The Perks of Having a Nikah (A Muslim Love Story) *BACK 2023*

19.

❝Gracefully, she wore pain in a way that made it appear beautiful and I know she was hurting from within her but her strength allowed her to seem unbothered.❞


This chapter has been edited and changed.

"Where're you going?"

"Upstairs."

"Stay with me, please."

"Alright, but I'm going to go get a Popsicle. You want one?"

"Maybe later." He turns back to his Quran and reads to himself silently.

I shake my head at his response. "You're missing out." I head to the kitchen and am about to open the fridge when the vibration of Zane's phone catches my attention and Alia's name pops up on the screen.

Alia? Why's her name coming up on his screen? What could she possibly be calling for? Are they still talking? A million and one questions come into my head and I want all of them answered, but then again, in a way, I'm kind of afraid of the answers.

Should I pick the phone up or just tell him she's calling and let him pick up? I think to myself. Well it is his phone. But then again, I'm his wife and what's his is mine, right?

"Zane," I start.

"Yeah?" He responds.

The phone stops ringing and the screen flashes with a missed call notification. "Nothing, nevermind."

I turn to go back to my ice cream, but not before the phone begins to vibrate with an incoming call and again, from Alia. What is with this girl? I reach out to pick up the call but pull my hand away just as fast shaking my head. It's not my phone to be picking up his calls and I trust him enough to not think much of the fact that she's calling him.

I open a popsicle from the fridge and throw the wrapper in the trash before proceeding to take a bite. I exhale in happiness at how good ice cream tastes. Allah has blessed humans with it. I hear a double vibration and turn to see Zane's voice lighting up again. I look down at the screen, becoming irritated at this girl's name.

9:31 am Alia: so ur jst going 2 ignore my calls nw

9:31 am Alia: act like im no one

9:33 am Alia: this is how u r with all the girls huh

10:15 am Alia: u cnt get rid of me that easy asshole

And the latest one.

12:23 Alia: pls call me when u can

I drop my ice cream then and curse to myself. I rarely curse but when I do, it's serious. I clean the mess up and grab his iPhone and slide the screen to find a passcode on it. I curse again and try to think of what could possibly be the code.

"What's taking you so long in here? I think I have it memorized." A smiling Zane walks in before he catches me holding his phone and that smile turns to a frown. "What's going on?"

"I could ask you the same question." My voice shakes and my bottom lip trembles. I bite at it to stop from crying.

"What do you mean?" He walks towards me.

"Don't stand near me." I pull my arm out and distance us from each other, with him on the long opposite end of the island bar from me. "You're really going to act like you don't know what I'm talking about. Maybe Alia can fill you in." I throw his phone and he manages to catch it before it falls and breaks. I wish he hadn't.

"Yasmeen there's nothing going on, I promise."

"Oh yeah? It's crazy how you're acting like this even after we got married. Who does something like that?"