Zayn attended the premier with Rina, but even though she was right beside him, he could feel her attention slipping away every minute. Although she was still angry about his question the last time, she still hadn’t given him any reasonable reply, but he had noticed how sneaky she was. Usually, Rina left her phone lying anywhere, often with Zayn going up to her room to get it to her when he realized it. But in recent times, she had it on her, always texting away even during dinner. Sometimes, he saw worry lines stretch out on her forehead, and at other times, she tried to mask it with a smile.
But Zayn knew her well enough to be able to tell that something was up. His mind went back to Jada’s visit, and even though he didn’t want to believe her, Rina had sure changed. Zayn had promised himself that he wouldn’t use his connections to find out anything about Rina, as he believed she would always tell him anything he needed to know. It irked that he had to keep to his words and do absolutely nothing until she came around. But he couldn’t tell when that would be.
A messy divorce following the news of Rina’s return to her ex-husband would only harm Rina’s reputation and not his. It would make her fans and anti-fans dig up the rumors that had already died, concluding that those weren’t lies after all, even when they were. In the large cinema where the premiere was being held, Zayn’s eyes strayed to Rina’s countless times, scared for her image and just hoping she would come clean. He was beginning to lose trust in her. It was the smallest of things, like when she told him she was going to Hong Kong as usual, he would begin to wonder if that was really the case, if she wasn’t spending the week with Finn and lying about it.
But through it all, he never called Claire to confirm. Zayn was going to let this play out. The lights in the room suddenly flicked off after an address by the director, as the movie came on. Unconsciously, Zayn pushed his worries to the back of his mind, settling comfortably in the seat to watch the movie. He pulled Rina with him, wrapping one hand around her neck. At first, she tensed up, whipping her head around to stare at him. Then she smiled and settled into his half-embrace, watching the movie with him.
Her mind also seemed to lighten as they got invested in it. “Superb acting, baby,” he murmured at Rina’s first encounter with the lead. “I love how your lips move when talking like they are barely moving.”
Rina smiled up at him, then after a second, her smile faltered. “Zayn, you do not have to do this when others aren’t watching. The room is dark right now, so people can’t see us.”
A muscle worked in his jaw as his fears came back, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. “I want to do it,” he replied. “It might be a marriage on paper, but you can’t deny what you feel when I touch you and I can’t do the same either.”
“Zayn…”
“But it’s fine if you can’t…If you don’t want to do this. I’ll just leave.”
“Zayn…”
He got up suddenly, causing a few awkward stares. William was right behind him in a minute, walking him out of the cinema and into the lobby. Still, Zayn didn’t say anything until they were in the car.
“Where would you like me to take you, Sir?” William asked, getting behind the wheel. The earlier plan had been to stay there with Rina and make some public appearances to let the whole world know their relationship was still as strong as ever, before going out for a congratulatory dinner. But now, William would have to cancel the reservation.
“The airport,” was Zayn’s gruff response, before he leaned into his seat, his head reeling. This was the exact reason he never wanted to have any physical relationship with her at first. Damn his body and needs that couldn’t stay under the hay each time she was around, damn his hammering heart that seemed to want to tear into pieces at that exact moment. He rested an elbow against the window and sighed.
“Zayn, what is wrong?” William asked, pulling out onto the road. “You have been acting different for the last couple of days. Did anything happen?”
“Nothing happened, William.”
“Something did. You wouldn’t be this way if you were telling the truth. Usually, I wouldn’t meddle in your personal life and you know that. But this? It is beginning to affect you and by extension, me. So why don’t we talk about it and see if there is any way to get through it and thrash it right now? I don’t want you to make any decision you would regret.”
“That’s the point,” Zayn muttered. “I am not fucking making any decision right now, but I don’t know how long I can hold out because I hate waiting for something that might end up not coming.”
“What is this about?”
“Rina. She is keeping something from me, and no matter how available I make myself, she doesn’t seem to want to tell me about it. She has been really sneaky and jumpy, and I really do not know what to make of that.”
“Maybe all you need to do is talk with her. It might be nothing.”
“It is not nothing. She asked me something she would never have if everything was fine. She didn’t want me complimenting her when others weren’t around. Rina has never been that way before.”
“You know something,” William said suddenly, looking at his best friend from the rearview mirror. “What aren’t you saying?”
“Jada was at the mansion a few days ago,” Zayn finally explained after a few minutes of silence.
“She what?”
“And she told me Rina was planning on going back to her ex-husband. There was a picture, William.”
“I’m not taking you to the airport,” he said suddenly, changing lanes. “Let’s go to the office. And call Jada. That girl can be full of shit.”