33. Isla
CHAPTER 33
ISLA
It wasn’t until we got back to the house that the silence started to feel like a reprieve instead of a threat. Zayn unlocked the door and let me step inside first. I waited for the lock to click behind us, that low mechanical hum that had once made me uneasy but now…grounded me.
Safe.
Still not simple.
I kicked off my shoes, my ankles aching from the heels I’d refused to ditch even after hours on my feet and almost being interrogated by Gracemont PD.
Zayn didn’t speak. Just toed off his own shoes, rolled his sleeves up past his forearms, and moved to the kitchen like he wasn’t full of bottled adrenaline and concealed fury. I followed him. Not because I had to—but because I didn’t want to be alone in a room tonight.
He handed me a glass of water. No words. Just his fingers brushing mine, and then he leaned back against the counter like it hadn’t been me who stepped between him and the officers tonight. Like I hadn’t stood in front of a wall of badges and dared them to call me a liar .
“You didn’t have to do that,” he said finally, his eyes focused on the tile somewhere to my left.
“I know.”
His gaze flicked to me. Steady. Assessing. “You knew what that would make you look like?”
“Yes.”
“And you did it anyway.”
I took a sip of water. “You’re not the only one allowed to be reckless, Zayn.”
A slow exhale escaped him, part laugh, part disbelief. “You’re not reckless,” he muttered.
“Maybe not,” I said, stepping closer. “But I am yours.”
His head lifted sharply. His eyes locked on mine, and I saw it—the storm, the hunger, the disbelief that still lived just under his skin. As if he couldn’t quite trust the fact that I kept choosing him. That I kept staying.
“I meant what I said in the car,” he told me quietly. “You’ve earned the right to know everything. Be in everything. If you want it.”
“I don’t want everything.”
He flinched just slightly, but I reached for his hand before the space could widen.
“I want you ,” I said. “Not the empire. Not the control. Not the blood and the mess and the goddamn flash drives or whatever the hell it is next. Just…you.”
Zayn swallowed hard. “I don’t come without the rest, Is.”
“I know,” I whispered, stepping into him and sliding my arms around his waist. “But maybe we stop pretending that you’re protecting me by keeping me out.”
His hand came up, gently threading into my hair as he held me against him. “You scared me tonight.”
“I scared me too. ”
He chuckled—low and broken—and pulled me tighter. “I never expected you to be the one who’d protect me.”
I tilted my head, resting my cheek on his chest. “You’re not the only one who can think on their feet, Zayn.”
Zayn’s thumb brushed over my jawline, tilting my head back to look up at him. His jaw was tight as he looked past me. His silence wasn’t cold. It was cautious.
“You shouldn’t have had to say anything,” he said finally. “You shouldn’t have been in that situation.”
“I was already in the situation, Zayn,” I said softly. “I’ve been in it for a while.” I stepped back, but he reached out and grabbed my hand, holding on to me, yet he didn’t pull me back in.
His brow furrowed, but he didn’t argue. Just held my hand tighter.
I took another step back, loosening my hold a little. “They tried to catch you off guard,” I added. “Those first four cops…they were there to see if it was j u st me tonight.” I looked at our loose, interlaced fingers. “Then they came in to see if I was the na?ve girlfriend they could trip into saying something.” I looked up at him. “I was almost na?ve.”
“You weren’t na?ve,” he said immediately. “You were calculated. Sharp. And calm as hell. I’ve had men fold under half the pressure.”
“Funny,” I muttered. “Didn’t feel calm.”
Zayn finally looked at me fully, something stormy and conflicted in his gaze, but he waited for me to speak.
“You said I’ve earned the right to know everything,” I said. “Well, now you know. You can’t protect me from every angle. And I’m not going to watch you get dragged away when I can stop it.” I swallowed, fear clogging my throat.
Zayn could read me so well. “Ask,” he said softly .
My head dipped down, tears threatening. I looked up at him, not hiding the tears in my eyes. “Did you kill him?”
