and while some people may be annoyed by the fact that you've built such tall walls to protect your heart it just shows that they aren't made for you anyway.
i cant beleive we're at chapter 29, oh my god. There's so much in store for this book and I'm so excited to share it with y'all sjksjksjk. Before you move ahead don't forget to press the star ⭐ button and share your views in the comment section with me. Much love xx

~

when we collide
29| moons and galaxies

"Twelve orders sent." Crystal hears Sam say as he enters the kitchen where Crystal works on two gigantic cakes with Martha.

"What? When?" she says, looking up confusedly.
"Uh- Mrs. Lautner's anniversary cake and Juda's birthday cake?"

"Weren't those already sent?" Crystal asks, cleaning her hands on her apron and placing them on her hips. "No, Ms. Hogward."
She takes a deep breath, clutching her forehead and sitting down in agitation.

"Are you okay, sweetie?" Martha asks, placing her hand on Crystal's shoulder. "No, I just- I need an accountant and a manager."

"When are these orders due, Sam?" Sam flips the notepad, eyes flying around papers in search. "Shít- uh- tomorrow?"
"Morning?!" she yells, flabbergasted. ". . . Yeah." he replies, hesitantly.

"Jesus, take the wheel." she whispers, trying to work through the arising headache. "I think you guys should go, it's late. I'll have to work late." she whispers. "It's okay, we can help-"

"No Sam, seriously. Your shift ended an hour back." standing up she stretches her neck and sighs. "Martha you should head home too. Jeffrey must be waiting for you."

"Are you sure, Crystal? I can-"
"It's okay don't worry." she says, smiling at them. Nodding their heads, both of them exit the kitchen. Crystal looks around at the mess in the kitchen. She so needed to he organised but saving up money wasn't helping the fact that she needed more people. Crystal trails to the entrance almost about to turn the board from 'open' to 'closed' she sees Matt on the other side of the transparent door, parking his car.

Oh boy, she's not dealing with this.

He walks to the entrance staring at Crystal through the glass as he raises one eyebrow. Sighing she opens the door and he enters right in. "I thought you can be a number of things but never did I ever think that you'll be a liar." he taunts.

"Matt I don't have the time or the energy for this. It's literally seven in the night. Can you please leave?"

"Crystal, you are so selfish. You literally left what we had in the drain just because Zayn was ready for a relationship. What about me?" he yells. "You never gave me the closure or tried to apologise for that matter."

"What are you doing here, Matt?" Crystal asks, a sigh leaving her mouth afterwards.

"I was around here and Adam told me that you never left for Bradford. Imagine, I'm getting to know this from Adam. You lied to me, Crystal."

"I didn't, Matt. It was a last minute decision." she notices how he's almost fuming in anger and that visibly makes her nervous. "I-I think you should leave." she whispers, taking backward steps to the kitchen.

Matt holds the jar of candies and throws it down. A scream escapes Crystal's mouth as the candies spread across the floor and glass shreds fly everywhere.

"Matt, stay in your fúcking limits, this isn't your property!"

"You are a selfish, lying bítch!" he yells, kicking the shreds towards her and she almost falls down while ducking. "Are you insane?!"

"Crystal, I had faith in you. I thought we had a future and you just had to ruin everything." he yells, walking towards her and holding her arms. She hisses when she feels his nails in her skin. "Matt, what the héll?"

"When Zayn wasn't enough for you, couldn't give you emotional stability you came to me. Did you tell him about our dates? The flirting? Baking of cakes? Anything?" she withers out of his grasp pushing him back.

"If you want to have a conversation, talk from a distance!" she yells. "I'm not your property, Matt. I can date whoever I want without giving you any explanation. It's my life!"

"Oh do you, Crisi? That's why when Zayn caused the smallest of mistake you almost left him?" he yells.

“Cheating isn't small, Matt.”
“Flirting and dates is cheating as well!”

