A Piece Of His Heart

Seven

Eliza

I woke up to the sensation of a throbbing ache in my feet that made me moan out softly as I tossed over onto the other side. My eyes opened, landing on a broad, masculine back and a mop of dark hair. Before I could shriek in horror and panic, last night's event came back to me.

Right. I was married now.

A soft petal brushed my cheek and I smiled, remembering how there were rose petals scattered over the sheets under me. Waleed rolled over onto his back, his arm coming over his eyes with a groan and I realized he must've been hit by the ray of sunshine shining through the gap in the curtains that were on his side.

I pulled my lip between my teeth as I contemplated whether I should wake him up or let him sleep, then decided on the latter as I got out of bed and hobbled over to the en-suite bathroom to freshen up and get ready.

My face heated as I caught sight of the necklace around my neck, still feeling the ghost of his fingers on my neck, and his hot breath over my ear as he had whispered the perfectly innocent words in my ear so deeply that they were barely innocent anymore. I'd never been touched like that before, and I'd liked it, though a small part of me had been scared of the what-ifs.

Finally leaving the bathroom, I crouched down beside my suitcase placed in one corner of the room that I hadn't bothered opening since we wouldn't be staying here for long.

Going through my clothes, I pulled out a plum color shalwar kameez with beige embroidery and an ombré dupatta of the same two colors, and I figured I could wear beige heels for today.

Waleed still slept on, as sound as ever, like he hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in ages. Unable to help myself, I brushed away the loose strands of hair from his eyes that, for once, weren't styled to perfection as I'd always seen them to be. I smiled, pulling the curtain close to keep the sun from bothering him, and tiptoed out of the room and down the stairs. I immediately met Shifa, who was on her phone with her yellow shirt's bow flying behind her.

"Good morning!" She chirped happily and pulled me in for a hug, making me beam at her with the same enthusiasm.

"You need to tell me your skincare routine." She whispered like a top secret as she led me to wherever she said she was.

I had no idea what a solarium was.

My eyebrows creased. "Mein to sirf moun dho leti hun..." My hand lifted on its own accord to touch my face, feeling the pores on the textured skin.

*"I only wash my face..."

Shifa snickered like she didn't believe me but I stared at her with a straight face, trying to get her to believe me.

She sobered up instantly. "You're joking."

I shook my head. "Am not."

"Okay, then how come I use like seven products but still end up with acne?"

I shrugged as she pushed open the door to the solarium that I now figured was a sunroom. "It's in the skin type, I suppose."

"Asalam Alaikum." I greeted Shazia Aunty, sitting beside her on the couch when she motioned for me and set her book down.

"Mama, I'm stealing her from Bhai. Can't he just, like, move back in or something? I want to be around her more." I grinned, liking how well she spoke of me.