Dawud.

Chapter 31: Mine

  بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful  

Jannah's  P.O.V

Dawud pulled onto the highway. He looked very hot and bothered. I leaned forward, catching his intense gaze and provoking a smile from his lips. "What is it?" I asked him.

"It's so distracting." He responded, speaking with one side of his mouth. He was so boyish and cute. I couldn't believe it.

"What is?" I pressed mischievously. I was already aware.

"You. Me. In the same car." He replied, smiling goofily. I let out a laugh. "Why are you laughing, Jannah? Isn't it distracting for you too?" He inquired, raising a naturally perfectly shaped eyebrow.

I giggled. "I'm not focusing on anything but you." I answered simply.

The car jolted forward. I gasped, gripping my seat belt. "You can't say stuff like that when I'm driving, Jannah. Please." Dawud urged desperately.

I covered my face in embarrassment as my cheeks tingled. "Sorry." I apologized, biting my lip. I was starting to sweat. "Can I open the window?" I asked, already pushing the button. The window slid down, enveloping me in wind.

"We're in the middle of March, Habibti. It's cold." Dawud said softly.

I rolled the window back up and fanned myself with my hand. "Is it hot in here? I feel like it's getting hot, Dawud." I sighed.

"We're almost home, don't worry." Dawud reassured me.

I still couldn't believe we were married.

Dawud parked in the apartment's indoor-parking lot and rushed out to the other side. He opened my door for me with a smile. "Thank you, Dawud." I said. He bit his lip boyishly.

Despite his protests, I grabbed one of my luggages and dragged it to the elevator. Dawud followed closely behind me. We stepped into the dimly lit elevator that rested in the far corner of the lot and stood there awkwardly. I was the closest to the buttons and so I asked him what floor he lived on.

"Five." He told me, smiling. I clicked the button.

The elevator wheezed and coughed with exhaustion as it lifted the two of us up. It stopped abruptly on the third floor. The doors slid open, revealing a woman with two toddlers and an infant. Her blonde hair was all over the place and she had tomato sauce—I assumed—on the right corner of her thin lips. "Get in!" She screamed at the children. They giggled, tugging each other's hair and staying in place. The door began to close once again. I slid my hand in front of the elevator sensor. The doors slid back open with a hum.

Dawud chuckled, kneeling down to his knees. "Mikayla? Why aren't you listening to your mom?" I heard him ask. I watched in amazement as the little girl named Mikayla pulled herself away from her brother's grasp and ran towards Dawud. He lifted her from her arms and tossed her in the air. My heart melted.

Her brother, seeing this, grew jealous and rushed towards Dawud as well. He tugged on Dawud's dress pants, smearing them with—what I still hoped was—tomato sauce. Dawud didn't seem to mind though. He lifted the boy up as well, bouncing the two of them in his arms with a large smile. The mother of the children sighed a breath of relief and stepped in. "Thank you, Dawud." She said, leaning back against the wall of the elevator. Dawud set the children on the floor and leaned forward, nodding towards me. The woman looked in my direction as the doors slid closed.

"Shannon, this is my wife, Jannah. We got married today." He said softly. I tried to overlook the way he looked at me with so much content and happiness but failed miserably. I stared at him as well, getting lost in the emerald specks of his eyes.

Shannon gasped as tears filled her eyes. She looked at me and then Dawud, and then back at me. "Is this your wedding night? Oh my god, how exciting!" She exclaimed. I turned away with embarrassment. With a few more wheezes and coughs, we landed on the fifth floor. The doors pulled open and the children dashed out. Shannon, the mother, chased after them, stopping abruptly to thank Dawud once again and to congratulate us. I smiled, slipping my hand under my hijab and rubbing my collar bone awkwardly.

"Let's go. I want to show you your new apartment." Dawud said smoothly. There was something different about him. He was more macho than usual. I didn't comment on it though. Instead, I followed closely behind him, drowning in my own thoughts. My stomach felt extremely queasy as we stood in front of the door. The number engraved into the gold plate on the door frame read 592. With the twist of a key, the door swung open. Dawud turned back with a shy smile. "Welcome home, Jannah."

I laughed, pushing him into the apartment playfully. I was stunned. The place was just as beautiful as it was when I visited with my parents. The walls were still that same simple matte shade of white and the air was pure and refreshing thanks to the several plants placed around the room. The floor was covered in matte dark grey ceramic tiles. Not much had changed except for the tension in the atmosphere. I thought I'd die from the way Dawud looked at me. The way he'd slightly tilt his head backwards to look down at me with a smirk.

"It's getting hot in here." I whispered, fanning my face. "I should change." Dawud nodded in agreement and tossed his keys onto the glass coffee table. "Will you judge me if I change into my pyjamas?" I asked him genuinely.

Dawud chuckled, gazing at me through his thick and dark eyelashes. "I don't expect you to sleep in your wedding dress, silly."

We laughed, filling the apartment with life. With feeling.

"Where should I change? I've already got the majority of my clothes in here." I told him, lifting up the suitcase to the best of my abilities.

Dawud patted down his pockets, looking around the house. "You can change in our bedroom while I get the rest of your luggages. If I can find my keys—"

I looked to my right to see them laying on the coffee table, gleaming. "They're right here." I grabbed them for him. He held a hand out for me and I placed the keys in his palm. Our fingers brushed against each other. Dawud grinned.

"Well, you can go ahead and make yourself at home. I'll be back in ten minutes, Insha'Allah, to get the rest of your things."

I watched him leave the apartment and close the door behind him. The excited squeal left my throat before I could stop it. I continued to scream out of pure happiness, jumping around the apartment and clapping my hands. "He's mine!" I announced breathlessly, sitting against the back of a couch.

Dawud was finally mine.

*

AN: Can I just say how much fun I had editing and writing this chapter? It's one of my favourites. I swear, it makes me want to run off and get married, LOL.

Chapter 32 ->