"You're selfish, Crystal. You stay with a person till they work according to you but you never compromise!"

"It's not like that." she whispers, clutching her hair back in nervousness. "Oh but it is. I know you more than Zayn, Crystal. You're emotionally weak and unstable. You want everyone to work according to you and then when the smallest thing happens you leave them." he yells. "Calling me a cigarette? Zayn too. It's you who treats people like cigarettes."

“You never take the burden of your mistakes.”
“I do!”  she yells.

“You don't.”  he mutters under his breath. “You use people. You used me to get over him and now you're back to him and no longer need me? We're guys, Crisi. We're no doodoo dolls.”

“I used no one.”  she whispers.
He holds her by the shoulder, inching closer to her that she backs away.

“Oh, I'll tell Zayn everything. I swear, Crystal. You're just a pain in the áss.”  he whispers, sensing Crystal's discomfort when he's hardly inches away.

"And if karma doesn't wreck you for being the selfish ignorant bítch that you are," he pushes her down, making her fall on the floor, slightly away from the glass shreds. "I gladly will." picking up an open packet of flour he pours it all over her.

She starts a coughing fit, almost choking due to the powder lingering around her. Giving her no time, he throws the batter next.

“Fúck you.”

Throwing the empty packet and the bowl down he walks out not forgetting to slam the door behind him. A jist of cool air entering the bakery and announcing his exit.

Crystal looks around at the mess, and coughs again. She tries to dust away the flour from her hair almost imagining what a ghost she must be looking. She tries to hold in the tears that glisten near her waterline but the tries go in vain when the tears stream down.

She didn't use anyone, did she?

She tries getting up but falls down when she slips. Trying again as she tries to hold in the sobs she leans with the counter running to close the main door and then proceeds to close the small window in the backside. She picks her phone walking through the mess to see seven missed calls from Zayn and a couple of messages.

From Zayn
sent 7:30 P.M.
WHERE ARE U WHY ARENT U HOME YET CALL ME

From Zayn
sent 7:42 P.M.
call me.

From Zayn
sent 7:57 P.M.
AM WORRIED SICK WHERE ARE U PLS CALL ME???

She takes a deep breath and calls Zayn, trying to hold in her sobs.
Zayn picks up on the third ring.
"Crystal? How can you have the audacity-"

"Zayn." she chokes, realising that's exactly what Matt meant. She always gave her emotional baggage to people. "Crys? What- wait you're crying?"

"Uh, no." she says, almost proud of the fact that she holds in the crack in her voice somehow. "Where are you?" he asks. "Why are you crying?"  she hears the car horn lingering behind Zayn's voice.

"Uh- I'm kind of busy so I'll be late." she mumbles, sniffing a little but almost managing to hold her feelings in. "Crys, are you okay?" she hates this sentence, 'Are you okay?' because the moment someone says it, it just messes all your emotions like a wildfire.

"Hello? Crys, open the dàmn door." he says, making Crystal's eyes widen three times their size. She sees Zayn's car park across the street and she sprints to the door to open it and then running away from it. Zayn hangs up the phone before parking his car and coming out.

The bakery was projecting dim light at the street being the only building with a light source on and Zayn saw this as an open invitation to burglars. He walks closer, opening the door and closing it behind him.

"Crys- what the héll." he whispers, staring at the mess of flour and glass shreds, almost scared he'll get the gooey substance on his shoes. He looks up to notice a figure standing near the kitchen door, leaning to the opposite side so that they don't have to face him.

Zayn would've mistaken her for a ghost if it wasn't for the ring that he notices on her finger. "Crys?" he hesitantly calls. Walking closer he holds her wrist to turn her around slowly and bursts out laughing. "What the fúck?!"

He almost falls back in laughter, clutching his stomach when it starts to pain but he's quick to stop when he hears her sob.
"Hey, I didn't mean-" she pats her hair slowly, tying the white covered hair up in a bun. She walks to the kitchen, being followed by Zayn obviously.

