A Promise to Aabidah (#1 Natives series) #ProjectNigeria

Book 2: Embraced

#2 Natives of Nasarawa: Embraced.

BLURB

With the return of her sworn enemy comes painful revelations and unchained demons.

Being on the receiving end of a terrible break up and betrayal was not something Fatiha Hassan would have predicted for herself. But life was always full of surprises and at the age of twenty-seven, Fatiha was certain she was done with whatever surprises life still had to offer her. That was until her sworn enemy, Munir Adams becomes the surprise itself!

----

His visit to his hometown wasn't meant to be a long one, but accidents sometimes happen.

"Opposites tends to attract." For as long as he could remember, Munir Adams Madaki had been a hundred... no, a hundred and ten percent sure that there was never going to be any form of civilized relationship with his sister's best friend. But a single moment is all it takes to either aid or ruin a life. Will the one supposedly harmless night they spend together aid or ruin both their lives?

Snippet.

"TROUBLE IN SOYAYYA PARADISE?"

Fatiha was startled to see that Munir Adams was still rooted to his previous position. Had he seen her being turned down? Now he had another thing he could use to degrade her.

"Are you okay?"

The question was irritatingly harmless and devoid of the playful jest that always accompanied his normal tone, yet it spiked Fatiha.

"Why are you here?" she demanded, springing to her feet. "What do you want?! Were you listening in on my conversation?"

Munir's eyes widened a fraction at her tone of voice. He looked shocked but he overcame that instantly. "That was not my intention," he assured her.

Fatiha scoffed. "Yeah, right." She tilted her chin up. "Nothing's ever your intention, but bad things tend to happen regardless if you're there." She accused.

"You can't blame me if your boyfriend -"

"Fiancé!" Fatiha seethed.

Munir pressed his lips together then closed his eyes. Fatiha could measure the heights of his breathing through the rise and fall of his chest. "Alright, fine." He mocked. "You can't blame me if your fiancé stood you up. I was only out here to get some fresh air."

"Fresh air? Right. Like that makes any sense. Couldn't you get that fresh air somewhere else? Don't you know what it means to give someone some privacy? Aren't you old enough to eavesdrop?"

Fatiha watched Munir's face contort into a frown. "This isn't your room." He bit out, his voice strained. It was as if he was trying to tame his anger. "You don't own the streets, princess and I wasn't eavesdropping. If you're looking for privacy why don't you go home and go to your room?"

Called it.

Annoyance spiked her anger towards him but she couldn't deny the fact that he was right. Fatiha settled instead for glaring hot coals at him.

She turned away from Munir and closed her eyes, her hands on her hips as she tried to control her rapid breathing and racing heart.

"Fatiha?" Munir called, taking a tentative step forward. "Are you alright? Is something wrong?"

Fatiha blew out a sigh, then turned to her side. She looked up at him and after a while of deliberating, she answered. "Yes," then added, "and no."

"What is it?"

Fatiha snorted. Like she would tell him anything. She narrowed her eyes then pointed a hennaed finger at him. "You. You're what is wrong. What are you doing here and what's your business sef?" She clucked her tongue and began to walk away from him.

"Hey, wait! Tell me what's wrong and I'll deal with whoever's responsible." Munir called from behind her with a smile in his voice.

"You, Munir Adams," she pointed loathingly at him then to herself, "will listen to me, Fatiha the Fatty who moos like a saniya rant. Did you hit your head on the way here or something?"

It took him a while to answer. "I didn't, and yes, I will."

"And you won't make fun of me or judge?"

His lopsided grin returned. "I make no promises."

Fatiha bit on her bottom lip. This is a bad idea, a voice whispered, don't do it.

She ignored the little warning voice, pondered over the suggestion for a minute then said, "Okay, then."

What had she got to lose anyway?

***