Secrets (Zayn Malik)

Chapter 65

Night Changes~One Direction

Zayns POV

Her laugh.

The sound that just might ruin my existence, I can't stop listening to. Which is why I'm trying so hard to make sure she keeps doing so throughout the day, because there's such a limited amount of them until I won't hear it anymore. As cliche as it sounds, and I know it does, I could listen to it forever.

But I know I won't be able to.

I rest on a nearby bench, as the night falls and the lights of the Granary Square fountain illuminate the ground. The choreographed fountains bounce spurts of water timely, and transition into different colors, capturing Ella's attention immediately.

It doesn't make sense to me, why she would want to play in the fountains when it's miserably cold out here and she's never been one to handle the cold very well. But I let her anyway, and watch as she stands in the middle of one fountain, letting a wave of water bounce by her.

"Zayn, come here!" She calls to me, and I shake my head immediately.

"Fuck no! Are you kidding?!"

"Language, sir!" A woman holding a baby hisses to me, carefully cradling the child in her arms.

"Oh, suck it. That baby should be home right now." I spit back at her, and she stares at me in shock before walking away quickly.

I look back at Ella who's hand is over her mouth, and laughing at me get yelled at by a bitter old mum. "She deserved it!"

"I'm not too sure about that! Seriously, come here!" She reaches her hand out to me, and I roll my eyes at how fucking whipped I am when I stand up.

I stand just outside the boundaries of the fountain, and stare at her already looking at me, waiting for me to step inside.

"All the way in." She sighs, and snaps her head up quickly. "And don't take that the dirty way either."

I cock an eyebrow up, and smirk pervertedly, letting her know she's too late for that. "If you say so."

The water lights up to a vibrant pink, and purple, as it splashes on my jeans and I flinch away in surprise. I stuff my hands in the pockets of my jacket, and tip toe my way through the spontaneous bursts of water splashing all over me. When I finally reach her, she wraps her arms around my waist, and pulls me close.

"You're absolutely mad, you know that right?" I smile down at her, as she tilts her head up to look at me.

"Only the best people are."

"Shit, that's cold!" I grab her waist tightly, and hold her to me as water splashes all around us, rising higher each time.

"Come on!" She takes off running through the fountain, dashing across to the next. I watch as she spins around and glances at me, smiling wide and laughing to herself.

I'm so glad I took her out today. In fact, I think this is the best decision I've made all year, next to probably the worst. Seeing her cry into my pillows, and shield herself from the realities of the harsh world we live in under my blankets, was breaking me down. I even thought about taking her away from here, completely out of London, and living somewhere no one could find us or hurt her.

It's just not realistic.

"Babe, it's freezing out here and you're running through water? Really?" I call to her, and she huffs as she rests her hands on her hips.

"Who gives a fuck?!"

Whoa.

"I need to stop caring Zayn. I need to not care about my health, my life, my thoughts, my feelings for just one night. So what, I get a little sick for playing in cold water? I won't get hypothermia again I can promise you that. So what, it's thirty degrees out? We both have fucking coats on! Baby, I need to stop, caring. Just let me do that for one night, and join me." She holds her hand out to me once again, and I decide to stop caring as well.