"What happened, babe?" he asks, leaning from the door to stare inside the kitchen where she pours the water on her arms to get rid of the batter sticking to her and even though Zayn couldn't take her seriously with her face and hair soaking white he could feel her hurting.

Zayn notices her hands trembling lightly. "Crystal. Hold on." he says, clutching her wrists in his hands and looking down at her. Noticeably, her bottom lip quivers and she's quick to wrap her arms around him.

"Hey, it's okay doll." he whispers in her hair, moving his hand through her hair. "Hold on, let's clean you first." he takes out his handkerchief from his jeans' pocket and wets it under the tap, trying to ignore the batter and flour on his shirt.

"Are you going to tell me?" he whispers, making her sit on the table top and cleaning her arms and wetting the cloth again. "It's my mistake, I should've talked to Matt." Zayn furrows his eyebrows at his mention.

"Matt? Wait- did he do this?" he says, cleaning her neck. "Y-yeah he was angry."
"Angry my áss, doesn't give him the right to hurt you, that fuc-"
"Zayn, stop." she whispers. "I'm so tensed." she says.

"No wait, what did he say?" he asks, moving to lift her top when she pushes it back. "I'll do it."
"Let me do it?" he whispers calmly that Crystal almost melts under his tone. She nods slowly and Zayn helps her out of the top cleaning the handkerchief under the tap and clearing the stickiness around her chest.

She blushes a little but only feels happy for the flour sticking to her face. She's quick to put her hands around her stomach to cover it.

"He mentioned the-the dates and how I'm. . . using you to be emotionally stable." she whispers. The movement of the handkerchief stops and she notices his demeanour change.

"Dates? You never told me."

She starts freaking out from inside. She could stab herself because she always says something at the wrong time. "I know and I'm sorry, but it wasn't when—"  he places a hand on her cheek and she almost screams when Zayn smiles at her slowly. "I trust you, Crystal. No need to explain."  he searches the cabinets trying to find a clean hand towel oblivious to Crystal's stunned face.

"Y-you're not angry?" she asks, placing her arms around her stomach to hide it just as Zayn walks back with a clean towel and triumph smile. He throws the towel on his shoulder and smiles at her. Locking his arms around her waist he stares right in her shocked eyes. "No, I'm not. We made a lot of mistakes but we're working for the better now. Right? That starts with trusting each other."

He places his hands on her thighs and smiles at her. "We're two insanely wrecked people I've realised. But I've also realised that we're humans and we make mistakes. Take it from me. We can't control everything. Don't blame yourself, you're just trying to be happy."  he smiles at her.

“But I'm the toxic one I've realised. I always try to put the blame on others because I'm too scared to take the consequences. He was right Zayn, I've hurt you too. Time and time and like so many times and—”

“Hey, stop.”  Zayn mumbles. He holds her hands slowly. “You're a little tough to break and that's fine. I consider myself the reserved one too. It was obviously difficult for us to mend things and you were bound to lose patience,”  he says, stealthily glancing at her arms covering her stomach. He looks up immediately without her noticing and without pointing it out. “And with people who are tough to break through, people lose patience. But that shows that they aren't meant for you.”  he smiles.

He pulls her arms down, holding them tightly at her sides while looking straight into her eyes. “You're a strong girl, you're confident and you're not a girl who loses faith in herself, even if you do it's not for long.”  he says, tightening his grip around her arms.

“And I, for that matter, will not let you be that girl. You will not lose faith or confidence in yourself.”  he pulls her down and opens her hairtye, fluffing her hair a little. “What about you changing your hair colour? What do you think about a little blonde there?”  he asks, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Sure.”  she chuckles sadly, turning to pick up her shirt that was dripping in batter. She tries to stretch her bra, the stickiness annoying her. “Why not? I think it'll be a good change—”

“I'll get it if you get your hair coloured pink.”  Zayn stares at her dumbfoundedly.  “Blonde is so better than pink.”  Crystal shrugs. “Then don't ask me to,”  she snaps but sighs a second later. “I'm sorry, I—”

“You want to go out somewhere?”  Zayn asks. Crystal had helped him through his shittiest times, always faced his moodswings and outbursts. It was only fair for him to be there for her. “Right now? It's almost eight.”