“Yes.”
No hesitation. No clever words. I pulled my fingers from his hand, wrapping my arms around my waist. I took a deep breath. Then another. He didn’t move. Just watched me.
“Because of me? Because he took me?”
“Yes.”
I stepped back, my body bent over, and my hands went to my knees. I felt like I’d just run a marathon. I gulped in lungsful of air. My head was swimming. The room was spinning. Fuck, I was going to faint.
I straightened abruptly. Zayn hadn’t moved from his spot. “You okay?”
Was I okay? I had no clue. I shook my head, and he sighed softly.
“Can I touch you?” he asked cautiously.
I nodded, and he approached me slowly like I was going to spook at any moment. Strong arms reached out for me, gently taking hold of my waist and pulling me into his body. I resisted for a moment, and then I went with him. I looked up at him, and he looked down, the look in his eyes as raw as I felt.
He exhaled slowly, then pressed his forehead against mine.
“This is why I wanted to keep you out of things,” he admitted. “Because I was afraid that once you saw it all— really saw it—you’d walk.”
“I might still walk.” That pulled him back. His eyes darkened. “But if I do…” I hesitated, then forced the truth. “It won’t be because of what you do. It’ll be because you didn’t trust me with it.”
He let that sit between us .
“What happened at Elixir tonight,” I said, my voice low. “It was a warning. Someone wants you exposed. Someone wants you vulnerable.”
“I know.”
“I don’t think they counted on me standing with you.”
“No,” he said, his voice a little hoarse. “They didn’t.”
We stood there for a long moment, the quiet of the house settling around us like fog. His grip never loosened. My pulse never slowed.
“I don’t want to lie for you again,” I whispered. “I don’t like it.”
“I know.”
“But I will.”
He swallowed hard. “I’ll never ask you to.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. I had to be honest with myself and with him . “I don’t think you have to ask.” I looked up at him. “I think I’ll do it easily.” I blinked back tears. “I don’t know who I am anymore. Is this…is this me?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know, but what I do know is that you’re good . You’re pure shining light.” He kissed my forehead. “I’m sorry you had to do that tonight. You never have to do that again. I swear.”
“Well, let’s not be hasty,” I muttered, trying to stop everything from overwhelming me. “It is you I’m in love with, after all.”
“Isla,” he said my name like it was a prayer.
I rolled my eyes at him. “Oh, come on, like it wasn’t obvious?”
Zayn smiled a little and then leaned in and kissed me—soft, unhurried, reverent. “Thank you for being who you are,” he murmured against my lips. “Thank you for loving me.”
Rising up, I pressed my lips to his. “Take me to bed and make me forget the last three hours? ”
“Anything for you,” he murmured, his voice low and full of promise.
Our hands linked together, our fingers lacing like they belonged that way, and he led me out of the kitchen, up the stairs, and into the space that had somehow become ours.
The bedroom was dimly lit, the soft glow from the hallway casting gold across the floorboards. The sheets were still slightly rumpled from earlier—a reminder of the chaos, the closeness, the way we kept finding each other even in the mess.
He turned to me slowly, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear as if he couldn’t help but touch me. His hands were warm, steady, and careful.
His kisses were gentle—not demanding or rushed. Just soft brushes of his mouth against mine, each one grounding me more than the last. One on my forehead, another on my cheek, my jaw, and my lips again. Slow. Patient. Like we had nowhere to be but here.
My clothes were removed with no haste. Every touch from him sent electricity through me. He pushed me gently backward onto the bed, following me down, his lips never leaving my body.
My hands stroked over his broad shoulders, hooking over the back of his neck, as I brought his mouth down to mine. My lips parted, and I caught his lower lip in a gentle bite. The hot slide of his tongue made my body ache for his touch.
Zayn kissed me deeper, his mouth moving over mine, taking what he wanted, what I gave him, and I wanted to give him everything. He traveled from my mouth down my body, kissing the smooth surface of my tummy before dipping lower. He spread my legs apart, and then he kissed me where I needed him most.
