“Alright, Zayn. You’re free to go now,” Tommy, my tour manager, told me. I handed the sound guy my microphone and ear pieces before exiting stage. I pulled my phone out and saw I had few messages, one from Aaliyah and a few from Liam, telling me to call him. I tapped on Aaliyah’s name and paused outside one of the dressing room doors.

From: Aaliyah
Hi dad! We’ll be there in an hour! See you then xx

I looked at the time stamp for the text message and saw she sent it almost thirty minutes ago. I was just about to begin walking back to my dressing room again, to ring Liam, when I heard my name coming from the dressing room I was stood outside of.

”Haz, I know I shouldn’t do that to Zayn. But there’s just something about her.”

It was Niall’s voice I heard, and I rooted myself in the same spot so I could get a better listen to what he was talking about.

”I know that’s his ex-girlfriend and mother of his child! But I can’t help who I have feelings for, mate.”

“Harry, I’ve been there for Kacey since it all began! Of course, I was going to end up falling for her. She’s perfect.”

“I know, I know. I didn’t tell Zayn that I knew anything about Kace, but, no Harry! He could have chased her, but he didn’t!”

“Yes, I understand why he didn’t, because management had us on leashes, I know. I’m gonna tell Kacey how I feel though, Haz. I didn’t call you to ask you whether or not I should. I called to ask you for advice on how I should tell her.”

“Harry, please. You’re my best mate, help me out.”

“I know, Zayn’s my best mate too and what I’m doing is wrong. Forget I asked then. Tell Abby I said hello and give Darcy a big kiss for me.”

I couldn’t believe what I just heard, Niall has feelings for Kacey, I fucking knew it. I knew it, all along. I closed my still agape mouth and quickly walked to my dressing room, where I slammed the door shut.

“Are you fucking kidding me?! What did I do to deserve this?!” I yelled into the empty room, while pulling at my hair in frustration. I grabbed my phone from its spot on the couch, where I had thrown it, and quickly dialed Liam’s number.

”Hello!” Liam, happily, answered the phone.

“I’m gonna kill him,” I, blatantly, said.

”Who? Niall? Why this time?”

“He has feelings for my Kacey! And he’s going to tell her tonight!” I yelled, while throwing myself onto the couch.

”Take it easy, mate. You’re getting worked up,” Liam said, and he was right. I was worked up and when I get this way, it isn’t healthy for anyone. ”I think you need to talk to Niall about this, but not when you’re angry. He doesn’t know you still have feelings for Kacey, so you need to inform him.”

“You’re right,” I mumbled into the phone.

”Of course I am, mate! Now, how’s being a dad going for you? Haven’t heard from you in a few days?”

“It’s crazy, Liam. She’s the perfect combination of Kacey and I, physically and mentally. I love it though, being a dad, she makes me so happy. I just wish I could have been there from the start, you know?” I asked him.

”I wish I could say I know, but I don’t, because I have been there. But I can only imagine it’s tough, trying to get her to open up with you. I can’t wait to meet her though, when will you be back in London?”

“A couple of weeks. Maybe I can convince Kacey to let Aaliyah come. So she can meet the rest of the lads,” I told Liam as I messed around with my hair.

“Defnitely. Well mate, the baby’s cryin’ so I gotta go, I’ll talk to you later,” Liam said before hanging up. I shoved my phone in my pocket before releasing a sigh. I took a few deep breaths before standing up and walking out of my room, towards Niall’s. Might as well get this talk over with, who knows, maybe I can stop him from telling her. I stood in front of the door to Niall’s dressing room, and took one deep breath before knocking on his door.

“Ay mate! What’s up?” Niall said, as he swung the door open.

“Just wondering if you had a second to talk? Best mate to best mate?” I asked him, and he scrunched his eyebrows together with confusion.

“’Course, come on in—“

“Dad!!” I heard someone scream, and I turned to my left to see Aaliyah running down the hallway. I smiled at her before gathering her in a hug, once she reached me.

“Hello love, it’s been a few days,” I said to her, kissing her on the forehead.

“Yeah! I missed you,” she said, before turning to look at Niall.

“Niall, this is my daughter, Aaliyah.” I introduced the pair, and watched Niall shake her hand.

