Twice Upon Qadr - A Shot At Love **EDITING**

Chapter 56

Houssam pulled his hood over his face as the raindrops began to fall, and soon the sound of pouring water matched the pounding of his feet on the pavement.

He was so angry, so infuriated.

So hurt that she didn’t trust him enough to tell him what was going on.

But would he had been okay with it?

Honestly?

No.

But did he have a right to dictate to her what to do even if she had told him?

Honestly?

No.

He had left her. Granted she had told him to, and yes, he had been under the impression she would be waiting for him. But he had still gone.

He knew he could have handled things better, but the thought that she could belong to any other man just made him terrified to his very core.

Not that she would belong to him of course.

Ugh whatever.

He continued to run, not even sure of where he was going, until soon he was circling a single neighborhood, then a single blue house, until finally he came to a stop, staring up at it, and panting slightly. He waited until he had caught his breath before he jogged up the steps, and knocked on the door. A few seconds later the door opened, and Abdullah appeared.

“Houssam?” he asked in a confused voice, and Houssam put out a hand.

“I have to know.”

Abdullah’s nose wrinkled.

 “Know what?”

“Is it fake? Between you and Hana?”

“Oh,” he said quietly, “did she talk to you about it?”

“Yes. I’m sorry about your Mom bro. I really am.”

“Barak Allahu Feek. It’s the Qadr of Allah, what are you going to do.”

“May Allah swt reward you.”

“Ameen.” He said with a grateful nod. “So Houssam. If she already talked to you about it, why do you need to hear it from me?”

“I don’t know. I just need it to be confirmed that it isn’t real.”

Abdullah regarded him for a few seconds before nodding.

“It isn’t real.”

Houssam’s face visibly relaxed.

“Thank God.”

“You have to believe me Houssam, if I thought for a second you liked her, I wouldn’t have asked her to help me out like this. But we haven’t exactly kept in touch in the past few years.”

“You’re saying you don’t have any feelings for her at all?”

Abdullah shook his head.

“None romantic.”

“Come on bro, I’ve seen the way you get flustered around her.”

“Houssam!” Abdullah exclaimed with a laugh of disbelief. “We have been in a Halaqah together for over ten years, and you never noticed how totally flustered I get around girls?! It’s not just Hana, you probably just focused on her because you like her!”

“Oh.”

“Come, get out of the rain.” Abdullah motioned towards the bench on the front porch, and after they had taken a seat he turned to Houssam.