They watched the waterfalls with so much space between them, wide enough to house four other people. Rina was so aware of how far Zayn was, half her attention on the sound of the water as it hit the earth and the other half on him. They had gone to the other side of the building that had railings around it, and Zayn was now leaning on the iron railing painted black, staring at nature like it was the most fascinating thing he had ever come across.
But he still had that sharp look in his eyes, that showed that he was still attentive to his surroundings. Rina could bet that he would hear the footsteps of anyone who approached before they even got into the room.
She wanted him to stand next to her, rather than this gaping space he had put between them, almost intentionally. It made it hard to appreciate the view, the way the night arched over the tall trees, encasing the fountain. It made it difficult to close her eyes and just let go, allowing the sound of the waves to soothe her nerves.
Rina sighed and leaned on the railing, just like Zayn. She took a deep breath, the scent of the sand and trees teasing her nostrils, and then, she closed her eyes, trying as hard as she could to block out the gaping silence Zayn had initiated. She followed the sound of the waves, smiling in her head as she tuned it up, making a correlation with a song she loved, the theme song of Titanic. It played in her head, further getting her into the relaxed mood she’d been craving all week.
Suddenly, she felt a change in the air, like someone had settled beside her. Rina’s eyes flung open instantly, and turned to her side, sucking in a sharp breath as her eyes fell on Zayn, looking unassuming as ever, like he didn’t just make everything a whole lot different for Rina. Sometimes, she thought he was oblivious to how much the smallest thing he did affect her, like when he rolled up his sleeves the last time he was at her place. She’d felt the whole world stop. She desperately needed water.
Rina couldn’t help it. She sniffed in his scent, registering the cologne she had grown used to these past months. It was Zayn. Every single thing about him. His scent teased her gently, made her turn her face up to him gingerly, trying not to make it obvious, but failing woefully at it.
“Like it?” His sudden mutter made her jump. She pulled her eyes open again, and met his on her, watching her so intently that it unnerved her.
“What?” Rina’s voice came out as a tiny whisper. She felt flustered in that moment, and cleared her throat noisily, pulling her gaze away. “What did you say?”
“I was asking you if you like it,” he repeated, seemingly unfazed by her reaction. ”
“Sure,” she responded in a high-pitched voice. “It’s beautiful.”
“That was the point of attraction for me when I got the building,” Zayn explained. “I just knew I had to have this view all to myself. It felt bizarre having to imagine someone on this very point, watching the waterfall. It should belong to me. That was what I thought about when I saw it.”
“You are so commanding,” Rina said, turning to rest her back on the railing instead, giving him her full attention. “Has anyone ever told you that?”
“I’ve heard I’m charming whilst being commanding,” Zayn said casually. “I think I like the sound of that. Girls tend to like that.”
Rina scoffed. “I’m sure they are more intrigued by something else, but of course, whatever rocks your boat.”
“Do you mind telling me the other things they could possibly be intrigued by?” Zayn took the same stance as Rina, leaning on the railing with his back. They were both watching the entrance now, enjoying the night and the calm it brought.
“Your status in the country,” Rina muttered as a matter-of-fact like it was something Zayn ought to have discovered a while ago. “Anyone would kill to have that.”
“But you wouldn’t kill for my status.” Zayn had a tinge of sadness in his voice, but Rina couldn’t figure out if he was just pulling her legs or if he really meant it.
“I guess I’m not like the other girls,” Rina shrugged, leaning away from the railing and sauntering over the doors. “I’m surprised you haven’t figured that out already.”
Zayn chuckled but walked behind her. They both headed downstairs and got back into his car. Zayn pulled out into the road, navigating the rough path until they got back into civilization.
“I needed this,” Rina confided. “I was going crazy at home with the need to have everything perfect and if I hadn’t gone out, I might just have entered into a panic mode.”
Zayn didn’t say anything. Instead, he reached for the knob at the dashboard to increase the volume of the soft blues playing in the background, while Rina settled comfortably into the leather seat. When they got to her cottage, he angled his head and rapped his fingers against the dashboard as he waited for her to get down.
“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Zayn promised as Rina walked to his side of the car, regarding him through the window.
“Of course,” she drawled. “The whole world is going to see me.”
Zayn didn’t mean in that manner, but he didn’t say anything else, only offering her a wink as he pulled out of her driveway and made his way back into the night.
Rina felt a whole lot better as she sauntered into the cottage, dumping her purse on the couch and settling beside it. She turned on the TV to catch a little bit of the series she was seeing before going to bed, but something else caught her attention. It was an interview of Kayla, with an entertainment news channel.
Kayla was saying how excited she was about the fashion show holding the next day and that she hoped she would meet the anonymous model the whole world had gone crazy over. She was hoping to talk to her about joining Scottsdale entertainment.
Rina chuckled at the irony of the situation, turned off the TV, and went to have a nice warm bath.