Beneath Guarded Hearts - 24

Previously...

Sul6an

He was silent. He looked like a corpse. Maybe I shouldn't have blurted it out. Bas ma kan ynchub!

Me: "3bood? 3bdulla?"

After what seemed ages, he whispered something under his breath.

3bdulla: "He's... Engaged... To ASMA?!"

___________

Asma

I woke up mn el ma6abat el hwa2eya, and suddenly I heard the hostess announcing that we were landing in 20 minutes. I quickly took out my make-up bag from shn6aty and rushed to the bathroom 3shan a3adel shakly. I happen to move a lot when I sleep, depending on my dream, and I always looked like a mess when I woke up!

Wgaft atraya jdam el 7mam, scratching my eyes, careful not to smudge my eyeliner.

            When I opened my eyes, I saw him standing in front of me.

He froze in mid-movement, his body half in and half out of the bathroom. His breathing was heavy for some reason, and there was something different in his eyes that I couldn't recognize as their color shifted.

Me: "3bdulla? What's wrong?"

If he were a dragon, he would have fire roaring out of his nose. His expression frightened me, and I didn't recognize the new 3bdulla I was seeing in front of me. I caught my breath and took a step back, afraid that he might do something. As soon as he saw the fear in my eyes, he quickly fixed his composure, lowered his head, muttered something and dashed past me. His shoulder brushed my arms lightly and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise as goose bumps formed on my arms.

What was that about?

I was really worried about him. After fixing my make-up and making last touch ups, I went to 9ul6an to ask him for a favor. And you can probably guess what it was.

Me: "Sul6an?"

9ul6oon: "Ahlan asamy, sh7alch? How did you sleep? Did 3bdulla bother you?"

Me: "Hhhhh, looool 5alny ajaweb gabl ma tibda el s2al el thani! Actually now that you've mentioned him, I wanted to ask you something..."

He raised his brows as he waited for me to continue.

Me: "I just saw him a couple minutes ago and he seemed... different. Something's wrong with him. Can you please check if-"

He gave out an immense sigh.

9ul6oon: "I'll tell you about it at the hotel, where not everyone can hear or see us. Mb wagteh asma go back to your seat okaay?"

What? He knew? Why can’t he tell me! Wait until the hotel? But who knows how long it will be before we reach! Did I do something? Why did 3bdulla seem angry yet... I don't know! There was something that I couldn't exactly point my finger at.

Me: "But... But he-"

9ul6oon: "Asma. Rdy mkanch. I said I'd tell you later."

There was a warning flare in his eyes as he looked directly into mine.

Me: "Uffff inzaain..."

Uggh 5alh yzig, ana roo7y bas2ala! Walla lazm ytzagag a7eena? This is important to me!

Hostess: "Excuse me miss, you're gonna have to take your seat we're about to land."

Uffffffffffffff.

Me: "Ok ok thank you."

Damn it sho haa!!

When the coast was clear, I unfastened my seat belt and approached him.

He sensed someone coming to him, and he looked up. He expression seemed... miserable. Angry. Sad. Torn. Everything blended into something I didn’t recognize. I wanted to cry just looking at him. I wanted to find out what bothered him, wanted to just hug him and tell him that everything will be all right.

I squared my shoulders and took another step. I had to be strong if I were to find out.

Me: "3bdulla?"

3bdulla: "Ha?"

I was taken aback by his lack of reaction. He seemed… uninterested. Indifferent. Lazy, even! But his eyes… they told me something completely diverse.

Me: "Are you okay?"

I asked with deep concern. His eyes suddenly showed vague traces of moisture and he tore his gaze from me. Was he crying? :o When I looked again, I saw that I was wrong.

He wasn't crying.

His eyes were gleaming with bright, fresh fury.

Maybe I should have waited for Sul6an to tell me. But now it was too late. I braced myself for the worst, not knowing what to expect from this new person who took over 3bdulla's body.

To be continued…