A Twist of Fate ✔

Ch. 16

Everyone entered the house. Laila couldn't help but gape at the luxurious interior. It was even more breathtaking than the outside. The architecture was something out of a fairy-tale. In the middle of the spacious living area was a glass spiral staircase, leading up to the second floor. The windows at the back of the house revealed an infinity pool. The sunlight easily filled the inside, glistening off the marble floor. She suddenly felt very small, and very out of place.

"It takes a while to get used to."

She jumped slightly. She was too busy admiring the mansion, she didn't notice Luke walk up to her. He still had on a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "What was your name again?"

"Laila." She looked around for Deena, who was strayed off slightly to where the group gathered in the kitchen.

"That's a pretty name. Where are you from?"

Even though he didn't get too close, Laila still felt uncomfortable. She started to inch towards Deena. "Lebanon. You?"

"Cali. I'm only here for business." He looked at her, searching her face. "Zahra talks a lot about you. I'm glad she finally introduced us to you."

Laila forced a smile, just as Deena called her over. Grateful for the distraction, she scurried away. In the kitchen, everyone was talking about a project they were all working on. Laila distractedly sipped at her water, only barely listening. She could feel Luke's eyes on her, her neck tingling in caution.

She wanted to leave. Everything felt too wrong. But she didn't know where she was, and most certainly wasn't going to call Hamza. Or her parents.

They eventually all went out to the porch, everyone settling into a chair. Zahra nestled in between Ashleigh and Luke. "So, what do you guys think of Laila? Isn't she cute?"

Laila blushed furiously at the sudden attention her friend threw her way. Ashleigh nodded, downing her drink. "You really are. I'd love to take a few pictures of you, if you don't mind. For my fashion blog. You have really extraordinary features."

Laila shyly laughed off the compliment and offer. "Thank you, but you're too kind. Trust me; I'm not photogenic."

The topic of pictures made her think about Hamza. She wished she was with him, anywhere other than here. She felt Deena poke her shoulder, leaning in to whisper in her ear.

"Are you okay?" She asked. "Do you want to go?"

Laila felt bad to pull her away from her friends. As long as Deena was by her side, it was slightly bearable. "Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled reassuringly back at her friend.

"I know that Zahra can be a bit much sometimes, and you're probably not used to this sort of crowd."

"No, it's okay." Laila shook her head. "They seem nice. And this house is beautiful."

Deena sighed. "It's not all that great, trust me."

Laila turned in her seat to face her friend. "What do you mean?"

Deena opened her mouth, as if to say something, but seemed to change her mind. Flashing Laila a smile, she waved her hand. "It's nothing. Never mind. Just a bit stressed out from work."

Laila was tempted to push a little deeper, but was interrupted with a loud bang. She looked up to see Farrah fumbling with the stereo, switching tracks until she settled on a song, music flowing through the speakers. She stayed standing there, swaying to the beat and singing along. Laila watched as everyone gradually stood up and joined her until she was the only one sitting.

James started to dance wildly, throwing his arms around as if he was having a seizure. This emitted laughs from the rest, who were quick to imitate him. They looked hilarious, each busting out random dance moves. Laila unconsciously found herself bobbing along with them, laughing aloud. At one point, Zahra pushed Deena into the pool and everyone started screaming, discarding their clothes and jumping in with her.

Laila watched from where she sat. Zahra wandered back to the seating area, joining her on the bench.

"This is fun, isn't it?" She asked, nudging Laila with her shoulder.

Laila was about to respond when her phone sounded in her purse. She pulled it out and saw it was a notification for Asr. "It's time to pray," she announced.

Zahra rolled her eyes. "Chill out, Laila. There's still a lot of time."

"But-"

"Come on," she stood up, grabbing Laila's hand and pulling her with her. "Let me give you a tour of the house. There's a makeup room with all the new trending products. It's amazing!"

Laila let herself get dragged through the mansion, making mental note to not forget to pray before the time was up. But she knew, internally, that she was going to forget. 

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A/N: I hope you're enjoying the story so far. If you are, go ahead and vote! ❤

@_anime_muslimah_ Thank you for the votes and lovely comments :)