stars and terrain (zayn malik)

Chapter 72

Charlotte

Harry had offered to leave us and head back to Malibu, but I knew he didn't really want to go home to that house alone, so when we say he doesn't need to he seems all too happy to stay in the tiny room with us.

I remember falling asleep listening to the boys talking, the sharp contrasts in their accents lulling me to sleep as my eyes closed.

A few hours later my eyes fluttered open to find my two boys slumped in the uncomfortable chairs next to my bedside, and a nurse checking on my vitals.

"Good morning!" the unfamiliar woman greeted brightly. "Looks like you'll be good to go once the doctor comes in and discharges you."

"And once your boys wake up," she smiles, pointing at the two.

I smile back. "That might be a while."

"How long have you two been engaged?" she asked, making small talk as she unhooks my IV.

"Almost two months," I reply, surprised it's only been that long.

"He was so sweet yesterday. Never left your side. Not for a minute! Until I assured him you were going to be fine and they he asked if he could smuggle you in some Taco Bell. It was so cute!" she coos, and it takes me a moment to register that she thinks my fiancé is Harry.

The realization makes my stomach twist up funny, but I offer her a lame smile and nod, because I don't really want to have to explain "oh no, that one's not my fiancé. My fiancé is the one who came in and punched the wall."

"You cherish him. You got a real winner!" She winks at me as she leaves my room. "Lucky girl!"

I don't say anything back.

The doctor comes in and lets me know I need to take it very easy, that I had a pretty severe concussion and a lot of bruising and a lot of bed rest is in my future.

But I dismiss that until I attempt to get out of the bed once he leaves and realize that he's very, very right. Almost everything in my body aches and I wince upon fully standing.

This wakes up my light sleeper of a fiancé, whose dark lashes flutter before his eyes look startled to see me standing.

"What're you-"

"Discharged!" I put on as bright of a smile as I can muster through the pain. "We can go home!"

He scrambles to his feet quickly, rounding behind me and gently taking my elbow in one hand and placing the other hand on my waist. "Easy, love. Careful."

If I thought standing was difficult, walking is even worse, and I almost make it to Harry's chair before the pain in my midsection has me frozen.

"Take your time," he whispers, and I'd forgotten how much I missed having his body this close to mine. I lean back delicately against him to take a breath before continuing on towards Harry's chair where he's still sound asleep.

"Harold," I call out, gently ruffling the top of his long hair. "Time to go."

He stirs and his green eyes crinkle after widening. "You're up, donut!"

"I am," I nod, "discharged. Let's go!"

"Congrats! Knew you could do it," the dimples indent and he pops out of his chair, bright and cheery as ever. "Good morning, Malik!"

"G'morning," I can't see his face behind me but his voice doesn't sound nearly as friendly as Harry's.

"Do you know where all my things are?" I ask the room, because I don't really know where my purse or phone ended up.

"Yes, right here," Harry says, collecting my purse from the corner. "Want me to take up the other side?"

Harry saddles up on to my left side before receiving an answer, and Zayn doesn't respond, but scoots to the right, and both of them do their gentlest assisting as we slowly make our way out of my room.

Harry bids nearly the entire hospital staff goodbye on our way out, and they all seem to know his name and offer him a wave. It feels like it takes a century but eventually we make it to the elevator and are dropped to the bottom floor.

"Hold on," Zayn says cautiously, pressing a kiss to my shoulder before he leaves me standing with Harry.

I'm not sure where he's going, but I know I wouldn't be able to catch up so I stay rooted in place as he runs ahead and peeks his head outside the doors.

"Fuck!"

"What's happening?" Harry asks, as Zayn returns to us.

"Car's not here and paparazzi are outside."

"Paparazzi? Are you kidding?" my voice breaks, and I lean into Harry's side because this walk has taken a lot more out of me than I was expecting.

He instantly adjusts and braces my weight, tucking his arm around me, "what do you want to do, donut?"

I'm still in shock and my mouth is still agape at the disgusting levels the photographers will stoop to. "Um, can you find my sunglasses in my purse?"

Zayn quickly mobilized to come to my rescue, grabbing the Ray Bans case and pulling out my aviators and even helping slide them over my ears and on to my nose.

"Thank you." I smile, before he presses a quick, gentle kiss to my lips.

"I'm sorry, love. This is all my fault. All of it."

"Zayn, please," I sigh. "It's not. It's fine."

The black SUV finally rolls up and flashes start before we're even past the doors.

Both boys do an excellent job of shielding me and helping me into the car, and I do my best to drown out the questions they shout out that quickly make me realize they already know everything about Rebecca and the accident.

I don't know why that surprises me, this is the sort of thing TMZ would be all over, but it does and I wince.

Something about this type of attention feels so much worse than the normal interest. And I have a feeling this story won't die down anytime soon.