Twice Upon Qadr - A Shot At Love **EDITING**

Chapter 44

The force of her words hit him squarely in the face, and he almost stumbled off of the front porch.

“That is none of your business.”

She smirked slightly.

“It may not be my business, but you know as well as I do that the press? They make it their business to know your business.”

***

“Are you sure you don’t want to spend the night? I don’t like you driving in this rain.” Hisham said worriedly, glancing outside where the rain was coming down in sheets.

Hana smiled. “I’ll be fine Hisham. It’s not the far, plus I have an interview in the morning so I’d rather be at home with my things.”

“You have an interview?!” Hisham asked in a pleased tone. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

Hana shrugged.

“I’ve been shot down so many times, I didn’t want to get everyone’s hopes up. It’s with The Meadow Wood News. I don’t have high hopes, but it is an interview!”

Hisham smiled, and pulled her into a hug.

“Well I think that is wonderful, and I am so proud of you. InshaAllah you will do amazingly!”

“Thank you Hisham. I hope so!”

“So tell me, what are we doing for your birthday next week?”

Hana groaned.

“Ugh don’t remind me. I feel so old!”

“Habibti, you will be twenty four. I’m thirty three. Who is the old one?!”

Hana laughed.

“Seriously you know I don’t celebrate birthdays.”

“Okay, we won’t celebrate. Just a dinner with Yusra and Amir and Houssam?”

Hana made a face at that. She had waited for a few more minutes in the backyard before going inside, and waiting for Houssam to return. And waiting.

And waiting.

But he never came back.

Hisham gave her a scolding look. “We can’t not include Houssam.”

“Whatever.” She mumbled. “Look I should go before the storm starts.”

“Okay. Call me when you get home so I know you’re safe?”

Hana smiled, and returned her brother’s embrace. “I will InshaAllah.”

“Salaam habibti!”

“Walaikumasalaam!”

As Hana got into her car and waited for the heater to warm up the inside, her mind went back to Houssam. He had begged of her to open up to him and when she had, he had left her without a single word.

That did not do well for her self esteem. Now she was feeling ten times worse than she had been at the beginning of the night.

She flipped up her turn signal, and pulled onto the street, peering anxiously through the downpour. She had almost made it to the Masjid when she remembered she had forgotten her jacket in the library, and as they hadn’t prayed Isha yet, she pulled into the parking lot, grabbing her coat, and making her way to the women’s Musalla. Once they had finished prayer, she went back downstairs, ducking her head as she recognized the swarm of paparazzi that were lingering around the edge of the Masjid, no doubt looking for glimpses of Houssam.

She pulled her hood over her face, in case one of them recognized her, and she hurriedly got into her car. A few seconds later though, she heard shouts of ‘there she is!’ and before she realized what had happened, they were heading towards her and she hurriedly got into her car, driving as fast as she could out of the parking lot, before she even had put her seatbelt on.