Dare You To Love Me

«4» unraveling faux friendships

Seated on a plush ottoman amidst the racks of designer clothes in her walk-in closet, Yaseerah placed her head on her palm and stared at her clothes, trying to decide on what to wear.

The room was awash in soft, golden light, courtesy of the ornate chandelier overhead. The scent of jasmine-scented candles hung in the air, creating a calm ambiance in the room.

Aminah sat on the edge of the bed, watching Yaseerah with a mixture of fascination and envy of her ability to hide her true feelings.

"I'm sorry, what?" Aminah gasped, her gaze flicking from Bilal to Yaseerah-neither of whom appeared slightly perturbed by the trajectory of their discussion.

Her gaze lingered slightly on Bilal, who was seated on a beanbag chair near the closet, his attention divided between his phone and Yaseerah's fashion show before she fixed it back on the woman in question.

"What do you mean you've never met him before? You guys have been engaged for two years! What sort of ridiculous relationship are you guys having?" Her voice trembled with concern for her younger cousin, even though a flicker of envy still danced in her eyes.

"An arranged one," Yaseerah replied without missing a beat, her gaze still fixed on her closet as she perused her options.

Her makeup was already impeccable, her eyes accentuated with a subtle smoky effect, and her lips adorned with the darkest shade of red that perfectly complemented her complexion.

"And you're not worried?" Aminah asked, her envy giving way to concern for her younger cousin.

Yaseerah arched her eyebrows high, momentarily taking her gaze off the clothes to stare down at Aminah, the perfect picture of calm on the outside while her insides recoiled, as she replied, "Do I look worried?" Her tone betrayed a hint of vulnerability beneath her calm exterior, though only Bilal-who was always attuned to her-noticed.

"No, Yas, you don't," Aminah replied, though she still appeared skeptical, as she began to scroll through her phone. "I suppose I wouldn't if I were in your shoes. Would you look at this fine specimen?" She flipped her phone around so that Yaseerah and Bilal could look at her screen; it was a picture of Fouad and Aida-his niece-sharing ice cream. His face was a little bit obscured, but the adoration on his face was unmistakable-he clearly loved her.

Yaseerah unfurled her legs from the ottoman and walked towards Aminah, her heart racing as she stared at the picture intently.

It was the first time she was seeing her fiancé-his side view-ever since she had been forced into the relationship by her father.

Yaseerah hadn't allowed herself to check out his profile or to ask either of his siblings for information about him, not because she didn't want to, but because not knowing what he looked like meant she could pretend that he didn't exist, even though her relationship with his siblings stated otherwise.

Still, it was easier to pretend when she couldn't put a face to the name. It was a ridiculous relationship, like Aminah had stated, and Yaseerah had no idea what to think or feel about the whole situation, and she didn't allow herself to dwell on it. What was done was already done.

She glanced back at Bilal, who was uncharacteristically quiet, her lips turning down into a frown as she handed Aminah back her phone.

"What's wrong?" she asked him, poking him lightly on his shoulder.

Bilal glared at her before he rose from his relaxed position on the beanbag and walked out of her bedroom with stiff shoulders.

Yaseerah's frown deepened, but she didn't make a move to follow him.