Accepting You

Chapter Fifty Seven

"Don't ask me how I know," Olivia prefaced.

Asiya nodded. She assumed Olivia had discovered whatever she would tell her through one of her clients.

"I don't know what happened at the wedding. But people are talking. They're saying Yusuf and Sarah were found together. Alone. Again, but this time in a locked room."

The Earth skewed off balance, and everything malfunctioned. Earth was no longer rotating; people were moving weirdly, the rhythm of their limbs was off, and their movements looked imbalanced. Or maybe Asiya was the imbalanced one. The one who was wobbling and falling apart.

Gravity stopped working, and Asiya felt herself lift away from her body, and her heart split.

The oxygen in the atmosphere was punched away, and Asiya's insides began to feel cluttered. She was hyperventilating. Her lungs were panicking and drawing and releasing sharper and shorter bursts of air as though they were preparing her to vomit, scream, cry, take in a final breath or do all of those things at the same time.

Asiya could see Olivia's lips moving, but it was like her voice was on a treadmill; it wasn't getting anywhere.

Olivia's voice was too small and was being swallowed by the voices of the other restaurant patrons, and their voices were being devoured by the sound of Earth self-destructing.

"Asiya. Look at me," Olivia demanded as she grabbed Asiya's hand and anchored her back to reality.

Asiya blinked as she regained consciousness. The other patrons were fine and acting oblivious to what was happening. Asiya's body was intact, and those sounds of self-destruction were coming from her. Asiya was sniffing. She sounded like she was choking.

Asiya raised her free hand to her cheek. It was damp. Was she crying?

"I just need a second," Asiya said as tears whispered through her lashes.

Olivia nodded, but her grip stayed firm around Asiya's hand.

"Sorry." Asiya released a frothy laugh. "This is so embarrassing."

"No, it's not. You're okay. You're going to be okay. I've got you," Olivia reassured.

Olivia opened up a menu and propped it across their table, shielding Asiya from stray and nosey eyes.

"Did you say Sarah? Alone? Did you say again?" Asiya coughed out her questions.

Asiya hadn't misheard Olivia, right? Her body wouldn't be reacting without her mind if she had. Olivia had said that it had happened more than once. Sarah and Yusuf had been alone more than once.

Olivia didn't say anything. She kept the menu sturdy and used her free hand to pass Asiya napkins.

Asiya scratched the tissue against her eyes and didn't bother to brush away the crumbs that broke off and clotted together on her face.

Sarah. Sarah. Sarah.

How could that happen? How could it be Sarah? How could all the roads lead back to her?

But of course, it would be Sarah. Sarah was close. Always around. Sarah attended the same events, gatherings and parties. She acted like a trapped ghost in that haunted house. Yusuf's family had shown Asiya that her friend was indispensable; it was like she was a piece of priceless, inherited furniture.

Statistically speaking, people were more likely to be hurt by people they knew. Asiya knew Sarah, so why hadn't she seen her coming?

Sarah was beautiful. Stunning. Yusuf and Sarah had a history, maybe a history where they were more than classmates. Perhaps Asiya should've believed her when she said they had had a courtship. Otherwise, why else would she act so comfortably? Why would they visit each other, and why would Sarah serve him and his mum tea?