Bound

Paranoid

Chapter Thirty - Three

Aaron's POV

"It's either come or he comes", Jose said through the phone. I grumbled a string of profanities under my breath, and aggressively punched the cushioned headboard, causing Zainab to stir in her sleep. The March sun was just about to rise up over the rows of tall buildings, I watched it peak out, when Jose unexpectedly called my phone. I happened to be awake, contemplating if I should pick up the vibrating phone on my nightstand or not, but when the snoring beauty beside me started groaning in vexation I had no choice but to accept the tenacious call. How irritating, I was planning to stay in today.

"Fine, I'll be there", I finally complied after what felt like an eternity of refusing to go along with my fathers plans for the day. He always managed a way to provoke me. "What's his deal"?

"Honestly, I don't know man, I'll go ahead and send you the address be there by sunset", he wrapped up, hanging up the phone before I could ask where. He should know that hanging up is my queue.

"What got you so riled up"? Zainab asked with her half asleep voice, when I turned around I couldn't help but laugh at her dazed state. She stared at me still befuddled. "What's up", she mumbled, crawling to my side of the bed and swinging her feet off the frame.

"Nothing, it's just my dad wants me to meet him later on", I explained, taking a strand of her bouncy curls and twirling it around my finger. I didn't realise I did it almost every morning, her hair was just too soft and fluffy not to play with. She smiled and rested her head on my shoulder.

"What time is it"? Zainab asked, yawning.

"It's almost six, you can go back to sleep, I'll wake you", I told her, now playing with the stray away twists. She always complained of how much she hated them, although she looked adorable regardless, like straight out of one of the webtoons in the private room.

"You know, I can't go back to sleep once I wake up".

"Bummer, I could knock out anywhere", I joked with a sleepy smirk. She sat up and frowned.

"That's a lie, you don't seem like the type to doze off anywhere", she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I was joking, I'm too irrationally anxious", I admitted.

"Paranoia is something we both have in common then", she shook her head with a small chuckle. "I get it", she sighed out, turning to look at my reaction, but I was too preoccupied memorising anything and everything I could of her.

Her animated hair, smile and laugh. Anything and everything, though most importantly; how she made me feel overall. I sounded like I was going to lose her, but the truth is that is the very thing I was afraid of; with my dad urging and conducting me to let her go and the formidable life I'm about to enter as if it isn't already dangerous. I'm terrified of whats to come, especially with dad and his senseless plans of teaching me how to con... I don't know what to do. On the contrary, what I can do is protect her for as long as it takes, and pray to Allah that my father doesn't come up with some bizarre plan that can put her into danger.

I was walking blind everyday just waiting for the inevitable to happen, and it did. Everything worked out precisely as he wanted it to and I was a measly pawn in his game, I still am. No matter how much I try to escape, try to somehow manipulate and twist his contrivances, this man will always find a way to trap me again. First it was my mother, second it was moving to a new country, and last but not least; the engagement, although it was something that occurred due to a plight he conducted with a struggling man that just happened to be Zainab's father. My father finding out that I fell in love with the very same girl he bounded me to marry, there were practically a bunch of rolling jackpots in his mind that visibly projected through his eyes. He was a fucking mad man and everyone knew it back in Cali, moving to a different country didn't change that fact.