Dare You To Love Me

«27» we were embers

Fou’ad’s exhaustion wasn’t just physical–it weighed on his soul–as he absentmindedly toyed with the bracelet he had gotten for Yaseerah to celebrate her birthday, the silver charms cool against his fingertips.

The memory of finding it in the trash mere hours after he had gifted it to her haunted his thoughts, along with the events of the wedding day, the betrayal etched on her face when she’d found out about his true identity, and the near-tragedy that had unfolded in the dressing room.

Seeing the jewelry box in the bin when he had woken up to an empty house had broken him in more ways than him nearly punching her had done.

He had gone to bed thinking of ways to fix their relationship but seeing it had only solidified the one thought he hadn’t been able to get out of his mind; perhaps, there was no salvaging their relationship.

And it hurt.

It hurt more than he was willing to admit. He had not intended to ruin her joy, yet there he was, regretting every step he had taken, the oppressive silence in the house amplifying his racing thoughts.

Yaseerah hadn’t been able to fully enjoy their wedding because of him. The one day meant to mark the beginning of their life together had turned into a nightmarish ordeal, and he only had himself to blame.

The panic that had set in when he woke up and was unable to find her was an experience he would never wish upon anyone in the world.

The fear of losing her had driven him near the point of madness, as he searched every inch of the house for her, his mind conjuring up worst-case scenarios, until he found the bracelet in the kitchen’s trashcan.

The sound of the passcode inputted, and the security system being reactivated had him tensing and when he turned to face her, he was disheartened to see the lines of exhaustion on her face.

The need to hold her was so intense, it skewered him, but he fought against the urge, clenching his hands into tight fists, knowing that he had to keep his wits about him. He was drowning in regrets, and uncertainties, and if he didn’t put a stop to it, then he knew that he was going to choke on it all.

The rush of protectiveness that surged within him didn’t abate even a bit. But when he thought about how she had disregarded him today, all he could think about was how there may never be a future between them.

She seemed in a daze, her red-rimmed eyes resembling water-logged half stars as unshed tears clung to her thick lashes. And despite it all, she still looked beautiful.

Was this the wrong moment for butterflies to flutter in his stomach?

Every inch of him wanted to go to her, but something was keeping him fixed on the sofa.

“Where have you been?” he asked, exhaustion creeping into his tone as he rubbed at his temple.

Yaseerah blinked at him, her lashes fluttering as she stared at him for a good thirty seconds, like she hadn’t even noticed him.

Releasing a heavy breath when her gaze fell on the bracelet he still held in his grasp, her expression shuttered when her gaze flickered back to him.

“Out.”

“Yaseerah—”

“No! I am not in the mood for this right now,” her voice wobbled, her body stiff and unyielding like she was gearing up for a fight, as he crossed the living room to stand before her.

“It’s 3 am, Yaseerah,” his voice softened. “You left without a word, I was beside myself the whole day, having no idea who to call or where to look. I think I deserve more explanation than that.”