we belong together | luke hemmings ✓

xviii.

WE BELONG TOGETHER,
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

ZAIN IS BARELY awake when his phone starts to ring. Luke has been awake for a few hours at this point, scrolling through his phone while he waits for Zain to get up. Zain lifts his phone above his face after fumbling around for it for a moment, squinting. He's surprised and confused to see his dad calling him. They had barely spoken since that night in the hospital. "Hello?", Zain answers groggily.

"What is the meaning of this, Zain?", Ahmed asks angrily the moment he heard his son's voice. Luke glanced over at the sound of the yelling, his brows furrowed in concern.

Zain groaned, lifting his hand to wipe his face. "What is the meaning of what, والد?"

"This - this - this ridiculous engagement!", Ahmed sputtered, his rage simmering below the surface.

"Loving someone is not ridiculous, والد", Zain said flatly. The conversation had barely started, but you could tell that it was already beginning to drain Zain. "My being engaged is no worse than you marrying ماں when you were young."

Ahmed pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing heavily. "I allowed you to go to America to live out this - this silly dream of being a pop star. I allowed you to live out this silly fantasy and in return you bring shame and dishonor to our family!"

"It is not shameful, and it didn't bring dishonor to-"

"If you don't call off this ridiculous plot for attention, I will never forgive you, Zain", Ahmed warned. "Our relationship will be over. I will never speak to you again."

Zain frowned. He hoped that, someday, his father would change and understand where he was coming from. He hoped that, someday, he would become supportive, loving. Part of Zain understood that Ahmed wanted the best for his family, but he went about it all wrong. Mostly, though, Ahmed cared about his image, not his family's happiness. "This is why ماں left you", Zain said quietly.

Ahmed was astounded. "How dare you? You ungrateful-"

"I'm sorry that you feel the way you do, والد", Zain continued softly. "But I can't change the way that you feel. I will respect your wishes. Going forward, we will no longer have a relationship. I will not invite you to my wedding. Please, do not attempt to show up. Should I have children, unless you are willing to change for the better, they will not know you. This is it for our relationship."

"Zain, you are making a mistake!", Ahmed huffed.

"No, والد, I am doing what I should have done long ago." He had already lost Luke once due to his father's attitude, he couldn't do it again. He couldn't lose himself again. Had he not suffered enough? Had he not fought enough for his happiness and freedom? Staying sober was hard enough as it was. He had so much to strive for. This negatively couldn't hold him down forever... Or at least he hoped that it couldn't. "I lost so much because of you and your selfishness. Our family has always had to fit your perfect image. We have always had to adhere to your lifestyle. I don't want that anymore. I don't want to be perfect. I am messy, and broken, and I am human. I will marry Luke, because I love him. I can not force myself to love someone, especially not a woman. It's just not who I am. I wish that you could accept that, والد, I really do. Maybe some day you will. Until then, I only pray that you do not die alone, والد. I will always love you, والد, but I can not keep you in my life. Please, don't ever contact me again if this is the way you will remain."

Ahmed said something else, but it was like Zain's head was under water. He couldn't fully understand. So, he just hung up the phone and placed it aside. He sighed, resting his head against the headboard. Luke frowned in concern, resting his head against Zain's chest. "Are you okay?" He would admit that he couldn't really understand what Zain was going through. Liz and Andrew Hemmings were pretty accepting parents, especially Liz. She was a whole saint. But they both just wanted their son to be happy.

"No. Yes? I don't know, really", Zain answered hesitantly. "I think that, deep down, I always knew it had to happen. Even when I was younger, part of me knew that, someday, I would have to learn how to live without him. I either had to choose happiness or choose my father. I had to choose happiness, for my own sanity. I can't live under his thumb anymore, even if going forward without him hurts."

"Maybe someday, he'll come around", Luke suggested earnestly. He wanted to do his best to make Zain happy, but there were, clearly, some things that he couldn't fix for him.

"He won't", Zain answered, rubbing his hand up and down Luke's shoulder. "I'm not less of a man, Luke."

"Of course you aren't."

"But to him, I am", Zain shrugged. "I'm not insecure enough anymore to believe it, but it hurts to hear it all the same. I don't need that in my life. I have everyone and everything that I need in my life for it to be full and happy. I have you, my mom, our friends - I am surrounded by love, and I am eternally grateful for that."

Zain and Luke were on their road to happiness, and, as far as Zain was concerned, that was all that mattered. Everything else could wait until some other day to be. He wanted to live in his bubble of happiness for as long as he could. There were no more storm clouds on the horizon. It was only clear skies and sunshine now from here on out.

Zain wrapped his arms around Luke, pulling him closer. His thoughts could wander some other time. Right now, he wanted to be nowhere but in this moment. Kissing the top of Luke's head, he wondered what their future would hold.

SEPTEMBER 6, 2023
POPPY SPEAKS !
we only have 3 more chapters! 🥳