Forgiving You (Dublin Sisters #2)

Chapter 63

The golden crescent of the new moon was peering through the clouds. The stars shone in the darkness. The trees swayed to the rhythm of the wind. The autumn rustic coloured leaves adorned the old pavements of the Celtic streets. Susan stood leaning against the ceiling high window gazing out at the panoramic view of the Dublin city and the splendour it offered.

When only a few guests were left, Susan was surprised to see that Daud had escorted her to the car where they had driven off to his apartment. Since the commencement of their relationship, she had never seen his apartment. This was new and exciting. Although, she was very apprehensive. She had been hesitant that Yousef wasn't joining them but Chloe had reassured that he would be spending the weekend with his grandparents. It almost felt like she was going on a honeymoon.

Almost.

Now, here she stood admiring the view from the living room window, still dressed in her bridal attire. Daud tipped the driver who had dropped them and also carried Susan's luggage to the apartment.

The click of the lock was the indication that they were alone. Perhaps, for the first time since that night, they had spent together. Susan's fingers were fidgeting with the intricate designs of her lahenga, her eyes still wandering ahead of her. A shadow loomed forward. Her heart beat leaped.

He was much taller than her. She as a petite woman of hardly 5'4 height whereas he was nearly a foot taller than her. The raven black attire gleamed his slightly tanned skin. Their eyes met on the window pane when he took a step closer to her. There was a slight limp in his walk now but he carried himself with confidence that it was unnoticed.

"Susan," he breathed.

The fabric of her lahenga slipped from her fingers. Her pulse jumped. His eyes sparkled like sapphires in the night sky. Her head lowered, she slowly turned to face him. Her smoky eyelids rose and her eyes sought his.

"Finally, you are here where you belong." He whispered. His hand found hers. Fingers joining together.

Her lips gradually widened in a smile, "What took you so long?"

He was smirking but her question straightened his face. There was pain across his features. Closing all distances between them, he stepped closer and wound his right arm around the small of her back.

"I was messed up. I needed a good smack on my head to clear it."

She raised her hand and her fingers splayed on his shaven cheek. Her fingers grazing down his jaw feeling the faint roughness, "No you weren't. It just wasn't our time. This was what was decreed by Allah. This is our time now. The time He chose for us."

Her trust in Allah. Her forgiving attitude towards him and her beauty were somersaulting his heart. His fingers tightened on her hand.

Her thumb ran over his lower lip, "Kiss me, Daud."

And he did.

****

Susan walked out of the bathroom dressed in her peach coloured floral silk pajamas. She entered her new bedroom and the image took her breath away. She was really here with him. There, he was perched on the bed slowly unbuttoning his white shirt. Stepping closer, she realized he was having difficulty as he was unbuttoning with just one hand and his injured arm was laying on his side.

"Do you need a hand?" she took the last step closer to him. His knees touching her silk pajama-clad legs.

He looked up, he was about to refuse but she grabbed the edges of his shirt. He smirked, "You plan to strip me?"