A Twist of Fate ✔

Ch. 23

In her peripheral vision, she saw Hamza change positions as she read the one question written out in bleeding blue ink. 

Will you marry me?

She dropped the album and the note, feeling her heart constrict painfully in her chest. She couldn't breathe. Hamza was there, on one knee, holding up the most beautiful diamond ring she ever laid eyes on.

"Will you marry me? Again?" Hamza smiled up at her, his eyes filled with adoration. 

She felt sick to her core. She couldn't do this. All she could smell was alcohol, and all she could hear was Luke's voice. 

She bent down and grabbed her purse. Then, turning on her heel, Laila ran. She ran as fast as she could, feeling her toes dig into the warm sand. She could hear him calling out, but she didn't stop. She heard him start to chase after her. Her eyes burned wildly as her lungs gasped for air. She could see the sun setting in the distance and wanted to run all the way to the orange orb and allow it to absorb her so she could disappear into it's fiery pit. 

Hamza eventually caught up with her and grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. He spun her around to face him, his hair disheveled and his suit jacket gone. "Laila! What're you doing?"

She tried to pull her arm away but he only tightened his fingers, holding her in place. "I can't Hamza. I can't do this!" She shouted, her eyes welling up.

"What? Was this too much? I thought we were doing good. I thought it was time." She tried to pull away again, but he jerked her. "Stop! Stop trying to run away from me! What is going on?"

"Let me go." She whispered, her voice hoarse with emotion. She could feel Luke's hands, all over her body. She was back in that room again, reliving the nightmare. 

"No."

"I said LET ME GO!" She started to hit him, slamming her fists into his chest. She kept jerking her body and shoving him until he roughly freed her, sending her stumbling back a few steps from the sudden release. He stood there, panting and staring at her, his expression unreadable.

Laila couldn't look at him. "I don't want to marry you. I don't remember you, and this isn't the way I want to be with my husband. I tried, but I don't have any feelings towards you." She took a deep breath, trying to hold her voice steady. "I don't love you."

He vividly winced. "That's okay. We can give it some more time, I'll be better and we can-"

"No." She forcefully interjected, meeting his gaze. She willed the storm of tears back, trying to uphold a cold demeanor. "We already tried that. It's time to move on now, Hamza. Stop holding me back. I want to move on with my life, but you keep wasting my time."

She could almost see the way her words stabbed him. His eyes were red, bloodshot, his hair partially hiding them in a shadow. She held back the part of her that wanted to brush it away from his forehead and hold him in her arms. He did nothing but bring her happiness. And she did nothing but cause him grief and pain. It was time to end the fairy-tale of misery. 

"Let me go." She whispered. "Please let me go."

Hamza exhaled, his shoulders slumping forward in defeat. He wasn't even looking at her anymore. She was staring at his face, searching his expression, but his eyes were cast downwards. "Okay." He said, after a moment of silence.

No, she cried out inwardly. No don't leave me please.

"If that's what you want. I can't force you to be with me." Hamza shoved his hands into his pants pockets. "I'll drop you off home then, I guess."