Flawed Perfection

Chapter Twenty-Five: Flawed. Perfect. And All Yours To Deal With

Saturday morning crept in with a warmth Abdullah had not felt in a long time. He glanced at Aisha's sleeping frame for one last time before he walked out the door, closing it with a light click.

Last night, he had made a mental promise he would keep with his life. He had promised to protect Aisha from everything that would harm her. He had no super powers but he was sure he would save Aisha from the sides of him that were sharp enough to wound her, that he would smoothen her rough edges too, not because he was growing fond of hugging her but because more than anything, Abdullah wanted to save her from herself.

Just the thought of his wife's name against Isma'il's tongue disgusted him as heck. Abdullah didn't care if it had to come down to dislocating Isma'il's jaw or breaking his nose a million times over, he would do everything to keep Isma'il and his crazy brother away from his wife and anything that had to do with her.

He continued to bang the door until Isma'il drowsily opened it with a light creak.

Apparently, Abdullah had done more damage to Isma'il's face than he'd planned. His lips and cheeks had doubled in size yet he had never been more unsatisfied with something he'd done as much as he was right now.

He should've left a scar Isma'il would feel every time his hands grazed his face. Every time he came across a mirror, he wanted Isma'il to regret ever disrespecting his wife.

Isma'il was an accomplice in ruining a life but his loathe for Isma'il was nothing compared to the deafening rancor he had for his brother. Abdullah knew he would tear Lamir and all the other demons who dared touch his girl.

Isma'il moved from the threshold, not defrosting from his sleep. "I knew you would come around. Just didn't think it would be this soon." He shook his head in a shrug that was so nonchalant. His words were so nonchalant as well.

Abdullah seethed in rage. For a moment, he really considered killing Isma'il. He clicked his tongue behind his teeth, trying hard to hold in his anger.

"You are more sick than I had imagined." When he spoke, his voice came out eerily calm, it scared him.

Isma'il rubbed his eyes, as if to get rid of his sleep.

"If you're here with this crap, I have a lot of sleep I need to catch up on." He tried to shut the door, Abdullah stopped it with his hand. The nerve of that man!

"Isma'il." He dragged, hoping his tone alone would set Isma'il ablaze. "It seems to me that you still don't know what you owe me."

"Trust me, somethings never change. This right here," He pointed to the space between Abdullah and him. "This is your greatest flaw. You meet a woman and you loose your head. That, I have known for a while... but this girl? Is she even worth..." Abdullah threw a hard punch to his nose. A single word more from Isma'il and he would tear him apart.

"That's for speaking about my wife." Isma'il staggered from the weight of Abdullah's fist against his nose.

"You're too dull witted to realize I'm not here to make small talk. Back off from me and my wife. Refrain from ever pronouncing her name or thinking of it. More than anyone you know who I am and what I'm capable of. You know that I would really kill you if you ever come close to me or my family again." Isma'il winced in pain or surprise, holding on to his nose with watery eyes. When he took his hand away it was stained by the blood that soiled his nose.

Abdullah couldn't care about how Isma'il looked. As a matter of fact, he had never been more disappointed. It was the kind of feeling when you thought you knew someone so well, you could read them with closed eyes or leave your life in their hands and fall asleep with no weight at all, then suddenly a single truth rises above the surface and it bursts the bubble and you wonder how you ever thought you knew them.