Rina walked out into the night, her mind struggling to grasp what had happened behind the glass walls. Her feet led her to her car, parked directly in front of Joel’s door, but as her hands held onto the handle, William appeared out of nowhere, nodding slightly in acknowledgment before shaking his head subtly.
“What?” Rina questioned, not wanting any more drama for the night. She was ready to go to bed immediately, uninterested in thinking about the implications of tonight until much later.
“Mr. Graham.” He made an attempt at a whisper but his bass voice made that hard to achieve. “He is in the sports car behind. He wants you to ride with him, ma’am.”
Rina sighed exasperatedly. “Can you please tell him that I have had a really stressful day and that I would really love to ride back to the villa alone? I don’t want him telling me how I should have known better than to come here all alone late at night.”
“You might have to tell him that yourself, ma’am,” William answered without a change in his tone. “He was quite insistent when he asked me to get you. I’m certain he doesn’t mind walking here himself but Mr. Osteen is hovering around the windows right now. He’s going to see that when it happens.”
Rina didn’t bother stifling her groan. “Can I at least get my phone from the car?”
William stepped aside. “Of course, ma’am. It’s your car. You can do whatever you please. I was only delivering his message.”
She pulled the door open and folded over to grab her phone before making the short journey to the black sports car. Although the windows were tinted, Rina could almost imagine the scowl that was plastered on Zayn’s face. Now that she thought about it, she knew she shouldn’t have left her phone in the car. He must have been worried sick about her. It was either that or Rina was beginning to do that thing again when she thought things were more than ordinary.
Swallowing, she moved to the passenger’s side and pulled the door open, plopping down into the comfortable leather seats. Zayn pulled out of the driveway the moment she closed the door, zooming out of Joel’s surroundings. After driving for a little over three minutes in silence, he pulled over by the side of the road abruptly and leaned to the other side. Rina held her breath as he grabbed the seat belt and buckled it around her firmly, before moving away.
“Why did you leave your phone in the car?” It was hard ignoring the hardness attached to his clipped tone, and Zayn didn’t even bother pushing it away. A lot of emotions coursed through him, and he found it difficult to focus on one at a time. It left him confused, and he hated being that way.
“I wanted to talk to Joel without interruptions.”
“Interruptions,” Zayn spat, with hurt laced in his tone. “Is that what I am to you? An interruption?”
“That wasn’t what I meant, Zayn, and you know it.”
“Rina, I thought I was going to go insane searching for you. I went everywhere, thinking you were in some kind of danger.”
She paused and looked into his eyes. “Why?” she whispered.
“What do you mean why? I thought…you …after everything that has happened, the least you could do is tell someone where you are going. That’s why you have Igor. But he can’t force you to divulge your whereabouts. Please, help me here, Rina.”
“So you’re not mad that I went over to see Joel?”
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
“I said I’m not, Rina.”
“But your eyes say different. You look like you are about hitting someone and not stopping until they succumb to the wrath of your fist.”
“Yes,” he muttered. “You are right. I feel like hitting someone, but not you. I am not upset with you for wanting to see Joel tonight. You thought of him as a friend and it was only natural you tried to salvage what was left of your friendship. The only person here that didn’t think about that was Joel. He is the one I am angry at.”
“Zayn…”
“He dared put his hands on you, Rina. That fucker had his hands on your shoulders. That wasn’t fine. I had to leave the instant you got into the car. It was the only way I could stop myself from getting out immediately and putting my fist through his face.”
“He isn’t worth it.”
“But the cracking of his bones would be. And you are worth doing that over and over again for.”
Rina looked up at him, her lips parting in surprise. Realizing what he had just said, Zayn thought about repairing the situation, saying something about their proposed marriage, but he was done trying to explain himself away.
“Don’t do this again, Rina,” he said instead. “You are free to go wherever you want to, but please, tell me, Igor, or William before you step out. I don’t want you getting attacked, but more importantly, I don’t want people like Joel taking advantage of you. He called you on purpose because he knew you would come over. People like that don’t deserve second chances.”
She bit her bottom lip, her pulse suddenly racing. Looking away sharply, Rina rolled down the windows despite the chilly air and allowed the wind to come in. It seeped into her skin and she shivered from its onslaught. Yet, it was exactly what she needed to wake herself up from the world she had suddenly created with Zayn’s words. She couldn’t allow herself to fall for him.
“Where is your coat?” he asked suddenly.
“Shit!” Rina muttered, looking back at Zayn. “I left it at Joel’s. He didn’t have his coat hanger at the door and with the heat of the moment, it was the last thing I was thinking about.”
“Let it go,” Zayn murmured, starting the car and pulling back into the road. He rolled the windows back up with the central key then tapped the steering gently. “We will get you another one.”