MELTING HARMONIES ( Slow updates.)

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JASON & MALAIKA

Jason stood in the middle of the room with his arms folded over his chest, looking at the woman he thought he knew but in this moment doubted his knowledge of her. He wondered if the woman he was married was the real Malaika or the real Malaika was the one he just met. Malaika tried to touch him but he took a step back.

" Jay baby-"

" I can't fuckin believe you. I thought you were over this after the talk we had a few weeks ago but you were  so hell bent on ruining your cousin's life you were in cahoots with her enemies."

" I didn't know that they had ill intentions."

" How? How?! When you know that Aaira was hurt by Ayo leaving him for Nefertiti."

Mali looked down, unable to answer his question.

" It wasn't intentional."

" Malaika!, you told your cousin's husband's ex something Nefertiti had shared with you in confidence, for that ex to use it against her. Do you know that this little stunt you pulled did not just cause a rift between Ayo and Nefi but her practice license has been suspended!?"

Malaika remained silent, the weight of Jason's words pressing down on her like a heavy blanket. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, her heart racing as anger and guilt battled for control within her. Each accusation felt like a steel blade, piercing through the defense she had carefully constructed around herself.

"Jason, I—"

she began, but he cut her off.

"Save it! You don't get to defend yourself right now. You think you're doing what's best for Nefi, but all you've done is create more chaos. Do you even understand the consequences of your actions? You're playing with people's lives!"

Her breath hitched as the reality of what she had done settled in. She had been so blinded by her desire to protect Nefi from what she perceived as a bad relationship that she hadn't considered the fallout.

"Mali, look at me,"

Jason commanded, his voice softer but still firm. When her eyes finally met his, he continued,

"You need to take responsibility for this. You can't keep throwing your cousin into this mess under the guise of wanting to help her. It's selfish and what do you think is going to happen to Nefi when this all blows up? She'll be the one left to pick up the pieces."

"I didn't want this to happen,"

Malaika confessed, tears brimming in her eyes.

"I just wanted to protect her-"

"At what cost?"

Jason challenged, his intense gaze unwavering.

"You're not just hurting Ayo and Nefertiti. Can you imagine how Nefertiti will feel when she finds out that her own cousin was in cahoots with her enemies?."

"I thought I was being a good cousin! I thought I was helping!"

she almost shouted, frustration boiling over.

"You don't understand—"

"Then make me understand!"

he shouted back, the raw edge of his voice echoing around the room.

"because right now, you're coming off as someone who can't see past their own ego. If you really cared about Nefi, you'd put her needs above your own. You would have talked to her directly instead of involving third parties."

Malaika felt her resolve weaken as tears slipped down her cheeks.

"I didn't think... I wasn't thinking clearly,"

she whispered, feeling small and ashamed.

"I just want better for her."

"and you think this is better?"

Jason asked, his voice steadier now, though it carried an undercurrent of hurt.

"You're so caught up in your version of what's right that you're losing sight of what's really important. Relationships take trust. You've broken that trust, not just with Nefertiti and Ayo, but with me. Do you really care about her happiness, or is this about you feeling like you're the hero?"

Malaika's chest tightened at his words. Jason was right. This wasn't the noble action she had envisioned; it was betrayal wrapped in misguided intentions.

"What do I do now?"

she murmured, despair mingling with regret. The weight of her choices pressed down with an unbearable heaviness, and she realized that the woman she thought she could be had willingly strayed far from who she once was.

"Stop trying to be the savior,"

Jason said softly, stepping forward and gently wiping away her tears.

"Start by making amends. Talk to Nefi. Show her that you're willing to own up to your mistakes. Only then can you begin to mend the pieces you've shattered."

Malaika nodded but felt nauseous at the prospect of facing Nefertiti again. The thought of breaking the already fragile trust between them made her stomach churn.

" Can you forgive me for this mistake?"

Jason regarded her for a moment, his expression a mix of concern and frustration.

"I want to, Mali. I really do,"

he said slowly, searching for the right words.

" but you need to understand that forgiveness isn't just something I can hand you. It requires change, accountability. If you show me—you show Nefertiti—that you can acknowledge your actions and take steps to fix them, maybe then we can talk about forgiveness."