chapter 43

(long chapter for you guys, 3asakum min il3awada, and happy ramadan to you all!!!)

-REEM-

I woke up to a phone call from Layan, ilsa3a al7een 3 AM.

Layan: “ REEM WAKE UP “

Me : “ You think I didn’t ya3ne? “

Layan: “ You won’t believe what happened.. ”

Me: “Layaan you’re stuttering and your voice is high.. What happened? You finally lost your virginity?” I said sarcastically.

Layan paused.

Me:”alooo?”

Layan:” Noo. But…… uuuuhhm. What happened, actually, was…But don’t get mad and don’t yell..”

Me : “ Layan. sh9ayer?”

I know now there’s something serious. You know that moment when your heart beats fast when someone wants to tell you something and ask you not to freak? Makes me freak before I know what’s going on.

Layan: “Reem! Faisal kissed me, like a real kiss…”

I got so angry, my eyes twitched, and I felt like I want to punch him in the face RIGHT now. Wainik ya Faisal a3almik shloone tgarb 9ob Layan!!

Me :” What THE F&#@?!!!!!!!! LAYAN!!”

How did Faisal just decide to go with the flow and kiss her? We all know he’s going to leave her. Who does he think he is? I warned him. I told him to back off.

I don’t know why but suddenly my eyes started to tear, not from sadness, but from the anger that I held. My eyes looked like they are about to pop out.

I hate Faisal now for many reasons. Now? I really hate him for making this hard for me to tell Layan that I warned him to backoff.

Layan: “ Reem !! I know your mad and confused at the same time and I know what I’m asking you now is kind of hard but please TRY NOT to judge this until I tell you what happened exactly! “

So, Layan explained to me what exactly happened with the devil and I know how she’s taking this seriously and how much this is a big deal so I tried controlling my temper and actually listened to what exactly happened.

Layan: “… & that was it. Reem I don’t know if I’m supposed to be happy or mad. The kiss was fairytale-like, perfect! I didn’t expect this coming, he surprised me.”

Layan, you trust him and you don’t even know he’s capable of many things, you’re married to him now for petes sake and YOU –the wife- don’t even know it.

Layan:” So I don’t know is this ok? I mean, he made the move its not like I intended on doing anything like that.. “

Well, Layan, he is your husband. You guys aretechnically married, it’s not 7aram, but still……

Shlone bafahim Layan inna it wasn’t disrespectful, and he wasn’t just playing since it’s 7alal.

Me:“ It’s not your fault. All you did was absolutely –nothing-. La tloumeny itha giltlch I hate Faisal. I’ll talk with you tomorrow I’ll see you @ lunch, bye.”

Just needed any excuse to close my phone and start going to my bed and scream at my pillow.

Faisal. Where could he be, I don’t care if its 3 AM , I bet he left the house as soon as he kissed Layan. Where else to find Faisal then at motorcross? J

To motorcross.

I quickly wore sweats and a T-shirt; I brushed my teeth, briefly brushed my hair, and picked up my phone.

Wait, wait, I can’t wake my driver up. He’ll tell my parents on me. I can’t ask Fay, cause well, it’s Fay!

So I called Fahad.

Fahad:“ Aloo? Halla Reem? Fee shay? Feech shay?”

Me:“ Halla Fahad, I’m so sorry I woke you up ! Wallah mu qa9dee … But I kind of need you right now, come pick me up ! it has to do with Faisal”

Fahad:“ Ana al7een yaylech, nizlay ba3ad 5 minutes tlgainy 3nd babkom”

Fahad finally arrived, after waiting for exactly 6 minutes.

I got in the car. The car smelled amazing, it was really neat and I like how he takes good care of it. Fahad was waiting for me to close the door and he looked great for someone who just got out of bed, flawless *mashalah*.

Me : “ilsalaam 3laikom,”

Fahad started to drive.. :” wa3alaykom ilsalam Reem, shlonech? Shlone nomtch? Momkeen a3arf sh9ayer oo wayn bnrooo7?”

Fahad was curious, I would say freaking inside since he has no idea whats going on, but he acted calm. When you’re with Fahad you feel safe, you don’t worry anymore about anything, all you have to do is trust him and tell him what’s keeping you worried. He’s the strong one that can make a disaster look like something he can handle, or at least that’s the impression I got from him, especially the way he acts calm, it makes you believe that.