“Where’s your mother?” I asked my daughter and she shrugged her shoulders.

“She was behind me, but then the security guard told me where you were so I left her,” she, nonchalantly, said.

“Zayn used to do that all the time,” Niall reminisced on the One Direction days.

“You did too, mate!” I said, a smile on my face, as I clapped my hand on his shoulder.

“Dad, where’s your dressing room? Can I see it?” Aaliyah, impatiently, asked.

“We’ll talk later, yeah?” I said to Niall, who shook his head understandingly.

“Come on, love, follow me to my man cave for the night,” I told her as I escorted her down the hall. “How was school today?” I asked her as I threw the door, to my dressing room, open.

“It was a little better. I’ve been taking your advice and I’ve been ignoring Mikayla and her friends.”

“Yeah? And how’s that going?” I asked her as I grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator in the room.

“It’s going really good, they haven’t messed with me as much,” Aaliyah said as she pulled her phone out and smiled.

“Who are you texting that’s got you smiling like that?” I asked her as I took a seat next to her on the couch.

“Huh? Oh, no one special,” she said, looking away from me and at the floor.

“You’re lying. Who is he?” I asked her, knowing exactly why she was smiling.

“This new kid moved here a few weeks ago, and we exchanged numbers not too long ago. He’s really nice,” she gushed.

“Does this boy have a name?” I asked her, feeling a little overprotective.

“Oliver.”

“I see, you’ll have to let me meet him sometime,” I said as I ruffled her hair.

“Mum doesn’t know about him,” she blurted out, and I looked up from my phone to look at her.

“And why doesn’t your mum know?” I asked her, putting away my phone so I could give her all of my attention.

“She doesn’t think I should date until I’m eighteen.”

“Why’s that?” I asked her.

“I’m not sure, said something about wanting me to be in mature relationships,” Aaliyah said and hearing the reasoning behind why she didn’t want our daughter to date, made me angry. I knew why that was her reason, she was referencing to what happened to her and I when we dated, many years ago.

“I’ll be right back,” I told Aaliyah as I stood up and walked down the hall, where I found Kacey in Niall’s dressing room.

“Kace?” I said, and she snapped her head in my direction.

“Hey Zayn,” she said, from her spot next to Niall on the couch, I felt a jealous pang hit my chest at the sight in front of me.

“Can I talk to you outside for a second?” I asked her and she nodded her head before standing up and following me outside, to a private area.

“What’s going on?” She asked, once we came to a stop and sat on a bench.

“Why won’t you let Aaliyah date?” I asked her, and she lowered her head.

“I don’t want her to experience what I experienced.”

“You act like we had a terrible relationship!” I said to her.

“Well, we did. You hid me from everyone for almost a year, Zayn,” she argued back.

“I’m sorry, okay?! I’m sorry I let management make me do that. I regret it every day, Kace. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t wonder what would have happened if I told management no, where you and I would be if I stood my ground.”

“Zayn, now isn’t the time to discuss this,” Kacey said, placing a hand on my knee, successfully calming me down.

“You’re right, but I won’t let you allow Aaliyah to miss out on things, like having her first kiss before she’s an adult. These things are supposed to happen when you’re a teenager. If she fancies a boy, and she wants to date him, let her. She needs to experience heartbreak, Kace. “

“I just don’t want to see her get hurt like I did,” Kacey admitted as she looked off into the distance.

“If she does get hurt, the best thing you can do is be there for her,” I told Kacey, putting my arm around her shoulders and pulling her into my side.

“You’ve been a dad for a week and you’re already a wiser parent than me,” Kacey admitted with amusement.

“Yeah well, I had to grow up fast,” I told her, resting my head on hers.

“You always were the more mature one between us, and I always knew you’d be a great father one day.”

“I miss you, Kace,” I told her, lifting her head up so I could stare into her chocolate orbs.

“I miss you too,” Kacey admitted as she stared back into my identical brown eyes.

“So then why aren’t we together?” I asked her, searching her face for some kind of emotion.

“Because it’s too late, Zayn. You missed your chance to be with me sixteen years ago,” Kacey said before standing up and walking back inside the venue.