No Looking Back

Chapter 18

Faiz's POV:

I had to offer. When her father told us about our arranged marriage, and the consequences that would come if we both didn't agree to them, it very clearly broke her.

And I care for her.

I knew exactly how hard she had worked to get as prepared as she could for her father's position.

So of course I had to do what I did. Sure, I would be forced to stay in a strictly professional, maybe even friendly, relationship.

But if it gets her the position she's always wanted, if she's happy, I would be ok with that.

Intimacy isn't the only thing that's important to me when it comes to thinking about the idea of marriage. I also thought about how much more peaceful things would be if I had a partner to lean on. Someone that I could show that I cared for them. Someone that I could talk to, have a more personal relationship with.

I did want kids one day, but I would tolerate not having kids if it meant that Layla was happy.

Now it was all up to Layla, how she wanted to proceed. She could marry me, get her company, and be rest assured that I wouldn't be intimate with her if that's what she wanted.

Or she could just not marry me, not get her company, but marry a guy of her choice.

Why wouldn't she marry me? Did I ever do something to her? Is it because she's being arranged to marry me? Or maybe because we've been raised together, maybe she just sees me as her older brother?

I shake my head of these thoughts. It's been a week. One whole damn week. The woman isn't around, and even then she's driving me mad.

Last week, when we went for the small outing to some mall, she wouldn't even look at me, completely focused on Reyna and Yusuf. 

I need to get up and do something.

My phone vibrates just then, and I contemplate if I should pick up my phone and be disappointed for the hundredth time.

For the past week, any time my phone made a noise, I had picked it up immediately, thinking it was Layla with her answer.

I could either ignore it, pray Maghrib, and then check my phone. Or, I could check my phone now and get the suspense over with.

I decide to pick it up. I feel my eyes widen when I see who the text is from.

Layla. She finally texted me.

6:09 Laylee: i've been thinking...

6:10 Laylee: oh look, you're active. and you've seen that. that was quicker than i thought it would take you.

6:11 Me: Yeah, well, when you give a girl the choice to marry you, you would probably be anxious to see her answer, too.

6:12 Laylee: right, sorry about that.

That's all? She's not going to tell me her answer?

6:13 Me: So, your answer?

Dots appear. Then disappear. Then appear again.

Then disappear.

No answer.

Unbelievable.

She's got me waiting for a week, finally texts, and doesn't give me the answer.

Just when I'm about to put my phone down, she calls.

"Hello?" she says, her voice filling my ear as soon as I pick up.