His For A While

Chapter Twenty Three

As evening fell, Noor pulled into the driveway of their house, the sleek black car coming to a smooth stop. She sat behind the wheel for a moment, her fingers drumming on the steering wheel as she mentally prepared herself to go inside. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her things and stepped out of the car, her footsteps deliberate and slow as she approached the front door, where she stopped and took a deep breath.

She pushed the door open and stepped inside, fully expecting the house to be quiet. But she barely got two steps in before she sensed an all-too-familiar presence.

Yousuf was there, seated on the stool by the kitchen counter, arms crossed and eyes locked onto Noor the moment she entered. The dim lighting cast sharp shadows on his face, highlighting the tense set of his jaw and the cold, unreadable expression in his eyes. He looked calm, but Noor didn't believe it, there was an undercurrent of simmering tension, like a storm waiting to break.

She halted, caught off guard by his presence. The air between them was thick, laden with unspoken words and unresolved tension. Her throat tightened as their eyes met, and she immediately felt the shift in the atmosphere.

"We need to talk," Yousuf said, his voice low but carrying a weight that demanded attention. His tone wasn't loud, but it was firm, almost commanding, leaving no room for debate.

Noor clenched her fists, trying to mask the frustration bubbling inside her. She turned, making a move toward the stairs, her body language screaming avoidance. "There's nothing to talk about," she muttered, her voice tight and dismissive.

But Yousuf wasn't about to let her walk away. In a few quick strides, he closed the distance between them and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back with a force that startled her. Before she could react, he maneuvered her onto the stool where he had been sitting moments ago, trapping her with an arm on either side, leaning against the counter behind her.

Yousuf's proximity was overwhelming. His face was inches from Noor's, and the intensity in his gaze was scorching. Her breath hitched, her pulse quickening at the sudden closeness.

"My car keys," he demanded, voice steady but laced with irritation.

Noor blinked, momentarily disoriented by the unexpected shift. "Huh?" She asked, her mind reeling from the rapid change in atmosphere.

Yousuf's eyes narrowed, clearly unimpressed by her confusion. "My car keys, Noor," he repeated, enunciating each word as though speaking to a stubborn child.

She blinked again, the realization dawning on her. She fumbled in her handbag, finally pulling out the sleek key fob and handing it over without a word, feeling a mix of annoyance and embarrassment. Yousuf took it with a quick, almost dismissive glance, but instead of stepping back, he leaned in further.

Noor's breath caught, her body tensing at the sudden closeness. She instinctively closed her eyes, expecting something more, something heated. But Yousuf's movement stopped just short of what she anticipated. Instead, he reached behind her, grabbing a mug off the counter, her favorite mug, a simple white cup with a tiny smiley face printed on it.

"Here," he said flatly, offering the cup to her.

Noor's eyes snapped open, and she saw the cup extended toward her. She quickly snatched it, holding it protectively against her chest as if he might take it away at any moment. The small, ridiculous action made his lips twitch in a brief, mocking smile.

"No more tricks now, okay?" Yousuf teased, his voice softer but still tinged with an edge of amusement.

Noor frowned, clutching the mug closer. "Yeah, okay," she muttered, annoyance flashing in her eyes as she realized how easily she'd been played. But even as she frowned, there was a flicker of something else, something like disappointment at how quickly he'd pulled back.