They drove around town for a bit, with Rina asking every minute where Zayn was taking her to. He always responded with the same grin, promising her that the wait was going to be worth it. Each time he looked at her from the passenger’s seat. Rina felt her heart stop. The doctors would probably say it was a bad thing, but not for Rina. In those split seconds, she felt alive, better than she had felt all these weeks working at the fashion house.
Zayn had stayed away during that while, only sending William over to get her whatever she needed. And even though Rina tried convincing herself that it was what she needed to get her mind over him as well as to focus on the fashion show, she found herself thinking about him at odd moments, like the one time she’d been watching the models walk and suddenly zoned out in the middle, thinking about Zayn’s confident smirk and knowing eyes.
She missed him more than she cared to admit, and when he appeared at her door about an hour ago, she had to pull out every energy in her to stop herself from throwing her hands around him in glee. He looked ravishing in his well-tailored free pants and a black t-shirt. It wasn’t every time Rina saw him dress this casually, and she thought it a crime that he looked good no matter what he was wearing.
“What?” He smirked when he noticed her watching him. “I usually charge people for staring at me, but I don’t think I’m going to do that to you since you’re going to be my wife. So stare all you want.”
Rina scoffed. “You wish. I was just wondering why you are so full of mysteries. And I have to admit that it crossed my mind that you could be a potential kidnapper since you wouldn’t tell me where we are headed.”
“Have you always been this impatient?”
“Have you always been this secretive?”
“Rina,” he drawled suddenly. “You do know there’s something called a surprise, right? You’re going to figure it out at the end of the day so why don’t you just stay put? Patience is important too.”
“I don’t do well with surprises,” she muttered. “And besides, your argument isn’t valid. Since I’m still going to discover where we’re headed at the end of the day, what difference does it make if you tell me now?” He had just asked her to wear something comfortable, so she had opted for a pair of baggy jeans and a button-down shirt, with Nike sneakers. How was that supposed to be hint enough?
Zayn cast a side glance at her and shook his head. She was such a ball of fury and calm at the same time that it kept him on edge. Zayn couldn’t remember the last time he felt this way, felt like he was looking forward to something he couldn’t predict. He had to admit that it was nice to get absorbed in this, even though it was only for a little while, even though he couldn’t allow himself to feel.
He veered off the road, and Rina sat up, more excited and anxious than concerned. He drove down through an unleveled road until they arrived at a building away from town. Rina wondered how many buildings Zayn had as they alighted the car. He waited for her to join him before walking inside.
It wasn’t a building for living, as Rina found out. It didn’t have all of those amenities. It was a single high-rise space that only had a rooftop, with an elevator to get all the way to the fiftieth floor. Rina couldn’t contain her excitement anymore as the numbers on the elevator trickled slowly. The doors dinged open and Zayn stepped out first, holding his hand out. Rina looked into his eyes to be sure she wasn’t jumping to conclusions. Registering the tease in them, she opted to walk on her own, shaking her head at his outstretched hands.
Shrugging, Zayn led her to the open rooftop, where he had set up a little dinner earlier. Rina gasped when she saw the candles lining up the floor before the space opened up to a huge exterior with no roof and borders. There was a single table with a single rose in the center, and lights hanging in the air, creating an enchanting moment, frozen somewhere between the woods and a modern setup. It oddly reminded Rina of Rapunzel. She had imagined telling the story to her baby when she was pregnant, and the thought made tears pool in the corner of her eyes.
“Are you that impressed?” Zayn teased, pulling her chair out and helping her into this.
“What’s this?” Rina sniffed, trying to contain her emotions.
Zayn shrugged. “You’ve just been so stressed and with the fashion show coming tomorrow, I figured it would weigh a lot on your shoulders particularly because of what it means to you. Rina, we don’t know for sure what would happen tomorrow, but I need you to know that I am here. I am going to be your husband so you have to depend on me.”
“Still,” she sniffed again, looking around. “You didn’t have to do all of this.”
“I figured I would have to propose to you or something if we are going to make this deal as real as it could get, so I wanted to bring you here to ask you what you thought about. So what do you think?”
Rina smiled. What else had she been expecting? That Zayn Graham had suddenly developed a soft spot for her and wanted her to know that? It was such a laughable thought.
“Don’t you think it is too far from town to attract all the paparazzi?”
“They will come anywhere I am,” he said with an air of confidence. “But if you don’t like it, we can check somewhere else. I have other buildings that could work. There’s a penthouse…”
Zayn,” Rina breathed and looked into his eyes. It didn’t matter that this was just to present an image. It didn’t change the fact that he had prepared it for her, and it made her happy. “Thank you for this. I love it.”
“Eat up,” he said. “You can view the waterfalls from here. That’s the reason you are here. I’ve heard watching a waterfall can be soothing for the nerves.”
Zayn left out the fact that he had just purchased the building solely for this purpose, for her.