It began initially with casual calls which enquired about her health and how her day was going, but on the third day, Zain showed up at her fashion house about ten minutes before her lunch break asking her out for lunch.

She was taken aback by it but managed to snatch her mind from the dump it momentarily got dragged through.

After all, friends did go out for lunch together, right? And so she accepted.

Eva, whom Em had failed to tell about the friendship compromise established between herself and Zain, nearly accosted him but for Emma's intervention.

When she explained she and Zain were now friends, Eva stared at her as if she'd lost her mind and with that Em knew she had a lot of explanation to do on return.

Zain took her to a restaurant that was a bit far from her fashion house, and Emma immediately got out before Zain could do the courtesy.

It just would've felt... intimate, something which only catered to George's honor as her husband.

A sense of déjà vu encompassed Em as she realized this was the same restaurant where she'd met up with Zain and had proposed that he become her model five years ago after which his rejection and withdrawal had followed.

She'd been so intrigued to find out his reasons for refusing that she'd continued to pursue him, leading to that weekend after which all the mysteries were unearthed.

Shaking her head as she sat down on the chair Zain pulled back, the memories dissipated. Looking up, she saw Zain regarding her quizzically. "Are you okay?"

"Of course, why do you ask?"

"You just shook your head without reason. What are you thinking about?" He asked.

The arrival of the waitress saved her from having to reply. "Good afternoon. What would you like to order please?"

She handed the menus to both of them with such a big smile on her face that Emma wondered if it was part of the costs.

Scanning through the menu, she bit down on her lips indecisively. "Uhm, I think I'll have the Fennel and pear salad with goat cheese on toast for a starter and Beef cheeks stewed with Pinot noir and carrots, braised potatoes, and leek for the main dish. Oh, with the starter, I like it honey flavored. I'll consider dessert later."

The waitress noted it down and turned to Zain. "You, sir?"

Zain didn't stop smiling or break eye contact as he replied "I'll have what she's having."

If possible, the waitress' smile widened as she nodded enthusiastically for what reason Em couldn't fathom.

Left alone, Zain looked at Emma. "Em." the way her name came from him made her shiver slightly and she immediately shook off the reaction. "Did I tell you that you're even more beautiful than the last time? You just glow with so much radiance."

"Uhm, thanks. You don't look bad yourself." She looked down shyly, feeling a bit awkward by the compliments.

Then he asked after some awkward seconds. "So how's life been these five years Emma? How's married life? Are you happy?"

For some reason, it felt like he was interrogating her, but she figured this was a safe enough topic, one where she didn't have to lie.

"I couldn't wish for any more happiness, Zain. I mean I have a daughter who fills each day of my life with joy and a husband who loves me. Our marriage has been great so far. And I Love George."

Zain nodded and looked away, but Emma caught sight of his guarded emotions before he did. It was obvious hearing these things weren't that easy for him despite his decision to try and get her out of his heart, to stop wanting her.

“How did you guys meet?”

Emma smiled sadly, remembering that day. “We met in a grief support group. You know the groups where people share their trauma and all that and try to heal. George lived a traumatic life too, probably worse than mine.”

Zain nodded but said nothing.

Emma stared at him, at how healthy he looked, and was suddenly very curious to know how he was cured.

"Zain..." she called, and he looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "How's life been for you all these years?"

He smiled but there was something bitter about it. The waitress arrived with the appetizers which paused Zain's reply.

After the young woman had left, Zain gestured to her food as he started in on his. Emma took her fork and knife and started eating hers, but it was really to get him talking.

Eventually, it seemed he wouldn't and the curiosity made her ask. "Aren't you telling me?"

He looked up and sighed. "You can just imagine, Em. Imagine living every day knowing it could be the last time you had control over your own body, knowing you would never be able to do the things you love to do again. That you'll never get to be with the woman. . . with the woman you love again."

He said the last part looking so intently at her she nearly flinched, the impact of it not lost on her. She focused on her food to avert her eyes, feeling her emotions touched by his poignant words.

"I decided to use whatever few months or years I still had on helping people. I traveled the world. . . made donations, helped orphans and generally all people who were in need." He tried for a nonchalant shrug as if those dreadful moments of living in fear meant nothing. "Then I went blind in my left eye.”

Emma, gasped, her gaze drawn to his left eye as she tried to determine whether he still couldn't see through it.

A brief chuckle left Zain's mouth. “Don't worry, the treatment reversed my eye function by a great deal even though it gets blurry sometimes.”

“How did you...”

"It was Kevin who bothered with the research on Reuben's Syndrome. Then he heard about this scientist who'd supposedly found a cure.” He smiled fondly.

