Dare You To Love Me

«39» a moment eternal

The heat of Fou’ad’s body enveloped Yaseerah from behind as he rested his chin on her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her waist.

“Albi.” His lips lifted into a fond smile, when she automatically leaned back into his embrace. “She’s all yours, and she isn’t going anywhere,” he whispered into her ear.

“How did you know that’s what I was thinking?”

“Let’s just say I’m now a Yaseerah whisperer,” he chuckled, the sound sending warm tingles across her body.

“Is that so?” she chuckled wryly, thinking about all the things he was yet to know about her.

Despite the intimacy they shared, there were still parts of her life she had kept hidden from him. Not because she was scared but because despite how easy it was becoming to open up to him, there were still some things she couldn’t openly discuss with him.

“I’ve lost you, haven’t I?” Fou’ad’s breath tickled her neck, despite the veil she had on, as he sighed heavily, his arm tightening slightly against her waist.

“What?”

Deep frown lines made an appearance across her forehead, as she turned in his arms.

“You went still,” he explained, the twinkle in his eyes dimming slightly. “You always do that when you’re deep in your thoughts.”

Yaseerah blinked at him, the strength of his arms around her grounding her in the moment, as her lips parted slightly on an exhale.

“I was thinking about what sort of good deeds I’ve done in my life for Allah to bless me with you,” she uttered easily, once she had overcome the shock of his words.

Fou’ad tightened his embrace against her, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to the top of her head. “I am the one who has been blessed to have you in my life, Albi.”

Yaseerah tilted her head up, her eyes searching his, wanting to etch this moment into her memory forever. “You truly believe that?” she whispered in a low, raw tone.

Fou’ad’s gaze softened, the twinkle in his eyes brightening, as he spoke sincerely. “I do, with all of my heart. You’ve brought happiness into my life in ways I never imagined possible. I cherish every moment with you, Albi.”

Her heart swelled with emotion, and she felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She reached up, gently cupping his cheek, her touch tender and loving. “I cherish you too, Azizem, more than you’ll ever know. You’ve brought so much light into my life, and shown me a kind of love I never knew existed.”

Fou’ad leaned into her touch, his gaze softening even more, as his lips curved into a smile that made the butterflies in her stomach flutter even more. “You deserve nothing less, Albi.”

“You know,” she began softly, her eyelids fluttering close, as she whispered a secret she had kept close to her heart for years. “I never dated to imagine that I could have a love like this. A love that is pure, and deep, and unconditional. But a part of me always dreamt about it, on days that were too hard to survive.”

Fou’ad’s expression was one of pure adoration, even as his heart twinged with the implied violence she had suffered at the hands of her father. “And now that you have it, Albi, what do you think? Is it everything you dreamt it would be?”

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips, her heart overflowing with love for this man standing in front of her, as she blinked open her eyes. “Now that I have it, I know that it’s the most beautiful thing in the world. It’s nothing like I thought it would be. It’s more, it’s better. And I thank Allah every day for bringing you into my life.”