“Zayn… ”
I was a limp and breathless mess when he moved away from me. His hard cock slid inside me, stretching me, filling me, and making me cry out as he thrust his hips in a slow but steady rhythm.
It wasn’t like the other times; he took his time, his touch gentle but insistent. We made love until the morning light filtered through the room.
I curled into him, letting go of the last of my tension; my body relaxed for the first time since he left me yesterday morning. His arms came around me, drawing me in until my head rested over his heartbeat.
Zayn didn’t speak. He just held me. And I didn’t need anything else because sometimes the softest thing in the world was the most powerful—love that didn’t ask for anything. It didn’t fix, explain, or offer solutions.
It just stayed.
And I let it. Let him.
I let myself breathe in the quiet of his touch, the safety of his skin, the truth in every inch of space he gave me without saying a word.
Tonight, he was my shelter, and for once, I wasn’t afraid of needing him. There were no secrets. No pressure. No choices were waiting just beyond this room.
There was only us.
By the time I arrived at The Grand the next afternoon, the adrenaline and exhaustion still hadn’t worn off. It was my own fault; my man was nothing if not thorough when given a task. I smiled at the concierge as I always did, detoured to the conservatory for coffee like I always did, and then carried on to my office .
Routine.
Normal.
Finally , I felt like I could breathe again. I’d barely dropped my coat on my chair when Gerard was at my office door.
“Isla,” Gerard said, his voice clipped. “We need to talk.”
I turned, took one look at his perfectly structured frown, and sighed as I sat behind my desk. “This isn’t about yurts again, is it?”
“No.” He stepped into my office and shut the door behind him. “This is about Elixir.”
I blinked. “What about it?”
“Apparently, you were running things there last night?”
How did he even know that? I straightened slowly, my shoulders tensing. “Is that a problem?”
He looked uncomfortable. “We have long-standing ties with the police, local press—if you’re connected to an establishment that gets flagged for ongoing investigations, that could reflect badly on The Grand.”
I crossed my arms. “So because I helped manage a single event at another venue, suddenly I’m bad for PR?”
Gerard shifted his weight. “You’re a representative of this hotel. Your personal affiliations matter.”
Ah. There it was.
“Just say it,” I said coldly. “You don’t like my relationship with Zayn.”
His silence was all the answer I needed.
“Well, here’s the thing, Gerard.” I leaned forward, meeting his gaze evenly. “I stayed with Zayn last night. I’ve been seeing him for months. And if you think I’m going to apologize for it, you’ve got the wrong woman.”
“You’re a valuable member of this team,” he said carefully, “but we have expectations?—”
“And I have boundaries.” I stood up. “I don’t owe you an explanation for my personal life. If my work ethics are in question, say it. Otherwise, we’re done.”
He didn’t speak.
I grabbed my tablet from the desk, my voice steady. “If my relationship is a problem, let me make this easy for you—I’ll leave.”
“No one said that,” he said, throwing his hands in the air. “I didn’t know you and he were…stepping out.”
I blinked. What the hell?
“Stepping out?” I grinned. “It’s not the 1920s now, Gerard, you can say?—”
“Please don’t say fucking.”
My jaw dropped. “Um…I was going to say dating, but if you want the details?—”
“No!” His hand flew to his cravat as if it were a string of pearls. “Please, God, Isla…no.”
I folded my arms as I fought to maintain a cross appearance with my boss. “You done?”
He nodded contritely.
“My personal life does not interfere with my ability to do my job. Elixir was short-staffed last night for a huge party and they needed an extra pair of hands. Is that a problem?”
He shook his head.
“Okay, do you have a problem with me or Zayn?”
He shook his head again.
“Gerard?” I coaxed, and he looked at me with guilt.
“He’s notoriously…bad.”
My smile broke through. “Yeah, he is.” I crossed the floor to leave, pausing at his side. “And I love it.”
