chapter 49

-FAHAD-


I went to "the tracks"

Thats what we nicknamed it cuz the actual name was really snobbishfaisal, and i made this joke about it... The actual name is " the crossing"

It sounds like this shop in london or something

Ilmohim i came here on instinct no thanks to fa9ool since hes not picking up my calls

He hasnt picked up for two days

Since layan left

I walked in, it was a loooong walk to his corner cuz he had the whole end wall to him self

So as i made my way around the dirt towards the garage faisals friend 3azeez stopped me

He was in his yellow jumpsuit it was zipped up. Meaning he was or will race

He was holding his helmet in one hand and the other pressed to my chest

3azooz:" fhaid na9ee7a minny lik rid ilbait "

Me:" hmm im3a9ib ha?" i said to my dismay

He nodded:" you cant even imagine-"

Me:" ga3d i7athif ashya2, o yadgir, mindimij billy of eeda in this case his motor cycle"

3azeezs mouth. Fell open and nodded
I gave him a week smile and pushed past him to get into the garage

When I got in 5 people tried to stop me but i kept going

People literally run away from him

He was sitting on the ground jumpsuit unzipped to the waist

Black tshirt his miscles were tight so he looked like he wanted to hit someone

He threw somthing at the wall

Faisal:" shhal wire! Its useless, i dont know why i bother buying the fucking motorcycle when i can just make it myself!"

Yup thats faisal during one of his tantrums

But this was just the begining, the ti7il6im,

Just wait , just wait

He stood up and yanked off his gloves, then he turned and saw me , he did a double take, then he recovered his composure and walked to his wall

Faisal:" i have a feeling i know why your here, if its what i think it is then dont bother"

Me:" what happened to dropping by and getting on a motorcy-"

Faisal turned his head to me and gave me a death stare

Faisal:" you quit a year ago remember? You said it was too anti social for you, you didnt want to work on engines anymore either remember? So dont give me that crap and get on with it"

Stage two: faisal and his emotionless face with covered walls, hes hiding from me, something he does rarely

Me:" ok, layan is gone"

He turned back to his wall and pulled out a towel and started cleaning some oil off of something. I think the screw driver

Faisal:" so?"

Me:" what do you mean so? Layan is in spain and she wont come back"

Faisal:" not my problem"

I couldnt take it, i turned right and left to check if anyone was there

No one

Good

Me:"WHAT DO U MEAN NOT YOUR PROBLEM?! SHE LEFT BECAUSE OF YOU AND YOU SAY 'SO'?!"

He turned and glared, he wasnt suprised, he knew me and my ander well

Faisal:" NO ONE TOLD HER TO GO! ITS NOT LIKE I HELD THE DOOR OPEN FOR HER! ITS NOT LIKE I DID ANYTHING WRONG!!"

I went up to him

Me:" if you care about her, youll go after her"

Faisal:" not a chance in hell"

I nodded

This was not faze three

Faisal, .. I dont know whats going through his mind

Me:" but she loves u" i said quietly.

 

confused, at a loss of words

Faisal:" Are u forgetting? SHES THE ONE WHO LEFT ME! "

His pride? His confidence?

Stubborn stubborn faisal..

Me:" did you expect her to stay?"

Faisal shut his mouth and looked at me

Faisal:" she could have atleast given me a chance to explain"

Me:" explain what? That you tricked her? married her ? And then charmed yourself into her heart even when you knew full well you would be getting the hell out of here and never turning back the minute your mom dies?"

Faisal:" things could have gone different thats all" he said in a gruff voice, he turned back to his work, shoulders hunched

Me:" its not too late to fix this"

Faisal:" just leave me alone "

I looked at his back, his hunched shoulders as he wiped his forehead in silence

----

- REEM-

So, fay was in her room

When a7med came in i put a finger to my lips and ushered him in to my living room

He was just like a little kid

Clumsy!!! He tripped over his own feet

I sat him down, and stood next to the stairs infront of him

Me:" FAI!!! SOMEONES HERE TO SEE YOU"

Fai:" SHTABEEEN! JUST GO, IM COMING"

Ahmeds eyebrows furrowed in shock and confusion

As she came downstairs she saw me first and gave me that disgusted look of hers

Fai:" slut"

Then she saw a7mad and gasped

Me:" Im the slut huh? Minu hatha reem? Let me guess, hes not really here, i made him up right? Ya well karma is a bitch, and so are you"

Fai looked at me and at a7mad then burst down crying

A7mad:" can i talk now?" he whispered

I sighed and nodded

A7mad:" i dont know what happened to you.." then he noticed she was crying too loudly to hear anything

A7mad:" is this a good time?"

