Paranoia (Zayn Malik) (editing)

Chapter 13: Break-In and Naps

Zayn's POV

I sit quietly at the breakfast island like I do every morning after my run, the few hours where Luna is asleep, not poking about and thinking too much. I've spent years alone, weeks in solitude, but now Luna is a part of my day-to-day. To my surprise, I don't hate having someone else around, I actually quite enjoy being in her company.

I hear the light patter of footsteps that I recognise to be hers. My eyes shoot to the door, anxious to catch the sight of her walking in. Moments later, they do just that, Luna's tall frame coming into view, wearing a pair of shorts that stop just under her bum and a shirt that clings to her chest, cropping above her belly, leaving this soft skin of her stomach, arms and legs on show, lightly toned. I let my eyes drink her up even though I know I shouldn't, and if she wasn't so tired, I think she'd notice.

"Morning, sleepy." I smile as she yawns.

"Shut up." She groans, ever so polite "I fell asleep on the sofa and was woken up at three am by what I assume was Jade yelling from the downstairs bathroom."

"I'm sorry," I bite my lip "We were..."

"Oh, I can guess what you were doing." She huffs sarcastically "Can you do it quieter?"

"I'll get a ball gag."

"Thank you, Mr Grey."

I puff out a small laugh.

She reaches for a bowl.

"Do you have any plans today or is it the same old brooding, drinking, smoking, sleep with Jade routine?" She hums, grabbing the box of cereal off of the counter.

"Can't teach an old dog new tricks." I shrug.

She pours the cereal and milk into the bowl, having placed it in front of me on the island and grabs a spoon from the cutlery drawer, drops it into the bowl and shovels a mouth-full past her pillow lips

Luna is undeniably an attractive woman, strikingly so. It was one of the first things I noticed about her. I expected her to look more like her mother. Lila was a classically beautiful woman, her features were soft and delicate, but Luna is remarkable. Her features are sharp and dark, thick brows, almond-shaped eyes that are so blue the sky should be jealous and strong cheekbones that sit proudly, not dissolved under the chubbiness of her cheeks, freckles dotted across her nose and arms and legs and so on and so forth and I have admittedly thought about touching each freckle, joining it up to the next with the invisible ink of my fingertips.

"I didn't expect you to be a charm bracelet kind of girl." I point to the delicate silver chain hanging from her wrist, a few chains dangling from it.

She lifts her wrist and shakes it, frowning slightly "I guess I'm not, but it was a gift from my mother before she died, like the music box in my room. I'm sentimental."

"Your mother was great at gifts." I nod.

"Did she ever give you anything?"

"She gave me this necklace." I lift it from under my shirt "It says good-hearted in Urdu."
I look down at the symbol.

دل اچھا

I shrug "It's supposed to remind me that I am good inside."

"That's beautiful." Luna smiles, a small dimple forming in each of her cheeks as she does.

"The music box, what song does it play?" I ask.

"Hijo de la Luna."

Spanish rolls off her tongue so beautifully.

She yawns and stretches, scrunching up her adorable nose.

"What about you? What are your plans for the day?" I crack my knuckles.