The Promise

47) Omer

I'm making my way towards the other side of the cliffs, where it's less crowded when I stop at what I see.

She standing on a cliff looking towards the water, wearing a long fishnet white dress that hides nothing from what's beneath; an orange bikini.

No, the most adorable orange bikini.

I hear her beautiful laugh as she spins sticking her butt towards the water, her friends are there and leave, heading my way. She doesn't realize my presence when she bumps into me for the second time today.

"Fuck." She curses as she hits my chest and looks at me from behind her glasses. I grab her by her arms; balancing her. "Why are you clumsy today, little dove?" she beams and shrugs, "I don't know."

"And why do you insist on wearing kind of stuff that urge me to avert my eyes?" I push kneading her shoulders with my fingers, she sighs, "Then don't avert them." She says removing her sunglasses.

"You'll be the death of me one day, come on," I tell her as I head for the cliffs again. "Where are we going? Wait, I have little legs!" I smile as I wait for her.

We reach the other side of the cliffs and her breath catches. I stand behind her, "You like it, dove?" she nods; her eyes on the scenery. She leans back onto me; I wrap my arms around her waist as she rests her head against my shoulder.

"It's so peaceful here, Omer" she murmurs softly. Then spins looking at me, I smile lacing my fingers in her hair, "Say it again." I say as I bury my nose in her hair; inhaling it.

"Omer," she says pulling out each syllable, I close my eyes savoring it. "Why do you prevent people from saying it?" she asks placing her arms around my neck and playing with the hair there. "So, you only get to say it like that." She smiles, "No tell me seriously, Mr. Romantic" I smile kissing her forehead, "because hearing it reminds me of stuff from my past, I wanted to forget it."

She frowns, "So, now I'm reminding you of bad things?", I smile pulling her closer; resting her head on my chest "Hearing it from you made me love it again, dove."

She looks at me again, "Why dove, Omer?" I look down at her, "Too many questions" I murmur. "Please, tell me" She whines.

"Because you are flying up high; no one can touch or get near you. You only decide whom you want to reflect your peace upon."

She smiles so big and I kiss her temple, "I had a feeling that you escaped your cage to find your own peace, too" I finish. She nods looking down then into my eyes again, "I did, but I doubt the peace part, Omer. I think you're a sucker for pain." She jokes. I smirk, "I can be a sucker for something else", her eyes widen, and breaks free from my grasp "Ill-mannered man," she says as she sits down.

I sit next to her and she rests her head on my shoulder, we stay like that for a while when I feel it and decide to take the one-in-a-lifetime chance.

"Mughrabi isn't my surname." I start and she feels it too, she straightens and sits facing me, I'm still facing the ocean. The sun is setting, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. "It's my mother's. When I was younger; me and my brothers made a vow. It was to use our mother's name, not our father's."

She holds my hand and I keep going as I feel her comfort, "I am the oldest kid, I have two other younger brothers." I smile remembering them, "Ali and Yusef". "They were my kids, my responsibilities. I had to take care of them instead of her." I stop, and she rests her chin on my shoulder listening.

"Because she was busy; busy being abused by him." I pause.

She takes a deep breath, I go on "He always reminded her of what pain feels like, but she" I smile, "She was amazing; young, beautiful, successful and the best mother ever."

"We moved a lot, from one country to the other. I never got to make friends or be successful in my studies. Why? because he says so." I remember, "Our last destination was London, I went to the college he wanted then, the other that I wanted. All for the agency I always dreamt about and when I started it, he ordered again; to go back to our home country. Which is yours, dove." I look at her.

She's frowning in disappointment then looks again at me telling me to go on with her eyes, "I said no, I didn't want to leave and start all over again. So, he told me then stay, alone." She furrowed her brows, "Alone?" I nod, "He dragged my mother and brothers away demanding me to stay here. The last thing he did was prevent me from going back to my country again so I won't see them ever." I tell her as a tear drops from her eye.

I wipe it away, "nineteen years ago."

She closes her eyes, her breath catching. I hug her body to mine, "so you can't go back?" she asks voice small. "No, dove. I can't."

She looks up at me, "Thank you for telling me, I'll cherish and keep it forever in my heart." She says as she places my palm on her chest. I smile; I feel it break and she sees it before it happens. She straddles my lap and pulls me towards her. I bury my face in the crook of her neck and let the wall break as the tears finally stream down my face.