Chapter 57: "Take a Dump!"

Make sure you read the previous chapter first. It's a double update!

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First draft: September 21, 2021

Salma gasped softly, dropping his hand to run towards the sparkling spring. Zayn pursed his lips at his fingers that suddenly felt cold, the moment she let go.

Was he overthinking it, or was she really just avoiding his touch first chance she got?

"Does this place remind you of something?" a completely oblivious Salma cried excitedly. "This spot looks like the spring back in the forest!"

Zayn forced a smile. Why else do you reckon I picked it?

"It kinda does," hug agreed, putting the picnic basket and the rug underneath a tree.

For this 'outing' – which truth be told, he had put more effort in in planning, and was by all means a 'date' – Zayn had decided to take her near this popular picnic spot. It was a little further up the hill behind the park where families were enjoying the sun. A stream ran downhill, and a thicket of trees grew further up. The spot overlooked the park, but it was otherwise secluded and Zayn was grateful for that. Salma had looked a little apprehensive when Zayn started walking up the trail, away from the park, but he knew he had made the right choice the moment Salma bounced away with excitement, at the sight of the stream.

"Is it weird that I sometimes miss the forest?" Salma asked to his surprise.

Zayn turned around to see her on the small, broad wooden bridge over the stream, untying her shoes. It was weird. For all he knew, the forest was the stuff of her nightmares. That was where she had met him. He did not think she would have a good enough memory of the place to actually miss it.

"What? Like you'd want to go back?" Zayn asked, walking over to sit next to her.

Salma glanced to check how close he was sitting. Zayn caught that quick look and hated it. Unaware, Salma continued to take off her shoes and socks, satisfied by his proximity.

"Totally!" she replied, sounding thrilled by the idea. "It would be fun to go back to that house and just stay there for a couple of days, take long walks to discover new trails and just sit and relax by the stream!"

She put her shoes with the socks tucked in, a safe distance away from the edge of the bridge, then lowered her bare feet into the water.

Salma squealed as the cold water tickled her soles. Zayn laughed, watching her gently ease the rest of her feet into the water.

"So relaxing!" She sighed in bliss, closing her eyes and sitting back against the palm of her hands. "Having the whole forest to yourself just to do this, can you imagine?"

"Mmm no. I actually did it. That's a step ahead of imagination," Zayn replied.

He heard her scoff.

"Can you imagine doing it? Again?" Salma asked, sounding exasperated that he did not share her enthusiasm. "Also, you did not have the whole forest to yourself, I was there. And so were the X-RAW dunces."

"So, just be clear," Zayn asked, amused. "You want the whole forest to yourself just to dip your smelly feet in that stream?"

"Yeah." Salma shrugged, like it was the most normal thing to wish for. "My feet aren't smelly," she added as an after-thought.

As the silence stretched, she took one small foot out of the water and frowned at it.

"Does it really stink?" she asked, glancing at Zayn out of the corner of her eye.

Zayn suppressed a laugh.

"What if I say it does?" he asked.

"You'd lie." She dipped her foot back in, and closed her eyes again. "And even if they do, don't care."

"You're rude!"

"Unbothered."

"Hmm?"

"I'm unbothered," she corrected.

Zayn laid on his back, crossing his arms underneath his head.

"Wish I were as unbothered." He sighed

Salma chuckled.

"Dip your feet in the water, it's soothing," she said.

"Nah, don't mind me," Zayn replied, feeling bored. Some date it was turning out to be, he huffed moodily. She was in her own little world with her feet in the stream and head in the forest, while he just watched the hawks circle the blue expanse of the sky, sulking after her when she was sitting mere millimeters away from him. "Pretend I'm not here. You have the whole forest to yourself with your feet dipped in the stream. Have a good time."

Salma suddenly shuddered and turned to him.

"All alone?" she asked.

"Yeah," Zayn replied simply.

