Negina | ✔️

Chapter fourty-six, "Look at me."

You really ain't going away without a fight
-Anne Marie

{~Negina~}

"Mom, what was that?" Saiid yells at me. "I thought you love him!"

I tell him to shut up, not wanting Arezo to hear in her bedroom. "I-no, I don't love him. After what he did to me, no of course not!"

"But without him, I wouldn't have been born." He says enthusiastically. I naturally end up smiling, "Well obviously," I also notice. I try and change the subject, "Have you heard anything from Husna?"

"No, not after they moved. She hasn't texted."

I notice his casualty and shake my head, realizing what time it is. "Alright now you need to get some sleep." He grumbles but heads upstairs anyways. He turns back, "He isn't as bad as I thought he would be."

I couldn't sleep that night, it just wasn't correct to think of Khalid as a lover. Yes, I admit, there was a time when I would lay the whole world down for his love. But that time is far long gone, I'm not a little girl anymore. Khalid understands that better than I do. He knows how our kids would react. God forbid, thinking of what Naser and my other relatives would think. What would the Malik family think of me after what I've done.

Eventually, after many hours of endless thinking, I did fall asleep. Getting my conclusion of handing over his company papers to Khalid tomorrow. But the next morning at work, as I came inside his office to fulfill my attendance and give him his papers, I was trapped in Khalid's office. Unable to move and unable to think freely.

There it was, laying in it's full glory. New like in a dream. Khalid's engagement ring.

The door opens and I turn my head back to watch him walk over to his desk. I stay silent, waiting for an explanation on why he still has the ring. He notices the round piece of jewelry on his desk and slowly slides it on to his ring finger. "You needed something?"

I come back to my senses and look down at the envelope in my hands. I slide it to his side of the table. He examines it before ripping it open. He stares at the papers in shock, he stares at me and back at the papers. He realizes where I had gotten the papers and stands up. "Why would you do that?"

"I don't know." I say. I figured out that he's talking about exchanging myself for Khalid's freedom. He shakes his head, I stare at his every move. He takes a hold of the scissors on his desk and takes time to rip the papers, letting them drop to the ground.

I stare as he talks, "I love you, Negina. No stupid papers will stop me from loving you."

I was about to run out of his office to escape, for the millionth time. I didn't notice how he had stood up and was now holding my hand tightly in his. I pull but he doesn't let me free. Instead he asks, "Why do you run away? Every time I confess my feelings you run off. Why did you run away last night?"

I stare at him, my hand still in his. "I didn't run away." I mutter.

"So what do you call what you did last night?" He asks.

"Don't you get it, I don't want to be with you! I can't be with you!" I explode out, my hand slips out of his hand.

"Why not, Negina? Bloody answer me and I'll leave you alone! Tell me why we can't be together! Why?" He yells.

I look away and my eyes shut while I yell back my lie, "Because I don't love you! I never did, and I never will!"

He grips my shoulder, "Look at me." He says turning me around and swirling our fingers between each other. "Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't love me. Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't feel anything every time I touch you. Look me in the eyes, and break my heart."