For a second my mind was of off how much I am angry about what Faisal did to Layan, its because I felt like Fahad was the perfect guy I wanted to see and talk to about all of this.

Me: “Motorcross. I want to talk to Faisal. “

Fahad made a turn and started driving the other way;

Fahad: “ W shdarach inna Faisal yroo7 motorcross hal 7aza?”

Me: “ I know he’s awake, Fahad I can’t trust Faisal I know he’s your friend, and he’s a great friend to YOU. Shno yathmin inna he’s not a .. well..”

I was going to say psycho path .. But no, I couldn’t. Fahad is someone I really respect I can’t say that about his friend that cares SO MUCH about him. Plus, Fahad already told me how much Faisal mattered to him, he risked his life, so I can’t say anything.

Me : “ What I’m trying to say is that, mithil ma Faisal ykhaf 3alaik o enta tkhaf 3alaih? Ana akhaf 3ala layan. Fahad, he made me hide something huge about my best friend that I can’t tell her. I told him to back off, you know what he did? 9adag 3omra, played the role of Chris Hemsworth in the movie ‘ Snow White and The Hunstsman ‘ and kissed her.”

Fahad: “ He kissed her? Faisal? The same Faisal we know? Kissed her?”

I took a deep breath. I am still not accepting the fact one bit.

Fahad : “Reem, I know your mad. Oo halshay yathbit inch intay 5osh wa7da, o tihtamain b layan. Al7een bnrou7 inkalim Faisal, tell him whatever you want! Laa mu bas chithy, I’ll be on your side if you want ba3ad! What he did was wrong. But don’t forget its 7alal. If Faisal wanted to play with Layan and religion he would kiss her as a stranger. Reem, they’re technically married”

Me:” Ok bas Layan does not know that, doesn’t anyone care about her feelings? How she doesn’t have a say in any of this? Wallah 9ij!”

Fahad laughed,

Fahad: “Your right, your right, ka garabna no9al , we’ll tell Faisal about this”

I felt like I just poured my heart out and a weight has been lifted off my chest. Now that Fahad agrees with me, and I’m on my way to see Faisal.

- AT MOTORCROSS -

We got out of the car, and started to walk inside, the place was huge and scary. It’s dark outside and I’m alone with Fahad.

Fahad walked infront of me since he knows exactly where he’s going, I followed.

As we walked closer and closer, and away from the car (where its safe) I started to freak. I constantly was looking left to right, right to left, and walk quickly so I could get close to Fahad.

I suddenly hear barking.

A big scary bulky german dog was chasing me !

MYYY GOOODDDDD!!!!!!!!!!!! I yelled and grabbed Fahad’s arms.

Fahad turned and ordered the dog to stop : “ Chuck ! Sit!”

I didn’t let go of him I’m too afraid something else starts coming in my way.

Me : “Chuck?”

Fahad:” waiih Reem, lail7een khayfa? Hatha Chuck our puppy”

Me : “ Hatha puppy? A6wal minik”

Fahad: “ I come here all the time for Faisal, he used to freak me out too, but the guards taught me how to deal with him. He’s supposed to guard this place instead of the lazy night shifts who are sleeping at the moment.”

We walked in, and saw Faisal covered in dirt, playing with engines or whatever he’s doing that guys do here.

Fahad: “ F9aaaaail!” Fahad yelled. Faisal was at the end of the garage, he had a huge corner and wall all tto himself, he was currently fixing a dirty blue motorcycle, he was covered in greese, oil, and dirt. He was wearing the motorcross blue jumpsuit that seemed to match the bike, and a white tshirt that is now covered in Greece, oil, and dirt.

Faisal stopped what he was doing and his eyes followed the sound, Faisal looked at us with a surprised expression of shock and confusion

We went up to Faisal and cornered him. He put his towel on his shoulder

Faisal: “fhaid,reem what brings you to the garage” He said that looking at Fahad, squinting his eyes ,na8za: laish inta wya REEM IHNY o matgooly?

Me:” I called Fahad and asked him to bring me here”

Faisal : “Great. & How do you know I’m here? I don’t remember making a foursquare account”

I ignored the jab

Me: “ We know you kissed Layan.” I told him giving him a I-will-kill-you- look.

Faisal: “You’re here to discuss something with me about Layan, shda5al Fahad?”

