Finn tailed behind Rina as she walked back to the car, pleading with her to be heard out. Rina would have stopped if she didn’t know any better, if that was still the previous year, when she was hurt and confused, wanting her life back. Now, she knew better and made herself worth more than she used to be. There was no way she was going to waste all of that on Finn Smith.
He caught up with her very close to the car, holding onto her arm. “Does Kayla know you are out here, Finn?” She asked in a very boring tone that should have made any man stop instantly, retreating into his shell. But not Finn. He continued, declaring his undying love so much so that it made Rina question if he had always been that shameless.
“I told you,” he muttered. “Kayla is not the person for me. That was a mistake I made, and I know I am going to regret it every single day of my life. But it will make all the difference if you just give me a chance, Rina. We had such a beautiful family you and I. We can make it work again. I promise to be the best person you will ever have, and I will never not believe you again, no matter what happens. I love you, Rina. I always have, despite what people said about you, It just took me a while to get in touch with my feelings, for me to realize that I’d made a mistake.”
Rina scoffed at his sorry sight, shaking her head. “This conversation is over. I never want to see you again, Finn. Have a nice life.”
Zayn must have been watching from the car, as in that moment, he alighted and walked towards them, amidst Finn’s continued desperate plea. The sound of the door opening and closing echoed under the setting sun and it made eyes turn in his direction, as always. His steps were measured and deliberate as he got closer, oblivious to every other person in the park as all his attention was on one person alone. His presence was enough to silence the words tumbling from Finn’s lips and it had him halting at once. Rina felt his weight in the air even before she turned. He slid an arm around her waist, his fingers firm yet comforting.
“I have to admit,” he murmured in her ears. “My shirt does look hot on you. I should let you have access to the whole of my wardrobe whenever you want.” Zayn leaned away from her, his expression impassive, but his eyes cut through Finn like a blade. He seemed to suddenly realize that he was there all along, giving him a small nod before turning back to Rina.
“You okay?” he asked, his voice steady, waiting for her to say Finn touched her in an improper manner so he could beat him up.
She gazed up at him with relief in her eyes. It was obvious Rina didn’t want to be in the same space as Finn. “I’m fine,” she replied in a low tone. But to Finn, all he heard in Zayn’s words were accusations. He wanted to argue that he had been with Rina for donkey years and never intentionally did anything wrong to her until the very last moments, that she could trust him since they’d known each other longer than Zayn could ever try to compete with. But Finn was not that stupid to do that in front of Zayn Graham.
And Zayn had to go and make it worse by kissing Rina’s forehead at that moment, a silent declaration that left no room for any misunderstanding. Zayn did every bit of it with purpose, intent on passing a message across to Finn. He had never had a reason to be in direct relations with him since he met Rina, but that didn’t mean Zayn wasn’t keen on planting a facer on him for everything he made Rina go through.
“Are you done here?” Zayn asked her, his eyes darting briefly to the car behind them. “I can give you more time if you need.”
“I don’t have anything else to say to him,” Rina replied, shaking off the remnants of Finn’s grasp on her arm, without giving him as much as a glance. Without another word, Zayn held her hand in his and turned around with her, guiding her toward the Jaguar with the engine still running. Finn’s voice trailed behind them, but it lacked the confidence it had held earlier. Rina couldn’t tell if it was because of the sight of the car, or the fact that he had truly given up.
“This isn’t over,” he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. Zayn smirked as he got the car open and waited for Rina to get in before turning around and getting behind the wheel, driving away from Finn who was still gaping at the scene.
The low hum of the engine serenaded them during the drive home, as the dark road ushered them down its alley. But beneath the quiet, Rina recognized the sparks of fury in Zayn’s expression, in the way his hands gripped the steering firmly, his jaw set, the muscle ticking just slightly as if he was biting back words.
“I was right, wasn’t I?” he finally murmured in a clipped tone.
“He wanted to get back together,” Rina exhaled slowly, her voice bland. “He thinks he made a mistake.
For a moment, silence hung between them, with Zayn’s focus fully on the road. He mulled about in his head, the tension in his frame so palpable that it seemed to fill the car. Rina reached out and rested a hand on his arm. That seemed to get him calm to an extent as he took a deep breath. No one dared come close to what he owned and wanted, yet Finn had done that twice.
There was no way Zayn was letting this go.