"Sam, you said you'd visit me today!" I yell over the phone. It's been a month since he went through an episode. He never told me what triggered him that night, so I didn't ask either.
"I will, I'm just caught up in work." He says through the speaker.
We all by now know he's a workaholic.
"Work! work! work! When have you ever made time for me!" Come to realise it, we argue like a married couple.
"I will soon, I promise babygirl" I can picture the smrik he must have on his face.
"Bring brownies!" I hang up the phone. I'll find a way to know what happend, it doesn't matter if I don't work there anymore, I'm still worried. He thinks I don't care and he's right I don't care about that place but I do care about him. But that mansion boy, I do not bloody care about it. I don't and I won't and I don't.
I'll find out who did that to him. I will. Yes I must.
Since its been a month or so, my apartment, with the help of our blood, sweat, and tears. We manged to make it work. Its all coming up together quite fine. Nah! Who am I kidding, it looks bloody brilliant! Ayat's been arranging everything. Every now and then.
I scoot my dinning table chairs to their places. Chef's kiss honestly.
Ayat's been arranging most of this, she's always incharge and when I tell you she's bossy, she's a blood sucking controlling freak. but she's also such a sweetheart, it all balance out. I can tell by how excited she is, that she's happy I moved here. And we share the same happiness.
I'm also very happy, because I got to meet-
"Hey neighbour." Faiza stands in-between the door. "Do you want to do some wiring?" She leans against the door frame.
I suck my breath in-
Because I got to meet her.
She's hot bro, I'll give her that. Its nearly been a month since she become my neighbour,
Whenever she shows up, it takes me a whole minute to come back to the real world.
I'm still in disbelief of how a random person I met in a grocery store can be a friend. More but, my neighbour.
"Let me guess- what are we wiring here?" I raise an eyebrow.
"My bed"
"Who orders a bed online?" I laugh.
"If you don't want to help then so be it."
"No, no wait that's not what I meant" I laugh again, walking behind her to catch her before she can slam the door on me.
Her apartment is only two steps away, how far can she go.
"Show me the instructions." I put my arm around my waist.
"Are you sure you can read?" She raises her eyebrow teasingly. "Yes ma'am, I do." I softy grasp the instructions sheet out of her hand, she blinks as her face turns cherry red. I release a chuckle under my breath because I know exactly why she's blushing.
"Let's see what I can do"
"What we can do, I'm here, too." She adds.
"You called me for help so let me help."
"Is that how you're going to help me?" She gives me a concerning look, looking down at my hands. "What do you mean?" I ask,
"You're holding it upside down.." she clicks her tongue. "Sir."
A punch in the Stomach with butterflies—
I may start flying.
"I knew that" I rotate the sheet right way up. I don't know what or how we got through the reading phase but we reached the mending phase without knowing what we'll be doing next,
and at the current moment she's holding a wooden side length of her bed while I'm leaning in with a screw in my hand. "You're doing it wrong Ifan!" She struggles carrying it. "I'm going in with the hammer now!"
On the count of three!
One! Two! Three!
Bam!
Ouch!
Shit!
My finger got hit with it.
"Ugh son of a gun!" I bite back a scream.
"You're bleeding!"
"Am I!?" I look down at my hand. Blood-
"I am— aren't I.."
"Wait, wait here!" She runs across the hall, I quickly grab whatever first catches my eye to cover my hand with it to stop the bleeding.
"Here!" She rushed in with a first aid box, sits down with me and panickly takes out some cottons and liquid piodine, dips the cotton in, and puts it on my finger, with her other hand she bandages it over. Blowing softly on my finger through each step. And I don't feel such pain now that she's near me— my gaze tracing her features, as she blows gently. And all I feel is shyness, the corner of my lips lift upwards and I'm blushing.
my heart is in fond for her because..
Oh my.
Fucking God,
she's gorgeous.
"Let's get you to a near hospital."
"That won't be necessary, I'm fine." I say,
"You have to" She insists.