Me:" ya bro just keeep talking"

A7mad:" i know you hate me right now and everything but-"

Fai:" get out! Im not that kind of girl , i told you! I cant be with you because i have to set a good example for-"

A7mad:" you didnt think of setting an example when you kissed me when i flipped my rhino, isnt it too late after you lost it to me?"

I gasped :" YOU DID IT?"

She wiped off her tears and glared at him:" no"

i looked at him

Ahmad smiled:" what?! Its more romantic when i say it!"

Fai laughed theough her tears:" you always did strech the truth when we were together"

Ahmad:" hey! Its not my fault your not romantic,i was just turning a good story into a great story"

She smiled:" get out a7mad"

He smiled back:" i cant"

Fai still smiling:" why not?"

Ahmad:" cuz your holding my hand"

I looked to his hand and it was being clutched by fai

When did that happen

Ahmad:" thats what i did to tou when i taught you how to drive, at the end" he whispered

Clearly this was a conversation between then

Fai:" you wouldnt let go"

He smiled:" i will always love you"

She let go of his hand:" didnt i tell you to get a girl? Go to all those gaz places i told you about?"

Ahmad:" i went to every single one of them, i just never got a girl"

Fai:" you should have"

Ahmed smiled

Fai:" i love you too"

Ahmad:" then dont let your sister end like we did".

Fai:" no way am i going-"

Ahmad:" i know fahad, hes a great guy"

Me:" wait i thought you guys ended because of the good example thing"

Fai looked at the ground

Ahmad looked at me:" that was one of the reasons"

Me:" whats the other one?"

Fai:" lets just say i made a mistake"

Ahmad:" i forgave you for that a long time ago thats not why we ended"

Fai:"you forgave me, ive never forgiven myself"

Me:" WHAT HAPPENED?"

Ahmad:" my Bro told her i cheated on her and she believed him, so she crashed my car"

Wow

Ahmed:" bye fai"

Fai just turned and walked upstairs

Ahmad:" she hates goodbyes. That girl, she never really said goodbye to me"

Me:" then what did she say?"

Ahmad:" she said 'i will always love you' "

He smiled and walked out

---------------

Two weeks later

-LAYAN-

My phone was ringing . I was ib my room in the hotel my mom and bro were living in

I picked it up

Fahad:" hey layan"

I talk to him more often

Me:" hey!"

Fahad:" layan.. I dont know how to tell you this"

Me:" what? Whats wrong"

Fahad:" faisals mom. Shes dead"

I felt numb and cold all over

Me:" is he gone? Did he leave?"

Fahad:" he cant leave til the companies are in your name and we graduate senior year... We thought she would have more time...."

Me:" im sorry"

Fahad:" will you come back?"

Me:" fahad i dont know"

Fahad:" please, hes in a crappy place right now"

Me:" ok, but ill just make things worse"

Fahad:" at least youll be there for him"

I told him id get the first ticket out

 

 

*

*********

 

 

*

i got there i got home, got dressed called reem and fahad and went to the 3aza

( LISTEN TO dilemma by selena gomez IF YOU CAN)

 

 

 

This was a different house

Bigger than the one faisal took me to before

Me:" whose house is this?"

Should i say castle?

It was covered in greenery right before the walls, the tan walls. And even behind it there were trees

We got to the gate and security check, but as soon as they saw fahad they opened the gates and let us in

Me:" fahad! Whose house is this"

He looked unconfortable as if he shouldnt tell

Fahad:" its faisals house"

I gasped and looked outside

Reem:" 9IJ beauty and the beast"

Fahad gave her a look

Reem:" what?! Hes got the castle down.. And the eyes"

Fahad cleared his throat,

Fahad:" you guys go in through that door , thats the womens place, im going through this one to the right"

There were two huge doors side by side in the round car entry, we got out if the car and gave the valet the keys to the ferarri

We said our c u soons and went in

We got in and were swarmed by black abayas,

We said hi to everyone there

Everyone was crying and sad

Iljaw ma2sat

We didnt see faisals gramma

When suddenly she was right there hugging me and she slipped a paper in ny hand and left but before she went she told me that the note was from faisals mon

I opened the note and it said in four words

ما اوصيج على ولدي

I quickly closed the note and handed it to reem

This was too much so i just left reem and got the hell out

I started shoving past 3abayat

And tried to find the exit when i did i barreled into the door and slammed to shut

I tried to breathe

And when i got my breathe i realized

This door wasnt familiar.. It wasnt the same door we got through.

Someone behind me cleared there throat

I turned to find myself staring into his eyes

He was alone

In his living room

 

 

 

 

He was wearing a plane white dishasha with the 3gal and 8itra off and He was on the couch ,

 

 and he was staring at me

And and and.. I was supposed to say sonething instead of staring at him like some sort of idiot

I remembered then that i was mad.

