15 Chapter 15

"Who is that prick?" I bark into the phone, fury overtaking my worry from earlier.

Hatim chuckles down the line, his car parked a few houses down from Haya's. "Looks like she was hungry and ordered some food. She really took that 'don't open the door for anyone' speech seriously," he mocks, and I hear Sehriyar laugh too through the phone.

I close my eyes on a defeated sigh. The phone's in my hand in a crushing grip, pressed against my ear. I really should calm down before I smash my very expensive phone against some wall or something.

"Stay in the car. I'll go and talk some sense into her," I mutter and end the call.

"Have fun," Sheru teases me as I yank open the car door. Haya cannot see me because the night is dark, shocker, and because she's too busy in laughing and chit chatting her worries away with that boy.

She's standing in the doorway as if she's the safest person on earth at the moment.

I feel like she's cheating on me.

She's not even mine.

Yet.

Not bothering with a reply to my very amused friend, I slam the door shut and ball my hands into fists, my fingers aching with the urge to throw a punch at that boy who's making Haya laugh.

Jealous.

That's it.

I'm jealous of that boy.

Keeping my fake calm, I jog towards her house and then fall into a march when I am noticeable and just as expected, her eyes snap to me and all the laughter leaves her body and a frown takes over her cute face.

That's right.

She. Should. Have. Listened. To. Me.

I stand just behind the guy with my arms folded over my chest, listening to whatever he is rambling.

"—and then Mrs. Finch threw the box of pizza back at me!" he doubles over with laughter, putting a hand to his stomach as if the contents would just explode out.

"Oh, she really did that?"

The guy lets out a startled scream, spinning around with a horrified look on his face. He's clutching to his shirt with dear life, and although it's pretty dark and I only see his silhouette due to the light streaming from Haya's house, I can tell pretty much how much of a chicken he is.

"My bad, didn't mean to scare you like that," I grin. That's exactly what I intended to do. And Haya knows it too, because she's giving me those 'I'm very disappointed in you' eyes.

Seriously? Me? I should be giving her a big lecture right now! How dare she make me look like the bad guy here?

I nod my head over my shoulder. "Leave."

I don't leave Haya's eyes. She's not backing away either. Does she get how mad I am with her?

The prick scoffs. "Whoever you are, you cannot order someone on their own property to leave—"

"I'm talking to you, you idiot," I look away from Haya only to give the dumb man some more hints before he becomes my punching bag.

"What—"

"I still have to pay him," Haya blurts suddenly, as is she had forgotten that earlier. She begins to turn around when I stop her.

Sliding my hand into my jacket pocket, I take my wallet out and ask the guy, "How much?"

"Aarib you're not paying—"

I silence her with my eyes.

She rolls her eyes but listens to me. Very unlike her.

"Twenty dollars."

I grab thirty, take his hand and slap the money onto it.

He all but sprints away.

And that leaves us alone.

Haya's temper unleashes like a storm. "What the heck?! Why did you have to be so rude to him! UGHHH! I just don't get why you have to be so bossy. Seriously, he was such a nice guy—"

"Are you done?"

She sucks in a sharp breath, blowing out through her mouth. "You're impossible."

"I've heard worse."

A staring contest begins between us. Neither of us are backing away any time soon. To my utter shock, Haya rolls her eyes after a minute or two of us gazing at each other, and I almost grin in victory.

Almost.

But not quite.

"Look, Aarib, I am safe in my house—"

"How am I going to keep you safe when you cannot even listen to one thing that I say," I counter back. My breath hitches. "I told you to lock the doors," she begins to protest but I continue nonetheless. "And not only did you not lock the doors with yourself inside, you open the door wide for a stranger and have the longest possible conversations with him."

I've rendered her speechless.

Not me, but something on me.

Her eyes widen as they take in the gun tuck in my jeans, peeking through the jacket. Okay, she wasn't supposed to see that. A strong emotion crosses her eyes when she raises them to look at my face. I see fear in them. Like she's drowning in it. But she isn't scared of me. She knows I would never hurt her. Not intentionally.

