Dare You To Love Me

«15» late night bonding

“She makes me nervous.”

“Yes,” she rolled her eyes. “You’ve said that already. It’s been over two years, make up another excuse. You’re getting married in less than a week. What’s your plan? Only speak with her after the nikkah is done?”

“Well...” Fou’ad trailed off, his cheeks turning even rosier than they were before.

“Fou’ad Muhammad Farraj!” she mock gasped, punching him lightly against the shoulder. “You can’t be serious.”

Just then, Jawad stumbled into the room half-asleep. Yawning, he flopped onto the bed and mumbled. “What’s going on? Why are you guys making so much noise?” 

“Fou’ad’s being an idiot,” Hayat responded, earning a glare from her twin.

“Why? What’d he do now? Don’t tell me he still hasn’t talked to her?” Jawad furrowed his brows, staring between the twins through half-lidded eyes.

“He wants to wait until after the nikkah.”

“Hey,” Fou’ad protested. “I never said that.”

“But you didn’t protest it either,” Hayat grinned mischievously at him.

Fou’ad let out a long suffering sigh before rolling his eyes, fixing his gaze on Hayat. “Just so you know, I sent her flowers today.”

“How romantic,” Jawad responded in an apathic tone, making Fou’ad release another long suffering sigh.

“Did you at least attach a note?” Hayat cocked an eyebrow, earning an appalled expression from Fou’ad.

“Of course I did,” Fou’ad rolled his eyes, feeling prideful of the fact that he’d done something right. “I’m not an idiot.”

“And what did the note say?” she pressed, intrigued by his expression.

“I’m sorry?” his tone was unsure, and Hayat’s brows furrowed, as she exchanged a confused glance with Jawad.

“Sorry about what?” she queried, and another red hue graced his cheeks, turning them rosier than they were.

“That’s what the note said.”

Hayat’s lips moved but no words came out. Silence reigned in the room, and Foua’ad squirmed under the multiple disapproving gazes of his siblings.

Hayat was the first to recover from her shock, and she punched him lightly against his shoulder. “And to think you graduated top of your class. What really goes on in that head of yours?”

Fou’ad winced, thinking about what he’d been up to the last couple of weeks. If Hayat knew...nope, he wasn’t going to think about it.

“Can you guys leave, please? I want to sleep.”

“No,” Hayat shook her head. “No sleeping today. We are going to have a siblings’ movie night, we haven’t done that in a while.”

“Done what in a while?” Abbad queried, as he strolled into the bedroom, catching only the end of Hayat’s words.

“Farraj movie night.”

“That’s true,” Abbad nodded, as he took a seat on the ottoman by the side of Fou’ad’s bed, before he turned narrowed eyes on Hayat. “And why are you here Hayat? Shouldn’t you be at home, with your husband?”

“You’re all hearts brother,” Hayat rolled her eyes. Her eyes turned mischievous as she took him in. “Is Miriam coming to the wedding?”

Abbad’s expression soured, and Jawad let out a low chuckle, as he rose into a sitting position, earning a glare from Abbad.