𝐴 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑤 𝐴𝑡 𝐿𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝐴𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛

𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑛

'sometimes distance will show you the value
of a person'.
~anonymous.

Rahma felt betrayed plus a wave of déjà vu as she glared at her screen and waited for Dawud to come get her from the airport again. Kudos to her always busy at the wrong time brother.

Her phone rang and she saw Dawud's name. Someone she hadn't seen or spoken to after his message to her eight months ago. Simple but hard words.

"I thought you could atleast have the courtesy of telling me you were leaving. Doesn't matter though, be safe".

She had felt really bad but couldn't bring herself to type a reply, what would she even say? Apologize? No they weren't in that stage.

She answered the call before it rang out and placed the phone to her ear.

"Where are you?". His deep voice filled her ears and she hated the fact that it affected her. Or she liked it a little.

"Uh, I'm outside?". She looked around.

"I see you". He hung up and she rolled her eyes. Typical him and sudais to hang up on someone when they were done saying what they wanted to.

She stood up from where she was seated in time to see him coming towards her.

He was growing a beard. That was the first thing she noticed about him. It was well trimmed, so he probably had it for a while. His body didn't exactly look different and he was also in his uniform.

He stopped before her and she stopped herself from swallowing him with her eyes.

"Good afternoon". She greeted quietly as he took hold of the handle of her suitcases.

He turned and started walking away and she sighed. Ofcourse he was still angry? She wasn't sure what to call how he felt, because she wasn't really sure if his message relayed hurt or anger. She planned on how to tell sudais that she didn't appreciate him putting her in this awkward and uncomfortable situation.

Dawud put her things in the back of his g-wagon, he was back to driving it. She noticed. He rounded the car and she went into the passenger side too.

"Seatbelt". He said and she pulled the black belt over herself and he started moving afterwards.

She felt suffocated by his scent, from him and his car. She felt suffocated by his presence-- in a good way. And just like last time, she rolled down her window to let the fresh air in. He turned off the AC and brought his window down too.

"How was your flight?". He asked and she looked at him, shocked that he asked.

"It was fine Alhamdulillah". He nodded and she turned back to her front.

"We're going back to the HQ". He spoke again and she wondered if he was really the dawud she left, because she knew the one she knew will just take her where he felt like.

"Okay?". It was quiet after that, except the sound of the wind, the cars, and Dawud's fingers that were tapping on the steering wheel and the center console.

Rahma watched soldiers by the first gates salute to them, also the ones at the second gate.

"Wait here". He told her and she wanted to tell him she wouldn't have gotten down if he didn't tell her to but she chose not to. They still weren't cozy.

She watched him walk away into the building and after he disappeared, she watched the army officers go to and fro.

She sat up when she saw her brother and friend walking towards the car. She opened her door and got down and even though she was annoyed with him she rushed to him and pulled him in for a hug, he took a second to agree that his sister didn't change after eight months of being away then he placed his hands on her back.