"That gives me the creeps!" she cried. "You shouldn't ruin such a good image in my head like that."

Zayn raised his head to look at her. He frowned.

"Didn't you say you wanted the forest to yourself?"

"Yeah, but like I wouldn't go there alone."

"Who's going there with you?"

"You," she replied like it was obvious, then closed her eyes again. Judging by how they crinkled, he knew she was smiling happily. "I'd just dump you in the house, and go and have fun in the forest."

Zayn blinked.

"You'd take me?" he asked, surprised by her reply.

"I wouldn't take you. You're just there," Salma explained, sounding a little tired, as if he was slow.

"And then you'd leave me in the house?" Zayn continued, raising a brow.

"That's where you stayed most of the time while I had the forest to myself." She giggled.

"I was hurt, that's why --"

"It won't be a problem, I'd whack your shin again, and you can continue sulking in that room once more."

Zayn sat up. He was both amused and annoyed to see her suppressing a laugh.

"You pesky --"

A startled cry escaped her lips when water hit her in the face.

"What in the world?!" Salma cried in annoyance.

"That's what you get for whacking me, and leaving me injured and alone while you monkey away in the forest!" Zayn grinned.

"Gosh, for how annoying you are, I'd totally whack you in the head and put you to sleep too," she grumbled, removing the veil over her face to wring water out of it.

She gasped when more water hit her bare face. Zayn almost burst out laughing to see her shocked features. It's been a while since he had seen her face, and it was perfect that she had to have such a comedic expressions on it.

"Hey!" Salma turned to him with frown.

"Would you leave me behind injured and lonely?" Zayn asked, threateningly lowering his hand into the water again.

"Yes!" she snapped.

Salma barely crossed her arms over her face when Zayn send another sprinkle of water her way.

"Stop!" Salma protested.

He laughed and showered more water on her.

"You --"

She kicked the water up, but it only came raining down on herself. Zayn broke into peals of laughter when Salma just sat there, defeated and drenched. She turned to him, a resigned smile stretching on her lips at the state of him.

"You're annoying." She shook her head, still smiling. "I'm not going to leave you in the house, I'd take you to the stream and push you in it!"

Zayn sniffed, wiping away tears of jest.

"Oh, you totally would, now wouldn't you?" he said. "I won't be surprised if you end up being the one who makes the dive."

"Haha hilarious," Salma replied, rolling her eyes at him and getting up. "Can you move out of the way, I need to get a napkin to dry myself?"

"Yes, of course, Your Watery Highness, the mighty owner of the forest," Zayn joked as he sat up.

"Whoa!"

Zayn's hand shot up to grab her arm when Salma skidded on the wet bridge.

"Careful!" he warned.

"Thanks," Salma muttered, grabbing on to his hand tightly as she passed him. Zayn was about to advise her to wear her shoes when her feet slipped. Salma completely lost her balance, plunging towards the water.

Zayn was already up on his knees, tugging at her arm in the opposite direction.

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!" Salma chanted, mere inches above the water. With her soles pressed to the side of the bridge, she was holding onto Zayn's forearm for dear life.

"Hold on," Zayn said, grabbing the other edge of the bridge to anchor himself. Then he tried to heave her up but she kept pressing her feet onto the side of the bridge. "Bee, ease your feet, I can't pull you up when you're pushing in the opposite direction!"

"No! I'd fall!"

"You won't!"

"I would! I would!

"I'm holding you, girl! How can you fall?"

"You're not holding my feet! Just pull me up!"

Zayn face-palm mentally.

"Alright, let's try another way," he muttered. "Press your feet against the bridge so I can stand."

"What --" Salma screamed grabbing Zayn's hand in a death-grip when she felt herself getting lowered upon Zayn letting go of the side of the bridge.

"Stop screaming like that! The water is as deep as a bathtub." Zayn laughed, standing up carefully while maintaining a balancing pull on her the whole time. "People down there would think I'm murdering you or something!"

