Bound by Fate, Freed by Love

Chapter 9 The Morning After

Sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting a soft golden glow across the room. Amara stirred beneath the blankets, her body aching from the restless night. Her eyes blinked open, adjusting to the morning light, and the first thing she noticed was the space beside her.

Samar was gone.

She sat up slowly, her gaze sweeping across the room, half expecting to see him working at his desk in the corner. But the desk was empty, and the room was eerily silent. Her heart gave a little leap of confusion—where had he gone so early?

The memories of their conversation the night before played in her mind. The cold, matter-of-fact tone in his voice as he laid down the rules for their marriage. They were to pretend, to keep up appearances, but in the privacy of their room, they were nothing more than strangers. The thought weighed heavily on her chest as she threw back the covers and stood up.

Just then, a voice outside the room startled her from her thoughts.

"Mira! Are you awake? Mira!" It was Alyssa's voice, calling through the door.

Amara hesitated for a moment, trying to shake off the strange feeling of waking up alone on what was supposed to be her first morning as a married woman. She crossed the room and opened the door, finding her sister standing there with a bright smile on her face.

"There you are!" Alyssa stepped into the room, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "I was wondering if you'd sleep the whole morning away. How was it? How was your first night as Mrs. Samar Saad?" she asked, her voice teasing as she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Amara's heart sank. She knew this conversation was coming, but the reality of it was harder to face than she'd imagined. Alyssa had no idea what had transpired last night. To her, this was a romantic, dream-come-true moment for her younger sister, and she was eager to hear all the intimate details.

"Um... it was... fine," Amara muttered, trying to force a smile. She turned away, moving back toward the bed as Alyssa followed her, her playful grin not fading.

"Fine? That's all you're going to give me?" Alyssa teased, plopping down on the edge of the bed. "Come on, Mira, don't hold out on me. You two looked perfect together yesterday. Tell me everything! What did he say? Was he nervous? Did he hold your hand?" Her voice dropped to a whisper, and she leaned in conspiratorially. "Did he kiss you?"

Amara swallowed hard, her mind flashing back to the awkward, emotionless exchange she'd had with Samar the night before. His words echoed in her head: "We don't need to pretend to be close when we're alone."

She felt a wave of discomfort wash over her. How could she possibly tell her sister the truth? That their marriage was nothing more than a formality, a cold agreement between two people who barely knew each other. That there had been no intimacy, no romance, nothing at all like what Alyssa was imagining.

"Um..." Amara fidgeted, her hands clasping tightly in her lap. "It... wasn't exactly like that."

Alyssa's smile faltered slightly, a flicker of concern crossing her face. "What do you mean? Was he too shy? Or... was something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing was wrong," Amara said quickly, not wanting to alarm her sister. She let out a nervous laugh, trying to lighten the mood. "It's just that... we didn't really... talk much. It was a long day, and we were both tired, I guess."

Alyssa raised an eyebrow, clearly not convinced. "Mira, you're being so vague. Come on, this is your first night as a married couple! Didn't he at least—" she lowered her voice again—"hold you?"

Amara's heart sank further. She could feel the weight of the truth pressing down on her, but she didn't know how to explain it to Alyssa without shattering her expectations. So, instead, she deflected.

"Where's Samar?" she asked, glancing around the room as if expecting him to appear. "I didn't see him when I woke up."

Alyssa blinked in surprise, caught off guard by the sudden change in topic. "Samar? I... I don't know," she admitted, glancing toward the door as if she hadn't even noticed his absence until now. "He didn't say anything to me. Maybe he went out for a morning jog or something?"

Amara furrowed her brow, confusion swirling in her mind. "But... it's so early. Did he just leave without saying anything?"

Alyssa's face fell slightly, a hint of worry creeping into her expression. "I'm sure it's nothing," she said, though her voice lacked its usual confidence. "Samar's always been a bit of a lone wolf. Maybe he just needed some space after everything yesterday."

Amara nodded, though the uncertainty gnawed at her. Alyssa's explanation made sense on the surface, but something about it didn't sit right. Why hadn't he mentioned anything before leaving? Why had he disappeared so early, on their first morning as husband and wife?

As she sat in silence, her thoughts wandered back to the night before, to the cold distance that had already formed between her and Samar. This was her reality now—a marriage built on nothing more than convenience, with a man who had no interest in sharing his life with her beyond the public facade.

Alyssa, sensing the shift in her sister's mood, reached out and placed a comforting hand on her arm. "Hey, don't worry about it," she said gently. "Samar's probably just adjusting to everything, just like you are. It's going to take time, but I'm sure you two will find your rhythm."

Amara forced a smile, nodding at her sister's reassuring words, but deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling of unease. The distance between her and Samar felt like it was growing with every passing moment, and she wasn't sure if it could ever be bridged.

"Thanks, Lisa," she murmured, leaning into her sister's embrace.