 

And that i was at his moms funeral and that i was supposed to say allah yi3athim ajrik

But as i looked into his eyes

My back pressed to the door

I forgot everything

Everything i was trying to fix in spain was useless

Forgetting faisal was impossible

I looked into those eyes

Then

i fainted

Everything happened fast after that

He got up shocked and started walking towards me then another door opened and fahad walked in and saw everything .

 

 He got out his phone and called someone.

 

 A7mad appeared behind him.

 

 

 

 Faisal stopped in his tracks then turned around and walked to fahad

" she shouldnt be here, not now"

Fahad:" she wanted to-"

Faisal:" who told her then?"

Then he left

Fahad and ahmad helped me up and asked me if i wanted water

I didnt want anything

Not As much as i wanted to see if faisal was ok

 

that made me realize that i still cared

and i hated him for that

Chapter 48

- REEM-

Two days later


I held my phone between both my hands and had it on speaker between me and fahad
Me:" layan were are you"
Layan: " im ok"
Fahad:"thats good to know layan, but how can we be sure unless we know where you are"
Layan:" im in spain, with my little brother zaid"

i could only dm my very best friend, and she wouldnt give me more than a sentence or two at the time

Even here now on the phone, layan wouldnt talk, as if someone is straining her

Fahad: " we were wondering if faisal happened to be-"

Layan:" no"

She knew

WHAT IF SHES MAD AT US TOO

The hysteria showed on My face and fahad patted my shoulder, we were in the back living room waiting for ahmed to show up. He rescheduled to today cuz he said he was busy

We all know he chickened out

Fahad:"why are you in spain"

Layan" i want to get away"

Fahad:"layan your running away "

Layan:" no im not! That asshole made it impossible for me to live my life! He made loving him impossible!"

Fahad:"reem can i have a moment ?"

Fahad and layan bonded over faisal all the time, they were his two closest people

But now i felt useless

The only person who could fix this is allah thuma faisal

But since hes not here fahad will do

I left the room but kept the door open so the voices drifted out towards me

Fahad: " layan why did you go?"

Layan:" because of what he did"

Fahad:" thats not why you left, we both know that. We both know faisal hurts everyone around them, and we both know its to protect us, thats not why you left"

Pause

Fahad:" now tell me why you really left"

Layan:" because i love someone who doesnt love me back"

Fahad:" i dont know about love but i do know that what he did was for your benifit, that he did this to protect you, remember the creepy nerd? How bout that jassim guy that faisal keeps going on about. The one for the project! "

Layan:" i cant believe he still remembers... But what he did was still wrong"

Fahad:" everything he did was right, the WAY he did it was wrong. Can we atleast agree on that?"

Layan:" yes we can"

Fahad:" ok then come back"

Layan:"no i actually want to move to london, get a job and stuff"

Fahad:" bala dala3 come home and face him, make him regret he ever lived"

Layan laughed

Layan:" this being said by his best friend. Speaking of, did you both know"

Fahad:" both ?"

Layan:" reem and you"

Fahad:" know what"

Layan:" you do dont know"

Fahad:" we can explain-"

But the line went dead


Thats when a7medo decided to make an appearance

And thats also when fahad decided to leave and go to faisal


--

- fahad -

I had to get to the end of this

So i left reeem and went to faisal

I knew what i had to do

I got into my cherry red ferarri

I was always flashy, all the time

Im the student body president

I am the guy everyone wants to be friends with

Everyone believes im it

Then why cant i believe in myself

Because in reality they dont want to be my friends

They want to use me

They dont believe in me for my pros

They believe in my power

I dont have any

Thats faisal

Faisal is the only friend ive got

Or the only friend ive had for a very long time

But now i have reem and layan

They care, they never tried to use us

I cant let it end this way

I cant let layan hide under that rock of hers, theyre crazy about eachother


I know this because Faisals never given any girl the time of day. Hes never had a girlfriend, never had a crush
Never took a girl to the sadie hawkins dance
Or the winter formal back in boarding school
And thats not because they didnt like him


Girls notice faisal

Oh they do

They dont even care about his attitude
They just see him and float around him, and he doesnt even notice

But that changed with layan

He knew her since they were kids but he never really brought her up

But theres something going on

Something wrong

chapter 47

(listen to stronger by kelly clarkson)
-LAYAN-

i just read it.

that last line

my signature

i had a flashback of the day he made me sign a paper.....

