Le Chase Chapter 37

Hey! I hope everyone's enjoying the chilly weather, I have to apologise for the minimum of posts lately. I just got out of tuition, two quizzes tomorrow but I was said the hell with it, I really miss writing!

Who's ready to see our second true character? This time, his name's Fahad, YES he exists! As I said, events are all made up but the characters are 100% REAL.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY @MAHAALSALEH_! To the sister my mother never gave birth to, I LOVE YOU! x

You can NOW leave comments on my posts, even anonymous ones, so comments will be highly appreciated. :D Tell me what you think about the post and the new true life characters, Fahad and Maha.

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Previously in Chapter 36: 

-LAYAL-

"Yishawgoun, mu 9a7?" The woman who had dark hair, the same dark hair as Thari's and the same light skin, gladly stated.

"Eee, walla chan sheftay Maha gabel chem sa3a, kanet 7ail ta3bana w mu ra'6ya et7acheeny bas teghayarat lema shafet wldch." The second woman had a veil around her, I couldn't see her face but her voice was deep and I could catch every word.

"Perfect match." Thari's mother stated, I could see her face, it resembled Thari's perfectly. But her two words, may have caused happiness for the second woman, but those two words sliced into me, and broke every organ in my body, it broke me even more than the cancer slithering around me.

Most of the pain I felt was shot right into one organ.

My heart.

-

-THARI- 

"Thari, digeega!" I heard my aunt, Maha's mother, call out after me. I was in the hallway of the hospital, it was the fourth day of me visiting Maha. The fact that Layal hadn't contacted me or returned my calls were not my biggest priority right now, I'd just ordered Maha's favourite Subway sandwich and my cousin Fahad had been visiting her today with his sisters as well, we had planned to go out for dinner after the hospital visit.

I backtracked a few steps to meet with my aunt, her eyes were a whole lot brighter now after seeing Maha's good results and after she told most of the family about the condition, so now the hospital room didn't look so lonely and dreary anymore. 

"Na3am?" I answered her, she patted my left arm lightly as her mouth started to move to the symphony of her words.

"Mashkour," she gave me a huge smile, her deep wrinkles embracing her vibrant face.

"Shd3wa kela subway khalti, etha taboun shay digaw 3lay." I chuckled casually, digging my hands into the pockets of my Levi's.

"La2, thank you for staying around, adry mashghoul m3a el jam3a, ma ga9ert wyaana walla," My aunt graciously thanked me, kissing both of my stubbled cheeks.

"Mabaina khalte," I pecked her left cheek before walking off towards Fahad. His mahogany coloured eyes met mine, he was scratching the back of his neck with his tall fingers, his dark curly hair combed back slightly with the strokes of his fingers. He had an athletic build, he was close to my height now when I remember he used to be a whole lot shorter.

"Yalla?" Fahad asked, his 17 year old voice deep and impatient. I couldn't understand the fury I found behind his eyes, it evaporated too quickly for me to ask about it.

"Ha, wein enrou7?" I asked. Fahad pushed his Abecrombie shirt slightly over his beige shorts to bring out his blackberry, his eyes were on the big digital numbers that indicated the time. 9:34pm.

"Open flame kitchen?" He shrugged, looking careless.

"Okay." I agreed but cautiously watched him, he was clearly avoiding me with his eyes. He had been happy to see me two hours ago, but his mood suddenly changed after we hung around Maha and our other cousins.

We were about to enter the elevator but my Samsung vibrated in the pockets of my Levi's, stopping me in my track. I checked the Caller ID and inhaled a deep breath.

It was Layal.

"Uhm, Fahad enta rou7 gably." I looked up, Fahad was already in the elevator, his eyes watching me suspiciously. The lie easily slipped out of my mouth. "Neseit akheth telephone el thane bel hospital room."

"Thari-" He was about to question me but I threw over my car keys, he quickly caught it with his fast hands.

"Black GTO599 Ferrari, parking number 5." I cut him off and knowing Fahad's love for cars, his eyes widened, loving the idea of getting to drive instead of me. He wasn't 18 yet, he still drove around but I knew he loved Ferraris just as much as I loved my Rolls Royces.

"Men 3youne." He smirked, letting me walk off with ease. With the Ferrari car keys in his hands, I was sure he wasn't going to question why I'm going to take a while to go down. I hurried away, answering Layal's call before she hung up.