“So? It's London.”  he shrugs. “What about we go home, you get changed into something comfy and we go out to some place you want to go.”  he smiles.
“Aux cord with me?”  she mumbles hesitantly, knowing she's trying her luck way too far.

Zayn passes her a disgusted face but ends up sighing. “Fine.”
Crystal shrieks in excitement, tossing on her her sticky tee and running to switch off the heater in the room. She walks to refrigerating unit taking out a chocolate mousse cup and locking the refrigerating unit behind her. She passes Zayn the mousse, a smile spreading her face when she notices his face light up.

“What about this mess?”
“Uh— someone can clean it tomorrow.”

“You never do anything on your own, Zayn.”
“I-I found you on my own.”  he says, shrugging.
“No, our mothers introduced us.”
“Oh, shut up.”  he says.

She closes the door behind her, shivering a little due to the cold but no way was she wearing her coat over the sticky shirt.

“Where do you want to go?” he mumbles while he chews.
“London Eye.”

“I'll rather die than go there. Over my dead body.”

༻❁༺

“So why aren't you dead yet?”  Crystal asks, as she glances at the GPS and then takes a right when it orders to. “I hate you.”

“What?”  she laughs.
“I've been to the London Eye six times, Crystal. I'm literally already bored.”   he complains as he cuddles himself, bringing his knees close to his body while he lies flat in the back seat.

“Zayn, stop over exaggerating. I can only imagine the view, it'll be so beautiful.”  she whispers, taking a left and glancing at Zayn who lies limply in the backseat.

“It's not fun,”  he mumbles. “Trust me, Crys.”

“Last time you asked me to trust you, we had expired instant noodles for dinner.”
“But. . . you didn't die so- uh there.”

Crystal turns around to look at Zayn who had already turned around so he didn't have to face her. The GPS signals that they reached their location and Crystal almost jumps in ecstacy. Clapping her hands she parks the car checking twice that the parking is allowed and then taking off her seatbelt. She exits the car just as Zayn does and both bang the door behind them. She tosses the keys to Zayn who catches them mid air before sighing.

“Lord give me patience or an untraceable machine gun.”  Crystal rolls her eyes and pulls him with her. “Stop cribbing, diva.”  she reaches the entrance and her eyes almost pop out of their socket.

“Oh my god, why is there such a long que?”  she yells. “Welcome to The Great Wall of China, Crystal.”  slapping his shoulder playfully she rushes to stand behind the last girl in the que.

“Here goes half an hour of my life that I'll never get.”  Zayn whispers. “Exactly Zayn, so live it till you can,”  Crystal sarcastically smiles. “You don't know when is it your last moment with someone.”

Zayn rolls his eyes. “Why? Are you killing yourself?”
“I might if you don't stop whining.”  she replies.
“Oh sweetheart, I'll be glad.”

Shaking her head she turns to look over all the heads. “This is so huge, I didn't think it'll be so huge.”

“That's what I've been told by a lot of girls.”  Crystal turns around, frowning at Zayn who chuckles and typical her takes a second more to catch on his humour. “Oh god, Zayn.”  she scoffs, trying to stop the smile.

“Sure, keep your peanut and your pervert jokes to yourself.”
“Peanut? You're allowed to check the length any—”  a groan escapes his mouth catching the attention of the girl in front of them just as Crystal punches him.

“It's small.”  she smiles, continuing to walk as the que moves.
“I don't think I can take a wee after this.”  he mumbles.
“You deserve it.”  Crystal shakes her head, a subtle smile playing on her lips.

