Chapter 18: Chapter 18

"Wakey wakey" Khadijah groaned and rolled over trying to get away from what ever was poking her, the voice returned this time and the poking more conspicuous, she picked her pillow and covered her head with it hoping whoever was poking her would get the message and leave her alone, it stopped for a few seconds before she felt herself land on the floor with a thud, she opened her eyes with a yelp and glared at the source of her disturbance, a smiling Layla.

"Morning bestie" Khadijah grumbled a reply then walked to her ensuite ignoring her friend who still had a wide smile on her Face, she did her business and brushed before coming out to see Layla tapping furiously on her phone with a grim expression, a total contrast to the person who woke her up.

"What's up with that look?" Her voice was a little hoarse having woke up just then, she moved around and opened her window so her room can be brightened with the early morning sun, she didn't bother checking the time since Layla was awake, it meant it's pretty late into the morning.

"Nothing, how are you?" Layla finally answered keeping her phone face down on the side drawer.

"I would be fine if someone hadn't pushed me off my bed, I'm think my butt has a concussion" Layla let out a loud laugh.

"I tried calling your name, but you didn't budge, so I did a Aliero classic, that's how I wake my brothers up, very effective"

"No wonder they are not morning people, imagine having to see your face first thing in the morning" Khadijah mockingly cringed while Layla gasped with a hand to her heart.

"Let me just go since you're insulting me" she sounded like a child who's parents forced to sit and do their homework while they are hearing their mates outside having the time of their life.

"No, come on baby na, you know you're my favourite right" Layla pouted with a smile small playing at her lips "so, how are you here? I mean I'm glad but I thought you said Wednesday"

"I got bored"

"Bored of your oh so amazing British accent? Now tell me the truth" they both stayed quiet after that and Khadijah gathered she didn't want to talk about, they might be close but Layla keeps a lot to herself, not wanting to upset her since she didn't want to talk, Khadijah stretched and held her friend's hand with a smile "You Know you can tell me everything right? Whenever you're ready"

Layla turned her head so she doesn't see her tear filled eyes and nodded, she felt Khadijah stand from the bed and heard her ask with a lighter tone if she wanted to eat which made her smile, sure her friend didn't like cooking but when she did, it's heaven on earth.

"Anything I want?" Her voice was like a child's making Khadijah laugh, she knew if she turned she'd find her pouting.

"You're getting spoilt, have you been spending time with Awrah?" Awrah is Mahmud's four year old daughter, a complete daddy's girl and her uncles favourite, they all fight for her attention which she loves being a total attention seeker and drama queen, she's the Layla junior of the family, just more dramatic and more cute, as Abba said.

"I was uninvited to her tea party because and I quote 'aunty Ayla you didn't match my dress and didn't learn your princess lines'" Khadijah laughed at the imitation of the little girl and how accurate Her aunt was.

"What is princess lines?" Khadijah asked over her shoulder looking through multiple pots "what do you want to eat?"

"Anything, it's some cartoon lines, I think it's frozen, I love it though but I totally forgot about it and I forgot the key word to be allowed an IV, that's how she made hamma call me and she gave the message" she finished with a sigh, her niece is a drama queen.

Khadijah laughed wholeheartedly at that, it sounds like something the four year old would say and do "Pancake or puff balls?"

"Puff balls" Layla didn't miss a beat, she was tired of pancakes.

"Good, there's chocolate" Khadijah almost jumped when she saw the chocolates, her mother would've killed her if she was taking that for breakfast, healthy living has never been Her style, living had only become her style recently.

She brought out the bowl while making small talk with Layla, she sieved the flour and Layla looked impressed seeing how careful and Swift she was, the Flour didn't even dust the counter she was working on, she moved skillfully around the kitchen looking for ingredients she needed, salt, yeast, flavor and the likes, since Hajiya Ladidi baked a lot, she knew she would have zero trouble locating everything she needs.

"Need a hand with anything?" Layla asked not wanting to feel useless, she hated having someone do everything for her.

"Yes please, one egg from the fridge" she pointed a finger covered with flour in the direction of the refrigerator outside the kitchen, Layla nodded and left to get what she was asked, she returned a few beats later with the cool egg and handed it over to Khadijah who broke it against the edge of the counter and added to the flour, she added the water and mixed with her hands while Layla stood close seeing what she was doing.

Since she wasn't any good in the kitchen, Layla only kept Khadijah company and talked Her ears off while she set the bowl with the mixture in another bowl with hot water so it rises Fast.

