Zaynah ✓

xxviii

~ D e s m o n d ~

"How's the coffee?"

I asked her trying to initiate a conversation.

"It's good," She just looked straight ahead from our balcony.

"I've never made coffee for anyone that's why I'm a little self-conscious right now." I rubbed my neck.

She looked at me for a moment and nodded.

Was our interaction too much for her?

Should I give her a break after all she had gone through?

A question had been bugging me throughout our journey back and I was unsure whether I should ask it.

But I did anyway as I couldn't handle the uneasiness anymore, "Did he, did he hurt you?"

She looked at me with confusion, "Of course, he hurt both of us."

I shook my head, "That's not what I meant, I asked whether he hurt you physically. You know what I'm saying?"

She looked away and sipped the warm liquid, "He didn't do it."

Relief washed over me along with an involuntary smile.

Thank God.

Icarus knew better than to taint what's mine.

Suddenly the wind blew and I closed my eyes, immersing at the moment.

I glanced at her and noticed that the breeze had sprawled her hair all over her face so I lifted my hand and adjusted her strands but she flinched.

I sighed feeling bad.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" I asked concerned about her closed-off behavior.

"It's okay, I'm okay." She smiled at me.

I hope so.

"Are you sure you don't want to meet your parents?"

"No I don't think I can face them now, I'll go to them some other time."

I nodded in understanding and patted her shoulder.

"Uhm can I ask you something?" I was nervous fearing her answer.

"Yes, what's it Desmond?"

"Uh did you- did you really miss me as you said before?" I bit my lip wondering if I sounded like an idiot.

She took a sharp breath.

Did I mess up everything?

She placed the porcelain cup on the table nearby and stepped towards me while my heartbeat accelerated.

Her hands shivered as she raised them and placed them on either side of my face.

I noticed that her eyes filled up but she kept her composure intact.

"Are you okay?" I asked when I was the one having a tornado in my stomach.

She stood on her tip-toes and stared at me.

"Zay- "

She pressed her lips against mine and for that moment, my world ceased to exist.

She pulled away after the brief kiss but that was enough to make me breathless.

"I missed you."