“And then you ask why you're a virgin.”  he mumbles.
“No one's a virgin, I've been screwed by life way too many times.”  she replies, feeling giddy when they're super close to the booths.

“Y-you're a virgin?”
Crystal turns, staring at Zayn who shrugs and starts whistling as he looks up at the huge wheel.
“No, I'm not.” 

“Oh.”
“You sound sad, Malik.”
“Yeah, sad for the guys because that hit can't turn anyone on.” ignoring Zayn she stands at the ticket counter.

“Hey, two general tickets for two.”  she mumbles, looking up at the board to see the prices.

£450 for private? Who's that filthy rich?!

“That'll be £50, sweets.”  she turns to look at Zayn who's busy gazing behind. “Zayn.”  he turns, eyeing her. “You pay, you forced us to come here.”

She blushes. “I don't have money on me right now.”
“Didn't you get the paycheck from Deans?” 

“I-I invested it.”  she mumbles, praying that he doesn't investigate further like the typical Bond Malik he is but he just digs for his back pocket to take out his wallet. Fifteen minutes in and they shuffle into a booth.

“What's the fun in sitting with fifteen strangers in a closed space and paying pounds just to be a little above ground?”  Zayn asks as he sits on the sitting area in the middle. “Zayn, you might have had bad experiences here but that's because you were with someone else. Try enjoying?”  she asks, just as the booth starts moving.

She's quick to shuffle to the glass and gaze down as the booth starts ascending. She feels Zayn's presence behind. “Hey, I didn't mean to ruin your mood.” 
Crystal looks behind her shoulder at Zayn as he stares at her softly. Linking her arm in his' she pulls him to stand beside her.

“Look, our home might be somewhere here.”  she whispers, gazing across the buildings that appear like small bulbs lighting up a room of darkness.

“What?”  Zayn whispers, making her turn. “What?”
“What did you just say?”
“That our home must be somewhere here?”  she whispers slowly, staring confusedly at Zayn who stares at her with a small smile that slowly begins to widen.

“What?”
“What?”  Zayn smiles.
“Why are you smiling?”  she giggles, making his smile widen almost like a cheshire cat. He shakes his head, gazing straight.

“I think I can see home.”  he says, making Crystal whip her head to stare outside, her eyes flying everywhere. “Where? Oh my god show me.”  And if her saying it 'our home' instead of 'your house' wasn't enough, her being oblivious to Zayn staring at her face definitely made him skip a beat.

“You think you like me?”  he asks, staring at her. He notices her pressing her lips together and walking to the right side to hide her blushing.

“No, absolutely no feelings for a pervert like you.”  she replies, stopping to take the view from a different side.

“Is that so?”  he asks, his tone clearly giving away how amused he is, which obviously irks Crystal. “Yes, yada, oui—”  she stops to swallow the lump when Zayn slides his arm around her waist and leans closer. He tries not to, but ends up chuckling at Crystal's discomfort.

“Don't worry, I won't eat you.”  he chuckles, making Crystal roll her eyes till he leans even closer that his lips graze her ear. “Unless you obviously want me to.” 

“Zayn.”  she whines, pushing him away that makes him laugh but he's quick to pull her into him.
“What is your problem, Malik?”
“Nothing, I just love annoying you, Hogward.”

“Piss off.”  she mumbles, making him chuckle. Zayn notices Crystal's eyes on his face longer than they should be. “What?”  he asks, chuckling slowly.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”  he frowns, even though a smile plays on his lips.
“You're kinda cute when you smile.”  Crystal says, poking her finger in his cheek. She's quick to lock her arms around his neck and pull herself up on her tiptoes to peck his cheek.

She withdraws herself and turns to walk to the other side. Zayn follows slowly, a smile etched on his lips. “What was that for?”
Crystal shrugs. “I think a 'thank you' maybe?”

