𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬

50

Arsalan POV:-

"How is it?" I ask Airah as she takes a long slurp from the strawberry lemonade I just bought her. Soft music plays in the background, creating a cozy atmosphere in the café. Since I rented the place just for today, it’s only the two of us.

"It’sh good," she mumbles, not even taking her mouth off the straw. "You want some?"

I shake my head with a smile and pass her a caramel donut. Her eyes light up as she takes it from me and takes a big bite. "How did you know I like caramel donuts?" she asks, her voice filled with delight.

I shrug, "I just happened to know." As she enjoys her treat, I check my phone and see the message I've been waiting for.

I'm in the restroom.

"Airah, love, I’m going to the restroom. Will you be fine?"

"Y-yeah, I’m goosh," she says, giving me a thumbs up, her mouth full of donut. I chuckle, brushing some crumbs from her cheek before getting up.

I find Saif nervously waiting at the end of the restroom hallway. When he sees me, he straightens up and looks down. "You know why I called you here, right?" I ask, putting my hands in my pockets.

He nods, meeting my gaze briefly before looking away. "Very well," I say, turning my back to him. "Come with me."

He follows behind me as we exit the restroom. I spot Airah still sitting where I left her, her back to us as she eats a croissant while scrolling through her phone. When we reach the manager, I ask, "Can we have some privacy?"

The manager smiles politely and nods, signaling to the staff at the cash counter to follow him into the kitchen. Once the café is clear, I walk over to Airah and gently place my hands on her shoulders from behind.

"Are you okay?" I ask softly.

She looks up at me and smiles, her cheeks slightly puffed out from the croissant she’s chewing. Lately, she’s been gaining a bit of weight, which makes her cheeks even rounder— and I love that a lot. "I’m good," she says after swallowing.

"My love, someone’s here to apologize to you."

Her brows knit together in confusion as she wipes her cheek. "Who?"

Airah POV:-

A man steps out from behind Arsalan, seemingly out of nowhere. His dark brown hair and the light scruff on his jaw trigger a sense of familiarity. Suddenly, it hits me—it's him. My breath quickens, and the memories I thought I’d buried come rushing back. Arsalan had distracted me so well that I’d almost convinced myself they were gone. But they’re not. They’ve just been waiting in the shadows, ready to pounce.

I start counting from one to ten, a method I’ve used to calm myself before. But this time, it doesn’t work. My chest tightens as panic sets in.

"Breath, Airah," Arsalan’s voice reaches my ears, grounding me just enough to realize that his arms are now wrapped around me.

"Y-yeah, I'm breathing," aren't I? I look into his eyes and try to smile, though it wobbles on my lips. I hope it convinces him. "I’m good."

Arsalan’s gaze searches mine, and he stands up, still holding my hand firmly. He gestures for the man to sit in the chair opposite me—the one Arsalan had been using earlier. Once the man is seated, Arsalan sits beside me, our hands resting on his thigh as he gently traces circles on my palm. My hands are trembling, so I clench them to try and steady myself.

Saif, wets his lips nervously before speaking. "Listen, Airah," he begins, his voice shaky. "I apologize for all the things that caused you trouble because of me." He pauses, looking down at his hands. "I didn’t mean to do it, I swear."

I press my lips together and take a sip of my strawberry lemonade, trying to keep my emotions in check. "But you still did," I whisper, my voice barely audible.

"Listen—"

"If you really didn’t mean to do it, then you could have stopped them, but no, you didn’t," I say, my voice rising a little as anger mingles with the fear and confusion.

"Airah, listen," he pleads, holding up his hands as if to calm me down. "I was threatened."

My eyes widen.

"You know I don’t come from a wealthy family," Saif continues. "At that time, my father was diagnosed with cancer. I did every possible job, earned as much as I could, but it was never enough. Christian approached me around that time and asked me to clean up all the mess he created. In return, he promised to pay me a very generous amount. I knew it was wrong—a huge mistake—but I didn’t have any other choice."

He takes a deep breath, his voice thick with emotion. "On that day, he threatened to break my wrist. That would have ended my career. Christian is now rotting in jail for everything he did, but that’s the least of what he deserves. I understand if you can’t forgive me because what I did is unforgivable. But I want you to know that I never intended to hurt you."

I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to forgive him. But I understand that he, too, was in a weak spot at that time. I’m sure anyone in his situation might have done the same. I look away, down at my hands, still held securely in Arsalan’s warm grip. My lips tremble, and my hands begin to shake again.

"Do you want me to beat him?" Arsalan's voice is a whisper, gentle as he wipes away a tear that escaped from my eye. I shake my head slowly. "He has a family."

"Do you want him out of your sight?" Arsalan asks, his tone calm and steady. I nod, unable to find any words. There’s nothing else to say. I can’t forgive him, and that’s where it ends. I’m already trying to move on from my painful past, and seeing him now will only drag me back into it. So it's better that I never see him again. Arsalan stands up and his grip loosens around mine. "I still apologise, Airah." Saif says, before getting escorted out by arsalan.

Arsalan POV:

Later that night.

"Wait—what?!" Airah exclaims, her voice a mix of confusion and shock as we step into her old room—now her new one. "You can't be serious," she repeats for the third time since we got back from the long drive.

"Well, I am serious," I reply calmly.

She turns to face me, her eyes wide with disbelief. "When did you shift all of this?"

"When you were asleep," I say, sliding my hands into my trousers pockets.

"When did I fall asleep?" she mutters to herself.

"Last night," I answer gently, watching her eyes widen as she covers her mouth in surprise. I can't help but grin; she looks cute like this.

"You... you did all of this last night instead of sleeping?" she asks, gesturing around the room. It wasn’t much, just moving her clothes and a few of mine, all her books, accessories, and changing the bedsheet. I even dusted the room a bit.

"Yes, well, it didn’t take much time."

She pauses, her gaze locking onto mine before she speaks again, her voice soft. "But why? Why did you do this?"

I step closer until the toes of my shoes touch hers. "For you, Airah. I don’t want you stuck in our room just because it's on the first floor and the stairs are hard for you. I want you to enjoy your time, feel free. That’s why I did it. For you, my love."

Tears well up in her eyes, and her lips tremble—the final sign before she breaks down, burying her face in my chest. She sobs quietly, her hands clutching the fabric of my shirt. I hold her close, letting her cry it out. When her sobs finally quiet, she whispers, "Thank you."

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