"No we don't"
"We need to get you to a hospital, are you stupid or what?"
And Suddenly— I saw a side of her I never knew exist before, she's actually got a big mouth, she just pretends to not have it whenever she's with me.
What if she's not as sweet as she acts— but the way she called me stupid. Flushed my cheeks for so many unreasonable ways that I just want to kiss that beautiful face. I'd rather have her not be nice to me, it's bloody attractive.
But holly thoughts Ifan, get a grip.
She looks up at me with constant worry in her eyes, and once more, I melt as she glances in my eyes, I fall deeper. There's no going back now.
Not that I can think of any.
"Why are you smiling?" She asks, all the worry she had on her face fades into a soft gaze which she's embarrassed to show. I say nothing. "You're used to it." She assumes.
I raise my shoulder in sync, nodding.
"You know, I've never met a guy like you before." She says.
"What is it that makes me a 'guy' like me?" I'm smirking, but I'm genuinely asking.
"I don't know— who are you?" Her lips slightly parted and my gaze drops down at her lips, I'm so intimated but I lift my eyes up, a tender eye contact. She doesn't look away, infact she looks surprised.
"I'm just ken" I say.
"You're just stupid." She rolls her eyes.
Did she just call me stupid twice now? I won't lie, turned me on.
"But I wish you were telling the truth" She fawns gently. "People lie all the time.. but for some particular people we wish to not see them lie beyond our eyes." Her voice bearly above a whisper.
"What makes you think I'm lying?" I ask.
"It's common."
"I wouldn't lie."
"Everyone says that"
"Not everyone have you beyond their eyes." I say.
She blinks twice.
"Then tell me." Her eyes scan my face as if she's craving to know. "Who are you?"
"I'm whoever you want me to be" We both leaned in too close, That for a solid minute we both wanted to cave in and kiss the bloody fuck out of each other but just before that could happen, in a mere second She tilts her head back, inhaling a good amount of air. "Maybe we should call somone to build this bed." She nervously laughs. I scoff to what she said. "You're right" I smack my lips as I get up. "Okay, help me get up." She looks up at me. I give her my hand to pull her up.
"I'm starving, do you want somthing to eat?" I ask her.
"Yeah, I'd like that"
"What do you wanna eat? I ask,
"I don't know actually." She shrugs her shoulders.
"You know what? don't answer that. I'll get you something I'm sure you'd like." I say.
"You're injured Ifan, let's have whatever you have in the house."
"It's just a minor injury, don't worry about it."
"No I wouldn't like that." She knows she can apply her controlling power on me and I'll nod like a fool. We walked inside my apartment.
"What would you like then?" I ask,
"What do you have in your kitchen."
"I have tomatoes?"
She laughs. "That can work." She walks to my kitchen.
"Wait— you're not cooking, are you?" I ask.
"What do you think?" She takes out my vegetable container out of the fridge.
"No, that would be absurd of me." I pull it out of her hands.
"You pinned your finger because of me." She says fawning.
"It was my stupidity." I take a knife out of my drawer while still carrying the container.
"Ifan." She gently drags my arm and beseatens me on a stool. "Sit down" She's giving me those eyes again.
"You have your way of compelling." I say, her gaze met mine.
"I do."
"Faiza don't do this." I'm being serious.
"I don't do this often so if I'm doing this, know that you're getting it." She puts my apron over her head, and I've never seen a woman look this breathtaking in an apron, I dont think any woman can get more hotter than that.
"I'm not surprised it has spongebob's face on it." She's talking about my apron.
"Ayat got it for me." I clear my throat.
"Sure Ifan"
Irrelevant.
"I'm serious Faiza."
She puts a tomato on my cutting board.
"I should wash these first— right?"
"Yeah."
"I knew that, I was testing you."
Sure testing me, she doesn't even know how to hold a knife,
She's holding the knife the wrong way up. She'll hurt herself, as soon as she starts cutting, I walk over to her and gently grasp her wrist, I move my other hand around her waist as I pull her closer to me. "You don't have a single idea about cooking, Do you?" My voice came out in a whisper.