Zayn stands beside her to look out too, taking the view for the first time since he's been on the booth. “For?”
“For being so,”  she sighs. “being so Zayn-ish.”  Zayn throws his arm on her shoulder and brings her in his chest. A couple of minutes pass as they stare across the scattered houses looking like small fireflies and the blanket of darkness.

“Or maybe that was an invitation to eat you.”  and the last thing he hears is her groan as the booth starts to descend.

༻❁༺

Crystal shifts in her sleep, the sudden coldness spreading around her makes her open her eyes. She notices the right side of the bed empty. Sitting up slowly she looks around the room to find it empty, the only source of light that shines is through the window as the breeze enters the room making the wind chime move in rhythm with the flapping curtains.

She slips her feet in her slippers and looks around for her shawl but finds Zayn's jacket, feeling absolutely dumb that she didn't switch the heater on. But well, she didn't really feel cold back then. A smile spreads on her lips.

Picking up his jacket she slips her arms through it and puffs it up, the jacket obviously gigantic on her. Walking out she glances down the hallway to see the light of the last room switched on.

She walks towards it slowly and opens the door stealthily to see Zayn painting on a huge canvas, his fingers utterly black coated as his tongue rests on his lower lip showing his concentration. She could see his side structure and she's quick to slowly close the door and sit on the couch in the room. Never did she ever think that a guy painting on a canvas, shirtless she may add, could leave her breathless. She hadn't seen Zayn so calm and composed for a long time.

He had been trying to cut on his smoking habits and somehow he had managed to shorten down from 7 a day to 3 a day and Crystal was proud, proud was an understatement. He was doing good for as far as she was sure.

He even talked things out with Jason Malder. It took long to convince Zayn, but he finally moved his áss to talk. When everything was set he was back at work.

She stares at him pressing his thumb and rubbing it as he bit on his lower lip. She couldn't beleive they were together. She couldn't believe he actually considered her as an option.

Zayn had been nothing but sweet to her. He got her flowers, showed up on time after work and oh, he finally didn't feel embarrassed when he slipped in her bed every night to pull her close to him.

“How long have you been sitting there?”  Crystal breaks out of her trance, noticing Zayn staring at her with his brow raised as a small smirk played on his lips. There were smudges of charcoal on his chest and Crystal swears she feels her heart skip a beat.

“I don't know. Probably fifteen minutes?”  she shrugs, staring back at him with a smile. He shakes his head playfully and turns to the canvas again, trying to smudge the hard ends.

“I reckon you'll want me to wear a shirt then, since you tend to get uncomfortable?”  she notices the playful glint in his voice and she couldn't help but smile too.

Crystal stands up, walking closer to Zayn and taking the charcoal out of his hand. His brows furrow when she holds his shoulder and starts scratching the charcoal across his torso.

“What are you doing?” he chuckles, looking down but letting her do it anyway. He notices that she wrote 'fine' on his torso and he raises his brow in confusion.

“Boy, are you a parking ticket? Because you've got fine written all over you.”  Crystal says loudly, whistling a little too. Zayn bites his lower lip to stop his smile shaking his head and turning to the canvas when he feels his cheeks, much to his embarrassment, warming.

“Pathetic, Crystal.”
“You liked it.”  she giggles.
“Did it hurt?”  Zayn asks, making Crystal respond with a cringe face. “No Zayn, you can do better than that pickup line.”

“Crystal, did it hurt?”  she rolls her eyes playfully, much too used to the cliché overused pickup line. “Hurt when?”
“When you broke through the earth's crust while ascending from hell.”

Crystal eyes Zayn, rolling her eyes. “You always ruin the mood.”  she chuckles. “That was disgusting and nauseating to hear,”  she shrugs. “Well good for you, I don't have a gag reflex.”

Zayn bursts into a chuckle, shaking his head. “Glad to know that since we're getting married.”

“What?”  Crystal mumbles, but almost next she catches on Zayn's dirty humour and is quick to his his arm. “Shut up! You're such a pervert, Zayn. I'm done with your jokes.”  she laughs. Picking up the charcoal lying on the table she scribbles on his torso again.