"Do you want us to use chocolate sauce or Should I make ganache?" a smile played on Layla's lips before she replied with the latter, it's only a few times Khadijah willingly cooks so having her want to make something made Layla happy, it might be little but it meant so much to her seeing someone do something for her because they wanted to.

While she got the chocolates and milk from the fridge, Layla picked her phone and frowned at the message, she didn't waste time before deleting it and keeping the phone down so it doesn't soil Her mood, she was happy and she wanted to stay that way.

"Thank God Umma has this emergency chocolate stash, we would've had to go out and buy" she quickly shook off the bitter taste the message left in her mouth and smiled at Khadijah who was already melting the chocolate bars on the electric stove, she watched asking a few questions once in a while, it didn't take long for it to melt completely and for Khadijah to start mixing it, when the ganache was done, she collected the bowl from her and took it to the dining that they don't normally use while Khadijah started frying the puffs.

It took twenty minutes plus for her to finish frying and make a cup of black coffee for herself and decaf coffee for Layla, they went back to Khadijah's room after cleaning up, the cleaning lady would come but Khadijah didn't feel comfortable with someone cleaning her mess up, even though the kitchen wasn't at all messed up, she was careful in the kitchen, that she knew, she picked up the plates while Layla finished drying the utensils they washed.

"You're quiet, what's up really?" Khadijah asked after swallowing, she noticed chocolate had dripped on her bed sheet, she was thankful it wasn't white, it would've been hell to clean it up, it wasn't her habit to eat in bed, Suleiman hated it and it grew on her, the scars on her thighs were reminder enough to never eat in bed.

It was after her first miscarriage, Sadiya sent her driver with food for her before she would finish with house chores and all, she didn't want her cooking because she was still sick, when they brought the food, she didn't want to stay in the living room to eat knowing well enough it was a saturday and Suleiman's friends would be in the house all day, she sat on the bed and ate when he returned from escorting his friends, she didn't notice the furious look on his face trying to push the few spoonfuls of rice in her plate, she asked if he wanted her to serve him but she got a slap as an answer and he flipped the hot plate of rice on her exposed thigh, since she was only wearing a short nightgown, it's burned her skin but her cry didn't stop him from delivering more slaps and blows on her fatigued body.

"What's wrong?" Layla asked when she noticed how pale Khadijah looked, she'd been explaining how work was draining Her whole because of a review that was leaked, being head of PR department made it all the more stressful for her.

"I feel a little nauseous" Khadijah replied trying to fight it, she always got like that when she remembered the horrible things she took from that excuse of a human.

"I have gum in my bag, maybe it'll help"

"No, I just- I'm coming" she stood up and rushed to the bathroom, she barely made it to the toilet when the few bites she'd taken poured out, Layla quickly rushed in and helped her, removing her headtie so it doesn't get stained, she rubbed her back soothingly telling her to take it easy multiple times, when she was done, she stood up and flushed then rinsed Her mouth, looking anywhere but at the mirror.

"Sorry, are you okay? Should we go to the hospital? I have my car with me" she didn't know what to make of it.

"No I'm fine, it's nothing, I've lost my appetite, just eat and I'll keep you company"

"What'll you eat then? just eat with me" she pleaded, she knew Khadijah didn't like eating and since talking Her out of it seemed fruitless, she was worried she'd get ulcer.

"Don't worry I'm not hungry" Khadijah went to the kitchen and got a wet towel and wiped the chocolate, she kept cleaning it till Layla held her hand seeing her mind wasn't there.

"Go and sit, I'll finish this" Khadijah nodded still not back to normal but she quietly left because she was feeling a headache at its wake.

Layla picked both bowls and left to the living room and set it on the centre table, she entered the guest toilet and rinsed the dirty towel, she spread it on the kitchen window where she saw two similar ones.

Khadijah was staring at nothing in particular when Layla sat beside her, she held her hands that were trembling.

"Dee, look at me, it's fine, just take a deep breath" after a few minutes of breathing exercises, Khadijah was a tad bit back to normal but she kept zoning out of conversations, their breakfast was long forgotten.

Layla's phone rang breaking the seemingly never ending silence.

"Hamma, yeah? But ya.....alright, I'm on my way" she turned to her friend who was already looking at her curiously "Please come with me, hamma Shaheed said its pretty serious" her voice trailed off at the end.

Khadijah nodded and stood up then went back to her room to dress, she quickly took a bath and wore a plain atampa sewn into a long sleeved gown, she didn't have the strength to tie the head tie so she picked a black veil with her small purse and phone, since hajiya Ladidi was not around, they closed the door and took off in Layla's car, she made a mental note to call her father and tell him she stepped out.

