Beautifully Disturbed | ✓

[20]

Laila's POV

"Maryam! Laila! What a coincidence!" James smiles as he makes his way to us. "Hi!"

Dr. Romano just nods at us, letting us know he's acknowledged us.

I've successfully avoided Dr. Romano on Monday yet the world seems to hate me and never lets me avoid him for long.

There goes my heart, beating too fast when he's nearby. I try to steady myself by trying to breathe in and out.

"We didn't expect you guys here." Maryam says.

"Yeah, Dr. Kareem is a friend from high school. He works at Alex's hospital. We couldn't miss this." James says. "Do you guys know him too?"

I shake my head. "Dr. Kareem's fiancée, Ayesha, is our childhood friend."

"Oh, wow! What a small world, huh?" James chuckles. "By the way, you two look beautiful. I've never seen either of you look so..."

"Extra before?" Maryam laughs. "Come to my wedding, you'll see me even more extra than this."

"You're getting married?" James asks with a hint of resentment, which makes me smirk.

"No... But I want to so I can dress up a little more." Maryam answers without noticing his tone change. "Maybe Laila will finally find a husband today and I get to attend another week-long wedding events."

"Can I talk to you in private?" Dr. Romano asks me.

"No." Maryam answers for me. "What for?" Her voice stern.

Dr. Romano raises a brow in amusement at Maryam's boldness. "If you don't mind, Dr. Ali, I need to discuss something urgent with Ms. Khan about work."

I put a hand on Maryam's shoulders saying it's okay.

"Call me if you need anything." She says with a be careful look on her face.

I grip my phone in my hand and follow Dr. Romano as he pushes through the crowd.

Once we reach a clearing, where there aren't anyone walking by, he grabs onto my waist and pulls me against him.

This seems to be a repetitive behaviour of his. Yet, I gasp like it's the first time anyways. "Sir, please, not here—"

"Then where?" His signature sinister smirk appears on his face.

"Nowhere! If someone sees us, I'd never be able to show my face to anyone." I place my hand on his chest to push him away with no success.

He leans closer to my lips. "Are you here to find a husband today, like Dr. Ali said?"

My body begins to numb, it starts betraying me again. His touch sets my whole body on fire and that scares the daylights out of me.

"W-what—No!" I quickly disagree. But then, I think about how Maryam's mother is always looking for a groom for us. "I mean you never know, maybe Maryam's mother will find me a suitor—"

He crashes his lips against mine, more aggressively this time. It's as if he's trying to mark me or maybe threaten me. The pressure of his lips on mine is increasing to the point where I was sure it was going to leave a bruise.

I try to pull away from the kiss but he leans in even more until he was ready to pull back.

"You're mine, kitten. I'm not letting any other man near you, let alone marry you. You're nobody's except mine until I say so." His husky voice is peaking.

I try to catch my breath. "Y-you can't keep m-me like this. You don't get to choose w-whom I can or can't be with, that's the one thing I-I get to keep." Though the tone of my voice is quiet, I couldn't believe I was speaking to him like this. I'm literally asking for death right now.

His honey coloured irises are darkening. The calm in his eyes disappears, it's now rigid, cold, and hard. I could tell he's losing his composure, his losing himself in the moment. And again, I became the reason that eyes went from those beautiful hazels to dark orbs.

He slams my hands above my head, I wince as my bangles dig into my skin. "That right there is the behaviour I do not appreciate." He leans towards my ear.

"But—" I try to argue.

"I could have taken away innocent parts of you the second I laid eyes on you but I didn't. I could have used you and left you but I didn't. Why? Because I want to prepare you for me, I'll perfect you for myself." His words are dripping with menace.

I know exactly what he's talking about yet I didn't know all at the same time. This man is unbelievable—can he even be considered a man? My mind begins spinning, unable to process what he just said. I try to focus on his words and I could hear him because I'm in shock. Did he really say what I just heard? He did.

"If there's any other man besides myself that you want, I will rip him to fucking shreds in front of you." He growls. "There is one fact that you need to commit to your memory, Kitten: there's no man in your life other than myself, not until I'm done with you."

Like that, he lets go of me. He doesn't turn around to look at me, to check if the girl he left behind is still breathing after he dropped such heavy information on her.

I don't cry, I don't think I have enough strength to cry today. I don't even know if everything settled into my head yet.

All this time, I was taking this lightly. I thought I could make this better somehow. But I can't. I can't because I'm his and I don't have a choice.

• • •

As I walk back, I can see Ayesha's mother whispering something to Maryam's mother. Maryam's mother's expression is white as paper, while there's a malicious smile plying in Ayesha's mother's face.

I look over at Maryam who's sheer panicked expression is enough to make me walk over to them faster. James averts his eyes away from me as Dr. Romano scrolls through his iPhone.

"What's... what's wrong?" I ask.

"Laila... Faiza just told me she saw you outside in very close proximity with this man." Maryam's mother points at Dr. Romano.

"I guess having a high degree of education doesn't define a girl's morals." Faiza auntie shuns me.

I can feel all the colour from my face drain. My heart has definitely stopped beating and all the blood in my body has run cold. The ground beneath me feels soft, as if I'm losing grip. My eyes start to blinking slower, prolonging the amount of time I keep them closed.

Maryam suddenly screams. "Surprise!" She grabs onto my shoulders. "I think it's finally time to tell them. I can't believe Faiza auntie ruined it."

Maryam walks over to Dr. Romano, grabs his sleeve and pulls me him over beside me.

The throbbing in my head intensifies as I try to wrap my head around what Maryam's planning.

"This was supposed to be a surprise for my mom but what can we do when people don't know how to mind their own business..." Maryam's eyes are like daggers at Faiza auntie.

"What is it, Laila?" Maryam's mother asks.

Maryam takes my hand and Dr. Romano's hand and intertwines them together. My eyes widen and right as I was about to snatch my hand away, he grips onto it firmly.

"Laila was going to wait until after your daughter's engagement to announce this since she didn't want to take away the spotlight from Ayesha." Maryam sneers at Faiza auntie. "But, I guess now we have to tell them. Laila's engaged to Dr. Romano."

James chokes on air and quickly apologizes.

Maryam's mother looks like as if she's happy yet confused. "But—"

- - -

A/N: oh, sHIT! Maryam really turned the tables around. Oh my God, this is some function, huh?

Also, Happy New Years Eve! 🎉🎉🎉

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