Angels

Have you ever received that call? The one that makes your heart stop? It’s that one that you’ll never forget what was said. It’ll replay back in your head at night because it’s the call that broke your heart. It’s like having your guts handed to you through a phone. Everything freezes and the pain never leaves you. It’s a two minute call, but it leaves its mark on your heart like picking a scab leaves a scar on your arm. It hurts.

Brylee kept to herself on the back bench of a large church in London. A black and white varsity jacket kept her petite arms warm on the chilled December night. The scent reminded her of the first time she had met him.

***

“Hi, I’m Brylee Turner.” The sassy brunette waved to the group of five boys. “I’m going to be directing your next video.” She paused, waiting for a moment but nothing but silence was to be heard. “Well, since none of you are going to introduce yourselves, I’m naming you.”

She tapped a polished finger to her chin. “Alright.”

“Don’t stand there and lie,” The dark haired one walked around her, checking her out without caring if she noticed. “You know all of our names. You’re probably a huge fan, but you’ll just say Uncle Simon filled you in before walking in here.”

The rest of the boys laughed. Brylee turned to face the black haired boy. He was standing extremely close to her, staring down at her. She felt his hot breath on her forehead and his cologne filled her nose, which made her weak in the knees. But she stood up straight, knowing that’s exactly what he wanted. “How cool, you have one brown eye and one green eye. I like the brown eye. I can see myself in it.” He cooed smoothly.

“If you’re trying to impress me, try harder.” She turned to face the snickering group of grown men, but you’d think they were five by the way they were giggling. “Well, are we going to get this video underway or what?”

She whipped her long curls in his face as she spun back around. “If you’ll excuse me, Zayn.”

Zayn smirked, “After you, Bree.”

“It’s Brylee, remember it, will ya?” She leered with her southern accent as she passed him.

He watched with a genuine smile as each of his band mates passed him, following her lead. He grinned broadly as she slightly curved her head to make sure he was studying her every move.

***

Brylee felt the tears stabbing at the back of her eyes, but she was too drained to let them escape. She had cried from the moment Louis had called her to the moment Zayn was placed in that casket. She stayed by his side in the hospital for five days, crying and watching his motionless body, before his heart gave out on Christmas day. The nurses had told her that he was only holding on for her, and she believed that whole heartedly.

She’d been stationed in that one spot for two days. People would come up to her and tell her how sorry they were for her loss, and they wished her the best, but she faintly heard them. All she wanted to do was sit on the back row, and never let her eyes leave his casket. The bench she was sitting on sunk as four bodies enveloped her sides with unnecessary heat. Louis and Liam sat on either side of her while Harry and Niall played as book ends. “Brylee…” Liam began.

“You know, the last thing I ever heard him say was “It’s too cold outside for angels to fly.” She interrupted him. “He said he wanted his angel in his flat when he got back, just the way she was.” Brylee shook her head lightly, “How was I supposed to argue with that?” The boys didn’t say anything. Mostly because they knew it’d do no good, but also because they were surprised. It was the most she had spoken in a week.

She stared straight ahead, a single tear falling from her one brown eye. She continued as the boys stared solemnly at her tired frame. “God, he was only twenty seven. I don’t understand why I was led to this perfect match, just to have me stay with him for five years, get engaged, then take it all away.”

“Bry…” Niall started with sympathy drowning his accent.

Ignoring him, she snuggled into the crook of Louis’ neck, hot tears rolling down her cheek. “He had a career, fans… He was doing something he had dreamed about. He should’ve let me go...” Her voice drifted off.

“Lee, if you’re suggesting that you think he’d be doing any better than you if it were reversed...” Harry rubbed her knee.

A small grin played on her lips, “No… I know he’d be a wreck. But he’d eventually be ok.”
Tricia appeared in front of them. “Brylee, do you want to go ahead and say a few words?”

She nodded, standing slowly from her spot. She glanced from stranger to stranger as she made her way towards her fiancé. She stopped in front of his body. Whispering, she placed a hand on his folded palms, “I love you so much. I’ll never stop. Never leave me… please. We said forever.”

Brylee walked to the microphone that was placed behind his casket. “Hello.” She started, looking towards her boys for reassurance. She noticed something in her spot between Liam and Louis. The figure glowed brightly, but it just sat there. Never moving.

She heard one of Zayn’s sisters clear her throat, bringing her out of her daze. “I…” She checked back to the spot where the figure had been, but it was gone.

Brylee felt a pair of arms wrap around her body, but she couldn’t see them. A voice… his voice… whispered in her ear. “Don’t think. Just talk.”

“I’m sorry,” She used her hand to wipe away any tears that were left from before. “I haven’t gotten much sleep in the past week.”

“Zay-” She felt herself choke on his name as the invisible arms squeezed her tighter. “Zayn left us… and I don’t know, nor do I understand, why. He was such a great son, brother, friend… fiancé. I couldn’t think of a better man that has ever walked into my life. But he had to walk out of it…” Another tear fell down her flushed cheeks. “No one understands why someone is chosen to leave us. They just are. God has surely received a precious angel.” She saw various people shake their heads in agreement, but she just sniffled.

“I’m sure he’s in here with us because it’s too cold outside for angels to fly,” Brylee noticed the smiles on the boys’ face all sitting in the back row.

She saw that glowing figure in the middle of them again… but recognized it this time. It was Zayn. His face was bright, grinning. He winked towards her as vanished from the spot. She smiled to herself, “Wherever he is, I want him to know that I’ll love him with all my heart… forever.”

There was a tickle on her ear, hot warm breath… tears poured down her face. “Don’t cry. I love you, Bree…” Someone whispered in her ear. But she knew it wasn’t just someone, because only one person called her Bree… “Forever.”