The Aliero mansion was quiet which Khadijah found unusual but didn't comment, she silently prayed everyone was fine seeing how pale Layla looked, the door was opened by Kabir, he had darker skin than the other Aliero's, a complete contrast to his twin sister, Waleedah, he nodded as a greeting before moving for them to enter, he left afterwards.

Loud chatters were coming from inside the house, most of Layla's siblings were sitting around the living room talking and laughing, the two Mrs Aliero's were sitting close to each other which Khadijah found beautiful.

"Oh, Khadijah you're together, come here love" Hajiya Fatima smiled motherly at Khadijah who wanted to run into her arms seeing the admiration in the woman's eye, her Co wife kissed Khadijah's forehead when she greeted her after hugging Mamie.

"Mamie, where's hamma Shaheed?" Layla asked after removing her veil, she adjusted the cap on her head and made way to her Father's side after Waleedah pointed at the connecting door.

Khadijah sat beside Mamie who insisted she sit there, she didn't pay any attention to the fact that it was a week day and they were all at home.

Layla said the taslim and knocked on Shaheed's office door, she didn't bother waiting for him to tell her to enter, he wouldn't anyways, it's his thing.

Her heart almost leaped out of her chest when she saw the occupants of the room, Shaheed had a blank expression on his face but that didn't surprise her either, he's always like that.

"Why didn't you tell hamma Mahmud you were leaving?" he asked, straight to the point his voice stern, it would've intimidated her because Shaheed is intimidating but she didn't bat an eyelash, if he wanted to scold her, she'd be damned if she stayed there and listen, she was about to turn and leave when he spoke again "Layla I'm not your mate, so don't even think about turning"

She stood rigid not looking at anything or anyone in particular, his companion noticing the tense atmosphere excused himself.

"Will you sit?!" he snapped

"I'm more comfortable like this" she didn't bother looking at him when she answered.

"Don't make me get up from this chair Layla, you won't like me"

"I already don't" was what she wanted to say but fought against it. "I talked to baba and since he's fine with it I don't know why I have to answer to you" she knew she sounded rude and disrespectful but she didn't care at the moment.

Hearing her response made his body lag, she told their father an entirely different thing from what the truth is but he couldn't confront her because of the way he got to know so he let her be, for now at least.

"JD wants to talk to you, and before you stand him up, Abba knows so you'd better do the right thing" he stood up and left, leaving her rooted to the floor.

Not up to a minute after he left, Jawad walked in with his normal gait and a small smile playing on his lips, he didn't like how the room was still tense.

"Layla" he breathed out.

Seeing she wasn't going to answer, he pointed to the chair facing each other in the office motioning for her to sit, she reluctantly obeyed, he sat too with his hands on his knees, he breathed out and cleared his throat a few times but still not uttering a word, he looked at her but her eyes were cast aside, staring out the window.

"You know, I really thought we were over since then" he let out a small laugh to ease the tension, he was nervous which surprised him, he's never nervous with Layla, she sees him, the real him, no filter, the fact that he couldn't even talk normally with him made him think that maybe it was over, besides she's said it about a thousand times in the past years.

"I told myself that maybe, just maybe that you are right for me but it just wasn't our time, funny enough I still believe that, I want to know what you think Layla, for once tell me the truth, you know I love you, it's something I can't control and we both know that, you love me too, well you did before now you're so confusing, what's wrong? What happened to us? I've spent nights and days thinking of just one thing Layla, what happened to us? What went wrong?"

She stopped breathing for a moment and she could swear her heart stopped beating too, she knew, she knew he loved her but him saying it made it all the more real and it hurt more, when she realised he was still waiting for her answer, she closed her eyes for a fraction then opened it finally looking at him to find him already staring at her, his look was so intense, he's always looked at her like that, like he was trying to predict her next move, trying to read her soul and find her deepest darkest secrets.

"When you asked for my father's permission, it was only to speak to me, I'm not obliged to answer" she stood up and opened the door harshly, before she could step out, his next words made her freeze.

"I'm getting married!" she turned but didn't answer

"They're rushing it" she knew he meant his uncles but still she kept shut

"I talked with Abba and he's agreed to talk to them only if you agree Layla, please...." her breath hitched when he stopped, he didn't need to complete his sentence, she knew what he was going to say but she wanted to hear it.

When he saw she wasn't ready to speak, he added "Marry me"

Layla's breath was coming out in small pants, it felt like an out of body experience for her because the pain she was feeling was too much for her to bear but she's come this far, not wanting to cry in front of him she walked out with blurry eyes not even stopping to check who she hit on her way out, she felt suffocated but that didn't stop her from running, she only wanted to be on her bed.