Dark Faïz ( Book 1 ) [ COMPLETED]

Chapters 11-7

We arrived in front of our hotel. It was our last night here. Adan helped me out of the car and then went to Faïz to listen to his instructions.

— "Tomorrow we must be gone by 8:30 a.m.," he told him.

— "Yes, Mr. Mattew."

The winter cold of the city made us hurry to get back inside of the Plaza. The hall, which was usually so lively, was practically deserted in view of the very late hour of the night. As we walked towards our suites, hand in hand, I tried to find a good excuse to invite Faïz to my room. We had gotten so close during these two days that I really wanted to spend the night with him, in his arms. I surprised myself with my thoughts. We arrived on our floor far too quickly. I decided to slow down in the empty corridor.

— "This is our last night in New York. I was thinking we could continue it... Uh... In my suite? Maybe we have other things to talk about."

My embarrassed tone took him by surprise. He thought for a moment, a tortured expression on his face. The beats in my chest accelerated. I felt him hesitating. He stopped and looked at me.

— "Zoe, you know... I would very much like to say yes. It's not that I don't have the desire, but... Maybe it would be better to wait for less dark circumstances?"

— "I just want to be with you. Don't leave me alone, please. I need to feel that it's mutual, that it's true."

— "It is," he whispered to me, taking my chin in his hand.

After a few seconds, standing in front of each other, he added,

— "Let me get my stuff and I'll join you."

He took my hand in his and we continued together. Deep down, I was happier than ever. Then I froze. Faïz instinctively turned to the door of his room. Rachelle was waiting for us, sitting on the ground. I didn't know how long she'd been there. I had the impression that the ground was giving way under my feet. I was finally thinking the page had turned, but I was wrong. Faïz immediately let go of my hand. She stood up slowly and walked towards him, staggering in pain.

— "It's only been a week since we broke up, and you're already parading yourself with her. As if these last few years never mattered!"

Her eyes filled with tears and her voice prevented her from shouting loudly. Faïz moved towards her to get between the two of us.

— "Rachelle, please, we'll talk in my room. Don't make a scene here."

He forced himself to keep calm. She pushed him back with violence and came to position herself in front of me, pointing threateningly at me.

— "You play innocent, but you take advantage whenever the opportunity presents itself to sleep with my boyfriend. You're just a bitch!"

I raised my hands nervously in front of me and interrupted Faïz so that he would not intervene. I approached her, trying to keep as much self-control as possible.

— "You're so vulgar, Rachelle. I'm going to give you some information: he doesn't belong to anyone, and no, I'm not fucking him."

Faïz came between us, feeling that the situation could get out of hand at any moment.

— "You lying bitch!" shouted Rachelle, "you were only waiting for that. Since the first day, you've run after him. You—"

— "Rachelle, shut up!" interposed Faïz, who was losing patience.

He took her by the arm and dragged her to his door.

— "Don't touch me! You disgust me!" Rachelle burst into tears.

Faïz, full of anger, turned to me.

— "Zoe, I'm sorry. I have to settle this. I'll pick you up tomorrow to—"

Before he even had time to finish his sentence, I went to my suite and slammed the door behind me. I collapsed to the ground behind it with my hands in my hair, smothering silent cries. I heard the cries of Rachelle and Faïz on the other side of the wall, but I refrained from going to listen to what they were saying to each other. The evening could have been perfect, but instead I would have another of my worst memories. One more. I couldn't stand my dress on my skin anymore and hurried to take it off. I threw it ragingly to the ground without even taking the trouble to hang it on a hanger behind the door. I stared at it for a moment. Like Cinderella, I had had my few hours of happiness. I went to the bathroom to remove my makeup and then tied my hair with an elastic band. As I prepared to go to bed, I noticed that the screams next door had stopped. Perhaps they were reconciling? The thought made me wince and tears flooded my face. I lay down in the sheets, my heart crumbling. Fortunately, fatigue overwhelmed me immediately.

**

— "Zoe, you are like nature, rebellious and fiery, but as soon as the slightest bad weather comes in sight, you let yourself be beaten down and withered," my mother told me, showing me the countryside around us.

— "I wish I'd never met him," I confided to her with pain.

We walked on a green path. I even managed to smell the wild nature.

— "Unfortunately, you can't go against these events. That's life. We have to keep going."

She stopped suddenly to face me.

— "You'll have to be strong. Promise me. Wherever you are, I'll be there."

She lay her hand on my heart.

— "Why do I feel like this is goodbye, Mom? Why do you want to leave me again?"

— "You have to let me go, Zoe," whispered my mother, moving away.

— "How am I going to bear your absence?"

— "One day, we'll meet again. Much later, of course. Promise me you'll be strong."

— "I will be strong. I promise you."

She wrapped me up in her arms. Curled up close to her, I filled myself with her warmth, letting my tears run down my cheeks.

— "I'm ready to let you go, Mom," I whispered, devastated inside.

She looked at me at length and stroked my face. Then she finally detached herself from me in order to continue in silence on her way, alone, on the country path. I knew it was the last time she would come to life in my dreams. As she walked away, I hoped that she had enjoyed the last landscape I had offered her.