Paranoia (Zayn Malik) (editing)

Chapter 39: A Busy Parisian Night

LUNA

"We can leave, if you want." Zayn offers, shrugging my bag from his shoulder onto the wooden floor of the modern apartment "If you're not comfortable."

"No," I shake my head "You've paid for it all, brought me all this way, to Paris."

"I know, but it doesn't matter, if you don't want to be here, we can leave."

I step closer to him, further into the apartment, the deep green of the walls making it seem smaller than it is, and the colour compliments the creamy grey swirling around the Parisian early evening sky.

"I want to be here." I reassure him, and myself.

He looks considerably relieved, and in a world not that far away, he would've leaned in for a kiss, but in this one, he gives me a smile instead.

"This is a beautiful place." I gesture to the stone fireplace, adorned by black steel and dressed with a large mirror in the panelled wall above.

"Yeah, I was chuffed when I found it. Bit more intimate than staying in a hotel. I wanted you to have a nice send off, for the life you knew, it's all going to change when you move into the base, you know." He explains, making his way to the kettle in the adjoining open-plan kitchen, filling it with haste and flicking it on "I wanted us to exist in our bubble a little longer."

He retrieves a mug from the cupboard and a tea bag, and the emotion behind his expression is hard to pin, but I know it all too well. He's worried our bubble has popped too, but nonetheless he pours the boiling water into the mug.

"Well, thank you, for doing this. I've never left the UK." I take a seat at the low wooden table, opposite the kettle he stands next to "What do you have planned for our trip?"

"I wanted to leave it open, up to you. There's a nice restaurant not to far a walk from here." He blows on the surface of his tea "I was thinking we could unpack, shower and go?"

I nod, gripping the sides of my chair, but quickly finding a splintered piece of wood on the bottom and wincing as it draws blood. I pull my hand up to my face, readying to show Zayn but he's next to me before I comprehended him moving.

"Are you OK?" He asks, taking my sliced palm in his, but I can't help but pull myself from him quickly as blood begins to pool.

His lips part to push out a quick sigh, and he steps back.

"I'm sorry, Zayn, I didn't mean it." I whisper.

"Please don't apologise, I understand that you are going to be weary of me."

"I don't want to be weary of you." I move to the sink, running my hand under cool water, while Zayn retrieves a cloth for me to wrap it in.

"But you are." He points out.

I stay silent.

"OK. I think it's time we stop avoiding this, ignoring it." He runs a hand down his face "You know I would understand if you don't want to be with me anymore."

"What?" I nearly choke.

"Luna, what I did, it's... I get if it changes things for you. I don't want to be selfish and encourage you to stay with me if it's simply out of you feeling a sense of obligation."