“Crystal, this isn't public property.”  he says, eyeing her.
“I know, it's my property.”  she says, focusing on her doodle oblivious to Zayn's smile.  Zayn looks down at his chest to see a díck scribbled on there.

“Seriously?”  he asks. “Suits you, tattoo it permanently.”  Zayn eyes her down, brushing the charcoal in his hand across her cheek making her gasp. He makes a small heart on her cheek

“What's with you today?”  he asks, making Crystal frown.
“What do you mean?”
“You're treating me like a human.”  shaking her head she pushes him away, discarding his jacket and throwing it on the couch and turning to look at the canvas.

Uh.

“You like it?”  she hears Zayn ask as she stares confusedly at the canvas. What even is this?  She tries to make out an image but all she sees are weird black shades and lines going anywhere and everywhere.

“Not to– uh, be rude but. . . what is this?”  she hears Zayn laugh behind her. He leans a little and she feels her back pressing to his chest when he holds her shoulder to peak at the painting from behind her shoulder.

“For me to know and you to find out.”  he whispers. Crystal groans, turning around with a frown. “Oh come on, Zayn. Tell me.”  she whines. “No secrets, remember?”

“Then first, you tell me.”  he asks slowly in a challenging tone with a smile. “Tell you what?”

“What's with that bakery name?”  he asks. Crystal erupts in a small smile and turns back to the canvas. “What was it? Moon's something.”

“Moon's masterpiece.”  she whispers. “Oh yeah.”  he gives out a breathy laugh. “Spill.”
Crystal stares at the canvas for a second trying to comprehend the picture but realising she can't she turns to him with a smile.

“Remember when I came here first? When I saw your pictures with Lara in the middle of the night.”  she asks Zayn, who nods at her slowly. “You came to my room then.”   she shakes her head.

“I went outside to sit on the porche for a while, I didn't feel good and I couldn't stop the tears.”  she mumbles. “Why'd you not wake me up?”  she shrugs.

“Martha happened to come out around that time to close her main gate and we had a conversation.”

She looks up to see him listening intently so she continues without waiting for him to reply. “We had this conversation about you and then she asked me this question that when my masterpiece breaks what will I do.”

“Didn't you ask me that too?”  she nods with a smile. “You remember?”  he scoffs. “You think I won't, I literally remember what you wore on the first day of highschool.”

“You do?”  she asks shocked making Zayn laugh. “No, I don't. . . But you're cute.”  Crystal rolls her eyes. “So when she asked me that I replied that I'd replace it.”  she shrugs looking up.

“Unlike your answer.”
“I'm an artist Crystal, flaws are my kink. They make everything more attractive y'know?”   Crystal smiles. “She said she was hoping I'd say that I'll fix it.”

“Typical Martha.”
“So when I came back and I was lying next to you, it felt really different.”  she whispers slowly, staring intently at the painting.
“Remember when I asked you that have you ever seen yourself in moonlight?”

“And I said that's inhuman. I remember, jaan.”  she smiles. It was something about the way Zayn said 'jaan' that made her skip a beat. Or maybe it was just because, well, it was Zayn.

“You like that?”
“What?”
“When I call you jaan.”
She smiles, “I like everything that you do.”  she says.
“What about me?”
“You. . .”  she snickers. “I'm not sure about that.”

“Well,”  Zayn chuckles. “You're a chicken. Go ahead with your story.”  he says leaning his chin on her shoulder. “Yes, so you said it was inhuman but when I was lying next to you that day after I saw the pictures, the moonlight was hitting your face so perfectly.”  she whispers, remembering every detail on his face that she had very well remembered in her mind.