I left him standing in my office and ducked into the first empty room I came across. I dissolved into a fit of giggles. I would have put money on the fact Gerard didn’t curse. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and texted Zayn.
Gerard just tried to lay down the law about me and you.
Tell him to come see me
I’ll tell you the whole thing later, but he just said FUCKING – the speed my jaw hit the floor!!!!
My phone rang, and I answered with a grin. “Hi.”
“I’m going to need the context to this conversation.” Zayn’s tone was dry.
I quickly relayed it to him, calming him down when I told him of Gerard’s sillier notions. “Zayn, I can handle Gerard. Anyway, think of him as a disapproving father or something equally grumpy, but he adores me, so he’s harmless. You’ll win him around.”
“Speaking of fathers…”
I felt the tone shift. “Yeah?”
“Your mom and dad like it in Florida?”
He sounded far too casual. “Yes, they do.” I glanced at my watch. “They’ll be playing couples golf as we speak.”
“Oh, I know.” He sounded smug. “Your dad complained I interrupted his tenth hole mojo when I called to ask him for his blessing to marry you.”
“ You did what ?”
“Last night, I told the police you were my fiancée.” He tutted. “I lie a lot, Is. But I’m not a liar when it comes to you.”
I wasn’t sure if I was going to laugh or cry. “Are you proposing to me?” I swallowed hard. “Over the phone ?”
“Over the phone? No.” He snorted. “Come to the reception area.”
He hung up.
I stayed rooted in the spot for thirty seconds, and then I hurried to the door and back down to the reception area, where Zayn was waiting.
“Walk with me?”
I nodded, conscious of so many eyes on us. I took his hand, and he led me outside. It was a beautiful morning, but I couldn’t focus on anything except the man beside me. Zayn tucked my hand into the crook of his elbow as we walked. It was such an old-fashioned gesture, and it suited the grounds of The Grand beautifully.
The silence was killing me. “Zayn?—”
“I knew the moment you asked me to be your first kiss that I would fall so far in love with you that I wouldn’t know where I ended and you began.” He didn’t look at me as we walked. “I like my life. I wouldn’t change it. I’ve stayed out of relationships, too many people are too soft for this life. There’s not many who could stand up in the darkness like I do and thrive.” He looked down at me and smiled softly. “It’s hard to trust people.”
“Zayn, I?—”
He stopped, turning to face me, the sun behind him, but he was so tall that he blocked it. “The night you asked me to kiss you, I knew you did it because you trusted me with that. And I knew right then and there that I would always be there for you.” He looked past me for a moment and then back at me. “I haven’t always given you the chance to trust me…” His gaze didn’t falter. “But you love me anyway. And I know I don’t deserve that, but I will.” He reached out and cupped my cheek. “You love me, and God knows I fucking worship you, Isla Wells.”
He dropped to one knee, and for a heartbeat, the world blurred.
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I registered that we weren’t alone. The conservatory was full of staff, of guests, of people who would see. Who might whisper or stare.
But in front of me was Zayn—confident and sure, the only person who mattered.
“I love you so much,” he said, his voice steady despite the emotion behind his eyes. “Will you marry me, Is?”
The air in my lungs turned thick. Time slowed. I knew I was crying. “My name is Isla.”
He squinted. “Is that a yes?”
I had spent so long sacrificing myself for my career. Doing too much. Craving control and building walls no one could scale. I had spent years trying to find a place where I could belong without losing myself.
But not anymore.
Because with him—with this man—I didn’t have to struggle to find my place. I could take up space. I could be strong and flawed and full of contradictions…and still be loved completely.
Zayn didn’t just see me. He chose me, and I chose him. I’d keep choosing him every single time.
Not because I needed saving. But because loving him made me stronger . Because I would go to war for him, too.
Because I wasn’t someone in his life.
I was his life , and he was mine.
My lips curved, my heart full, my voice unwavering. “Yes.”