“I initially refused because I didn't want to build my hopes only for them to be shattered again, but my parents and Kevin tried their best to convince me. But I..."

Dropping his fork, he looked at her in such a soul-probing way that she stiffened. "I did it for you."

"Zain..." She sucked in an involuntary breath, having a sense of where this conversation was going.

"No Emma, that's the truth. I thought of you, of seeing you again. Your smile, your laugh. Of having you in my arms once again. Of making more memories like the brief ones we had together.

“That's why I went in for the treatment; because you became my leash on life, my reason for living. It took a year for me to fully recover" His voice shook as he added. "I never imagined.. . never thought that. . . that you'd moved on."

Em suddenly understood the gravity of the situation. How much hope he must've returned to Chicago with only to have his dreams shattered at the discovery of her marriage. It seared her with guilt. "Zain, I'm sorry."

He let out a short chuckle. "There's no need to apologize, Em. I was so intent on getting you out of my system I refused to talk about you with Kevin or even look you up on the internet. It was for my sake Kevin didn't invite you to his wedding. Perhaps if I'd kept up on how you were faring from him, he would've gotten close to you to learn about your marriage."

Learned of her marriage?

Kevin had been at her wedding four years ago and knew about it. Had he not told Zain? Or had he lied? Emma was just about to tell Zain this when a noise from the table flanking theirs distracted her.

A man and a woman who had been speaking in undertones suddenly raised their voices. It was the man who came first. "You betrayed me!"

"There's nothing called betrayal in this!" The woman came back.

Her voice was far higher than the man's. Both looking around and realizing the attention they'd drawn, they went back to speaking in muffled voices.

Wondering what was wrong, Emma focused on finishing the last bit of her salad and goat cheese on toast, unable to look at Zain again. The waiter came for the plates and cutlery sometime later.

Expelling a breath, Em finally looked at Zain who had his head lowered, and sensed the emotions streaming through him.

It was quite obvious that Zain's feelings for her hadn't mellowed, and she started to wonder how sensible still being friends was.

If he wanted to forget her, wasn't keeping his distance the most logical thing to do?

"Zain, are you sure you still want to be friends? I mean don't you think it's best we keep our dis..."

His head jerked up, and the alarm on his face trailed off her words. "No, Emma. I need this. I need you. I need to do this with you by my side. If eventually I don't feel like wanting you as more than a friend and don't feel. . . you know any attraction around you, then I'll know I'm over you."

Which meant he wanted her even this minute. Her cheeks flushed and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"You didn't wait for me!" The man from the other table suddenly accused as he jerked up from his seat. He looked enraged.

"You gave me no reason to." The woman retorted and got to her feet as well, obviously upset as well. "I waited for months and received not even a single call from you. You didn't get in touch and I felt deserted. How was I supposed to know you were unjustly accused and in jail?"

"If you really loved me as you claimed, why did you get married so soon?”

"Two years isn't so soon." The woman let out exasperatedly. "Besides, I wanted to get over the pain and betrayal, and Josh was there to offer."

The man opened his mouth to speak but shut it up again as if the words weren't forming. Then he suddenly shoved his hand into his pockets, plucked out his wallet, took some money out, and tossed it on the table.

Giving the woman an expression filled with disgust, he turned and stormed off. The woman sat down with tears in her eyes.

Em was stunned just like all the other customers, but it was how similar their situation was to her and Zain's that shook her, and she felt the tension stab at the air around them.

When the waitress arrived with their main meal, they ate in suffocating silence without meeting each other's eyes even once, so when it was all over, no desert was ordered.

After paying for the food and giving the waiter a generous tip, they went out into Zain's car.

The drive back was just as awkward as the time in the restaurant until Emma decided that things couldn't continue like that.

Making her expression as normal and collected as possible, she opted to lighten the atmosphere.

"You know I could've paid for my food back there."

He glanced at her briefly and smiled - a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "And what type of man would that have made me? $65 dollars is nothing if I'm spending it on you."

She smiled and looked outside where the glassy skyscrapers blurred by. They got to the front of her fashion edifice a few minutes later.

"Should I accompany you in?" he asked noncommittally, and Emma realized he wanted to breathe fresh air instead of the awkward one.

"That's not necessary, Zain. Thanks."

"I had a great time." He said looking at her, though his eyes spoke a different tale. Leaning forward, he kissed her on the cheek, but it was so close to her lips that it pushed her out of her comfort zone for a bit.

Pulling back, she said. "Me too."

Or course she too didn't mean it as much as he didn't. The next minute was spent staring awkwardly at anything but each other until she saw Zain nod from the corner of her eyes. It was her cue to leave.

She opened the door and got out, stumbling off, and managed not to look back.

A deep breath unravelled out of her.