"Aloo?" I hastily spoke into my phone, I could hear her uneven breathing and a faint beeping sound in the background.

"Hey," she whispered in a raspy voice.

"Layal shfeech? No calls, no nothing and where the heck are you?" I worriedly asked her, my voice sounding more angry than patient.

"I got engaged." Layal avoided my questions but her words made me forget about the questions I even asked about. I was pacing around the hallways of the hospital but I abruptly stopped in front of a random room, unable to speak.

"Thari?" She asked, her voice fearful. I was silent for a while, I concentrated on the sound of the beeping of where Layal was.

"Thari say something." She begged, she was trying to catch a hold of something, that something? Was gone.

"Can you repeat what you just said?" Were my ears playing tricks on me? I couldn't believe it.

"I got engaged..."

"Oh," my fists were clenched as hard as possible, my fingers digging deep into the skin of my palms. I felt the veins on my neck trying to break out of the skin of my neck, a wave of heat struck me.

"Say something," she repeated again, her voice sounded was cracking, I knew she was in tears. But wasn't I supposed to be one who was in tears? Wasn't I one who was supposed to demand her for answers? Nothing came, I was physically stubborn, I wouldn't believe her words. Not even one.

"Mabrouk." I replied in a cold tone.

"What?"

"Shtabeene agoulch? Mabrouk, tabeen shay?" I left my tone emotionless as possible.

"3laqal ana giltlk, mu enta." She shot back at me, she sounded angry now.

"Shnu?" I nearly yelled.

"Nothing, okay? Yalla bye." She was about to hang up but I stopped her, the beeping in the background just annoyed me as hell.

"Layal entay weinch?!" I knew it was nothing to do with the whole topic but the beeping noise sounded too familiar. I looked up from the ground and heard the same voice on the phone, but in front of me, through the door that was standing right in front of my face.

"Bye Thari," her voice was louder now. I wasn't fantasising, I was actually listening to the same voice through the door. I quickly assumed that she was alone, or else she wouldn't have called me. I didn't care once she hung up on me, I knocked on the door in front of me and waited.

"Yes?" It was her voice calling out.

She was in the same hospital all along? All. This. Time?

My hands had no control, they barged the door open without another thought and I found Layal under a white blanket, on a hospital bed, her wide eyes full of tears, dark purple circles hugged them. Her face pale, wires in and out of her skin and scraps of her hair messily escaping the dark veil she wore. The first thing I looked for was an engagement ring, her fingers were already trying to adjust her veil that covered her hair, so I got a good look. No ring, no fiancee, no soul in this depressing room and my instinct said that she lied.

Or was it me being stubborn?

"Laish chathebtay?" I was still angry, I walked into the room and closed the door behind me. The weak image of her in front of me broke my heart but I couldn't control my anger.

"Thari get out," Layal snapped at me, her fingers drying her cheeks of the tears that spilled over a few seconds ago.

"9arlech akthar men esbou3 ga3da ehny? W ma gilteely?" My fists were still clenched.

"Once a player, always a player." She said in a hushed tone, her eyebrows arched angrily as she stared at me.

"Layal entay shfeech?! Ana shsaweitlch?!" I couldn't control how loud my voice became.

"Are you serious?" She asked me slowly in a venomous tone.

"Mu entay ely gilteely ma et7ebeeny?! Jawbeeny!"

"Are you blind? Why not show you?" She smiled sarcastically, her head shaking slowly. She grabbed her iPhone, clicking on the Photos app. I cautiously took another step so I was right in front of her where she sat on the hospital bed, I got a closer look of her pale tired skin. She thrusted the phone in my face and I could see the picture clearly.

It was a phone conversation on Whatsapp between Bdour and I, the one when I asked for Bdour's bikini picture. Bdour sent it to Layal and I knew for a fact that wasn't the only phone conversation that Bdour sent, I was guessing Layal saw all the conversations between us. But Layal didn't know that I was faking the flirting, I was faking everything with Bdour but it sure has hell backfired.

"W Maha? How many girls are you planning to 'marry'?" Layal sounded hurt.

"Let me explain-"

"No, get out." Layal demanded, when I looked away from the picture I saw that she had her face aimed at the other direction. She was crying, I heard the quiet sobs she was trying to hide. She built her wall so high and now it came crashing down in front of me. I ruined her, the anger melted away, all I wanted to do was take her in my arms but I knew I couldn't, and even if I did, she would fight me off with every bit of her strength.

