ROMANCE | "Sometimes things change."
A marriage arranged to help her start a new life has left Isabelle and Zayn stuck in the middle of a relationship neither of them are enjoying.
In the beginning, this marriage wasn't meant to be about love, rathe...
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(Zayn's POV)
When the rain eventually stops, we walk back home and got dry off.
Maybe it was the drinks or our first fight of sorts, but suddenly, things have become more relaxed. I was able to put my arm around her without feeling her shoulders tense up. I was able to hold her hand and feel hers wrap tightly around mine. Whatever it is that changed things, I'm glad for it.
Isa is a bit tipsier than I am so I help her to her room. She leans on me as I help her down the hall and into her bedroom. I'm not entirely sure what to do to help her without overstepping boundaries.
"Thanks." She smiles as I stand with her to be her crutch while she takes off her socks.
"How can I um... help otherwise?" I ask, alluding to the fact that she's too inebriated to stand by herself and not fall over while she takes off the rest of her wet clothes.
"Just-um... maybe... turn the other way..."
"Okay," I say, doing as she asks.
While I stand looking away from her, I can feel her struggle to get her wet clothes off as she grips onto my arm tighter each time she becomes a little off balance. After a few seconds, I can hear that she must have gotten out of her dress as it splats to the ground.
"Can you-um help me... with grabbing... my-the shirt on the bed over there?" She slurs.
"Sure." I smile, hearing her soft voice stumble over her words.
I move to grab the shirt I believe she is alluding to but she isn't ready for me to move and loses her balance as she had been relying on me to keep it. I hear her squeak slightly as she falls back but I hold out my hand to grab her and manage to catch her before she falls. With my one hand gripped in hers and my other hand on her bare back, I retract them and help her to stand and lean on the dresser. Then, I grab her the T-shirt and give it to her to put on.
"Thanks..." she says when I hand it to her.
It doesn't take her long to put it on and she says, "okay, I'm all good."
I turn to her with a smile as she gives me a lazy one back. The T-shirt falls just below her hips and I almost feel like I should look away. I'm not a prude, I just feel it's a little unfair to see her this exposed when she's this drunk.
"Here, I'll help you to your bed." I chuckle.
"I think I can manage." She laughs, stumbling a little and grabbing my hand to walk straight to it. "Thank you... again."
