When Love Lasts.

IX

"I should be the one asking you that? Can I help you?"

She scoffs "Is that supposed to be a joke?"
"It doesn't look like I'm laughing, am I?" I ask.
It pisses me off that this woman is trying so hard to steal my man, mine.

She might be my superior at work but not here, here I'm the woman of the house.

"Where is Akbar?"
"Why are you asking?" I ask crossing my arms.

She looks at me in disbelief "That's how you talk to your boss?"
"We're not at work Hanifa, so if you have nothing else to say, can you please take your two left legs and leave?"

"And why would I do that? This isn't your house, why are you trying to take a spot that's already taken?"

I scoff.
So the spot is hers.

"So the spot is yours?"
She tilts her head looking at me like I am crazy "You're really delusional"

I was getting annoyed and irritated.
I don't want the conversation to go on any longer, the last thing I want is for Akbar to come see her. I know he'd let her in.

She huffs "Akbar doesn't know what his kindness has gotten him into this time. But just so you know, you'll never ever be a woman to him"

I smile "And I'd love nothing more than to prove you wrong, get out"

I could tell she felt humiliated and I loved it.
With him now, I don't care if I lose my job. I really don't.

She smiles and turns around.
I need to talk to that guard, he shouldn't be letting just anyone inside the house, what if they have ulterior motives?

::

Noor's POV.

For some reason after seeing Akbar I'm more at ease with Ya Safina's situation, although there're still doubts about him.

So I called Massey, my boyfriend/Sugar Daddy.
Apparently it's the name his friends called him when he was in school and somehow at his age he still likes the name.

I don't complain, as long as I get what I worked hard for.

Safina and I are always hiding things from Nura because we know him, he's stubborn, impulsive and hot tempered. She didn't tell him about staying with Akbar because she knows he'd go crazy.

I huff.
"What are you thinking about?"

I raise my head and see Awwal hovering over me. He's my best friend and also the guy I lied to Ya Safina that I was dating, she thinks the gifts and everything are from him when they're actually from Massey.

"Nothing much. Just the usual"
He huffs "If this thing worries you so much then why do you do it?"

He always tries to get me to end my relationship with Massey and we fight each and every time but he still does it anyway.

"Because I need money, we do"
"Is your sister complaining about money now? Isn't she happy?"

"Not for long. She can't keep depending on a man she barely knows. Being completely honest I'm not sure their relationship would last. Which guy would ever take a girl serious when they have lived together? I'm scared that he's just trying to use and dump her"

"So what? What are you going to do? Ask your boyfriend for a house? You know she'd never believe that I could have given you something like that, you and I both know that"

I huff as tears start to blur my vision.
"I just want to make us comfortable"

He clasps my hand "The best way to save yourself from this shame is to marry that man"
I gasp.

"You said you loved him, or was that a lie?"
I shake my head.
It was definitely a lie.

"So—alot of old men marry young women and that's okay now. Yes, people will judge you but at least you ended up marrying the man your fornicated with. That way, the help you'll give your siblings will be more. So if you know you're not going to marry him or he's not interested in marrying you, just leave. Stop all this while you still can. At least it's just been one man, it's not to late to fix things"

I huff "And then what? I have an apartment here, one that's very expensive and nice. I like it there and I don't want to leave"

He nods.
"Then stop being a hypocrite"

I raise my eyebrows confused "Excuse me?"
He nods "Yes. That's what you are. You keep saying you're doing this for your siblings but that's not the case. You do it for yourself but you say it's for your siblings to justify it. But you're hurting yourself more than anyone and only you will be ruined" he huffs getting to his feet "So I urge you to please stop using my name and face to fuel your lies, I'm done with it".

He walks away.

::

Akbar's POV.

On my way out of the office Hanifa asked if I could help drop her home as she wasn't feeling well enough to drive so we're on our way to her place.

"Are you sure you won't go to the hospital?"
She smiles "It's 6pm"

"So?" I shrug "There are still doctors in the hospital"
"I think I'm just tired, that's probably why".

"Really? How're the kids doing?"
She smiles "It's been difficult especially because my in-laws believe they should be with their father, that I'm not an embodiment of a good mother".

"But you love them and you're always skipping work to spend time with them—I would know, I always end up doing your work" I joke.

She chuckles "Yeah and I'm grateful for that"
I smile.

"Anyway—you didn't tell me that cook is at your place"
"Yeah, it just sort of happened. She needed help and she doesn't have anyone so I did what I could ".

"You know how things are, what if people misunderstood or even your new family"
"There's nothing going on between us and she knows"

"Which she exactly?"
I huff "There's really nothing, I just helped a friend and that was it. But how did you know?"

He takes a deep breath "I came by last week Saturday to see you of course but she kicked me out"
"What?" I ask perplexed.

"Exactly what you heard. She wouldn't let me see you"
"Why didn't you call?"

She rolls her eyes "Really? Of course I tried that before your guard opened the gate for me but you wouldn't pick up"
I groan "I left my phone in my bedroom so as not to get distracted"

"Akbar I think that girl has feelings for you".
I shake my head "I doubt it, maybe she's just worried about what people would think if they see you at my place and I told you not to show up there anymore"

She huffs "Yeah you did and I didn't listen, it's nothing new but that girl really likes you, I think she thinks the house is hers too which will be a problem soon, you more than anyone knows that"

I nod trying to avoid an argument "I'll think about it"
"No, do something about it. Kick her out"

"I'm not kicking her out. She has no where else to go and she's a woman, it's not safe"
She huffs again "You're not listening, that's your problem you never ever listen to me"

I nod.
"I do, just not when you're not making any sense. Come on, Safina knows I'm married".

"Does she? And last time are checked you can marry up to four wives, so it can't be ruled out"

I nod.
"Fine"
"Fine what? What happens when Hameedah comes back to meet a stranger in her house?"

"Hameedah isn't done yet, she's still rounding up and I'll figure something out and she knows about Safina staying with me, she's not happy about it but she's accepted it because she trusts that there's nothing between us but you, you can't be involved"

She groans annoyed.

::