"You know you have to tell her the truth, right?" Herbert insisted.
Tawfiq raked his hair. He wasn't willing to tell her yet only for it to scare her away.
She knew Naima and it definitely would scare her away from him.
"I will tell her, eventually. Just not now. They all get scared away by the mere thought." Tawfiq argued.
Robert was just listening to the two men argue back and forth. He wasn't going to waste time and energy to try and talk Tawfiq out of what the latter had already decided on.
Tawfiq was stubborn. He was stubborn from the day he was born. And he knew it since the days he used to spend a few vacations at their home.
If you really knew Tawfiq, well, you'd know you could never get him to listen to you unless he wanted to.
"I sincerely hope you know what you are doing. I do pray things will not get out of hand. For God's sake, she is your wife. Find somewhere in the thick head of yours to tell her the fricking truth. She isn't like her, Tawfiq. Not everyone is like her. You have no reason to believe she'll leave you." Tawfiq glared at him. He didn't want to ever talk about her.
Why would they even bring it up?
It was a long time ago and he had moved on.
"I apologize for being upfront but it is the truth and you know it. If you actually married her then you know that she is a stayer. You wouldn't have if you had your doubts." Herbert exhaled and placed a hand on Tawfiq's shoulder.
"She seems amazing. Don't lose her because of something like a secret."
Tawfiq eyes snapped open abruptly as he gasped loudly and sucked in a deep breath.
"Are you okay?" Naima's face was of full concern as she paused the movie she was watching on Tawfiq's laptop.
They were on their flight to the Maldives and Tawfiq had fallen asleep.
"I'm fine." Tawfiq muttered as he turned his attention to Naima who still had a concerned look on her face.
"You are sweating." Naima noticed as she took a tissue to wipe his forehead that was glistening with sweat.
"Just a little dream." Tawfiq mumbled under his breath.
Naima smiled sadly.
"If you want to talk about it, I'm always here. I know how it feels." Naima admitted.
"I know and Thank you. " He glanced at his wrist watch. "Why don't you go off to bed? We have about 2 hours till we land and you look exhausted."
Tawfiq suggested.
"Are you planning on letting me sleep so you can go to the beach alone?" Naima jokingly questioned with a look of shock.
"Why would I bring you all the way here, just to let you sleep and let me enjoy the beach alone? That's like having a car but walking from Wyoming to Ohio. Now go on and get some rest." Tawfiq acted serious.
"Yes, dad." Naima rolled her eyes at him as she unbuckled her seatbelt and placed the laptop on Tawfiq's lap.
"Are you rolling your eyes at me?" Tawfiq questioned with a chuckle
"I don't know. Did I? Or didn't I?" Naima shrugged casually as she made her way to the plane's bedroom.
The plane had become a second home to them since they were on it almost half the time.
The good news was that, Naima's fear of planes had gone.
The bad news was the jetlag which was just so annoying to deal with.
Tawfiq decided to watch a movie on his laptop because if he slept he would end up having a nightmare of people telling him that Naima would leave him.
People were too pessimistic to begin with.
They had about 2 hours to land in Male and an hour to get to the-their island.
It was a Virgin Island that his mother owned for vacations or something else.
It had come in handy this time.
The island currently only contained their beach home.
Tawfiq had informed the helpers, who took care of the house, of his arrival. They just came to help out around the house but he wouldn't need them all.
The security would stay on the island as long as he was there but they wouldn't be around the house. They were on the other side of the island. Therefore, Naima could be comfortable around the house without her hijab.
He didn't like her wearing hijab around him.
The only problem was making them not squeal to his mother that he had come to the Island and was married.
Well, that would really be a blast.
He hoped Salim had briefed them on not revealing who he was to Naima.
〰️
"Why can't we stay with the locals? The children are so adorable." Naima squealed and she bent down to the level of a little girl who had come towards her.
Naima took the little girl in her arms as she played around with the little child who looked up be around the ages of four and six.
Tawfiq smiled at Naima. She looked amazing with a child in her arms. She would be an amazing mother. Spectacular mother.
