Damsel In Distress (A Wattpad Featured Book✓)

CHAPTER: 70 | THE ART OF LETTING GO (PART-16)

When Laiba woke up the next morning, Aariz wasn't in the room.

It was half past ten. The curtains were drawn, cutting off the natural light from entering the room and keeping it in the shadows. The tick-tock of the wall clock and the hum of the air conditioner spoke for the silence in the room.

The creases on the bedspread next to her and the empty coffee mugs on the windowsill were the only evidence of him left in the room.

He had gone home without her.

Sitting on the bed, Laiba brought her knees closer to her chest and wrapped a hand around it, resting her chin on them and recalling the feverish dream she had the previous night.

She was an emotional mess.

She remembered feeling overwhelmed by his thoughts that seemed to have taken permanent residence in her mind. She remembered feeling scared of the feelings she seemed to harbour for him. She remembered the epiphany she had in her sleep. The fact that she might be in...

Laiba hugged herself, tighter, afraid to even recall what she had realised in her sleep.

She couldn't be in...

It wasn't...

It can't be...

Laiba shook her head, refusing to even acknowledge it.

She didn't want to address it.

She didn't want to name it.

The infamous word that had left many with a broken heart and a lifetime of scars.

Laiba was in denial.

She didn't want to accept it.

Rather, she convinced herself that it was just an infatuation and perhaps, it would fade away.

Laiba was proved wrong later that day.

"Laibaaa!"

"Laiba! Laiba! Laiba!"

Sarah came out of nowhere, grabbed her shoulders and made a full 360 spin, leaving her a bit dizzy.

"Look what Aariz just ordered for me!" She squealed before thrusting her cell phone in her face, hitting her nose in the process.

"Allah!" Laiba cried, grabbing her nose and rubbing it.

Sarah was least bothered. She hadn't even realised that she had hit her and was jumping nonetheless.

"He ordered me the bag, Laiba! THE LIMITED EDITION HERMES BAG AND IT WILL BE IN MY HAND NEXT WEEK!!!" She was on cloud nine, dancing.

Laiba sobered up from the pain, "What? When?" She had thought he went home in the middle of the night.

Just then, some maids walked past them, carrying what looked like food packages.

"What's all this?" She questioned, confused.

Sarah threw a glance at the maids, "Oh, that! I asked Aariz what he wanted for breakfast and he ordered food for all of us, instead." She apprised her, still engrossed in her phone, "His treat!"

"Wait! What? He's here?" She was shocked.

"Yeah!" She said with a duh.

"Where-" Laiba looked around her, her eyes roaming all over the place, all at once, "Where's he?" She turned back to Sarah.

"He's with Abi in the backyard." She informed.

Laiba was already on her way.

"What's he doing there, with him?" She asked no one in particular as she strode down the hallway and towards the double doors which were left ajar.