faded

69. darkness

As much as Zayn had hoped things would get better after the mirror incident, they didn't.

After Stefani had cleaned her up, it was impossible to keep her calm. Despite it only taking a few minutes, she would not stop asking about his whereabouts. Stefani couldn't help but notice how manic she was. It was impossible for her to sit still, asking questions that only left Stefani more concerned.

"Do you think Zayn will want to have a baby with me?" She asked, as Stefani finished bandaging up her hand.

If the situation had been different, she would've been over the moon to know grandchildren were a possibility. The older woman understood that her mind state was fragile and perhaps her reasons for asking her that question were not the right ones.

"I'm sure he would love to, when the time comes."

The answer was good enough for Anastasia. She smiled at her mother in law, "Thank you."

Zayn tried to keep himself busy in the study, unable to stop thinking about Anastasia. He began to feel uncomfortable when she wasn't in his direct sight. He couldn't stop wondering about what things had been like for her during his absence. Obviously not very good, considering she kept herself isolated and in her room most of the time. He was extremely grateful for Cara and Stefani, he couldn't imagine what it would've been like if Anastasia had been left alone.

With all that had occurred, he couldn't even bring himself to think about Elena. This was the cruel wake up call he so desperately needed.

Anastasia walked into the study, immediately catching his attention.

"Can we go out?" She asked, surprising him by sitting on his lap.

She wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling closer.

"Sure,"

Zayn placed his hand on her upper thigh, letting his fingertips trace over her skin every so often. "I'll take you out to dinner and then we can go for a walk if you'd like."

"I'd like that very much," she genuinely smiled at him for what seems like the very first time.

There was something very different about her. He realizes- she is not hiding herself from him. She isn't putting on a front or being defensive out of fear.

"You really scared me today," he confessed, the grip on her thigh unintentionally rough.

She looked down at her hands, as if very disappointed with her actions as well. "I'm sorry. I hope you won't be mad at me."

"How could I be mad at you..." he asked incredulously, feeling guilty that he made her feel that way in the first place. "It is all my fault. What if... what if we brought Melinda to live here with us? Would you like that?"

As much as he didn't want to, maybe it would be good for her. He just wanted to fix what he had broken and hope her attitude towards him didn't change once things settled down. Perhaps her having a familiar face, someone she's known her entire life, would help her regain a sense of normalcy. It would certainly make it easier to deal with her in case he needed to fulfill a work obligation.

"Would you really do that?" She questioned softly, "it would mean a lot to me."

"Of course, I just want you to be okay. No more crying."