Me: “doesn’t matter… nisait? We had a deal you would back off, you promised you would stay away, now explain to me, how exactly does kissing her have anything to do with pushing her away”

He looked at me with cold eyes.

Faisal:”I don’t have to explain anything to you” he said but then he looked at the ground and turned to his bike, he took the towel off his shoulder then asked in a quiet voice

Faisal:”what did she tell you?” he asked .

Fahad looked as shocked as I did.

Fahad:”fa9ool is there a reason why you kissed her?”

Faisal slapped the towel to his shoulder and swiveled to us.

Faisal:”its not like its 7aram, im her husband.. if she doesn’t want me to kiss her than that’s between me and HER. It has nothing to do with the both of you.”

Me:”im her best friend, of course it has to do with me”

Faisal:”no it doesn’t, reem, it doesn’t. ”

I blew up

Me:”YES IT DOES, I KNOW YOUR GOING TO LEAVE HER IN A YEAR, SHE DOESN’T.. how do you think shes going to feel in a year”

Faisals face paled

And fahad did something unexpected

Fahad:”faisal, you don’t have to go with me-”

Faisal shook his head :”what are you saying, im not letting you-”

Fahad:”no im not letting YOU, give up something you care about for me”

Faisal:”and how would you guys know, how I felt, I thought you (he looked at me) said I didn’t have feelings. I don’t get attached”

Fahad:”maybe she doesn’t know you but I do, and I know you never NEVER cared so much about a girl that you kissed her.and you wouldn’t have went after her if theyd have stolen her And don’t give me that bullshit about taking care of her because of her dad”

Faisal:”I would have saved anyone if they were taken because of me-”

Fahad.:”you can go on and deny deny deny, but I was there when you finally got her back. I saw that look on your face when you held her in your arms. YOU cant give her up just for the sake of leaving Kuwait with me”

Faisal stood there shocked.

Fahad said one more thing:”I have nothing more to say about this, reem ill be in the car”

And with that he left.

Faisal just looked at me :”r u happy? You’ve finally got your point across, now im the bad guy”

me:”im VERY HAPPY, but do you know what will make me happier?? If you told her the truth”

Faisal:”I cant do that now can i”

Me:”in seven or eight months you can”

We stared eachother down

Me:”I don’t know what your doing, or if your in your right mind, but youll never be prince charming, youll never be the one for her”

Faisal made a sound like a growl:”im no prince charming, I know im not, she knows im not…and im not trying to me”

Me:”well it sure seems like it”

Faisal:”im being myself”

Me:”no your not, your full of lies and secrets and no I don’t think you have feelings”

Faisal:”white lies” he put his towel down on the bike and made his way somewhere I started to follow him

Me:”would you like to test the theory”

And before I knew it he rounded on me and I banged against his chest. It was as hard as stone

He bent down over me and loomed his eyes turned to slits

Faisal:”listen I f I go down, im taking you with me”

I scowled

Me:”you know what faisal? She will forgive me eventually, if not now then next week. But you? No way, you wont stand a chance”

Faisal looked like hed blow up and walked away.

-LAYAN-

The phone rang next to me as I was watching two weeks notice, with hugh grant and Sandra bullock.

Even though its in the a.ms I still refuse to pass Friday without the Friday night movie, even if it meant watching it alone. Its 5 am

I also Couldn’t sleep because I kept thinking about faisal

I looked at the phone and it was him

Me:”hi”

Faisal:”layan.”He said breathelessly

Me:”ya?” his voice still took my breath away

Faisal:”why are you awake?”

Me:”I couldn’t sleep” I said, I didn’t know whether to be mad or happy… I just settled for awkard.

Faisal:”listen, im sorry, I shouldn’t have done what I did. i was stupid and I acted on impulse. You didn’t even know I was going to until I carried you off the ground. Im sorry for that”

Silence

Me:”you know how I feel about you, why are you apoligizing”

Faisal nervously:”because I never asked ”

Me:”well thank you for apologizing for the kiss but-”

Faisal:”oh no im not sorry for the kiss, im not sorry at all, im apologizing because I never asked you for permission. I don’t regret kissing you. And if I could go back in time id do it again”

I just took the phone away from my ear and stared at it.

Faisal:”I have to go though, but I had to get it out of my system”

And with that he shut the phone