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Salma walked through the reception hall and entered the elevator. She had finally had a good night's sleep and felt relaxed and rested for the first time in, what felt like, ages. Ever since their return from their date in the woods, almost every day brought with it worst news than the previous. Salma was glad things were finally looking up now that Zayn had braved a meeting with his grandpa the previous night.
Shortly after grabbing a bite on Salma's insistence, the two had made a quick trip to Zayn's apartment, and then Salma drove him to the hospital to see his grandpa.
Salma remembered feeling her heart hammering against her chest as they hurried through the hallways. In the elevator, Zayn started getting restless and showing obvious sign of nerves. Salma grabbed his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. The ride up to the floor where his Grandpa's was, seemed painstakingly slow. They exhaled a breath they had been holding, once the elevator doors dinged open to their intended floor. As the two rushed out, Salma freed her hand from his hold and wrapped an around his torso. She felt Zayn leaning in on her. It was not too hard to guess, he was desperate for some support and reassurance.
A tearful Claire met them as they hurried to the waiting area outside their grandpa's room.
"Zayn!" she exclaimed, flying into his arms the moment she saw him. Claire started sobbing into his neck, bewildering Salma. She had expected Claire to blast him with her fists of fury for disappearing on them when they needed him most. "I'm sorry!" she cried. "I'm so sorry!"
Salma felt her heart sink. Her eyes snapped to Zayn to see his face drain of the little bit of colour it had had. Were they too late?
Zayn grabbed her arms and pulled her away from him.
"What happened?!" he cried, terrified of getting his fears confirmed. "Tell me what happened? Is grandpa okay?! Is he--"
Crying, Claire wiped at her eyes and nodded.
"He's rounding u-up again." She sniffed. "He's be-been asking about you - Please Zayn . . . I know you're h-hurt but you're family -- he loves you. I love you! You're one of u-us --!"
Salma and Zayn exchanged another quick glance. She knows?
"P-please brother . . ." She eyed Zayn beseechingly. "We can't d-do this without you –"
She cut off when Zayn pulled her into his arms, hugging and fighting back tears for how much her words had meant to him.
Salma heaved a sigh of relief. She had feared the worse for a second there. It appeared Claire and Niall had found out about Zayn's grandpa lying to him about his parentage.
"Take me to him," Zayn whispered.
Claire smiled through her tears, pulling away and grabbing his hand. She paused when Zayn turned to Salma.
"It's okay. Go." Salma nodded. "I'll be here when you come out."
Nodding, Zayn let Claire lead him to his Grandpa's.
"My brother's here!" Salma heard Claire say to the nurses helping Zayn's grandpa as she pushed him through the door. "Please, let him see Zayn."
Salma had watched from the window outside, as the nurses stepped aside and let Zayn and his grandpa have a word. Her eyes blurred with tears to see the old man reaching for Zayn, wrapping his trembling arms around his son as he fell into his embrace, both of them in tears.
Salma drew in a shaky breath, seeing, in her periphery, Niall stand next to her.
"Thank you," he said, quietly.
Salma turned to him, confused.
"For finding him and bringing him back," Niall said. "I don't know what we would have done without you."
Salma was thinking of how to respond to the Irish when Claire walked up to them, still tearful.
"Niall's right," she wept. "Our family's whole now. You can't possibly imagine what this means to us; me and grandpa and Niall –"
Her voice cracked. A fresh set of tears streaming down her face as she bit hard on her lip to control her emotions.
"Hey, it's going to be okay." Salma reached for the poor girl, embracing her. She had been through a lot herself. Within days, she had not only evaded an arson attack, but also dealt with the trauma of her parental figure getting critically ill. Then, to top it all, her brother had run into some tormenting news, causing him to pull away from his family and disappear. It had really taken a toll on her. "I'm happy to help. Zayn was just a little upset. He loves you all a lot."
Claire sniffed, resting her head against Salma's shoulder as the three turned to watch Zayn and his grandpa in the room. He was now seated next to the old man's bed, holding one of his hands while leaning against his elbow. They were talking.
"You knew," Niall said, not really asking but confirming.
Salma took in a deep breath, nodding.
"Yes," she said.
She saw the two turning to her in her peripheral vision, before exchanging a glance.
"Since when?" Niall asked.
"Quite a while," Salma replied, "when I met your grandpa. He told me about it and asked me to keep it a secret, until Zayn would find out, that is, a few days after your grandpa was no more."
Niall and Claire looked disturbed.
"Wow," Niall muttered.
"When did Zayn find out?"
"The other night."
The two turned away, muttering their shock and disbelief.
"I can't imagine what he must have gone through!" Claire cried.
"Getting news like this out of blue . . . Poor Zayn," Niall muttered.
***
Salma frowned to see a crowd in the waiting area, outside Zayn's grandpa's room. There were several people of the medical staff, doctors and nurses, and people who had come to visit Stephen Walter.
