Captured Hearts Book 1 in the Heart Series - Wattys 2015 Winner

Chapter 18

"You sure you are okay?" Hudayfah asked for the tenth time since their dinner had arrived, and Jenna nodded stiffly.

"I'm fine."

He fiddled with his fork, before clearing his throat.

"If something is wrong, I would prefer if you told me."

"And that is your preference."

Ouch.

"So how was your day today?"

"Fine."

He swallowed hard.

"Did you have a good time with Rana at the salon?"

She shrugged.

"It was fine."

"I think it's nice that you were able to find a Muslim salon."

"Yeah."

"I can't wait to see your new haircut."

"Okay."

Wow.

She had been very cold to him all day, and Hudayfah had been mentally going through every single thing that had happened recently, trying to figure out if he had done something wrong. Maybe he had been moving too fast for her. He had been kissing her and holding her more than usual.  

He had called her darling.

Maybe that was it.

He cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"I apologize if things have been moving too fast between us. I guess I just got swept up in the act for the guys, and I didn't think about you and if you were ready."

 "I'm perfectly capable of standing up for myself. Don't mistake yourself in thinking I would let you take liberties I wasn't ready for." She snapped, and his eyes widened slightly at her tone.

"I wasn't implying you couldn't take care of yourself." He said quietly. "I'm just trying to figure out why you are upset with me."

"Oh I'm not upset." She stabbed at her steak angrily, and as her knife and fork began to clink against her plate, he put a hand over hers.

"Jenna! What's wrong?!" he exclaimed in astonishment, and she jerked her hands out from under his, before throwing her napkin on the table.

"Don't touch me. Don't ever touch me again!" she exclaimed before storming off towards the ladies room. Hudayfah saw Ali quickly get up from his seat from where he was sitting across the room with Farris, and follow her, standing outside the bathroom as she went in, and he just stared after her in slight shock.

What was wrong with her?!

***

Jenna dabbed at her eyes with a paper towel, before glancing at herself in the mirror, grimacing at the black streaks her tears had caused on her cheeks. As she wet the towel and began to clean off the makeup, she felt her anger rise again.

She had decided she wasn't going to confront him yet. About why he married her, about this Jamaal guy, about Marwa. She needed to think about it. Sort out her thoughts.

Do some investigating.

She had thought she would be able to act like she normally did, but the second he had put his arm around her when she had come back into the house, she had almost lost her temper with him, and had practically begged Rana to get out of the house. As Rami was doing better, and had been able to take a walk around his room today, Rana had agreed to go for a few hours, and they had gone to a Muslim family run salon for haircuts, highlights, and pedicures and manicures. Poor Ali had had to sit outside waiting for them for three hours, but it had made Jenna forget for a while. But the second she had returned home, Muhsin's words of her being in a prison, had come back to her, and she had fled out to the backyard for air, feeling suffocated and alone.