Layla

I was shaken after the accident but unhurt. The shock lingered. My thoughts raced as I thought about how bad of an idea it was to go to the insurance company instead of going home when my body started experiencing an anticipation of fear. A creeping sense of dread settled into my bones, confirming that that was a terrible idea. The moment the last person I ever expected to encounter spoke my name. I knew I'd made a mistake.

Asad.

That was not a place I was supposed to see anyone, let alone him.

My pulse quickened, and I felt the blood drain from my face. I knew I must have looked as pale as a ghost my color would.

"Layla?" the sound of his voice jolted me back to reality, I was still disoriented.

"What are you doing here?" I asked looking around to get content of cognition, to somehow piece together the situation.

"We are acquiring this company." He said.

My legs grew weak beneath me, and for a brief moment, the gravity of my situation slipped my mind.

"Are you sick?" He asked, his gaze shifting behind me in concern.

The receptionist couldn't offer him an answer as she stood there, holding the forms and a pen, her expression one of polite confusion.

"No, I... I'm fine." I stammered a little. "It was nice seeing you here, I've got to go." I quickly took the forms from the receptionist and forced a shaky smile on my lips before making my way to the nearest couch in the lounge.

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks, going there was a bad idea. The moment I witnessed the accident, I should have known it would dredge up memories I tried to bury deep within my mind. Memories that haunted me, lingering just below the surface, waiting for any excuse to resurface. The mere thought of an accident sent chills down my spine, reminding me of past traumas I had fought so hard to suppress.

I hated accidents. They brought back memories of past trauma.

My hands began to tremble uncontrollably, making it nearly impossible to fill out the forms. I was overwhelmed and could barely focus on the task at hand.

"Do you want me to take you home?" Asad's voice broke through the haze. He had followed me to where I sat, his concern palpable.

I hesitated, torn between the overwhelming desire to retreat to the safety and comfort of home and the strange feeling that accepting his help wasn't entirely right.  An internal battle raged within me as I tried to decide.

"You know I can't leave you here now." He said gently, his eyes searching mine for a response.

Our gazes locked through his sunglasses for the first time since he approached me. My hands, still shaking, clutched the forms before me as I tried to steady my nerves. I nodded slightly, barely managing to form the words.

"That'd be nice. Thank you." I said with my voice shaky as forced a tight-lipped smile at him. "I need to fill these forms first, though."

"Of course." He nodded. "I can take care of them if you'd not mind." His tone understanding.

When we walked outside, the valet had parked a car which I assumed was Asad's, and passed the key to Asad. He opened the passenger's door for me like a gentleman and I stepped inside. I forced a smile, trying to hide my inner turmoil.

The past few days had been filled with minimal communication between Asad and me, limited mostly to brief and somewhat formal texts. Now, sitting beside him in the car, the atmosphere felt charged with an awkward tension that neither of us seemed to know how to navigate. As we pulled out onto the road, I could feel the weight of the silence between us, like a third presence in the car.

"How are you feeling now?" He asked, his voice breaking through the quiet as we hit the road.

"I feel way better." I forced a very lip-tight smile his way before turning my gaze back to the road ahead. The smile didn't reach my eyes, and I wasn't sure if he noticed, but it was the best I could muster given the awkwardness of the moment.

There was a pause, and I could sense him glancing in my direction, almost as if he was gathering the courage to say something more. "Would you like me to get you anything?" He offered, his voice careful as if trying not to overstep. I furrowed my brows slightly in confusion. "Because of earlier..." His voice clarified, his voice trailing off as if he was hesitant to bring it up.

Oh.

"No, no, I'm fine." I shook my head a few times to emphasize that I was really okay. Or at least I was trying to be. "Thanks for offering though."

He looked at me and for the briefest moment, our eyes met. He offered a small smile, one that seemed very genuine but a little reserved. There was something about the way he smiled that caught me off guard. It was subtle, but there was a warmth to it that I hadn't expected.

The silence that followed was even thicker as if we were both acutely aware of how little we knew each other because of the circumstance that brought us together.

"Would you like to talk about what happened?" He asked after what felt like an eternity, his voice gentle but probing.

"The accident?" I echoed, glancing over at him. He nodded, his expression attentive.

"It's nothing to be honest." I huffed, unsure how much I wanted to share. "I just... I hate accidents and I try to avoid them at all costs, but today, well, it happened. Somehow. And I witnessed it." My voice was barely above a whisper, the memories still fresh and unsettling. "I'm still shaken up from it but I am okay." I blabbed quickly as if saying it would make it true. "I will be okay," I said trying more to convince myself than him. I shook myself to chase away the memories of earlier.

I shook my head gently as if to clear away the lingering thoughts. I had never been entirely comfortable being driven by someone I didn't know well, but I hadn't even thought twice before getting into Asad's car. The realization struck me as odd. I turned my head slightly, stealing a glance at him, and found him focused on the road, his features calm yet unreadable. There was something regal about him, a quiet confidence that seemed to come naturally. The kind royalty has.

As we approached my house, he drove through the gate and parked carefully. I unfastened my seatbelt, my movements intentionally delicate, and turned slightly to look at him only to find him looking at me already with a quiet relieved face, surprisingly. "Thank you for today," I said softly, my hands resting gently in my lap. "For taking care of the papers and driving me back."

"It is my duty, Layla." He offered a small, genuine smile, his voice carrying a warmth that was unexpected again.

"I would prefer if my brother didn't know about my going to the insurance and the accident," I said after hesitating for a moment before speaking again, unsure if I should have said it. "I just don't want him to worry unnecessarily. I would rather handle the situation first, and then let him know. You know." I bit my lip, feeling a bit shy about revealing too much.

He chuckled, the sound low, comforting, and very manly way before settling with a smile. "It's okay. I'd take care of it and have it sorted out by tonight." He assured me

"Oh, no, I will take care of it myself," I said quickly, shaking my head slightly. "But thank you, really." I said with a lazy nod.

"I know you can, but let me do this for you, please." That's sweet. The awkward guy is making an actual effort. His eyes softened as he looked at me.

His sincerity touched me, and I couldn't help but smile. "Alright, thank you." My voice was barely above a whisper.

There was a brief and comfortable pause before he spoke again, his voice tentative. "Layla, may I call you later tonight?" He took a brief moment before adding, "Please."

I thought about it for a moment. It's cute that he is asking.

I chuckled and nodded gently with a smile. "Sure, go ahead." I looked down briefly, feeling a warmth on my cheek. It was sweet how he was asking so politely.

"Okay." A wide smile spread across his face, and I noticed how it lit up his features in a way I hadn't seen before. I noticed he hardly smiled and when he did, it was hardly that big with emotions dancing.

"Goodbye, then. Take care." I said as I reached for the door only to find it still locked.

Before I could react, he quickly got out of the car and jogged to my side, opening the door with another warm smile. That's a lot of smiles I am noticing. I thought to myself, I couldn't help noticing how he seemed to smile more in those last few moments than I'd ever seen before. It was... nice. I found myself returning his smile, a soft and subtle one before I turned and walked towards the entrance, where I silently squealed like a little girl.

--------------------------------

Hello everyone,

How did we find this chapter? Is our ship starting to sail? Albeit slowly, I know ; ) Drop what you think in the comment section.

Btw, I adore your comments and dms all the time. Love the enthusiasm and connecting with y'all : )

Let's connect on IG @husna_thewriter

Send me your messages and reviews there🤭