Captured Hearts Book 1 in the Heart Series - Wattys 2015 Winner

Chapter 10

Jenna and Hudayfah strolled hand and hand down the sidewalk, both of them holding smoothies that they had gotten after their movie. It had been an amazing night, and part of her wished it wasn't over. They had eaten dinner at The Hard Rock Café, before going to the theater and watching a romantic comedy called Failure To Launch. After that they had stopped at Jamba Juice for their treats, and were now walking back to where their limo was waiting for them.

As they came to a stop at the crosswalk, Jenna snuck a peek at Hudayfah who was trying to suck up the last of his smoothie, and smiled. Sticking to the whole 'date' concept, Hudayfah had actually left the house and rang the doorbell to 'pick' her up for it. He had had a bouquet of red roses with him, and had given them to her while making a short bow, dropping a kiss on her hand, and complimenting her outfit. It had been a wonderful evening, and it had made her just a tad bit fonder of him.

"Why are you staring at me?" he asked a bit self-consciously, and she blushed slightly at being discovered.

"I was just thinking about how nice tonight was."

"You sound surprised."

"Well, with the way everything has been going between us, I wasn't sure what to expect."

He squeezed her hand gently.

"InshaAllah this will be a fresh start for us."

"There is one thing though." She said, and he looked at her questioningly.

"What?"

"Is Rami going to come on all of our dates with us?"

Hudayfah burst out laughing as they turned around and looked at where Rami was trailing a few feet behind them. He had his headphones in, and was eating frozen yogurt, but when he saw them looking at him, he stuck the spoon in his mouth and waved.

"He's just here to watch out for us."

She frowned slightly.

"Like a bodyguard?"

He hesitated before nodding.

"Yes. After what happened yesterday, I want to take extra precautions."

She nodded, and as the light turned green, they began to walk.

"I wanted to ask you about that."

"About what?"

"About why you freaked out?"

His hand tightened slightly in her own.

"Because I couldn't find you."

"You know I would never leave without telling you. Why were you so scared?" when he didn't answer, she looked up into his face. "Is it because of Muhsin's friends?"

He hesitated before nodding.

"Yes."

She felt panic seize her heart. She might not have been too familiar with the details, but she wasn't stupid.

"Are we in danger?" she asked softly, and he pulled her to a stop, peering into her face."

"I would never let anything happen to you. You know that right?"

"Yes."

He nodded in satisfaction.

"Good." He said, and they resumed walking.

"You didn't answer my question. Are we in danger? Is my family in danger?"

"No InshaAllah."

"How can you be sure?"