 2 years. I still haven't moved on from it. There were so many things I wish I could've said. So many things we still could've done. The moral of my story? Always tell your loved ones how much you love them; you never know when it's going to be to late.