Deceptions

Chapter 29

"Yes?" She asked.

"I want to meet Mr. Saif," I told her. "He isn't home, so I'll just wait inside."

I pushed past her and went in.

"Wait, you can't -" she hurried after me.

She was saying something along the lines of how I couldn't stay and I should leave until her boss came home, but I was too emotional to listen to her.

I gazed around, taking in every corner. The place I never knew I would come to call my heart. My safety net. My refuge.

The place smelt of Saif. I could see he had it rearranged after Shehri destoryed it that night.

"I'll leave once I've met him," I told her as she kept talking, and it was getting irritating. She left quickly, leaving me alone to my thoughts.

I heard him pull up a few minutes later. The maid left.

He was here.

My heart beat rose, but I was mostly nervously excited. Even if he felt differently now, I would just be happy to see him. My eyes fell on a new addition to the table next to the staircase, and my I almost melted to the ground.

He had a picture of our wedding framed and placed it on the table.

He did still love me.

I was standing with my back to the front door when it flung open, and footsteps walked in. They halted in place, and a heavy silence fell between us.

He didn't utter a word.

"Why didn't you get a new vase for that coffee table? It looks so empty now that the old one broke," I said, turning around with an emotional smile on my face.

There he stood.

Still perfect and handsome as ever.

Although he seemed to have lost a lot of weight and the beard that framed his face seemed to have gotten denser. He was looking at me with a pained expression.

I smiled at him tearfully and opened my mouth to say something, but he took three long strides across the hall and pulled me into a strong hug.

I immediately put my arms around him and let myself melt into his arms. His strong cologne was already making it hard for me to think straight, and this closeness turned my mind to jell-o completely.

"I thought I'd never see you again," he breathed into my hair.

I closed my eyes and let myself enjoy the moment.

We pulled apart after what felt like ages. His eyes searched my face as he touched my face and hair.

"Are you okay?" His voice was thick with emotion.

I nodded, grabbing both of his hands and pressing his warm palms to my cheeks, "I can't believe I'm here."

He looked like he couldn't believe it either.

"I'm sorry it took so long for me to come to you," I started, tears forming in my eyes. "But with everything -"

"It's okay. You don't have to explain anything," he cut me off. "After I received the notice a second time, I thought -"

"What notice?" I asked, frowning. I had a sinking feeling that Dad was behind this.

"The divorce papers. It's the second time, and I thought maybe you -"

"Where are they?!" I shrieked, panicking. What if he had already signed them? What if a case had already been filed while I was in rehab?

"In the car," he said, placing his hands on my shoulders. "Relax. I didn't -"

But I didn't wait for him to finish. I dashed around him and ran outside to where his car was parked. I yanked the passenger seat door open and spotted the khaki envelope he'd been talking about.

I stood into the garage as he ran out after me. I ripped it open, and sure enough, divorce papers came out.

"Ayra, you're not fully recovered!" He said as he stopped in front of me.

"You didn't - you didn't sign these, did you?" I asked, panting. I was horrified, and my hands and body were literally shaking. Tears were forming in my eyes.

I couldn't believe this. I wanted to be with Saif so much. And it seemed as if every single person in the world was trying to rip us apart.

"Calm down, my love," he said softly, placing his hands on my shoulders. "I didn't."

"What about the - the first one? Did you sign that?" I panted.

He shook his head, "I would never."

I was beginning to feel light-headed. This was the first time in a month that I had run like this and gotten a shock this big.

"Ayra? Darling, are you okay?" He asked as my vision blurred.

"A little dizzy," I mumbled.

He quickly put his arms around me and lifted me up. He carried me inside to the couch and gently placed me down before running to get me some water.

I stared at the repulsive sight of the papers. I grabbed them and ripped them to pieces, throwing them away. Saif walked out and sat down next to me.

"Here," he said. I took the glass and drank it a little before placing it down.

I was absolutely horrified at what Dad had done. I had no idea he'd been sending divorce notices to Saif.

Suddenly, a horrible thought crossed my mind. What if Saif did sign the papers in lieu of protecting me?

I turned to him, "Saif, you have to promise you won't leave me! I want to stay with you forever." Tears formed in my eyes.

"Ayra, Ayra, my love, it's okay. Calm down, I'm not signing anything," he said, holding my face in his hands.

"I just - I really, really love you, and I want to stay married to you," I sobbed. I didn't know why I was crying so much. It's not like he had signed anything, but all the pent-up emotions that I had inside me were now pouring out in the form of intense fear.

He pulled me into a hug. I pressed my cheek against his shoulder and cried. He gently rubbed my shoulders and kissed the top of my head.

"Calm down, Ayra," he whispered. "I will never ever sign or agree to anything that will take you away from me. Trust me."

Everything that I had been holding in ever since we got married poured out like a broken dam.

And the best part is, he didn't even try to stop me. While I sat there crying, he simply played with my hair, rubbed my back, and kissed me.

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