Don't Forget Me (41)

As we talked more on the phone, texts, and in real life, I became more comfortable around Faisal, and he was also comfortable around me. Plus with Zaid off my back I could finally put my full attention of Faisal even though Zaid's words still haunted me and made me want to throw up.

"Ha khala9tay imti7anat?" he asked me.

I shook my head as I took a sip of my orange juice. "La wallah, makhal9 mn hal imti7anat."

"Allah y3eenich," he said with a nod, and I smiled.

I drummed my fingers on the couch. We were running out of topics to talk about while our moms wouldn't stop talking.

"Omniyah yeebeeli chay law sma7tay," Faisal said. I nodded and walked to the kitchen to tell our maid to bring more tea.

I sat back down and told him it was getting ready.

"Fa shlon ukhwanik?" I asked him.

"Wallah zaineen. Fajoura msafra ma3a iljam3a 7ag mu2tamar, oo 3adil maskeen 8a9 b hal imti7anat," he said.

The maid walked in with the tray of istikanat ilchay and offered Faisal some tea. Faisal shook his head and chuckled.

"Omniyah ana gltlich intay etyeebeena, wala chan gltlich tgouleenlhum iyeeboun ilchay," he said. I felt my face burn up so I stood up to get the tray of tea and handed it to him. He shook his head.

"La bas khala9," he said still chuckling to himself. I was so embarrassed.

"Sorry wallah," I said as I sat back down.

"Qa9dich asfa," he said, chuckling again. God this was embarrassing.

"Asfa," I said again with an embarrassed smile.

"Ma3alaih ita3alimain," he said while fixing his qitra.

I rubbed my hands nervously against my white pants as I looked around trying to find something to talk about.

"Yallah yuma?" he said to khalti Salwa next to us as he stood up. I didn't know if I was glad or sad he was going. No idea.

"Yallah 3ayal, ga3datkum ma tinmal," khalti Salwa said as she got up.

"Inshoufich bl 3irs inshallah," my mom said.

"Inshallah, Omniyah bityi ba3ad?" khalti Salwa asked.

"Ee ma3zouma," my mom said. I looked back and forth between them, and I remembered the wedding on Thursday. It was a common friend of my mom and khalti Salwa's daughter. Uff mali khlg hatha ba3ad.

"Omniyah latinsain ili gltlich 3ana, ha?" he said to me under his breath.

"Okay inshallah," I replied. He wanted me to text him where I was going and stuff, I thought it was a bit too soon for that but maybe it would make it easier on us if we got married.

"Yallah ma3a ilsalama," he said as he left my house.

As soon as they left my mom berated me for the tea. I wanted to tell her inna wallah adri mala da3i she reminds me again. It was that embarrassing.

"Layal bityeech wala shlon?" my mom asked me.

"La ana barou7laha, bnsawi ilhomework oo itha midana inrou7 3asha," I told her.

"Okay bas lata2akhirain," she said.

"Inshallah."

I got my car keys ready and texted Faisal that I was going to Layal's house.

Faisal: اي ليال؟

Me: ليال الث، رفيجتي بالجامعه

He asked me where her house was and I told him.

I parked in front of her house and texted her I was out and Faisal that I'd reached.

I hugged Layal as usual and chatted a bit before we quickly solved the homework, which we could've done over the phone but we just wanted to go out to eat.

"Tara Niyoh wallah sorry 3ala ilvideo kilish ma kan qa9di aza3lich," she said again.

"Layal it's fine. A9lan thank you bayanteeli mnu uhwa."

"Gouleeli il9ij, kan bainkum shay?" she said. "I won't judge."

"Umm," I began to say. How did I explain this?

"Layal please latgouleen 7ag a7ad okay?" I told her.

Her eyes lit up. The girl just loved gossip.

I told her everything; how we met on the plane, Paris,  his gifts, the suite and my stupid key incident, his graduation speech, his mother's passing, him traveling, our schedule of outings, the chalet, entertainment city, everything up until the day we got caught and "broke up".

"Wait khalti matadri?" she asked about my mother. I shook my head.

She opened her mouth and smacked me on the shoulder. "Inzain kamlay," she said.

"Fa bas shifta bl dinner party, kan 7ail 7ail mtghayer, ya3ni kilish ma kan ylageeni wayh, oo kan yg3ad ma3a my friends ili ta7al6amt 3nda 3ndihum. Oo hatha kan khubri fee, chan traweeni the video oo sa2alta 3anna. Things got messy bas ilmuhim, 6ala3 we were just friends 6oul hal muda 3inda," I said.

"Wait wait shinu?" she asked, stunned. "Kil hatha oo bas friends?"

I shrugged.

"Bas madri ya3ni kila yshouf nafsa he's a burden fa ymkin uhwa mu mqadir nafsa," I told her.

"7ta lo ygdar yis2ilich, shnu bas friends?!" she complained.

"Niyah gouleeli il9ij, 7abaitee?" she asked me.

I nodded.

"7mar," she said.

I sighed.

"Okay fa wain tabeen nit3asha?" I asked her, changing the subject.

"Tabeen Almakan?" she asked me.

"Mm yallah okay!" I replied.

I texted my mom and Faisal I was going to Almakan with Layal and as we got into the car Faisal called me.

"Sorry Layal bas thanya," I told her as I got off to a more private place.

"Alu?" I said.

"Hala Omniyah," he said.

"Hala feek, shlonik?" I replied.

"Il7mdillah. Ha 6ala3tay wala ba3ad?" he asked me.

"La2 al7een ba6la3," I said.

He chuckled, but it was nowhere near humorous.

"Inzain ana tara lama gltlich inich tgouleenli wain btrou7een mu ya3ni it6arbijeen ay mukan oo bas itgouleenli, ham feeha isti2than. Oo ba3dain already r7tay 3nd rifeejtich mala da3i ti6li3een mara thanya. 7alat'ha ilbnt blbait," he said, almost coolly but I was burning up with embarrassment. Bada3t ilyom.

"So-Asfa wallah ma kan qa9di. Al7een arid ilbait," I said. It killed me that I wasn't going to Almakan, as I was craving their desserts.

"Yallah 3afya," he said.

"Ana rayi7 ilduwaniya baghaitay shay?" he asked me.

"La mashkour," I replied.

"Yallah 3ayal fimallah," he replied before hanging up.

I sighed and went to Layal and explained to her that I had to go home because my mother wanted me there.

"Way Niyoh hathi suwalfich," she said in a teasing/serious kind of way.

"Sorry wallah mu b2eedi," I replied.

"Yallah gouleeli mita next time," she replied. I nodded and got into my car to go home.

It was a really long day.

I parked jidam the house and texted Faisal that I had arrived home. I admit it was exhausting remembering to text him but maybe I just needed to get used to it.

I walked in wala my mom's in the living room watching TV.

"Ma6ala3taw?" she asked me upon my entrance while I kissed her cheeks.

"La Faisal ma ri'6a," I told her as I took a seat.

"Ee ba3ad kubartay," she told me as I sat watching tv blankly with her.

"Yuma sa2altay khalat Essa sh9ar 3alaih?" I asked her.

"Ee wado ilma9a7 fa galaw yabeela cham shahar, allah kareem," she said. I nodded.

"Ana barou7 anam," I told her as I stood up.

"China mbacher?" she asked me, looking at her phone's clock.

"Waray class imbacher," I told her.

Little did she know I spent most of the time awake from my thoughts, Zaid's texts, and everything in between.