LOST II

Chapter 52: "Subtle Hints"

After months and months of drought, I finally get another Patron \(^_^)/. Shout-out to @AlmasVasim for joining the 'Sarah's Squad'.

Post your reactions as you read  :P

First draft: July 2018

Salma walked towards the coffee house with a painful knot of nerves in her gut. Her muscles got more rigid with every step. She had absolutely no idea what to expect of Zayn. What if he did or said something that she was not ready for? What if her response was not what he hoped for? What if they fought and argued on their very first meet up after becoming a proper couple?

Salma scolded herself for acting and talking on impulse. It was just her luck that her first encounter with him, after deciding against a divorce, had to be unplanned and spontaneous. She wished she would have had more time with him to properly explain where she stood with regards to her feelings for him and what she wanted from this point onwards. She wished they would have set some boundaries and dictated their terms of comfort from the get-go of this new phase. Jumping right back into their normal, bumpy, rollercoaster ride was giving her anxiety.

"Hello?" A hand waved in front of her, making her step back. "Wakey! Wakey!"

Salma blinked to see Zayn in front of her. Her insides turned to ice.

"Oh, hi!" she replied. "Assalamo'Alaikom! Sorry. I didn't see you."

"Wa alaikom Assalam," Zayn replied giving her a coffee. "What's up? Didn't sleep last night out of excitement?"

Salma forced at smile at his question. Excited was the last thing she felt at the moment. Sensing something was off, Zayn's eyed her with concern.

"Everything alright with you?" he asked

"Not really," Salma replied, deciding to stick to being honest and get it out of the way. "I worried too much."

The slight furrow in Zayn's brow deepened.

"What about?"

Salma took a sip of her coffee, wondering how much to tell him.

"How this would go," she said shortly.

"What do you mean how it'd go." Zayn laughed. "Of course it would go like any other day. Why would you worry about that?"

Salma shrugged.

"Just like that," she mumbled, deciding to delve deeper into the topic at some other point. He seemed in too good spirits for her to have the heart to ruin them. "Thanks for the coffee."

"Don't mention it." Zayn nodded.

"And the last dozen of coffees too." Salma smiled. "I appreciate the endless supply."

Zayn smiled ruefully, avoiding her eyes. Salma frowned.

"What?" she asked.

He shook his head, laughing.

"Like I don't know you bought your own, regardless," he said, his lowered gazed fixed on his drink.

"I took the coffee you bought me. Every day. Without fail," Salma emphasized.

"Look, I'm not complaining or anything. You weren't sure --"

"No, you hold on a minute!" Salma rounded on him, making him stop. "You think I refused your coffee?"

"I know you did," Zayn replied, sounding hurt. He kept avoiding her gaze. "You weren't sure about us, so you bought your own drink. I'm --"