"Oh no!" she muttered to herself as she approached them. "Don't tell me something else happened already!"
Salma craned her neck to see above the heads when she reached the small gathering. Professor R.K was in the midst of it, seemingly exchanging some very hard words with a pair of doctors. Salma could see Niall and Claire next to him, looking sick with worry, and Louisa with her arms tightly crossed, flanking her father's side, wearing a very furious glare directed at the doctor. Had she not been so tiny and adorable, Salma would have felt threatened by the way she was eyeing the doctors down.
Overall, everyone seemed annoyed. Salma leaned closer to the nurse she was standing next to.
"What happened here?" she asked quietly.
The nurse turned to her, then whispered.
"Someone disconnected the patient's oxygen," he said. "The patient family says a medic had come to visit earlier so they allege an attempt had been made on the patient's life."
Salma's mouth dropped open.
"What?" she gasped, wide-eyed.
"His grand daughter noticed the oxygen saturation dropping and called for help," the nurse related. "He could have died. They are very angry about it!"
"Who was the medic?!"
"No one knows." He shook his head. "He wasn't at service here."
Disturbed and alarmed by what she had heard, Salma turned back to the people arguing in the middle. Fear and worry started bubbling in the pit of her stomach.
Zayn would not like this, she thought to herself. He would lose his head. Where is he --?
She stiffened.
"Oh no," Salma whispered, her heart sinking. It was only then that she realised, she was yet to see Zayn in the crowd. She started searching the people in the small space, but he was not around. "Not again! Please, please not again!" Salma chanted under breath.
She saw Darren in his wheel chair a little to her left. Salma wiggled herself between the hospital staff to get closer to him.
"Excuse me," she whispered as she went, "Excuse me, please!"
Darren turned to her when she stepped next his chair.
"Miss?" he asked, sounding frail and worried.
"Darren, have you seen Zayn?"
Darren looked around, as if realizing just now that a tornado that should have already hit the waiting area, was missing.
"He left for a coffee break earlier," one of Zayn's managers, who was standing closeby and listening, replied.
"Right." Salma quickly sprung to action. "Thank you," she said as she hurried to make way out of the waiting area.
***
Salma skidded in front of the elevators, desperately sweeping her eyes on all of them but they were either too far below, or too far up. Unable to wait, she raced towards the stairs, running down them at break neck speed.
"Watch out!" someone yelled as she almost slammed into them around the bend.
"Sorry!" Salma shouted over her shoulder, not stopping or slowing down a notch.
She pulled out her phone when she reached the floor with the cafeteria and dialed Zayn. He would not pick up so Salma resorted to sending him a voice mail.
"Zayn, I'm headed to the café. If you are there, wait for me!" she said quickly and sent it.
Salma was not sure if Zayn knew about the supposed assassination attempt on his grand father or not. She was not sure what she would do once she found him, but she desperately needed to see him to make sure he was okay.
A hand grabbed her out of nowhere and yanked her to the side. Salma lost her footing, Slamming into someone in the side corridor. A pair of arms wrapped around her to steady her.
"Zayn?!" she cried, absolutely shocked and relieved to see it was him. "What are you doing – what's happening?"
"We need to talk!" he said quickly as he started rushing her up the deserted corridor. He looked alarmed, afraid. Salma noticed him scanning the area and throwing quick looks over his shoulder.
When he finally stopped, Salma took a proper look at him. He was in a terrible state. His eyes were red rimmed and frantic as they continued sweeping the area. His hair was disheveled and everything about his mannerism just spelled 'panicked'. Salma figure he had heard about his grand father already.
"Zayn –"
"I need you to listen to me, Bee!" he said, grabbind Salma by the arms. His rapidly moving eyes bore into hers, making her feel anxious and a little dizzy. He looked scared.
"I'm here. It's alright." Salma tried to calm him down, "Tell me, what's wrong--?"
"Move in with me!" he said unexpectly, completely stumping her.
Salma gaped at him. Her lips moved but no words came out of it. She was not quite sure she had heard him right. Zayn tightened his hold on her arms.
"W-what?" she stuttered, staring at him wide-eyed. 'What does that –"
"Now. I can't wait! We can't put it off to later. Become my family now!"
"Zayn –"
"Please! Please! I need you! I need you now. Move in with me!" he repeated, growing more and more manic by the minute. "I won't hurt you! I promise I won't ever hurt you –"
"Okay, but –"
"I love you, Bee. You know that! I love you a lot. Just move in –"
"No!" Salma tried to back off, totally scared of his borderline crazy behavior.
"Listen to me –"
"I said no!"
"You'll regret it!" Zayn almost shouted, his grip on her arms was getting painful to stop her struggling. "I'm trying to – "
He suddenly cut off and looked over his shoulder. Then before, Salma could protest, he started dragging her further down the corridor.