“You looked so beautiful even when you were heartbroken and hurt and confused and—” she takes a deep breath. “I had never looked at you in that light, Zayn. It was as if the moon turned you into this masterpiece because never did your face ever make my heart flutter and I don't know—”  she blushes. “I just thought moon turned you into this—”

“Masterpiece?”
she blushes. “Uh, yeah.”  Zayn smiles. “So what did you decide?”  he asks, whispering in her ear. “I-I decided that the moon fixed it's masterpiece and it was my turn next.”

“And did you succeed?”  he breathes slowly near her ear making her nervous. “I like to think so.”  she says, feeling even more nervous and enthralled when she feels his lips very close to her ear. She turns around, his grip loosening on her shoulders as she does so.

“Tell me, now?”  she says, looking in his eyes as she points at the canvas with her thumb.
Zayn smiles. “Remember when you—”

“Zayn.”  she whines, making him laugh. “Forreal, I'm not making fun of you.”  he laughs. “Remember when we sat at that rooftop, what you told me?”
“Yes,”  she breathes, “That you're like the galaxy?”

“Yes,”  he smiles. “What more did you say?”   she smiles back slowly, shrugging her shoulders. “That it's beautiful.”  she answers.

“And?”
“It's vast.”
“And?”
“. . . Dark?”
“And?”

“Zayn.”  she chuckles, turning to the canvas again trying to find a way that made it look like a galaxy.

She couldn't.

“Well this is my galaxy.”  he whispers, placing his hand on the kink of her neck where it meets her shoulder. He peeks again and Crystal feels the smile on his face as their cheeks touch ever so slowly. “You know why I love the galaxy?”

“N-No.”  she whispers almost stunned that she managed to speak any coherent words and syllables when Zayn's front was pressed to her back and his face was touching hers ever so slowly, innocently.

How was he so warm even when he's not wearing anything?

“Because it's fierce and amazing. It's so beautiful that I can practically stay up the whole night if it meant I can gawk at it the whole time. It's intricated with thousands and millions of stars yet all it thinks about is the darkness around it,”  she feels his lips get closer to her ear and she presses her lips together.

“When everyone admires it, it hates itself, so oblivious to it's beauty.”  he whispers. “T-that's a nice way of- uh putting it.”

“Yeah? And I feel this is the most beautiful fúcking galaxy out there. What do you think?”  he smiles, distancing himself that Crystal almost objects it but manages to stop.

She notices him turn the canvas upside down.

“Bet this one's more beautiful than your galaxy.”  he smiles, picking up the bowl of small grains that Crystal notices that very second, and the next second he splashes the grains all over the canvas making Crystal jerk her head away when the grains collide and bounce her way.

Ever so slowly she turns and just like that she feels the breath knock right out of her lungs. Oh Jesus Christ. It was her.

It was her. Sleeping. It was fúcking her. She couldn't stop staring at the picture. Her eyes were closed as the blanket draped loosely around her waist and a hand rested on her cheek that wasn't hers.

And in the midst of admiring the painting she doesn't even realise Zayn lock his arms around her waist and whisper in her ear.

“Isn't it beautiful, jaan?”  and maybe while she was too busy to admire the art in front of her she couldn't feel the eyes of the artist admiring her instead.

_____

I'll be honest y'all, im living for pervert zayn. he's made more dirty jokes than he's made in the past 28 chapters together. Oh hi zayn, thanks for coming through finally :)xoxo

What do you feel about this?

Do you think what Matt said is true?

Theories? What do you want to happen next?

Also, IF YOURE ENJOYING WWC (IF YOURE AN ACTIVE READER OR A GHOST READER) PLS DO ADD THE BOOK TO YOUR READING LIST, IT REALLY HELPS OTHERS NOTICE IT, IT'LL MEAN A LOT♡

character questions? (inline here)

Last chapter character questions:
LARA:
Q. Views on Crystal?
A. Uhm, she's a decent human being and i think she really deserves Zayn. I'm happy for Zayn and her. Someday if i get the strength I'll try to apologise to her, if she wants to hear it.

Until next time babes, thanks for sticking by, love y'all xoxo