Between the Grapevines

Sneak Peek

Hi guyssss. I'm not going to lie, it was very hard to find the will to write after finishing Muhsin and Fayza's story because those ones were so dear to my heart. I had to build a storyline and characters just as good and it took me a very long time, but when it hit me, it hit hard. I'm so excited for a new story and I've worked hard to make it just as unforgettable as Muhsin and Amani and Fayza and Riyad! So... here's a sneak peek of my next story coming out soon iA! Hope you like it!

Sara tried to shrug her shoulder or gently push Tariq's head off of her. The cramp was already rising from her arm to her neck, stiffening under the weight of the sleeping boy's skull. If only Yasir hadn't rushed her to get in ahead of all the other guests hurrying to leave the wedding. She felt partially guilty with how irked she was that he was part of his friend's wedding and had to ride in the far more comfortable cars while she was squeezed into a bus. Sara yearned for Yasir, his glowing confidence, and perfect hair.

Sitting up straight to lighten the load on her aching shoulders, Sara took a deep breath. Then she stopped, nearly choking on the scent of cement and cigars that radiated off of the boy whose head had fallen tiredly on her shoulder. She rarely saw Tariq but when she did, he always looked like the exact same mess he was now. Shaven hair, dried cement on his skin, mud covering his shoes and pants, and the same suffocating scent surrounding him. What a contrast his post-work look held to the wedding guests sitting in the bus. When she looked up to admire their clothing, Sara realized she was all but alone with Tariq in the minibus. Only the man two seats ahead of them was left.

As the bus slowed to a stop, she recognized her chance to rise and switch seats, separating herself and her sparkling dress from the sleepy, dirty man who slept on her now. Once the man at the front left, she would take his spot. So, Sara reached forward, gripping the seat in front of her and waiting until he took his son and left.

But her attention drifted to the group of young men rushing to catch the bus, shouting out to the driver to wait, dragging each other alone. As the man climbed out, a wave of sweaty men roared into the bus. They shoved each other aside, laughing and cursing and glistening with sweat. Sara pulled her hand away from the seat in front of her as two of them dropped into it, another one dropping beside her and spreading his feet widely so his friends could sit in front of him. She tried to pull her legs away from him, but Tariq's limp legs seemed even heavier than his head. And as the bus's wheels began to roll forward, Sara realized she was by herself.

One girl in a bus of loud, overly excited men.

One rabbit amongst a pack of wolves.

Her heart fell.

Sara kept her gaze low, hoping they wouldn't notice her and her sparkling dress and perfected makeup. Her chest felt as tight as the space that surrounded her was, a strange man sleeping on her from her left and more cursing and laughing everywhere else. She lowered the brightness on her phone, typing a quick text to her fiancé. She needed him but how could he help her? He was on the other side of the city with his friends and she was in a moving bus.

Just as she sent her message, the girl noticed the gaze that had been on her for quite a while. She slowly lifted her eyes to see the man sitting in front of his friend, turned and admiring her dress. He didn't even notice her eyes on him. Beside her, the man reached forward to whisper something to his friend, laughing and lightly shoving him.

Then he dropped his hand between them, his fingers brushing her thigh.

Sara all but jumped at the contact and Tariq's head fell off her shoulder. He caught himself, tiredly pulling apart his eyelids and peering at the new crowd around him. Then his eyes fell to the dress of the girl beside him, noticing the lack of distance between them. His movements seemed drunken on exhaustion as he turned his head to meet her eyes, his tired and bothered, hers silent with panic.

He held her gaze for a moment longer then turned away, first lingering on the man beside her, then the one in front of him, then beginning to scan the entire bus around them. Sara watched him peer out the window. She knew that his stop was coming and hers was still five minutes after, which would leave her in the bus alone.

So, when he reached down for his bag, she couldn't help herself. Her hands flew out, catching his arm against his leg so tightly her fingers dug into the dried cement on his skin. Tariq, her only lifeline, paused.

"Yours?" A curious question came from the man on her other side. Sara froze, begging the situation to undo itself and remove her from this bus entirely. She wanted Yasir. All she wanted was Yasir. Where was Yasir?

They knew she and Tariq weren't together. They hadn't spoken a single word. She wore a glamorous dress and he wore his work clothes. She'd come from a wedding; he'd come from his job. It was clear he had no claim on her, which meant that she had no protection. They knew she was a lone sheep who'd wandered to far from her pack, wandered into the enemy's territory.

Tariq turned to the man. Why would he lie for her sake? He hardly knew her. She was engaged to the man who'd looked down on him in the street just last week while she'd stood at his side, silent, watching. No good blood connected them.

With a slow blink, he hummed.

Her gaze lifted to Tariq, surprised.

They noticed.

"So, she's with you?" The other asked.

Tariq pulled in a deep sigh, rolling his eyes in annoyance and sweeping his gaze across the rest of the bus. He placed his hand across Sara's, sliding her fingers off of his arm as he shifted in his seat to pull something from beneath his legs. She gripped her dress, realizing he was collecting his stuff. His stop was nearing.

She would get down with him. But how could she get down from between all these men? How could she squeeze past them, or place herself so that any touch could be claimed as accidental? The air felt thicker.

"Do I have to repeat myself?" Tariq asked, lifting his backpack and sliding forward. His knees hit hers as his bag slid across her legs, dropping in the space between her and the men on her other side. She shifted closer to him in the space he'd created by moving forward. "Look to the front, you and him," Tariq boredly demanded from both men, placing his hand on the top of his bag and isolating Sara from the front.

Both of them remained in their place as his stop raced by, then as Sara's house blurred past. She watched Tariq, realizing that he would stay in his place until the bus emptied around them. He never met her gaze. He only looked forward, the sleep no longer evident on his awakened features.

Sara took a calming breath. She was boxed in by Tariq, his bag, and his arm—separated from all the men who sat around them.

What do you guys think? Should I add you to the usernames I'm going to see again? If you are interested, make sure you're following me to see the announcement! As always, love you guys :)