Engaged [z.m.]

Chapter 42: Down

C H A P T E R    F O R T Y - T W O

Listen to Jason Walker's Down.

Zayn

My body ached from the direct flight back from Los Angeles. It had been more tiring than my previous flight. My head was pounding when I stumbled into the flat. A bodyguard trailed behind me, talking my bags up to my room which I pointed at when he inquired about where he should place.

I slumped down onto the couch and closed my eyes. The bodyguard left shortly afterwards, sealing the main door shut behind him which we both had been reckless enough to leave ajar letting the icy London air slide inside.

I might have laid in that possible for several minutes before popping my eyes open. The apartment smelled like vanilla and lavenders. Upon close inspection, I found candles burning in the far corner of the living room. The Christmas tree that Perrie and I had put up was lit up with addition of some more fairy lights that Perrie had presumably added whilst I was gone.

Perrie.

Where was she? I glanced around the flat at what little view I had from my position. I hauled myself upwards and went through several rooms in which she could have potentially been but I found her nowhere.

I returned to my previous position and sat in utter silence. I wondered where she went. She couldn't possibly leave the house with approximately five candles burning in a hardwood floored flat.

I walked into the kitchen for a cold glass of water. I shuffled through the newspapers and magazines as I gulped the large glass.

"Zayn" I looked up to spot Perrie standing in the doorway, bundled up underneath heavy woolen clothing. I broke into a grin as she had a similar expression.

I had missed her. I took long strides towards her, opening up my arms in order to invite her in for a hug. She did not hesitate a moment before flinging herself on me and wrapped herself around me. I enveloped her and hugged her tight.

"I missed you so much" she mumbled.

"Me too, Per"

She pulled back eventually only to press her cold lips against mine. The kiss lasted only a few seconds before we both broke into smiles again and hugged the other tighter than before.

"Where were you?" I asked as we made our way to the living room, my arms wrapped around her waist.

"Outside. In the backyard" she motioned her head towards the sliding door that led into the backyard that Perrie and I had worked together on to maintain and make it look as appealing as it did.

"It's so cold Perrie. Why would you be outside?" I frowned.

She sat down on the coffee table that was level with the couch that I sunk into, facing her.

She shrugged. "I was watering the flowers".

"Oh"

"So how was LA?" she inquired after a short silence.

And then the conversation started to flow as I began telling her about my successful meetings, the new charity that had approached me to a collaboration, my shoot. I skipped out most of the details of the party, briefly mentioning it. Despite giving out no details of it, my heart was hammering as I told her as if any moment she would stop smiling and burst out in confession that she knows. About my conversation with Liam.

About what I was potentially going to do.

But for now, she was here and I was here and that's all that mattered.