"what... " i just, i couldnt believe it.

what happened next wasnt me.

i was blinded by my rage.

i ran into faisals room he was asleep, i just left him 5 minutes ago

but 5 minutes felt like 5 thousand.

i ran to his bed and thrashed

i hid his headboard

i threw of his blanket

i kicked the bed

i punched his pillow.

i pushed him and shook him

he freaked :"layan are you ok? HADAY LAYAN WHATS WRONGG?"

i couldnt answer i just kept hitting him.

i dont know how he got hold of my hand and then he gently slipped the paper out of my trembing fingers and as soon as he saw that i had indeed read that peice of paper.
realization dawned on his face.

i was crying so hard.

my hands were bleeding.

i couldnt think straight.

"please tell me it isnt true....." i whispered.

his eyes looked sad and he gently pushed the paper aside.

he kissed each and everyone of my fingers before nodding :"its true"

i shook with the tears.

"WAS IT ALL A LIE????" i shouted.

he looked at me wide eyed.

he started to shake his head.

faisal:"no no it wasnt, no-" he said in a low hurt voice. he was still restricting my hands

me:"then what was it?!!! if not a lie, then what?"

something passed in his eyes.

faisal let go of my hands

and as i looked in his eyes.

i could almost see his walls come up.

he hid his emotions.

a blank face

faisal looked at me:"it was for your own good. my dad had to do what was right-" he said more steadily.

then he told me. he told me my dad didnt write that i would enherit any of the bussinesses he had world wide and that it was all going to faisal.

faisals dad didnt think this was right. he thought htat i should get my share but there was no other way at the time except for a secret marriage with me and faisal

he said he had two options

1. fool me into falling inlove with him and romantically and WILLINGLY marry him in secret

2. stay away, keep distance, make me sign in secret.

but what i saw was that he didnt choose either of the two.

we were somewhere in the middle.

i never knew where i stood with faisal

i always wanted to know.

now i would, and i regret ever wishing that in the first place.

i sat there quietly in the armchair as he explained.

i gave him the death stare but he just kept on going

i never heard faisal talk so fast and so much at once.

i then asked my first question

:"why wouldnt my dad want me to inherit the company?"

faisal sat straighter

faisal:"im afraid i cant tell you that"

"which option did you choose? because it sure seems far from both"

faisal:"layan, please just this once trust that ill-"

me:"TRUST? after what you did YOUR talking to ME ABOUT TRUST?!!!!!"\

faisal just sat there patiently looking at me.

faisal:"i did this for you" he said in a really low voice.

it broke my heart.

it really did

me:"your father made you do it, you did this to get out"

faisal:"no one could make me stay not my dad, not my mom, no one. i was leaving anyways.... i was going to live my life... but i had things in my closet. you know the saying. skeletons in my closet...... i owed it to fahad.... but then my dad told me that it was you...... so i thought... fahad could wait for a year... "

me:"tasliya. you wanted to use me for a while... get me to fall in love with you-"

faisal:"I NEVER made you do anything you didnt want to d-"

me:"then play with my heart for a while"

faisal:"i didnt think you would care"

me:"ï cared from the moment i laid eyes on you in your filthy track jumpsuit and grey tshirt. with the mud and dirt and dust and oil all over you... even when you looked disgusting and revolting and untidy, messy, grose, dirty.... you were still the most beautiful thing id seen in my life... your eyes. your smile. your power walk when your angry, that look in your eyes when you look at me 3 seconds too long then catch yourself and turn away, when you blush, when you shout at me. i loved every bit of it... and it was all a lie, and all a big game... and in the end the greasy boy in the dusty jumpsuit was going to leave me in a year. just like he was never there in the first place"

faisal stared at me shocked

faisal:"layan.... i ......im sorry "

those werent the words i wanted to hear.

i stood up

fiasal stood up at the exact same time.

me:"you should go."

faisal:"layan please-"

me:"leave the keys on the dining table."

faisal:"-dont do this"

as i reached his door i turned to him standing there looking at me

me:"just tell me one thing faisal"

he looked at me with inteligent eyes

me:"tell me you dont love me"

he looked as if id just slammed him in the face. he jolted backwards

faisal:"layan mala da3y hal kalam. wain ray7a?"

me:"as far away as i can get from you"

then i walked out of the house in my sweats and ringed the driver.

faisal stormed out after me:"we need to fix this.. get over it"

me:"ITS NOT A FENCE, ITS NOT SOMETHING I CANE JUST CLIMB"

I turned, and gave my back to faisal

faisal:"YA JUST RUN AWAY LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO!! "

i wipped around and smiled.

his anger was tinted with wariness.
layan:"im not running away this time faisal, im walking away, from you"

his face drained from all the anger and was replaced with a look of horror

faisal whispered:"dont go"

me:"why... tell me why"

he knew what i wanted him to say

faisal:"i"

we stood there

"i will never say those words to you"
'
i nodded
me:"goodbye then"

i got into the car and as it drove away i saw faisal staring at the back of my head.

and in the back of my mind

i knew he stood there looking for a long time

after the car had left