UNTAMED PRINCESS

•Chapter 18•

NA'EEM'S POV

I can't remember the last time I missed my morning run till today, and all of my reasons being Sa'adah. When she sleeps, it's not just on her side but all over the bed because right now I have her legs wrapped around mine in her pajama shorts as she uses my chest as a pillow. Her breathing is steady and her face looks peaceful. I couldn't move out of bed even when I woke up for the run, one part of me says it's because I don't want to wake her up and that's why I've been still for an hour and half. The other part of me though? It knows I'm on this bed because I like her on me. I would push her off and Sa'adah wouldn't flinch because of how deep her sleep is, so that first reason doesn't count.

Nadeen spent the night at Elizabeth for the occasional sleepovers she gets with Aubery and after breakfast we'll go pick her up to go home.

Sa'adah stirred a little and I can feel her change in breathing as her eyes flutter open. She lay still probably because of the position she found herself in and knowing I'm fully awake. "Good morning princess" I whisper and her heartbeat changed all over again. "Good morning" she grumbles finally getting up as she tries to untangle her legs. "One time is a mistake, two times? Don't think so" I tease when I remember her telling me that she mistakenly came to my side the first night we spent. "It's too early to give me shit Tafida" she groan running her hand through her shoulder length curls that she kept complaining about yesterday when she woke up. "No one will tease you for liking to cuddle with me" I wink. "You will" She deadpan "I will" I smirk and she sighs getting up from the bed.

"God, I look like a mad woman" she says packing her wild her with the band she left on the vanity table. "You look Okay" I say meaning every word and she turns to glare. "My sisters' hair is like freaking long and straight Tafida, so don't try to feed me lies" she mumbles turning back. "And you still managed to be the most beautiful among them. You're just too hard on yourself" I shrug. "Yeah, says the person that had a beautiful Turkish woman by his side" she bit her lips immediately she said that and I froze. Our eyes clashed through the mirror and she quickly looked away. "I didn't mean to...." She starts. "It's fine" I cut her off.

Nehal is a sore topic and I don't know how I feel that Sa'adah brought her up in the conversation. I know I'll never forget her, but I'm trying not to feel this ache whenever her named is mentioned. The guilt of being with someone other than her gnaws at my heart everyday, I just don't know how to keep it away from resurfacing always.

Sa'adah bolted out of the room immediately into the ensuite and stayed there for so long until I left the room. An hour or so she came out her eyes not being able to look into mine. "Nancy sent breakfast" I announce and she nods gulping as she stares at her thumb probably wanting to scratch it. Knowing my presence is what's getting her nervous, I leave to go and get ready so we could depart after the breakfast.

Sa'adah tried to avoid me throughout the time until it's time to leave the house. Nancy went to the market together with George and said goodbye the previous night so we drove straight to get Nadeen. Immediately we're by the cottage she tried to run out of the car.

"Open the door" She turns to look at me when she finds it closed. "Talk to me" I say ignoring her. "There's nothing to say" she shakes her head. "Okay" I shrug leaning my head on the headrest. "Well, open the damn door Na'eem" she almost grits. "Not until you tell me why you start being strange all of a sudden" I reply. "Don't fuck with me now" she full on grits this time. I turn to glare at her for cussing and she turns away.

"Everyone has recently been talking about her but they're not saying much probably because you don't want it when they talk but I've been so curious and I don't know how to ask and I spoke about her earlier but maybe you haven't noticed you became closed off and......" Sa'adah talks nonstop not even sparing herself a second to breathe so I cut her off. "Listen" I raise her jaw with my index finger and she bite her lip. "Who's her?" I ask because she doesn't need to be scared around me to the extent that she couldn't even mention her name. Sa'adah gulps but didn't say a word so I remove the lip in between her teeth with my thumb. "Talk to me princess" I say again. "Nehal" she whisper and I let her go to let her breathing even.