Entangled | Zayn Malik

Chapter Forty-Eight

Autumn is now with us in full force. Carpets of leaves are scattered on the ground, crisping underfoot in their golden-brown glory. An autumn chill hangs in the air. The kind of chill that you can physically feel enter your body as you breathe it in. There's a certain buzz outside, it's hard to explain. It's like halloween and bonfire night are nearing and everybody knows it, like it's just hanging in the air reminding everybody. Shops are stocking up on halloween costumes and treats and fireworks, and halloween films are beginning to air on TV.

My cast is off now and I could not be happier. I have one of those bandage casts on for extra protection but get this, I can walk. No crutch, no help. Kaya Greyson has two fully functioning legs once again.

I've spent my morning walking from the kitchen to the living-room and then back again. What else is there to do on a Saturday morning? I've to take it easy but I'm trying to build up my strength again so here I am, walking like a champ.

"Relax, will you?" Zayn says, walking into the living-room with two mugs of coffee.

"Talking about?" I ask.

"That leg of yours. You just got the cast off, you're going to end up with it back on in no time." He sits the coffees down on the table and walks back over to me.

"I'm only walking." I say.

"No no, you're pacing." He says, taking my hands and leading me over to the couch.

"Same difference." I tell him.

"Not at all, but whatever. Here." He sits a cushion on top of his legs and then stretches my legs out on top of it.

I flick through the channels on the TV but there's absolutely nothing on. As usual.

"You know what we should do?" Zayn says.

"What's that?" I ask.

"Celebrate." He says.

"Celebrate what?"

"Celebrate that your cast is off and you're not a total peg-leg anymore, just a half a peg-leg now." He smiles.

"You loved my peg-leg, don't deny it. My cast was full of your drawings."

"Ah, but you loved my drawings." He counters.

"True." I nod.

"So, celebration?" He says again.

"I like your way of thinking." I tell him and he winks at me.

–

"Help me asshole." I laugh, picking up the empty box from the pizza we demolished earlier.

"Is someone a little bit too tipsy to do it herself?" Zayn teases, his words slightly slurred.

"Listen, you're just as pissed as I am. Don't you be acting all sober Samaritan now." I say and he stands up from the couch with a smile on his face and takes the pizza box from me.

He leans in and just stands there looking me right in the eye for a few seconds, and I have to withhold the urge to laugh as I'm wondering what the fuck he's doing. He finally kisses me on the forehead and then smiles at me once again.

"You grab the empty bottles." He says, before disappearing out of the living-room.

I pick up the two empty bottles of wine from the table and I'm about to walk out of the living-room when Zayn shouts, "stick some music on!"

I take a few steps backwards and then I walk over to the CD Player in the corner of the room and switch it on, I haven't used this in years and I have no idea which CD is in it. The music starts to play and I realise it's a Chris Brown album that's in. I turn the volume up and walk up the hall and into the kitchen where Zayn is pouring us more drinks.