Zayn felt her resistance as they walked into the room. He recognized that look in her eyes like a war occurred inside of her, one she wasn’t willing to fight just yet. He swallowed and looked around the room, still not wanting to leave her. But at the same time, Zayn knew he couldn’t keep hovering when he had a business to attend to.
“There are a few dresses in the closet that you can change into,” he murmured, already taking a few steps backward. “And there’s a dryer as well in there. Just…make yourself comfortable.”
Rina nodded and wrapped a hand around her frame. She looked so vulnerable in that moment, standing there in the center of the huge room, that Zayn felt a compelling urge to pull her into his arms and keep her there for as long as he could. He wanted to protect her from the world, to keep her shielded from everything her enemies might throw at her. But Zayn knew how defiant Rina could get. Doing that would only push her away from him.
And he hadn’t considered the possibility of that just yet. Zayn didn’t even want to.
His phone rang and he slowly retrieved it from his trench coat, placing it against his ears. Zayn stayed quiet throughout the call, then returned the phone to his coat after a minute. “I have to leave now,” he announced. “Igor would be with you for as long as you require his services. And Susan will be coming around tomorrow to keep you company. I hope you don’t mind that.”
“Of course, I don’t. I like Susan.”
Zayn nodded and walked around, heading back into the hallway and outside. Rina released a breath she’d had no idea she had been holding and moved into the bathroom. Shrugging out of the crusted bathrobe, she folded it and tossed it into the bin, preparing a bath for herself. Stepping into the tub, she leaned against its walls and closed her eyes, clearing her head from all the chaotic events of the day. It was almost midnight already, and Rina knew she would relax better with her scented candles. But she would have to make do without it for that night.
Making a mental note to stop by the store to get some the next day, she reached for her phone, scrolling through her playlist until she found a song she liked. Jeremy Zucker’s voice came on as “Come Through” filled the air. She scrubbed at her skin, washing away the dried egg white and yolk. Next, she reached for the shampoo and went at her hair, washing it thrice before she felt that was good enough. Pulling the plug from the drain, she refilled it with water and had a second bath, just because she thought the first round wasn’t enough to get rid of the stench. Rina really hated the smell of raw eggs.
Finally done, she got out of the warm water and wrapped a huge towel around her frame, walking over to the closer. Refusing to think about who owned the clothes and the dryer, like she had the last time she slept over, Rina went through the hangers holding different styles of nightwear, picking the one with long bottoms, and a camisole. There were skin care products in the closet as well, but Rina ignored them, deciding there was a limit to things she could accept from Zayn’s former woman, no matter how much she needed them. Her skin was going to have to survive till the next day when she could go to the store.
Grabbing the dryer, Rina sat in front of the mirror, clothed, and plugged it in, the soft whirr serving as a great distraction from her calculative mind. Rina needed to rest for the night so she could get up feeling refreshed. Yet, she couldn’t stop going over the list she had drawn up with George, checking if they had missed anything. Rina felt exhaustion eating away at her, but her mind was still wide awake and alert.
She returned to the room and rolled into bed, flicking on the night light and hoping that it would make her mind go quiet. But it didn’t work as she grabbed her phone and dialed George’s number. He answered on the third ring, his voice sounding clear and alert.
“Why aren’t you asleep yet?” he questioned the instant he picked up. “You’ve been through a lot already today, and you don’t want to get Mr. Graham all worked up.”
“George…”
“I have a million and one question right now, but I’m just going to wait till you are well rested. Snuggle into his arms and let go of your worries for tonight.”
“I can’t do that while you are up working,” Rina breathed. “And besides, Zayn had an urgent business meeting to attend to, so he flew out after he dropped me off.”
“That’s understandable,” George murmured. Nothing Zayn could do would ever sound wrong to him. “And I’m not doing a lot of work. I’m just trying to go over the mail again before sending it out. Hopefully, we get a response before the end of tomorrow, since you are such a hot topic right far beyond the borders of our country. And I hope it ends up being on a positive note.”
“Me too,” Rina whispered. “Goodnight then. I’m just going to try to find some sleep.”
But over thirty minutes after the call ended, Rina still found sleep eluding her. She reached for her phone a second time to go through the newly released articles and posts about her when a ding suddenly sounded with the message icon popping. Swallowing, Rina clicked on it, a short message springing up on her screen.
“I know you haven’t slept yet, but I hope I’m wrong. Either way, even if I know you might not need this, I still want to let you know that you are one of the strongest and most-willed people I know. If anyone can get through this, it is you, Rina.”
She slept off reading Zayn’s message over and over again until she could say the words without looking at her phone.