When we arrived home, I excused myself from the family and went upstairs to my room, leaving the groceries downstairs. I wasn’t in the mood to prepare for our adventures with the kids.
Sitting on the edge of my bed, I closed my eyes and tried to recall the happenings at the mall earlier. I kept asking myself why fate brought Brent back into my life. Fifteen years? So what if I still remember his birthday, his old high school cellphone number, or the details of his appearance? Yes, I remember everything, but I’ve always had a good memory.
Maybe I got too carried away with the song “first love never dies.” Because right now, I no longer feel anything towards Brent. Perhaps, at most, we could be friends, but even that seems unlikely.
As much as I wanted to redeem my honor and dignity at Stonewick, it was far from happening. Perhaps if Brent didn’t have a child with Michelle, my wish could have come true. But they have a daughter, and I didn’t want to deal with Michelle for the rest of my life!
Am I a coward? Sort of.
So, maybe… first love never dies, but it fades in time. I didn’t know how long I kept meditating on my supposedly undying love for Brent, but when I opened my eyes, it was already dark. I had fallen asleep while lost in thought. If it weren’t for the knocking on my door, I wouldn’t have woken up. I quickly got up and approached the door.
“Ameera, it’s you.” I was slightly disappointed when I saw the little girl at the door.
“Are you sick?” She asked.
“No, I’m not. Why do you ask?” I answered with a question while fixing my hair.
“Daddy told me to ask if you’re okay.” I tried not to laugh at Ameera’s statement because I was sure Samer must have warned her not to let me know he was concerned about my health. Such drama!
“I see, so where is he now?”
“Cooking dinner.”
“I see.”
“But I think he needs your help!” Ameera said, sounding worried.
“Really?” I replied while trying to look presentable.
You see, when I just woke up, my appearance changes slightly – not that I look like an alien, but it’s noticeably different.
“Yes, Miss.”
“Alright, let’s go and see your dad,” I said to the child, and we both went downstairs to the kitchen.
What the hell? I couldn’t help but curse silently when I saw the mess in my kitchen.
“Ameera, stay with your brother for now, okay? I’ll help your dad with cooking.”
As soon as Ameera left, I immediately confronted Samer.
“You knew you can’t cook a proper meal, so why?”
I mean, I’m asking why he dared to intervene in my kitchen when all he’s capable of is making toasted bread. Yes, he’s a frustrated chef, but he shouldn’t be practicing in my kitchen. It’s just unacceptable!
“I’m hungry, and the kids were hungry too! Did you plan to starve us?”
And now I’m the one to blame!
“You should have woke me up!”
My anger subsided a bit.
“But you said I wasn’t allowed to go to your room…” He peeked at me and seemed amused.
I took offense when he smirked. “Is there something funny?”
“No, none at all. I just remembered how you look when you just woke up.”
Without warning, I lightly punched his arm.
“Is being a gentleman just fake for you, Mr. Khalifa?” I was about to forget the embarrassing incident that only the two of us knew, but my mind changed quickly when he suddenly hugged me.
“You knew that I was gentle with you!” He whispered into my ear while hugging me tightly.
My ear tickled, but I couldn’t laugh because he might misunderstand my reaction to his whisper. I bit my lower lip to prevent any noise that might be misinterpreted by him, then I tried to calm down and pushed him away.
“What do you really want?” I asked him because I couldn’t understand his actions anymore.
“I want you,” he whispered to me.
“Really?” Just like that? Is he already interested in me just because we had a one-night stand? Well, it’s like magic if that’s the case.
“I’m telling the truth, Jamie. Why won’t you believe me?”
“Oh, Samer, just stop it, okay? What truth are you talking about? Just last week, you were head over heels for Kate. Don’t mess with me! I’ll never allow you to be just a rebound!” My speech might have been a bit long and profound, but it came from the depths of my heart.
I realized that a woman like me could easily fall in love. It only took a little bit of sweet-talking, and my heart would give in. Maybe if I had been involved with other men before, I would have forgotten about Brent and all the pain he caused me. Embarrassing as it may sound to myself, it seems like there’s a feeling developing in my heart for Samer.
Soon, I must find some ways to get away from him!
“I also believed that I was still in love with her!” He walked out from the kitchen without looking back.
I shrugged my shoulders and started cleaning up. I cook better when my countertop or the whole kitchen is clean. A cluttered kitchen ruins my mood.
Once I finished cooking and setting the table, I called the whole family to eat, even though it was quite late. The kids seemed to enjoy the food I prepared, but Samer was the only one not enjoying the meal. He was busy with his phone until the food got cold.
The kids went back to the living room and watched a movie, but they wanted to watch another film, which was not possible at this late hour.
The next morning, around four o’clock, I woke up, and the kids were already awake too. Only Samer was missing, and we were about to leave. I wondered what was taking him so long!
“Khaleel, please tell your father to hurry up.” I asked his son, who was battling sleepiness with excitement.
After a few minutes, Khaleel was back, but Samer was still nowhere to be found.
“How about your father?”
“I think he’s sick, Miss,” Khaleel answered.
“What?”
Is he getting sick now when we’re about to leave?