Unexpected Promises

Chapter 68 ✓

Atifa's pov:

"Can I ask you something?" Exhaling loudly and forcing my fingers to stop fidgeting, I tilted my head to have a good look at him.

"Yeah?" With his brows furrowed, he typed something away on his laptop.

"I was just wondering- you don't have to tell me if you don't want to-"

"Atifa." Dropping his frown, he turned his full attention to me as his hazel orbs glinted with concern. "What is it?"

"You are going to stay here, right?" Moving my gaze back to my hands, I whispered quietly.

"Yes." His voice was unwavering.

"No like, for how long?..." Shaking my head, I looked up at him once again.

"For as long as you want." Raising his brow, he mused as his lips curved up slightly.

"Oh… Won't your mo- family have any problem?" I wasn't worried about anyone except his mother. But I couldn't ask him that directly, afraid that I might offend him.

"Don't worry about it. They won't have any problem In Sha Allah." Smiling slightly, he assured me before turning his attention back to his work.

(If God wills.)

"In Sha Allah." I hadn't realised until then that I was staring at him, and I was desperately hoping that he hadn't noticed it. "But what about your work?"

"I will see what we can do."

Humming in response, I looked away once again, also feeling guilty that he was going to stay here because of us.

"I was wondering if you would want to move back to Suva, to your old home."

"Yes, I wanted to move back. But I haven't thought about it in a while. So I don't know…" It was true. Since the time we moved here, I wanted us to move back. Living here wasn't the same as living there. That place was so familiar to us, the neighborhood and everything. But I wasn't sure about it anymore. Not just because of a single reason but because moving back there felt empty now. It also reminded me of Emaan. And I- I didn't know if I was ready to face that reality so closely yet.

"Ask ammi and Amira about it. Maybe ammi would feel better there."

"Maybe. But I- I don't know… We have a lot of memories attached to that place, and I- I can't- not all of them are pleasant ones…" Exhaling loudly, I finally uttered. "Especially not for ammi…" 'And I don't think I'm ready to go back there anymore.' But I wasn't ready to be that vulnerable in front of him again.

"But a lot of them are. And hopefully, she would have forgotten her bad memories by now. I mean-"

As soon as he glanced up at me, I looked away, not wanting to show him my moist orbs. "I know what you mean, but I'm just... scared… for her..."

._._._.

"I told you I will bring dinner on the way back home. What are you doing in the kitchen then?" His unpleasant voice inquired as he entered the kitchen.

"I just wanted to have some coffee. Would you like to have some too? I whisked some extra just in case." Shrugging my left shoulder, I mixed the coffee in my cup.

"Couldn't you have asked me then?" He frowned.

"You were talking to your parents and I didn't want to disturb you… And anyways, it was just coffee, nothing else." Holding my cup, I made my way to the attached dining area.

"Still! And this reminds me, mama and baba wanted to talk to you. I told them I'll call them back after dinner."

"Oh… Are- are you sure about it? I mean after whatever happened-"