Coincidences (Book 1)

Chapter 21: They're Everywhere

Jabal and I spent the majority of the morning trying to find something to wear for tonight's fashion show. I went from store to store but could not find a damn thing I felt comfortable wearing at such an event.

Some days I wondered how I got involved with celebrities. I would not say I was inside their world, but rather was in the outskirts of it, looking from the outside in. I felt I fit in with Ragheb and his family since all of them – minus Louai – treated me like I belonged but attending a fashion show where I would be surrounded by some I did not even know but who perhaps were friends with Ragheb and his family, yeah that was a whole different beast.

"Any luck finding anything?" asked Jabal, who was holding a rather shnazzy navy blue suit that seemed to be up his alley.

"Sadly, no. I'm still trying to find something but nothing in these racks really scream 'fashion show' attire."

"Maybe you're trying too hard."

"You're probably right. Maybe my idea of what is 'fashion show' attire, is warped. I've never been to a fashion show. Much less any event that has celebrities."

"Neither have I but if you think about it, we're not gonna be there alone. Khaled and his family will be there and we're gonna have fun. So relax and just buy whatever screams you, not what you think others might be expecting you to wear."

"You're right. I am reading too much into this. I think I'm just gonna wear something from my own wardrobe as opposed to buying something new. Unless I find something that I would wear that has 'me' written all over, then I'll buy it."

"Only if it's you, nothing more" he chuckled.

"Yes. Also, I have news for you."

"What's up?"

"I finally told Khaled and his family about my past."

"You did?!" he said super loudly, but then toned it down. Clearly the shock had briefly overpowered his sense of reasoning.

"Yes" I laughed.

"Ok, let's go grab a cup of coffee and tell me all about it."

I agreed and we headed to a nearby coffee shop located here in the mall.

"After practically begging you for so long to confide in Khaled, I really need the details of what finally motivated you to talk to him and to his family" Jabal said, taking a sip from his latte. "Come on, spill the coffee."

"It had more to do with Louai trying to get them to see me negatively since he's still convinced I have some sort of ulterior motive."

"What happened?"

"So he's argued with me over and over that he doesn't trust me and that he's gonna find out what I'm hiding since he suspects I'm some kind of criminal, when I'm not."

"Having a brother who's a criminal does not mean you're one."

"Yeah, but in his mind that's probably what he thinks."

"Ok, so what lead to you finally fessing up?" he laughed.

"Well..." I stifled a laugh. "Let's just say that I overheard Louai arguing with his parents and that was when I realized that I had to come clean to them about everything. So I bit the bullet and hoped for the best."

"And I want to assume, since you're still living with them, all went well?"

"Yes, it did. But Louai stormed off later on and yesterday he caught Taline and I during a rather intimate moment and you can imagine his reaction."