Lost

Chapter 16: Opposites misunderstand?

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While a fit of laughter took over Zayn, he felt her tensed the moment it dawned on her that she was in his arms. Zayn ignored it. This was once in a million chance and he was not going to just let it go to waste. While she growled at him to move away, Zayn took his sweet time, hoping that the joke of it all would keep her calm. He held her small frame just a little longer and gave it a tight squeeze before letting go.

Zayn thought the most she would do is shove him some more, or yell at him. He was hoping he would get a rise out of her - which might even result in her shouting some profanities at him. It would have been really entertaining to hear her curse when she always lectured him for it. He already had a counter argument prepared in his head for any of the accusations she was going to explode in his face. He was not, however, prepared for what she did the moment Zayn released her from his grip.

Salma did not attack him, physically or verbally, like he thought she would. She attacked him emotionally. Slumping on the wooden floor, he heard her gasping for breath as she choked on her own tears.

"Bee!" he cried in alarmed. "Damn! I'm sorry. I - I didn't mean to, I lost my balance!"

She kept crying, her sobs growing louder and more hysterical. Zayn crouched next to her, biting his tongue not to curse. He could not risk to offend her further right now, however, unprepared as he was, he had no idea what to do.

"Hey! Shh! Listen to me. It's not your fault, yeah? It's not your fault. You can tell your God it was me. Tell Him Zayn messed up. I stood up like an idiot and lost my footing. Tell Him that!" He desperately tried to console her, saying all kind of stupid stuff he suspected she was bawling over.

"Hell! If he's God, He must know already," he muttered under breath, before turning to her again, "Oh, Come on! Bee, it's okay."

Salma pulled her knees to her chest, trying to muffle her loud hiccups with her hand. Zayn clenched his fist. To his surprised, he realized her reaction angered him just as much as it made his heart ache to see her cry. Trying not to snap at her for over reacting, he reached for her knee.

"I'm serious! Bee, I didn't mean to - "

Zayn was cut short when she scrambled away from his touch like he was some sort of a disease. Her shoulders shook violently as she kept sobbing. Back to the wall, she sat with her arms around her knees and her head dug behind them. She barely spared him another glance. Zayn was finding it hard to control his temper. This was uncalled for.

If she were to show her displeasure by yelling or shoving him away, Zayn would not have minded. Heck! Not that he would allow, but even if she were to slap him to remind him he had crossed a line, Zayn would have taken it better. He would have been mad, but not like this. Her, sitting with her head down, sobbing uncontrollably and acting like a victim made him feel sick to his stomach. And because he was certain his 'crime' should not call for such a reaction, Zayn was getting defensive and angry.

"They consider themselves superior to everyone. The only pure ones." The less than pleasant piece of information struck his mind again. "To them we are impure and inferior."

Zayn attempted to shut that voice down, but try as he may, he felt the bitterness seep into his bones regardless.

He just gave her a hug! Zayn thought angrily. One, damn, harmless hug! And she was acting like he had threatened to kill her family to force her in a bed with him. Like hell! Her treating him like a pervert for a simple, polite gesture was simply offensive. It was not even a hug, to be fair. He barely pulled her into that embrace. She was already in his arms and he was only guilty of holding her closer for a split second before letting go. He be damned if he ever truly apologized for that. He thought she needed to learn to be socially less awkward.