She knows she is safe with me.

"Why do you have that with you?" she whispers softly.

"Because I can't take risks."

She again sucks in a sharp breath.

"Because. . ." yes! You can say it! Say it Aarib! Don't be such a douche. "Because you matter to me."

She kinds of stops breathing now.

"Because the thought of losing you knocks all the breath out of me."

"My brother wouldn't kill me," I say out of nowhere. "Hurt me? Yes, that he will do with pleasure and take his time doing it." I stare at her, the curve of her lips, the slight tint to her cheeks due to the wind, the way she's listening to me as if I am all that matters. . . "But he won't think twice before. . ."

I cannot finish that sentence.

She seems to understand and bobs her head up and down. I wish she'd also listen to me and implement what I say instead of just nodding and agreeing with me.

I'd really love that.

Her tongue darts out and swipes across her bottom lip. "I didn't notice your car when you pulled up," she frowns, stepping forward to get a closer look at my car that blends well in the night. "You didn't come alone?"

Ah, so she's seen Sheru.

"Nope," I say, popping the p. "And now that we've touched this subject, there���s something I have to tell you."

She doesn't look eager to know.

"You're going to have bodyguards from now on."

She scoffs. "Shhuureee." And then laughs as if I told a million dollar joke.

"Is something funny?"

"You're joking, right?" Her eyes dart to my left again, trying really hard to see who's in the car. "You can't be serious!"

"Haya," I get rid of any amusement in my tone and get serious for real. "This isn't a damn movie, don't you get it? I gave you a very easy option to get out of all this mess. You just have to marry me, and nobody gets hurt. You wouldn't get hurt. In our family when the boss's son gets married, nobody else, and I mean it, not even the other siblings can lay a hand on his wife without permission."

"Aarib?"

"Mhmm?"

"Why do you really want to marry me?"

Her question throws me off guard.

Yeah Aarib, why the heck do you want to marry her? Or anyone for that matter.

I'm definitely not husband material. Don't get me wrong, I would love to get settled and have kids when I turn like, thirty. Not now. I never once thought of getting married at this young age. Part of me knows marrying her isn't just because she has a threat from my family. I don't think too much about what that small part tells me. I knew I was going to be in trouble when that day she sat with me at the pizza restaurant because her friends were ignoring her. I wanted to beat the crap out of that dude names Will but decided otherwise.

And then I had offered her a ride home that day.

I never do that.

I never offer rides to girls.

This girl standing in front of me, who's so adorable, so pretty, so amazing, is doing something to me and honestly, it's scaring me.

Scaring. The. Crap. Out. Of. Me.

"Go inside, Haya. And, please, listen to what I say," I plead softly. Maybe she will listen to the nice side of me, if not the angry one.

She nods absentmindedly, lost in her own world. I don't think she realizes that she's agreeing with me.

"Hey, where'd you go?" I tilt my head and inspect her like a report.

"Nowhere," her reply is sudden. "I'll try to do as you say. You can go home now. My family will be here any minute now." She's standing inside her house now, clutching the door handle. She almost closes the door but then stops. Peers at me. "I'd listen to you. Because I can't take risks," she repeats my statement in the softest possible voice that throws a punch to my chest.

I'm so screwed.

I'm. So. Screwed.

"Good girl," I smile.

"Because I care about you, is why I will listen. Because the thought of losing you knocks all the oxygen out of me."

I'm gaping at her. Did she just admit. . .that she has mutual feelings for me? Is this some sick dream? Because I will be very, very disappointed if all of this is a dream and I wake up to an aching heart.

Someone pinch me.

"Don't think there is any other reason why I am being so cooperative," she warns, but I know she's trying to convince herself more than she wants me to buy this lie.

I'm not buying your lies, Haya. I know what you feel. "Yes, of course. Because what other reason could there be, right?" I challenge back.

She frowns. "Are you trying to trick me into something?"

"What? Absolutely," I feign innocence. "Not."

She rolls her beautiful eyes.

I grin in victory.

"I'll see you, then," she mumbles and closes the door with a soft click.