Eyes opened wide, Ella just stared at me in fright. Her mind barely processing what happened. I just told her about what happened yesterday, how Eric just broke in and nearly assaulted me for taking her in and if it wasn't for Zayn, god only knows how Eric would've done.
"I...I can't believe he did that. Maggie, I'm so sorry for putting you through all of this. It's all my fault. I shouldn't put you into this mess." She rambled, eyes still wide yet it held sorrow and regret.
"Don't say that. I'm glad you are away from him and I think he would never guess about you being in YorkShire. So you are safe." I reassured her knowing she must blame herself for what Eric had done.
"But you won't. Eric won't leave you alone." She insisted pleadingly.
"Don't worry about it, I'll call the cops if I see him again." I tried to sound confident, not only convincing her but also myself.
"You don't understand, Maggie. Eric is dangerous. He won't rest until he finds me. I can't let you put yourself in danger for me. You've already done so much. I'm going to go back to him. Maybe if I begged he won't hurt me too much." She got on her feet as if finding the perfect solution.
Pulling her hand too forcefully, she sat back down looking at me with determination and confusion to why I didn't let her just go, "I won't let you go back. Ella you don't deserve this treatment. We'll find a way to get rid of him, I promise." I said with all my heart, wanting nothing more than to believe what I just promised her.
Looking at me with hope and worry, Ella was about to say something when the bedroom door was suddenly opened, making the both of us jump, "You girls are still not finished? We are late! C'mon Maggie just wrap that hijab quickly. And you young lady, go put on your shoes." Mom said dragging Ella by her hand out of the room while giving me one of her glares to hurry up.
Sighing, I dragged my legs to the mirror where I tried to wrap my hijab like one of those elegant-tumblr tutorials. It wasn't as perfect as I remember the post to be but it was alright.
Applying a good amount of 'natural look' make-up on, I tried my best to look presentable. Although I really couldn't careless for make-up right now as I was neither in the mood for it nor was I excited for the event ahead but I knew I would get many judgmental looks if I just showed up with nude lips and bags under my eyes.
"Maggie!" My mom yelled from downstairs and I just rolled my eyes as I closed the lid of my eyeshadow box. I looked nice, if I may say so myself. It had been a while since I had done my own make-up, but I didn't lose my touch one bit.
Grabbing my phone, I walked ever so slowly down stairs in mom's heels. She was a half size smaller than I was but I didn't have any other choice but to wear her shoes. I couldn't just go with my black flats.
"Finally!" Mom sighed rolling her eyes once I managed to reach the bottom stairs, "Saeed, c'mon we are ready." She yelled for my father grabbing her back and walking outside.
Taking one look in front of me, I saw Zayn looking incredibly handsome in my father's old suit. It wasn't his best looks with the suit a bit bigger than him and the color just a bit too in your face but he managed to make it work. He looked like fashion, no one understood it, yet everyone admired it.
"You look beautiful babe." Zayn kissed my hand once I managed to reach where he was by the door.
"You don't look too shabby yourself." I smiled hooking my hand around his arm.
Walking outside the house, I tried my best to steady my steps while keeping up with Zayn's fast walks but the mission was too hard to keep up. I almost fell a couple of times but I supported myself on Zayn's arm. "Woah, easy tiger. Heels aren't your thing, eh?" He teased making me roll my eyes.
"They are too small." I whined giving him the varied reason to why I was a wobbling mess during our very short walk to the car. He gave me a weird look to which I had to explain furthermore, "My mom's"
Chuckling, he shook his head while opening the car door for me, "Aren't we just dazzling with our borrowed clothes."
"Shut up," I chuckled rolling my eyes. We did look quite funny with my dress being too fitted, my scarf just not the right Beige color for my dress and my shoes just too small for me to manage a straight walk. While Zayn looked a little vintage with his blue suit just a little too big for him making his roll up his sleeves in a 70's gangster type of way.
Once we got to the venue, everyone's head turned to watch us. Perhaps it was the fact that the Saeed's were actually attending an event held by the Ibrahim's family after everything that happened between the two families in the last couple of years, especially in the last year itself. Or the fact that Zayn and I looked like the weirdest couple in the room with our not so fitting and not so fashionable clothes or maybe the fact that a big celebrity like Zayn was actually in a doll Yorkshire wedding.
Trying my best to straighten up my walk, I leaned completely on Zayn for support. We walked just a few steps behind my parents, Ella and Nadia as people just murmured all around us under the loud music.
"Kendra! Oh, I'm so happy you came and brought your family." Mrs. Ibrahim beamed once she noticed us here.
"Sorry we are late, Latifa. You know how girls get before weddings." My mother chuckled her fake-I-want-to-impress-you chuckle making me roll my eyes.
"It's alright. C'mon your table is right here." She guided us to our table.
The venue was plain, not really that breathtaking but I did like how it was simple. Just the room's put in chandlers as a decoration. The heart and soul of the wedding as in any Arab wedding was the dance floor with the Arabic and English music blasting, the bride and groom in the center surrounded by their friends and family dancing and singing along to the music.
Looking around, I noticed too many familiar faces. Just on the table next to us was Mrs. Omran. She was my religion teacher in Islamic school and she always had one thing to say to me; Maggie, I'm glad you are enjoying you time now because you are not going to go anywhere in life.