"Zayn! Zayn, stop! What're you doing –"
Salma startled when he pulled her into, what looked like a, a store room. It was almost dark in there.
"Stop dragging me into deserted place!" Salma tried to shrug herself free.
"We can't be seen!" he cried desperately and rounded behind one of the tall shelves, laden with heavy boxes.
"Seen by who – just let go, Zayn!" Salma jerked away from him. "You're hurting my arm!"
Zayn stopped. His frantic eyes dropped to the vice-like grip he had had around her bicep. He let go, but before Salma could so much as massage her arm, he grabbed her face instead, looking completely defeated and lost, and at the same time, dangerous.
"Trust me, Bee," he pleaded with her. "Please, just trust me!"
Salma was surprised to see his eyes welling up but he blinked back immediately. Alarmed by his raw, agonized eyes and the distraught look on his face, Salma took a step away from him. Her foot hit the shelf, making her heart skip a beat. She was up against an emotionally vulnerable man with her back to the shelf. Her heart hammered against her chest at the familiarity of an emotionally unstable Zayn having cornered her again. Salma swallowed her fears, vowing to herself that she would not let this end like the previous times. She gritted her teeth.
"I do trust you," she said in a restrained tone, hoping to disarm him and make him listen to her, "and that's why I'm being honest with you. I'm not ready."
The muscle in Zayn's jaw ticked as he looked away from her, frustrated. His breaths came out in uneven puffs. Salma could feel his hands shaking as he tried to swallow whatever anger and pain that he was feeling at the moment. Realizing he was at least, trying to compose himself, Salma attempted to engage him.
"What is going on, Zayn?" she asked softly. "Maybe if you explain, we can –"
"They're attacking me, by hurting the people I love!" Zayn cried desperately, turning back to her, his eyes hard. "They tried to burn Niall and Claire alive, they almost got Darren, and now they tried killing my grandpa! I can't have you getting hurt, Bee! I won't! You're –"
"Who's they?!" Salma asked, terrified.
Zayn pressed his lips together, looking away. He shook his head.
"It doesn't matter who it is! What matters is that they're targeting my family! If anything happens to any of them again. I – I, I don't know, I would –"
"Zayn, what does any of this have anything to do with me moving in with you?" Salma asked.
Zayn cut off, his wild eyes going to and fro between hers.
"How does it help protect anyone?" Salma continued, trying to make him see sense. "What difference does it make where I'm living, to the one who is attacking these people, to get to you?"
"If it makes no difference," Zayn seethed. "What's stopping you from listening to me for once?"
Salma's lips parted in surprise, as she stared at him in disbelief. She could feel her heart trying to escape out of her chest. As he glared her down, Salma caught glimpses of the monster that she had once seen, and she did not know if she trusted him at all.
He was making absolutely no sense. Zayn closed his eyes, the lines on his forehead deepening, as if he was suppressing a lot of words, pain and aggression.
"I'm sorry. It's really getting hard . . ." he whispered, pulling her closer him and wrapping his arms around her. He held her to him in gentler embrace, first not really saying anything but then letting out a broken breath.
"I understand that you want to do things your way, but . . . Things are crashing down on us. You aren't two years old, Bee," he continued quietly, making an annoyance course through Salma at those words. "You've got to face it one day. What scares you about moving in with me? You can talk to me about it. I promise, I'll help you through it. You know how much I love you –"
"I don't," Salma interrupted, shutting him up completely.
Zayn stiffened. Salma pushed away from his hold. He did not resist this time. The look on his face was of utter defeat and shock.
"Not when you're like this," Salma continued, stepping away from him. "You can't accept my choice that I can't move with you right now. How do you plan on helping me with anything?"
As Salma glared at him, feeling disappointed and hurt that he had tried to talk her down into compliance, her phone started ringing, interrupting their silent stare down contest.
It was her security. Salma picked it up, turning away from Zayn, who was still coming to terms with the fact that she had told him she did not love him back.
"Assalamo'al—"
"Are you alright?!" Burak Kaka asked urgently. "I don't have a visual and I don't know if I should interrupt!"
"I'm fine," Salma quickly reassured, stepping around Zayn to walk towards the exit. "I'm coming out now. Don't worry."
There was an awkward silence.
"Zayn's found out about his grandfather," Salma said, feeling the need to clarify. "He's scared about possible attacks and we've had a huge argument –"
A startled gasp escaped her lips the moment she stepped into the empty corridor. She barely glimpsed the flash of cold grey eyes, or the scar peeking just above his left eyebrow, before she pulled her fist back and aimed for his nose.
Author's Note:
Uh oh! 😯Did ya'll just get flung over another cliff again? 😱 Don't worry, losties! Hang in there! 🤣
Until the next update!😉
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J.