Arabian Nights - The city time had forgot - completed

Chapter Eighteen

Days, weeks, months, and Elena still found each day, week, months, a challenge. She had got her job back, life as she had known had fallen back into place, except she wasn't engaged anymore, and married to a man, who didn't want her. He had proven that by no contact at all.

Liam had been so gracious over the broken engagement, and actually thanked her for sending the ring back with the note, explaining how she had fallen in love with someone else. She had come home alone, so no-one asked where her mysterious man was, much to her relief. Allowing her to lick her wounds in private. And Liam had married his best friend, within weeks when he got his ring back that had belonged to his grandmother.

Between work and her mother's organised luncheons, dinners, her time was kept busy, like the one organised today with Liam and his wife, Sue, and a few other close friends. She helped in the kitchen, preparing salads. Half the time, she thought her mother had these organise dos just for her, except for the fact she had them all the time. Her mother did like socialising; she had no interest in such things.

The doorbell rang. "Can you answer that?" Her mother asked, closing the oven door, wiping hands on her apron.

"Sure," she answered in a non - script voice. She had very little interest in anything lately. Opening the door to her parents' home, she stared at the last man she expected to see, especially dressed as he was no robes, no bisht, no headdress, yet a man in a suit. Okay, a very expensive designer tailored fitted black suit, and pristine white shirt. Then again, he was overdressed for the middle of the day. Her chest tightened, yet her heart jumped for joy. He looked so good to her aching heart.

"Yes? Can I help you," she asked aloof. He glared at her with that familiar are you for real look that changed to something she hadn't seen before, uncertainty, and she hated it. "What do you want, Hassan?" She asked in a hushed tone. "I was just having lunch with my mother and my fiancé." See have my own life back and don't need you. He flinched slightly, making her feel guilty. Then again, why should she?

"Fiancé? Not married as yet? Oh, that is right; you are still married to me." Her cheeks flushed, caught out. Something she hadn't forgotten, how could she, when he still filled her heart. He didn't want her, she kept telling herself, yet then again, he was here, standing in front of her parent's house, alone, dressed in a suit. Maybe her so called duties weren't over. Not again, she couldn't go through it again and as Imad had said her duty was done. Come to that, what did it have to do with Imad?

"I'm so surprised by that since my duty is done," she noted dryly, crossing her arms, leaning against the open door frame, still smarting how she had been thrown her over so easily. He had promised, it would be forever and babies, and look at her, she had nothing. Just a broken heart.

"Not by my saying. We had an agreement Elena. You and me and no-one else." His look faltered, uncertain, taking a deep, shaky breath. Her heart ached for him. This was not her Hassan, who was sure of who he was, and what he wanted. A man, who spoke his mind, and did not send others to do his dirty work, she frowned. Where had it all gone belly up?

"You meant what you said?" She asked suddenly doubting everything.

"Of course, I told you I was a man of my word."

"Wife for life and babies."

"Of course, it was what I said, did I not?"

"Yes, but what about the legend?" She was a real person, not part of any legend and didn't want to be.

He sighed, and sat down on the top stair that led up towards the house, and held out his hand towards her that she took, easing down at his side. Warmth wrapped around her. This is where she belonged, and always had, at his side. "What I led you to believe for my own sake," he admitted.