Dangerous Liaisons [✗]

𝟎𝟖 | 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 | 𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐘 [PART 2]

IF I HAD ONE BIG FAN, IT WAS MY NIECE. The perceptive and sassy five-year-old had no recourse but to invest all of her love and hope in her one distant aunt, despite our lack of interactions. Nonetheless, I didn't object to the attention she gave me.

I watched her animatedly through my phone screen, as she showed me her collection of stuffed animals, one she had named after me, even. I suppressed the urge to burst into laughter, lips stretched into a wide smile.

"Why don't you help mommy with the cookies, while I chat with Auntie Nomi?"

My brother fondly caressed Irena's head, and my niece looked up at him wide-eyed and agreeable. She had referred to me as Nomi since the very beginning and nobody had rushed to correct her, not that it particularly bothered me. If anything it gave me a sense of normality and made me feel like I was loved, even from afar.

Elyas loved me, but not enough to stay. The only two people who truly adored me were no longer around, and that disturbed me and saddened me more than I cared to quite admit. An emptiness evaded my chest and filled my throat with anger at the sheer reality of having no one to physically be there for me, no matter how much of a front I put up.

Irena trotted away seconds later, her curly hair bouncing, a purple frog underneath her armpit as she called out her mother's nickname and her father told her off.

I would have been scowling over the exceptional functionality of their family dynamics, had it been anyone else. Except, Elyas had always been such a family orientated and friendly man, that never failed to outshine everybody within close proximity.

"Like my new haircut?" Elyas ran his fingers through his hair.

"No. You look like a knock-off Chaiwala." I examined my nails, feigning indigence.

"A tea seller? You classist little shit." Elyas frowned. "Ma didn't raise you to speak to your elders that way."

"Ma's dead." I shrugged nonchalantly, though my throat constricted. "Did you forget that, along with the sister you left behind?"

"You know it's not like that. I told you to come with me. I said you could finish your education here. Live here. You didn't want to. You said you'd rather stay with uncle Alba and even he was neglectful." Elyas started to argue, but I raised a brow and shot him a smile. Because I was genuinely humouring him. Even if the truth stood as clear as day, I wasn't trying to be confrontational.

"Relax, Alba couldn't wait for me to finally turn eighteen and leave for college myself, so he could get back to his duties. I just miss you and I really want to spend time with Irena and Salma. Can't you take off a week from work to make the trip? Or you could send them alone, I promise I will be a very hospitable host and take care of them." I pleaded, hands laced together in front of my heart.