Don't Forget Me (23)

I'm free anytime

I told him. He had a week left to be in Kuwait before traveling back so I couldn't really afford to wait until the last minute to see him. Plus where was he during those three years? I was definitely up to know.

Can you come over to my house today at 7?

He texted.

I didn't know what to reply or whether to go, but it might be urgent.

My mom was going to a reception at 6 and then will have dinner at my grandparents' house. I think I could tell her I went to the mall or something to pick up some stuff. I felt guilty but I tried not to dwell on it.

Sure

I texted him. It was our little secret; Lulu could go to hell for all I cared. I couldn't tell anyone because I honestly couldn't trust anyone. Sarah would probably blurt it out to Lulu and Lulu just didn't keep her mouth shut after what I'd heard from her this weekend.

/

Sundays are always better with my homie @SarahAlH :*

I still followed Lulu on Twitter. It would be a bit childish to unfollow her. I mean we were both twenty and not twelve. I honestly didn't really feel bad for not being her friend anymore; she was a Grade A hypocrite and pathological liar. I couldn't really stand her.

Going over to Zaid's house

I wanted to tweet that just to spite her, but I refrained from it and just laughed at her hypothetical reaction.

I changed from my training suit into a casual black dress, I let my hair down and applied my eyeliner and very light lipstick. I added blush just to give my face a pop of color. I looked good, better than how I usually looked.

I took a deep breath and grabbed my keys. It was almost 7.

"Lilly I'm going out okay?" I told my maid. I texted my mom I was going out so she wouldn't have to worry. I didn't specify where so I wouldn't have to lie. It was still manipulation.

I got into my car, a Touareg, and took off. It was weird; the last time I'd been to his house was almost three years ago and when his mother had passed away. This time it was different,

It was like those three years didn't mean anything and we just took off to where we had been. We might not have known each other for too long but it felt like we'd known each other forever.

I'm entering Shuwaikh now

I texted him.

I found his house, which was so easy to find as it looked majestic compared to the other houses nearby. The lighting, just like at the chalet, was impeccable.

I pulled over at the sidewalk, not getting in their basement garage and texted him that I was out.

Same side door. 

He texted. I quickly left my car and walked past the gate to the opened door, hoping no one would see me.

I passed the garden, which was adorned with flowers of all colors, a fountain, a seating area, and a play area for his nieces and nephews.

I then entered the house, which hadn't changed at all from when I had last come, and it didn't need to as it was so beautiful that way it was. There were marble floors, marble and mosaic walls with Islamic arches, a sunken garden open to the sky next to the hallways that neighbored the enclosed living room and other rooms.

I saw him smiling at me as I admired his house. It was so grand and beautiful at the same time. I was really breath taken.

"Mashallah iyanin," I could only manage to say.

"Mashkoura," he said.

"Yallah, awal shay bawadeech mukani elmufa'6al," he said with a smile as he turned on his heels for me to follow him.

This wasn't his favorite part? I followed him inside the elevator and we both stood in opposite corners, the silence was surprisingly not awkward. He pressed B.

He held the door of the elevator open as I stepped outside and I was faced with a large swimming pool. I wouldn't say it was olympic-sized but it was huge mashallah and was open to the ground floor where the living room area looked over, kind of like a balcony.

I had nothing to say really, it was so beautiful.

Only we didn't stop there, we walked past the swimming pool to a home theater next to it. I was in awe; it was exactly like a cinema theater only smaller in size, maybe enough to fit twenty people.

I smiled incredulously.

"Tabeen itshoufeen movie?" Zaid asked as he limped down the steps of the cinema.

I finally was able to speak as I walked down the stairs to sit in the front row next to Zaid.

"Uhh madri kaifik," I said. I kind of just wanted to talk as we hadn't seen each other in a long time, and especially ask him about those three years. I'd thought he invited me over for something urgent, but maybe he didn't want to scare me a first.

"Your call," he told me as he adjusted his seat.

"China mabi movie," I told him, and he nodded in agreement. I think he even looked relieved.

"Fa, three years," he said with amusement in his eyes.

"Shlonik al7een, Zaid?" I asked him, looking for a serious answer. I could only remember how broken he was when I'd last seen him three years ago.

He shrugged. "Khal ingoul time doesn't heal all wounds," he said.

"Oh, um asfa," I told him. He smiled softly, and I could already feel my heart breaking.

"La, ana asifma knt mawjoud hal thalath isneen," he said.

"7ashni depression ehnak, mn il'3urba, mn wafat umi allah yer7amha, makan ley khlg ay shay madri shlon I passed my courses. A9lan ma6awil bl kwait bas esbou3 o arid. Makint aby a'6aygich oo already '6ayagtich. Oo 7asbali you moved on," he explained, sounding solemn.

I hated that he thought that and I hated that he considered himself a burden when he was absolutely far from it.

"Zaid la tt2aasaf, oo ay shay tabee tara ana ehni maku shay ten7irij minna," I said, and he smiled appreciatively.

"Mashkoura Niyah," he said, and I smiled softly in return.

"Fa," he said as he adjusted himself on his seat, to change the subject.

"What did I miss?" he said as he rubbed his hands together and I chuckled.

I filled him in on our majors in college, that I was in petroleum engineering, which he was totally impressed by and kind of expected anyway, and that Lulu and Sarah were studying business in GUST.

"Shlon Lulu oo Sarah?" he asked me.

I shrugged.

"Sarah zaina, Lulu madri 3anha," I told him. He furrowed his brow in confusion since he'd seen me two days ago at Lulu's chalet.

"Mawidi atkalam 3anha bas ehya mo nafs ilbnt ili 7asbali a3arifha," I told him simply. He nodded in understanding.

"Shay 9ar bel shalaih, 3adil? Ma abi atdakhal bas I'm guessing min Ghazi? Shsalfita?" he asked, curious more about Ghazi than Lulu.

I put my tongue in my cheek and began to explain to him about the wedding pics on snapchat and how Lulu told Ghazi about me and how Ghazi started creeping me out when I was walking around.

He stiffened in his seat and I can tell he wasn't happy.

"Zaid?" I said out loud.

"Wallah knt 7as. Ma irti7tla killish," he said.

"3al a8al mara7 ashoufa mara thanya," I said, adding a chuckle to relieve his anger at Ghazi. He smiled, but it didn't match his eyes.

"Inshallah," he only said.

***

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