Omar wasn't home, Sheikh Khalid knew. So this would be the best time to move the American away, he would take her to another house and deal with Omar's questions later when he returned. Nothing could go wrong with the wedding plans. He would allow absolutely nothing to disrupt his long term plan.
"You have been summoned by the Sheikh." Megan trembled when Taheem came into the room to call her and she wondered if she had done something which she shouldn't.
"Can I know why?" She asked, shaking with fear.
"Only The Sheikh knows why, you would know soon."
"Is Omar home?"
The rigid man paused then shook his head negatively. Megan swallowed, she feared the Sheikh, which was a wise decision on her part. The man had threatened her life, something she still loved to hold on to. Gathering herself together she left the room and allowed Taheem to lead the way.
He sat calmly downstairs, his eyes to the front door until he noticed her presence, he smiled at her but she was too shaken to smile back or even to move. He stretched out his hand, gesturing for her to sit on the adjacent chair. She nodded, the side of her lips twitched in a brief smile and she sat, head down and her eyes focused on her fingers which nervously played with each other. She heard her heart beating loudly and her eyes wandered in fear of someone suddenly placing a knife against her throat. She couldn't properly breathe.
Sheikh Khalid studied her, he could tell she was uncomfortable, that she was afraid and nervous by the way her fingers played. He smiled, happy at the effect he had on her, glad that he wasn't seen as being soft, talking to her would be much easier. Raising a hand, he waved Taheem away, he felt her tense up and adjust herself on the seat.
"Megan..." She flinched, he had called her name calmly but she couldn't help the way her heartbeat skyrocketed. Omar wasn't home so she was at the mercy of the Sheikh. She bowed her head in response and avoided his gaze.
The front door suddenly opened and a guard stepped forward, ushering someone in. Megan released the breath she was holding, grateful for the break, but still, she didn't lift her head, it remained bowed, both eyes fixed to her fingers. She breathed calmly now but still wishing and praying that Omar just shows up and make this "meeting" less threatening.
"Samir," The Sheikh called, diverting his attention.
"As-salaam 'Alaikum Sheikh." he greeted, bowing his head a little.
"Wa'alaikum as-salaam Samir, what brings you here so early?"
"I'm here on business-related matters Sheikh."
Megan felt her heartbeat rising again, that voice was very familiar to her but she didn't want to believe it came from him. Too afraid to confirm, she kept her head down. It can't be Sam, it couldn't be Sam. She couldn't breathe from her nose so she opened her mouth, she felt faint. Can't be Sam. She rubbed her temples.
She still couldn't look up to confirm. The Sheikh noticed her actions and for a man as cold as he was he wouldn't want someone dying in his house, at least not when he didn't approve of it. The thought made him chuckle.
"Megan..." his voice was cold. "You should return, we will talk much later." She nodded and stood up, then bowed. Resisting the urge to look at the person who had walked in she turned away so her back was to him and proceeded to walk back to her room until she heard her name.
"Megan..."
Her head shot up and she turned, gasped and froze. It was Samir, her ex-boyfriend who had dumped her without no apparent reason and behind him was Omar who was just entering the house.
The Sheikh watched Megan's reaction after Samir had called her, and he had called her by her name, she had frozen on seeing him and was visibly shaken. They knew each other, that much was obvious, the smirk on Samir's face spoke of a long history between the two.
Old flames?
Or enemies?
Sheikh Khalid was curious but he kept quiet, choosing to rather observe, such lively atmosphere was rare happen and he wanted to enjoy every bit of it.
Samir stood calmly with both hands shoved into his pocket, looking straight at Megan. In his eyes she hadn't aged a bit, she still had those innocent and curious eyes, those full cherry lips that he had kissed a thousand times and now all he wanted to do was to walk up to her and reach his hands around her waist to pull her close, to feel the curve of her body and the scent of her hair.
He had missed her. Although he hadn't really allowed much memories about her to dwell in his thinking since he left, burying most of the memories in work until he had seen her here. He studied her, she looked shaken and somehow scared, he didn't know why she should be feeling such but he knew that she felt scared. She stood, unmoving, her gaze moving from Samir to Omar who was close now.
"Father," Omar greeted as soon as he crossed the threshold into the house, coming to a stop right beside Samir. He glanced at Megan and winked, the two men turned to face each other before shaking hands.
"You come here more often now Samir," Omar smiled. "You're taking the business seriously as I can see."
"Ahh yes," He side-eyed Megan. "Some more than just business."
They laughed.
"And I heard, congratulations, you're getting together with the princess. She would be a powerful tool for you, you know?"
"Powerful tool? You speak like my father." He laughed and looked at his father then to Megan who had her head down, her eyes were fixed to her fingers which she squeezed nervously. He knew she was uncomfortable just standing there and that the mention of his marriage to the princess disturbed her, he smiled weakly wanting to ease her mind he added,
"We'll see about that." He slapped Sam softly on the shoulder.
Sheikh Khalid shot his son a warning look, narrowing his eyes on the young man who only held his gaze for a mili second and was already approaching Megan to take her away. He wondered if Omar knew of the tension hanging between Megan and Samir, he chose to pry.
"Megan, Samir here seems to know you as he had called you by your name despite having never actually met you, you must know each other, or don't you?"
Omar who had already walked up to Megan turned to face his father who had a curious look on his face before they both shifted their attention to Samir who seemed to have been caught off guard. Omar unconsciously placed a palm on the small of Megan's back, pulling her slightly closer to him. Megan, surprised by the unexpected action tensed under his touch then faced the Sheikh and forced a smile.
"We had met in America a long time ago." She looked at Omar whose attention was still on Samir. "Then we got err..."
"...separated." Samir finished. She looked at him without any hint of emotion in her eyes, Samir smiled.
"We got separated years ago. I was actually very excited when I saw her just the other day from the window." He brought out a hand to gesture, "and I was shocked, you say she's a guest here?"
Guest. Omar knew it was his father who would have made mention of her as a guest, he sighed then smiled, turning his face to Megan now, she still hadn't looked at him.
"It was nice seeing you again Megan. I hope we can see each other more often." Samir smiled. Megan only glanced at him briefly, looking up to Omar. He understood that she wanted to leave the conversation because it was making her uncomfortable.
"I'm glad," Omar replied for Megan then excused himself and Megan from their midst, leaving his father and Samir to talk business or whatever subject they fancied. Megan, grateful for the excuse squeezed Omar's hands gently as they walked away.
He took her into her room and made her sit. She still wasn't calm and she didn't meet with his eyes, rather she played nervously with her fingers resting on her laps.
"So Samir, your ex-boyfriend is actually Samir downstairs?" Omar was in awe, what a really small world it was indeed. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you're attracted to Arabian men." He laughed and pulled her up.
Megan wasn't in the mood for jokes, she wasn't in the mood for anything, she just wanted to lay her head down and sleep, to wake up and realize all this was just a dream, she wanted to cry, she wanted to run, she wanted to just.... anything but this.
She circled her hands around his torso and buried her face into his chest. Omar felt the wetness that soaked his shirt and it broke his heart, she was crying because he had gotten her entangled into his family's mess. He hugged her tighter, stroking her hair and rubbing his hands down to her back, she began to sob.
"Megan, please don't." He tried to calm her.
"Omar," she called without looking up, he placed his jaw on her head and hummed in his response.
"You'll be fine baby girl." He sighed. "You will be fine."
"Omar, I want to go back."
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