He dropped me off, and I was hoping that nobody would be in the living room. I didn't want to answer any questions about where I had been. I unlocked the door and took off my shoes, trying to be as quiet as possible.

As I made my way halfway up the stairs, my mom called out to me. 'Where were you, Sarah?' she asked. I muttered, 'Ohh shoot,' under my breath. I knew I had to stick to my story.

'I was with Uzma, as I told you,' I said quickly. 'We went out to grab a bite, so that's why I'm late.' I hoped that she wouldn't ask any more questions. I quickly hurried to my room before she could say anything and closed the door slowly.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I sat down on my bed. I knew I had to be more careful in the future. I couldn't keep lying to my mom about where I was going. But at the same time, I didn't want her to know the truth. It wasn't my story to tell her about Uzma and Umar.

I knew that if she found out that I was dating Jake..she would be furious. "Am I even dating him?"...I shake my head clearing the thoughts . But I couldn't help how I felt. I was falling for Jake, and I didn't know what to do.

I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes. I thought about Jake and the way he made me feel. I knew that I was taking a risk by dating him, but I couldn't help myself. I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

I had to be careful, but I also knew that I couldn't stay away from him. I was addicted to the way he made me feel, and I knew that I would do anything to be with him.

My thoughts were interrupted by the buzzing of my phone. I checked the message and saw it was from Jake.

"Hey babe," my  heart fluttered with joy, Just reading those two words gave me butterflies in my stomach.

Then came another message

"Miss me already?"

I grinned from ear to ear and sent a reply:

"Are we calling names now?"

Jake wrote back: "Hahah you like it don't you?"

"And yeah i miss you already," I sent back.

I missed him so much already, even though I had just seen him an hour ago.

I can't stop thinking about him. It was true. Ever since I had met Jake, he had been on my mind constantly. I couldn't help but feel drawn to him, even though I knew that it was risky.

"When can I see you again?" he asked. I hesitated for a moment. I knew that I had to be careful. But at the same time, I didn't want to stay away from him for too long.

'I don't know,' I replied. 'My mom's been asking a lot of questions lately. I don't want her to get suspicious.'

'Okay, no problem,' he said. 'Just let me know when you're free.'

I smiled as I put down my phone. I knew that I was playing a dangerous game by dating him. But at the same time, I couldn't help how I felt  and I didn't know what to do.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I knew that I had to be careful. But at the same time, I had to find a way to see him again, no matter what.

I spent the hour of my prayer time talking to Allah and praying for his help and guidance. I made dua, asking Him to make things easier for us and to help us avoid making this situation into something haram. I picked up a book to read in an attempt to distract myself from the situation, hoping that reading would keep my mind occupied and off of the situation for at least a little while.

While I was reading, I don't know how I dozed off. Suddenly, my eyes shot open to the sound of my phone ringing. I checked the time and it was already past 8:00 pm.

"Heyy," I said groggily, rubbing my eyes. I heard a hoarse voice on the other end of the line. "Heyyy Sarahhh, I'm so happy. I don't know. I wanted to thank you guys, and Jake... he offered his house. I can never be less thankful to you for what you did."

"Heyyy, slow down Uzma," I said as a yawn escaped while the phone was still on my ear. I went to wash my face and then took the phone off my shoulder and held it in my hands. "I'm happy for you and Umar," I said. "What I would have done without you guys ?" She said

"Remember, you're not alone. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here for you."

After talking with Uzma for a little while, we hung up. "It's always nice to catch up with her, I missed her" I thought to my self.

I then offered my Isha Salah, After that, I went downstairs.

I sat on the couch, taking the Xbox controller in my hand. Mumma was in the kitchen, probably preparing dinner. The room was quiet, except for the sound of the controller buttons clicking. I was lost in the game, trying to beat my high score. Suddenly,  Ibrahim entered the room.

"Assalamualaikum cupcake," he said, sitting beside me. I turned to him, and a smile spread across my face.We've been close since we were kids.

"Walekumassalam," I greeted him back. "What's up?"

"Not much," he replied. "Just wanted to hang out with my favorite sister."

I laughed. "You're such a flatterer."

He grinned. "I try my best."

We sat there for a few minutes, chatting about our day. Ibrahim was telling me about a new project he has been working on, and I was telling him about my plans for the weekend. Suddenly, my stomach growled.

"I'm hungry," I said, laughing. "I think Mumma's making dinner."

"Sounds good to me," he said, standing up. "Let's go see what's cooking."

We made our way to the kitchen, where Mumma was busy chopping vegetables. The smell of spices filled the air, making my mouth water.

"Assalamualaikum, Mumma," I said.

"Walekumassalam honey," she replied, smiling. "You were asleep when I came to check on you,did you sleep well ?"

"Yeah i don't know when I dozed off," I said.

"Ah, Ibrahim," she said, smiling. "So what are you both up to"

"Just hanging out with him" I replied.

"Always up to something." Mumma said shaking her head.

Ibrahim laughed. "Mumma I'm a good influence."

"Go check on laiba , what is she doing" she replied.

We spent the rest of the evening eating and chatting. After the dinner, I was heading upstairs when Ibrahim asked "how about a game"

As we made our way back to the living room, I grabbed the Xbox controller.

He said, grinning. "But you know I'm gonna win, right?"

I laughed. "We'll see about that."

Ibrahim and I played video games for hours. We took turns playing, and the competition was intense. We played so much that I lost track of time.

Suddenly, Ibrahim yawned. "I think it's time for me to hit the hay," he said, stretching.

I nodded. "Yeah, me too. I have an early morning tomorrow."

We said goodnight to each other and went to our respective rooms. I changed into my pajamas and got into bed. I checked my phone, and there was a snap from Jake. He had sent me a picture of his cat.

I smiled and sent him a snap back, telling him how cute the kitty was. I put my phone down .

I took my novel to continue and started reading , after few minutes passed by I heard a loud thud on my window. At first, I thought it was just my  imagination, but when I heard it again, I knew it was real. I went to my balcony and opened the windows to see what was going on.
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Helloo my lovelies thank you soo much for the support! We've reached yet another milestone together, which makes me feel so appreciated and blessed. Thank you all for being here on this journey with me. Your comments and questions mean so much to me, so don't forget to let me know what you think is in store for Sarah next! Stay tuned for more to come! Love you all! #1.28kAndCounting"