"This isn't a joke!" Salma scolded.

"Nah, it's you about to get thrown into a pit of fire," he replied, as he stood pushing back just to keep her above water but not really pulling her out. "That's really, very serious!"

"Pull me up!"

Zayn shook with laughter, watching her eyeing the water over her shoulder while holding onto his hand for dear life."

"Alright, grab my other hand, come on!" Pressing his feet against the bridge, Zayn reached for her hand and took it in his.

"Okay, pull me up now!" Salma hastened. "I really don't have much strength to hold on!"

"And to think you were going to dump me in the house or dunk me in a stream." Zayn groaned as he heaved her up. Her wet hand slipped past his grip. "Shit --!"

Her scream was cut short by the loud splash of her fall that drenched him.

***

Salma's teeth clattered as she sat balled up on the grass, drenched to the very roots of her hair. The sun was still shining but a light breeze had picked up. It was searing cold against her frozen fingers after the ice cold bath that she had just taken.

Zayn had helped her dry whatever she could of her face, limbs and hair with napkins, but her clothes were still dripping wet. On his suggestion, she had taken off her abaya and unpinned her scarf. However, she let the cloth loosely drape over her hair.

"Maybe you should change into my flannel?" Zayn suggested gently, feeling embarrassed that she fell into the water right through his hands.

With her lips pressed against her knees in an attempted to stop her jaws from clattering, Salma vigorously shook her head in a no.

"You could catch a cold," Zayn said.

Salma did not reply, wrapping her arms even more firmly around her legs to stop shaking. She heard him sigh and get up.

"Alright then," he said as he walked away, then something thick and warm was wrapped around her cold body.

Salma startled, then relaxed to see the checkered rug they were supposed to use as a spread for the picnic. Her whisper of thanks died in her throat when he took a seat behind her and bundled her in his arms.

"Come here," he said, pulling her towards him and collecting her snugly against him.

Salma froze, a different kind of shiver raking her body before it began to heat up. She instinctively pulled herself inwards, away from him, but finding the warmth of his embrace oddly comforting against her cold, shivering body, she inadvertently relaxed into him. Salma rested her head against his chest, her chilly hair clinging to her face. She pushed them away, desperately seeking the warmth of his body, waiting for the shivering to subside.

"Thanks," she managed a choked whisper.

Salma felt him smiling against her hair.

"Don't mention it."

She settled into a comfortable silence, waiting for her uncontrollable trembling to let up. She was quite oblivious to the mental battle Zayn was fighting. His heart alternated between bursting with joy at her being in his arms, and sinking every time he wondered if Cameron right?

Would she really only ever let him close, when she was bone-chillingly cold, or scared out of her wits?

Author's Note:

Riiiiiight! So first off, apologies again. I had a bad bout of cold and it really took me down. I tried to update on time but it did not work my way, especially because I hit a road block with a scene that I had written and I was not sure if I should include it, or write my way around it. In any case, I think I managed it somewhat, albeit late, but I'm glad I didn't just give up. Like, I totally just wanted to delete the whole book and just do nothing for the rest of my life. . . This being an exclusive look into my dangerously demotivated mind these days(^_^"). Honestly, if it wasn't for my lovely patrons (particularly the two permanent ones, Heena and Mina), I would probably have just stopped bothering about finishing the story. It's a scary thought >_< but it's there and I have to fight it so often, especially after this stupid cold.

Also, I'd like to thank Sunrays_moonlight once again. You're such a sweet, kind soul to spam the comment box like that. It's unfortunate that you had to come back to shower me with so much love and I could not get back to you, but I was so low on energy. I hope you know that it means the world to me and I am really super grateful for your love and support, and the continued support of my two Patrons Heena and Mina. All the love, losties. You guys keep me going ^^

Lastly, drop by my patreon. Thank you all for your support. vote comment and share!

See you next chapter, Inshaa'Allah!

Lots of Love

J.