Right by the stage was Mahra Khalid, a girl who was always so jealous of me she told my dad I smoked during a Ramadan gathering just to see him yell at me. He didn't though, all he did was leave quietly.
And there, next to the exit, was Ali Moheb. The boy who I had my first crush on. He knew I liked him and tried to lure me in due to my skanky vibe at the time. When I refused, he told the whole school I gave him a blow job so I don't lose my cherry.
Every single face in this room had a memory behind it, and none of them were good. Sighing, I tugged on Zayn's hand grabbing his attention, "I want to leave." I whispered feeling sick all of the sudden.
"We just got here? Is everything alright?" He asked worriedly.
"Yeah, it's just my head. The noise is giving me a headache." I lied. I hated lying but now wasn't the time to tell Zayn how I felt how every single person here.
"Okay. Just tell your mom and I'll drive us home." He nodded in understanding. I was just about to get up to go to my mother when a certain high pitched voice pierced my ears with its squeaking.
"Oh my god, the Saeed girl? It is you! Oh god, you look so different. I almost didn't recognize you with all of this clothes." She chuckled like it was the funniest joke ever.
"Hello Kasema." I faked a smile. God did I hate Kasema. She was a no good person always with her big mouth running around with a different rumor to spread, a different poison to fill. She was one of the reasons why my suicide rumor was spread faster than fire making me a reject in my own community and even amongst the people I thought were friends.
"And is this the famous Zayn Malik? Wow, so it is true. I mean you two?" She asked in almost surprise. Yeah bee, I got my life together and you are still pathetic. God did I resent her.
"Yeah, I got lucky with this one." Zayn said with his dazzling smile holding my hand in his making me feel like a queen.
"Aw, you are as adorable as you seem on T.V." She cooed being too fake. Or maybe she was genuine but I just hate her too much to believe it. "I'm just going to say it because I know this is what everyone is thinking," She paused making my heart rate double in a split of a second, "You two look so vintage chique. Where did you get your clothes?"
Once those words left her lips, Zayn and I exchanged knowing looks then burst out laughing. Kasema just gabbed at us confused, "My designer got it for us. It's from France." Zayn said getting into the character making it almost impossible for me to hold my laughter.
"It looks French. I knew it from the start. Well, it was lovely seeing you two. Keep in touch, Maggs." She left then Zayn and I just burst in laughter. I can't believe she actually bought it.
"She is unbelievable." Zayn said between laughter.
"I know," I cracked up, "I knew it was French." I mimicked her really annoying high pitched voice, "Idiot!"
Zayn was about to say something when the person I dreaded most interrupted him, "I'm glad you are enjoying the wedding." Aliyah stood in front of us, body stiffen and face unfazed. She was wearing a green dress and an earthy hijab.
My heart almost stopped when I saw her, it's been almost 14 month since I last saw Aliyah. She looked too thin and her eyes held anger, resentment, even hate? I don't blame her though, I ruined her life.
"Hello, Aliyah." I smiled timidly. Although I hated myself just by seeing her, I also felt bad and I wanted to prove to her that I had changed and I was sorry for everything that happened to her.
"Hey." She didn't even smile.
"How are you?" I asked awkwardly.
"I've been better." She said in the same monotone she used since she came to talk to us.
"Aliyah?" Ella came from around the table. Her voice held shock. "I thought you were in.." Ella shied down not being able to say the words out loud.
"An Institution for the mentally disturbed?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. "I'm not! I've been stuck in York for more the six month. No college accepts a mentally disturbed muslim girl." She chuckled coldly making me feel like the worst person possible. It was because of us that she was admitted to that hospital. It was because of us that she had the mental break down, it was because of us that she got addicted to drugs. It was all our fault. It was all my fault.
"Gosh, Aliyah, I'm so sorry. I know it's hard but you could-"
"Save it!" She interrupted me not even allowing me to finish my sentence. "If you thing you can fool me with that scarf around your head or that sweet girl attitude, then you are wrong. I know the real you, Maggie Saeed!" She spam, her words too poisoning on my heart making me gab at her. Aliyah, Sweet naïve kind hearted Aliyah, just coldly snapped at me.
Once I registered what she said, I was furious. How dare she say those things to me? She doesn't know how I've changed and how my life had been for the last year.
I was about to yell at her, and demand she stop judging me for who I was rather than who I really am but she beat me to it and spoke again, "You two are just cold hearted people who play with people's innocence just for the heck of it!"
"Hey! We may have been bad when we were young but-"
"Oh please. Save it for your fans! They feed in every little piece of crap you throw to them." She rolled her eyes and was about to walk away. I was pissed and wanted nothing more than to yell at her and force her to open her god damn eyes.
She turned around all of the sudden looking at Ella with a smirk on her face that held many mischievous thoughts behind it, "Oh, and how is Eric by the way?"
***
A/N
Well, Aliyah is no more a saint. Is she ;)
BTW is a bae. I swear your comments made my day and although I didn't reply to most, I did read each one and I literally updated during my exams so I won't keep you waiting long.
Looking forward to this chapters comments :)
Love you all. If you are still reading this story, I promise I'm trying to make it good for you. Thank you for hanging in there with me x
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