She says nothing, but her cheeks flush.
"I have some idea"
"Oh yeah?" my eyes roved between hers. "And what might that be?" My gaze fixed on her rosy lips.
"That- uhm" she's stuttering.
"Have a seat ma'am, I'll cook." We both break eye contact. "Yeah that's probably a good choice." She takes a step back.
"Pass me the rice cooker." I say, my focus diverted.
Faiza hands me it, I plug the switch in, rinse the rice and put them in. "Now whilst they cook, we can focus on our tomato curry." I turn to see, she's not paying attention to what I'm saying, she's just wondering around. "Have you ever tried curry?"
"Uhm? Sorry? I didn't hear you."
"Nothing." I say, it saddens me.
what is she looking for?
"I'm here, you can go sit on the couch if you like." I tell her.
"But your finger?"
"All good, don't worry."
She nods and leaves.
I make my special tomato curry. It's so damn brilliantly good! She has no idea!
"Ifan I need a charger." She yells from the hall.
"I have an android" I say,
"No, I want apple."
"I might have a spare in a pouch inside a box."
The curry's almost ready. Smells good. I take a hint of taste. Tastes even more good. It's brilliant. I set the plates and my fancy glasses on a tray and walk outside the kitchen with it.
As I step in my living room, the room is quiet.
She's sitting on my couch with photographs in her hands from 2012, which I had put— inside a pouch.
Son of gun.
"What is this?" She's mad?
It's Sam and I, our mugshot from 2012 when got aressted for stealing.
"Faiza you shouldn't have looked through my personal things." My voice became slightly void.
"You were aressted?" She raise an eyebrow.
"Yes"
She takes a deep sigh.
"We theift for Ayat's books. Not everyone is born with the priviliage of wealth." I say.
She doesn't says anything, kept looking at those photographs.
"The rich man was passing by— when we tried taking his wallet, we thought to ourselves. He probably earns in millions, what's a 50 dollar cash to him anyway. He caught us and called the police on us." I explain.
She says nothing to my explanation.
She lost interest, it's that reaction..
"Luckly the officer who negotiated Sam was there and helped us out." I say.
"Which officer negotiated Sam and why?"
"I can't tell you. It's Sam's story to tell."
"Ifan what was his name?" Sudden aggression in her voice makes me wonder what else is she capable of and how much more do I have to know about her. She's rude, and is good at pretending she's not.
"Why do you want to know about officer Adam?"
Her eyes widens.
"Adam?" She stands up.
"Yeah, why?"
"I should go." She thunder across the door.
Where as I..
I'm still carrying the tray.
"Yep." I whisper, smacking my lips as I watch her leave my apartment. Its better that she's leaving.
I guess..
-FAIZA-
Ifan knew my brother Adam?
He even helped them— why?
There's so many questions and no answer.
I know my brother got transfered there, and it's possible he was there when Sam's mother's incident took place. Adam's the one who negotiated Sam. So it could be that they became close afterwards? That can also define why Adam helped them through when they got caught stealing. Maybe sympathy? Or attachment? Or because Adam saw their suffering and understood why they had to do that— its legal to set them free because they were minor, thus it makes sense why Adam took the chance.
But what's hard to understand is that if all this what I've theorised is true, and if Sam and Ifan have been working for Faisal and his right hand Victor since 2017, when my brother got paralysed. then it becomes obvious they've been near victor anonymous time, since then. And It can mean they betrayed Adam? If so, then Ifan is completely a different person than what he shows.
My door knocks, and unlocks. "Ifan?"
What if he's a complete monster..
"Here" he drops a coffee mug on my table. "It's cold- I thought you'd like some since you don't have any furniture yet." He was about to walk back to the door. "Ifan." My voice seems concerning, even to me. "Yeah?" He turns around with the speed of light.