"Earth to Tawfiq. I just asked why we aren't staying here?" Naima looked at Tawfiq.
Did he even have an answer for that?
"Because. . .my family has an island with a house. You can feel comfortable there. The private resorts here-even though they are private- I'm not sure you would feel comfortable with not wearing your hijab there. And I like your hair displayed for me." Tawfiq replied as he looked out at the beach and smiled when he spotted their yacht.
The first thing that came into Naima's mind was 'They own a fricking island?'
But when she saw the little girl's face it instantly disappeared from her mind.
"I don't mind. But if you insist." Naima sadly pouted as she put the little girl down.
"We can come and visit the little kids if you want." Tawfiq offered when he saw how sad Naima became when she placed the little child down.
"Really!?" Naima screamed.
"Anything for my Queen. Now, come on. We have to get to the island before it gets dark." Tawfiq informed as he took their bags along and Naima followed right by him until they got to a yacht.
"Sometimes, you really make me wonder if you are a actually drug lord or something. Your family must be really rich and their business even richer." Naima mumbled as she stared at the yacht in front of them.
"It's not mine. A lot of things I have are just privileges by my father. This though, belongs to my mother. Everything about the island is in her name. My dad gifted it to her when she gave birth to Farhana." Tawfiq explained as two men came for their suitcases.
"The yacht is called Ma Fleur?" Naima pointed out when her eyes landed on a piece of writing on the yacht.
"Yes. I named it. That's why I call Farhana zahri-flower." Tawfiq explained further.
"Come on. They are waiting for us to board."
〰️
If Naima was dumbfounded by the outside of the yacht, she should have seen the inside of it. It was even more beautiful. Tawfiq had promised they'd take it around and sightsee.
They had already arrived at the island but Naima wanted to feel the night air a little so they waited behind as their stuff (which had become more due to the souvenirs and stuff they would buy) was sent to the house.
"I wish I could sleep here forever." Naima stretched out.
"It feels amazing right? The sea breeze here is to die for." Tawfiq noted.
"It really is. But we can't stay here forever because I feel stuffy and I want to take a bath." Naima curved her lips as she turned and walked out of the yacht with Tawfiq behind her.
She stopped to admire the beach house. It was beautiful. Everything was beautiful as long as Tawfiq was involved in it.
"What do you think?" Tawfiq asked from behind her.
"It's really amazing. You family has quite the eye for beautiful stuff. Wish I was part of your family." Naima joked.
"No. Take that wish back." Tawfiq frowned.
"Why?" Naima chuckled.
"Because you'd be my sister." He scrunched his face but immediately smirked. "And I wouldn't be able to do this." He kissed Naima on the lips and smiled.
He moved away from her .
"You are such a caveman." Naima rolled her eyes at him.
"You're calling me a caveman and rolling your eyes at me?" Tawfiq questioned in disbelief.
"I did. So what you gonna do about it, caveman?" Naima shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest.
Tawfiq smirked at her and stood right in front of her. Just a few inches apart.
"I'm going to be your caveman." He whispered and before Naima could understand what he meant, he took Naima off her feet and placed her on his left shoulder.
Her face was facing his chiseled back.
"What are you doing!?" Naima exclaimed. "Put me down this instant!" Naima screamed and pounded his back with her fist.
"I'm being a caveman. And stop wriggling before you fall and hurt yourself." Tawfiq laughed and Naima could feel the deep vibrations of his laughter in her stomach.
"I'm sorry I called you a caveman. Please put me down." Naima pleaded.
"I'm not sure I want to put you down yet. Welcome to جزيرة الملكة (pronounced: Jazirat almalika)" Tawfiq spoke in impeccable Arabic.
"The Queen's island. Let's arrive in caveman style, shall we?" Tawfiq cackled.
"I hate you." Naima grumbled but her insides were smiling like a psychopath.
They were in their own heaven but little did they know this was the beginning of all their problems.
⚜️⚜️⚜️
#VCS
SHAAARRREEEE😊
SALAM 😗❤️
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