Zayen

Her panicked state reminds me a little of a chipmunk. If a chipmunk did hard drugs and didn't sleep for four weeks straight.

But I'm so glad to have her back in my arms.

"So . . . are you going to tell me anything? How long have you been here? Why are you here?"

I groan, running my hand down her face to try and quiet her. She won't stop talking and I just want to kiss her.

All I have done since she disappeared is talk and fight and try to figure out what the heck is going on—I literally went to the bottom of the ocean to find her—and now that she's here, none of the rest matters.

"We're going to steal." That's the plan.

"We, who? Steal what?" she asks.

"You and I, tomorrow, are going to steal that stupid wishing stone or whatever it is, and we're going to get out of here."

That's all I came here for; Alara and the stone.

I want to get Aya and Saad back. I want to make sure that they're safe and happy.

There's so many things I want. When I had lost sight of Alara, I had forgotten about all of it. All I could think about is finding her again.

But days have felt endless, and I've had more than enough time to think. I decided that I'll give the stone to my father. Whatever he wants, it's most likely to do with money and riches. He can wish for what he wants as long as I get those kids back.

"How?" she asks incredulously.

"It's kept somewhere hidden throughout the year, but during the competition, they bring it and keep it here"—I point to the Bayt buildings—"There are three buildings and they keep it in the technology building because it is the most secure there. It'll be in one of the rooms. So tomorrow before sunrise, we're going in and we'll take it."

"That's your plan? Go in and . . . take it?"

"Yeah . . ."

She sighs and steps forward. I reach out to touch her, slightly surprised that she is really here and standing in front of me after all this time. "Okay, I guess we've both got nothing to lose without our family."

But that's not true. I've got her to lose.

"So, we walk right in, take this stone and then what? We float up to the ocean surface, hand it over to the Hakeem and go our own ways?"

"Go our own ways? No, I—We can't see that far into the future, but I don't want to not have you in my life." I'm not sure about a lot of things—I mean, I think I saw a crab the size of two human heads a little while back—but her, I am sure about.

She nods and takes another step closer, her body inches from mine. I hold my arms open and she wraps her arms around me, her head pressing against my chest. "Okay, let's do this then. Do we even know how the inside of this technology building is laid out? I was in the for a little while but it is gigantic."

"Yeah, I met someone who is willing to help us."

She tilts her head to look up at me. Her big brown eyes seem to shine in the silver light here. "That is a useful piece of information that you didn't bother to mention."

I grin innocently. "I like to keep things interesting. Risky." I wink at her, leaning down to brush my nose against hers.

"Who is it?"

"I don't know."

"What?" She gives me a strange look and then laughs. "So this plan has absolutely no plan B or stability? What if we get caught?"

"Come on, have we had a plan B for any of this? It's not like we have a variety of options. We barely know anything about this place. It's another risk, but what else could we do?"

"Okay, but I want to go in alone."

"Not a chance."

She opens her mouth to argue, but then notices several people walking past. "Why don't we have this conversation in my room?"

"You have a room?" I slept on a strangers floor mat for the past three days.

She shows me to her room. I have no idea how she managed to find it, considering everything looks the same here.

It's a small space, but it has everything needed. I walk to the bed, about to fall over onto it, but Alara steps in my way.

I smirk. "What do you need?"

I don't know why being in here, in this small space, with her. It makes me want to—"You need a shower." She points to a door, the look on her face making me want to laugh.

I missed having her and her bossiness around. "Yes, madam." I bow formally, the way I once had to to my own father. A small smile tilts the corner of her lips up, but she doesn't budge. "I'll only go if you join me."

She wanted to discuss our plan for tomorrow, but if she has forgotten then I'm not going to remind her because there is no ways I am letting her go in alone.

"Not a chance." Her eyes widen.

I bite my lip. "I . . . sorry." I think not being around her has made me forget what our relationship used to be.

I head to the shower, immediately stripping down and getting soaked by the water. It's unbelievably good.

I step out, wrap myself in a towel and then realise I have a problem—"Alara!"

"What?" she calls back.

"I . . . Don't have clean clothes."

"Then put on the old ones."

"You're okay with me getting into your bed with—"

"No, just, uh—Just wait!" What, is she going to go out and buy some new clothes? "Are you decent?" she asks.

"I'm in a towel."

She pushes the door open slowly, peeks in like a baby duck going to a water hole filled with crocodiles, and then quickly tosses me a shirt and pants and shuts the door.

I laugh silently, shaking my head as I pull the pants on. They're stretchy so they fit well, but the top is not as easy. "The shirt doesn't fit!" I say through the door.

"What do we do?" she asks, opening the door only a crack, her gaze lowered to the ground.

"I could sleep without a shirt."

"And in the morning?"

"We have a lot bigger problems to deal with than my clothing choices in the morning. We'll figure it out."

"We'll figure it out' seems to be your plan for everything so far."

"Well, we're still alive aren't we?"

At that she looks up at me. There's a surprised anger in her face. It's kind of cute. "Barely."

That makes me laugh. Everything feels lighter when I'm around her, even risking our lives. I walk closer to her, and she immediately backs away from the door. "You scared of me, Sariq?"

She bites her lips, looking up at me through her lashes. Did coming to the bottom of the ocean make her prettier or something? "Sariq," she repeats, her voice barely a whisper. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." When I reach her, I tuck her hair behind her ears on both sides.

She is wearing the earrings. The ones I bought for her. My fingers press against the pearl pendants.

Her expression changes and her hands go over mine. "The earrings." She laughs. "You traded your shirt for it." Her eyes go down to my shirtless body.

"Yeah, it was the . . ." The night we almost kissed. Wait, that moment just now . . . "Our first kiss. By the fountain. That was our first kiss."

Her eyes leave my chest to meet my eyes. Her cheeks turn slightly pink. "Right." She moves in closer.

My hands close around her hips, so that her body is flush against mine. Her hand goes to my bicep and quickly drops when she realises there is nothing separating our skin when she touches me there.

"Your, uh." She tries to tug away. "You have nice lips."

Her words contradict the way she is trying to get away from me. "You sure?" Everything else, sort of, doesn't feel like exists when she's this close. It's weird.

Her body stills, her eyes on my lips. "Yeah. I mean, I don't have anything to compare it to, but when you kissed me like you missed me, I liked that."

My hand cups her cheek, which feels as warm as I thought it would. Her skin is so soft. Her eyes flutter shut for a second, her body subconsciously leaning in closer.

I'm not going to kiss her now. Not in this small space, where we are alone and half-clothed. She has on a cute pink night gown—I'm surprised it's not white, too. Maybe white is only necessary when outside?

It would be too hard to stop once I start kissing her, so it's better to not start. Instead, I kiss her forehead and lead her towards her bed.

And that's where we stay, wrapped up in each other until her eyelids stop fluttering and her body and breathing relaxes.

Even though she's asleep, I kiss her forehead again.

~~*~~

How are you today?

It's Sunday and I am conflicted between chilling at home and going out and doing something.

T w i t t e r : xPineappleGirlx
I n s t a g r a m : laylaawrites
Y o u t u b e : xThePineappleGirlx

Lots of love and jelly tots - xThePineappleGirlx