"I'm not mad at what I saw." Some of what I say in the act night be a bit genuine. Am I really not mad? Who am I kidding. I'm a cop. Of course I'm mad at him for being a criminal. My act is just getting better. "You should be. I am too." His eyes wonder around in hope that someone might see through them. Unlucky for him, that someone is not me. Maybe he can find that specific someone in prison. The one to know how he feels— how he's devastated, how he's—kind.
"I know it'll seem weird but can I crash on your sofa for tonight? My heater isn't working." That wasn't in the act– my mouth completely slipped. I have to investigate his house internally. To find even the slightest evidence.
"Yeah, I mean if you're comfortable with that." He says.
"I wouldn't have said if I wasn't comfortable."
"You know the way." He leads me. As soon as I enter in this apartment, all the doubts I had left my body in seconds. He's got to go. "I'll sleep on the couch, to what you call a sofa" He does an accent. "I don't have an accent? Do I?"
"Do you?" He mimics me, and he looks cute doing so— I would have broken every bone if I wasn't in this pretend character.
"Anyway, I'm sleeping here." I say.
"No, you're not. You're the guest."
"Doesn't mean I get to-"
"Sush" Did he just hush me?
"Go get the bed, it's warmer." He adjusts himself on the sofa- couch. Whatever.
"Go on" He takes of his boots. He's fooling around, he's not that type of guy. The one he's pretending to be. He's just trying to flatter me and get me in his spell, I know these boys. Young and stupid, desperate for love.
"Fine."
"Faiza." He calls me. "I have explained you my reason. Believe it or not, it's your decision."
"I believe you." I don't. I think you're a fraud. A theif, and a terrible person.
"Thank you." He whispers.
I go inside his room, lay myself on his bed. Lavender scent again- it gets to me. The scent, not the man of course. "Goodnight!" He yells from outside, and I burst out in laughter which I try to control so he doesn't hear. Why is he like that? I bury myself in my hands. This is so embarrassing for me. This whole undercover operation, It needs to end quicker, I need to hurry find evidence against him or make him speak up.
I wait for him to fall asleep. For few hours I keep waiting.
After a while, I gently, bear foot, walk outside to check if he's really asleep.
My gaze lingers on his face, as my eyes trace the contours of his face. He really is sleeping. For some odd reason I sit down on my knee, next to him. I want to observe his face. Is he really who we think he is? His eyelids are softly closed, slow breathing, and hands clasped under his pillow. It's hard for him to fall asleep? Could it be Insomnia?
More odd feelings tell me to take a close look and I caught myself caressing his cheekbone.
"Why are you working for Faisal?" I whisper.
I sigh.
No time to waste. I immediately run to his room and investigate every single drawer, cupboard, table, box, anything. All I find is rubbish, nothing connected to our case. Is he really that good at hiding?
I look under his bed, all over his bookshelf, kitchen cabinets, everything. It's simply a normal house. I looked everywhere while keep pacing back to see if he's awake.
Cruse you Faisal.
I sneakingly take his mobile, placed beside him.
I try to unlock it, but I'm in a very difficult position, standing above up, my arm downwards, trying to match his face Id. "Come on, come on."
It unlocks. Thank God, I was about to slip down.
Let's look through Messages.
Ayat
Sam
Nimra— who? Slight annoyance spread across my face.
Faiza— That's me.
Ahmed
Victor– My heart shakens whenever I hear his name. I click their chat. Last text a week ago.
"We will change your sim, inform Sam as well, when he wakes up." Victor said.
"What happened to Sam?" Ifan texted.
"Personal information aren't allowed to get out." Victor replied.
"It's about my brother." Ifan's last text is left on seen.
What could be that personal case? That even Ifan doesn't know?
Surprising.
Why are they excluding Ifan?
Ifan and Sam knew my brother? And Victor knew my brother— but all three of them collectively didn't know they knew Adam? What on earth could that complication be? All I know is for sure Victor planted that incident for my Adam. And if Ifan was involved with victor that night— I swear to God I won't hesitate a minute to shoot him, right there and then.