ACCIDENTALLY MET AN ARAB PRINCE

Chapter 22 | Fear

Iman's POV

"Step out of the way, Iman!" Zane grabbed a hold of my waist and placed me behind him but I didn't accept this and placed my hands on his arms and said, 

"No, Zane, don't do this!"

He ignored me as he usually does and looked back at Munir. 

"We can calmly settle this. You don't have to do this." Zane calmly told him. 

Munir shook his head and responded, "We're already past the calm manner stage. All that is left is for you to pay the price!"

At that moment, the trigger was pulled and it almost was like time froze as I gripped Zane tighter and felt his body flinch backward onto my chest, losing his balance and soon enough, I lost my own. 

Everyone's screaming and panic were all muted at that moment and my eyes couldn't believe what just happened. In my hands lay the man I had almost called a husband, strengthless. I watched him look down at his wound and that was what I wasn't able to get my eyes to avert from. 

In disbelief, he moved his hand away from the wound to discover his blood, staining the ring he had on his finger. The ring that sealed this whole commitment. But all was destroyed, as he wasn't able to utter a word. 

"ZANE!"

Tears streamed harder than before and I kept wiping them away because I didn't want my vision blurred. I needed to see and make sure he was going to be ok. His body lay there, barely able to move.

I grabbed my veil in a rush and took it out of my hijab. After figuring out he was shot in his lower abdomen, I covered the area and pressed hard to prevent him from losing any more blood. 

"Stay with me, please! Zane!" I begged him as I watched his eyes slowly start to fade. 

"Iman..."

"Yes? I'm right here." I sniffled as I grabbed his hands and brought it close to my face, trying to warm them up. They felt colder than I was used to them when he would grab my hands and kiss the palm. But, this time, I wasn't going to let him go. Not when he needed me the most.

"Stop crying." He coughed.

"You IDIOT, how can I not cry when you're hurting?" I sobbed.

That's when I felt movement from his hands and he was wiping my tears away. 

"Stop moving, you're only hurting yourself even more." I scolded him. 

"As long....as long as you're with me.....pain doesn't exist.." He barely replied but his response just made me rest myself on his chest and sob silently. 

"Iman...I'll be fine." He said.

I felt his arm snake itself around my waist and I embraced him tightly, almost like he would disappear if my grip was soft. I started to feel the heat of the warm blood that my dress absorbed from coming into contact with his wound. Despite, that, I didn't move an inch and continued to hold him in my arms. 

But, Zane suddenly started coughing which prompted me to get back up and look at him. He was a mess. His hair fell, covering his forehead and the tone of his skin wasn't the same. He was pale. 

"Zane, stay with me, Zane!" I begged

Observing him made my fear grow deeper inside. His eyes were slowly starting to fade away and I started to panic. Everything felt like it was turning upside down. A day that I thought would be my happiest had now turned into the worst. 

I was only able to see him. I was only able to focus on him. I didn't even realize the paramedics had arrived and I watched them carry him away. The moment his hands were forced out of mine, my world felt like it was crumbling, piece by piece.