"Please." I begged, kneeling down besides her. I was now level with her height, a bit shorter than her, knowing how short she was compared to my tall height. She slowly turned around to face me, the tears were gone but her eyes looked sad.

"Maha bent khalte." I quietly said. "7sbat ekhty."

"I heard the conversation, I saw the way she looked at you, I'm not an idiot Thari. And Bdour? You know what? Yeah, I don't love you so get out." Her anger came back swiftly, her words spiked me but I ignored them.

"Ey conversation?" I sighed.

"Omik w omha, they were talking about marriage." Layal grabbed the white sheets of her hospital bed, trying to will the tears away.

"God no. Layal she's like my little sister, she doesn't even like me." I shook my head nonstop.

"Bdour?" Layal whispered.

"I swear Layal, she said she had a picture of you without your 7jab and I needed a picture to ruin her, or else she would ruin you if I got any closer to you. Layal, think about it, why would Bdour, a friend you don't even know, send you those conversations?" I asked, her expression stood emotionless for a few minutes, I could see that she was thinking.

"She said she had my picture?" She asked.

"And that she would send it to all the guys if I didn't go out with her." I continued.

"You believed her?" She finally cast her bloodshot eyes towards me.

"Shqa9dch?" I asked.

"She asked for my picture the first day she met me, she never had that picture of me and still doesn't." Her words caused me to breathe a sigh of relief.

"El7emdellah." I mouthed in between my sighs. I pulled out my old blackberry, it had the rest of the Whatsapp conversation with Bdour, where she threatened me some more over the past few days. Layal read them, her cold expression turning warm.

"S-so it was all fake?" She bit her bottom lip, a hiccup escaping her mouth.

"Every last bit of it, don't you trust me?" I asked her. "'9elemteeny Layal."

"I never got engaged." She whispered.

"I know." I replied and she looked surprised.

"Shdarak?"

"Ana ma a3rfich Layal? 5 weeks ago you told me you'd only get married at the age of 24, after you get your degree and after you successfully find a good job. Shm3na you'd get married at 18 when you have non of that achieved that?" I smiled to myself, I could never imagine her doing it.

"You remember," she breathed out.

"I remember everything, from the very first day I set my eyes on you, I love you Layal." I tried to look at her but she wouldn't look back.

"Layal?" She was staring off at space, her usually rosy lips white as a sheet.

Before she could even answer me, my phone rang. I wanted to ignore it but it was Fahad, impatiently waiting for me. It's been 20 minutes. I cursed under my breath.

"Aloo Fahad?" I answered.

"Weinik? Shfeek 6awelt?" He sounded suspicious again.

"Shfeek ma estanest m3a el sayara?" I joked, trying to lighten the air.

"Embala bas mu chena 6awelt? Kel hatha 3la telephonik?"

"Okay khala9 al7een banzil, yalla bye." I hung up before he could question me again.

"Layal-"

"You should go," she finally looked at me, the air between us felt tense and her eyes hid a message behind those irises of hers.

"You didn't even tell me why you were here, Layal you look-"

"Thari, go. Please." She whispered, looking away.

"Is that what you want?" I asked, my fists clenched once again. I couldn't understand her, I couldn't even understand the words on the packets of medicine she was wired to, I was clueless.

"Eee."

"Mashe Layal."

And without another word, I left her room, just as she wished. I agreed to leaving the room. But I didn't agree to anything else. I hurried over to the reception desk, where the nurses where.

"Can I see the results of patient Layal Al-X?" I asked, trying to look casual. The nurse sat behind the desk, her dark Indian skin was covered with a white plain uniform, her dark eyes suspecting me.

"Uhm, is that patient 651?" She looked hesitant, looking around for the papers. "Sorry I'm new, are you the brother?"

"Yeah, Abdulra7man." I lied, thanking God that she was new and didn't see Layal's brother already. She typed feverishly on the keyboard, not bothering to even ask for my ID. She printed the papers out and handed me a copy.

"Thanks Linda," I read her name tag, giving her a kind smile. She was young, she blushed and gave me a warm smile back. I hurried over to the elevators, as I waited for one, I looked over the papers.

I didn't understand anything from the papers, but two words caught my attention and those two words were enough to tell me what was wrong with Layal.

"Fatal cancer."