Over and Over

Xavier

MALÉ,
MALDIVES.

NARRATORS POV

Layla stood there long after Hakeem had disappeared down the hall.

Her heart pounded in her chest, loud and uneven, her breath coming in short, shaky bursts.

He had never walked away from her before.

Never.

She clenched her fingers into her sleeves, the fabric twisting beneath her grip.

Why does this hurt?

She had spent so much time keeping her distance, convincing herself that what they had was complicated, that she couldn't afford to let herself fall—

But watching him walk away like that...

It felt like losing something she wasn't ready to lose.

A deep sigh snapped her out of her thoughts.

She turned, startled, only to find fannah the villas old maid standing at the corner of the hallway, arms crossed.

Layla stiffened. "Fannah—"

"Come with me."

Layla blinked. "What?"

Fannah raised an eyebrow. "Please ma."

Layla swallowed, but nodded, following silently as fannah led her to a small seating area near the hospital courtyard.

The air was cool, the city lights flickering in the distance, but Layla barely noticed.

She was too busy trying to ignore the knot forming in her stomach.

Fannah settled onto a bench and gestured for Layla to sit beside her.

Layla hesitated but obeyed.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then,Fannah exhaled, tilting her head to the side. "Do you love him?"

Layla's throat tightened. "What?"

Fannah turned to look at her, calm but firm. "It's a simple question, Layla. Do you love him?"

Layla stared at the ground.

Her pulse roared in her ears.

She wanted to lie.

She wanted to say no, to pretend that her heart wasn't aching, that she hadn't spent the last few months teetering on the edge of something terrifyingly real.

But she couldn't.

Because it would be the biggest lie she had ever told.

"I..." She swallowed hard. "I don't know how to do this."

Fannah's gaze softened.

Layla clenched her jaw, her hands gripping the edge of her dress. "I don't know how to let myself—" She exhaled sharply. "I don't know how to be his the way he wants me to be."

Fannah tudied her for a moment before reaching for her hand.

"My dear," she murmured, squeezing gently. "Loving someone isn't about knowing how to do everything right."
Fi
Layla bit her lip.

Fannah continued, voice gentle. "It's about choosing them. Even when it's hard. Even when it's scary."

Layla's chest ached.

Choosing him.

Hadn't he done that for her? Over and over again?

Layla inhaled shakily.