Eternity

Chapter 48

As-salamu alaikum wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu

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Ayzal's eyes fluttered open, her gaze meeting the soft morning light that gently streamed through the curtains. For a moment, she was disoriented, her mind still clouded with the remnants of sleep. The warmth that enveloped her felt foreign yet comforting. Slowly, her vision focused, and she realized she was not alone. Zayan's arms were securely wrapped around her, his body pressed against hers, sharing his warmth. Relief washed over her, so profound that it almost made her want to cry. He was here. He hadn’t left her.

Ayzal shifted slightly, and she felt Zayan's grip on her tighten. She turned her head to look at him, expecting him to still be asleep. But to her surprise, his eyes were open, gazing at her with an intensity that took her breath away. There was something different in his expression—a softness, a vulnerability that she hadn’t seen before. His usually guarded eyes held a mixture of emotions, and for a brief moment, Ayzal felt as if she could see straight into his soul.

"You are awake," Zayan said quietly, his voice rough with sleep.

"Yes," she whispered, her voice barely audible.

For a few moments, they just looked at each other, the silence between them heavy with unspoken words. Ayzal felt a nervous flutter in her chest, unsure of what to say, unsure of what he was thinking. She had so many questions, so many things she wanted to ask him, but the words seemed to stick in her throat.

"Did you sleep well?" Zayan asked, his thumb gently brushing against her back in a soothing motion.

Ayzal nodded slowly, though she wasn’t sure if it was true. Her sleep had been filled with restless dreams and lingering doubts, but waking up in his arms had brought a sense of peace that she hadn’t expected. "Better than I have in a while," she admitted, her voice trembling slightly.

Zayan's gaze softened, and he shifted slightly, propping himself up on one elbow so he could look down at her more fully. "Good," he murmured, his tone unreadable. "You deserve some peace."

His words, though simple, carried a weight that made Ayzal's heart ache. There was something in the way he said it that made her feel as though he was trying to convey something deeper, something he wasn’t quite ready to say out loud.

"Zayan…" Ayzal began, her voice hesitant. She needed to know what he was thinking, what this meant for them. "Last night…"

Zayan’s eyes darkened slightly, a flash of something unreadable passing through them. He lowered his gaze, as if collecting his thoughts, before he looked back at her. "Last night was… something we both needed," he said carefully, his voice low. "But I know it doesn’t fix everything."

Ayzal’s heart clenched at his words. She knew he was right. Last night had been intense, emotional, but it hadn’t erased the pain, the anger, and the misunderstandings that had built up between them over time. But still, she couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of hope, a small spark that maybe, just maybe, things could change.

"I don’t know where we go from here," Zayan continued, his voice filled with a rare honesty that caught Ayzal off guard. "But I want to try, Ayzal. I don’t want to keep hurting you."

His admission hung in the air between them, and Ayzal felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. This was the Zayan she had always hoped to see—the man who cared, who wanted to make things right, even if he didn’t know how. It was a side of him she had seen so rarely, and it made her heart ache with a mixture of longing and sadness.

"I don’t want to keep hurting either of us," Ayzal whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "I just… I need to know that I matter, Zayan. That you care about me too, not just… not just because of the situation we are in."

Zayan’s eyes widened slightly, a look of surprise crossing his features. He reached out, cupping her face gently in his hand, his thumb brushing away a tear that had escaped down her cheek. "Ayzal," he said softly, his voice filled with sincerity. "I care about you. I know I have made mistakes, that I have been cold and distant. But I don’t want to lose you. Not because of my own shortcomings."

Ayzal closed her eyes, leaning into his touch. His words were like a balm to her wounded heart, and she could feel the walls she had built around herself starting to crumble. She had spent so long being angry, so long feeling rejected and unwanted, that hearing Zayan’s admission felt almost surreal.

"I don’t know if I can just forget everything, Zayan," Ayzal said quietly, her voice thick with emotion. "But I want to try too. I want us to be… more than just two people stuck in a situation."

Zayan’s hand slid from her face to the back of her head, his fingers tangling in her hair as he leaned down, pressing his forehead against hers. "We will take it one step at a time," he murmured, his breath warm against her lips. "We will figure this out together, Ayzal. I am not going anywhere."

The sincerity in his voice, the way he looked at her with such earnestness, made Ayzal believe him. It was as if they were standing on the edge of something new, something fragile but full of potential. She didn’t know what the future held, but for the first time in a long while, she felt a spark of hope.

"Okay," she whispered, her voice barely audible as she closed the small distance between them, her lips brushing against his in a tentative kiss. Zayan responded immediately, his grip on her tightening as he deepened the kiss, pouring all the emotions he couldn’t yet articulate into it.

When they finally pulled away, breathless and with hearts racing, Zayan pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, his lips lingering there for a moment. "We will make this work," he promised, his voice filled with determination.

Ayzal looked up at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears, and nodded. "We will," she agreed, her voice steady despite the emotions swirling inside her.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Ayzal allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, they could find their way to each other. It wouldn’t be easy, and it wouldn’t happen overnight, but they had taken the first step. And that was enough for now.

They lay back down, Zayan pulling her close once more, and Ayzal rested her head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. The morning light continued to fill the room, and as the world outside began to wake, Ayzal closed her eyes, holding onto the quiet moment of peace they had found together.