A/N: I love adding songs to intensify scenes. This one's very specific and starts right in the beginning of the chapter. If the link above doesn't work, on YouTube, search "Joji slow dancing in the dark but you go into a bathroom at a party to cry". IM NOT JOKING. IT HITS DIFFERENT + PERFECT FOR THIS SCENE!

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Inaya's POV

I run down the stairs, in sobbing tears. My feet are aching from running on heels but I didn't stop. I rush out, pushing through the loud, bustling crowd of people to get out.

I push the door open and it loudly shuts behind me. I didn't stop until I got inside the car.

I can still hear the loud, but muffled music coming from the building.

My tears have blurred my vision but I blink away a couple of times, trying to clear up my distorted view. Slowly, things started to focus. The night is dark, gloomy and I could barely see.

The darkness reminds me how I would've been better off inside, at home.

The frost in the distance is covered in the frost of the chilly night. The cold air made it harder to breathe, which isn't helping since my breathing is already limited enough.

I can't help but think back to what just happened.

This man, he hurt me, then he showed me kindness to some extent: this cycle kept repeating. And at some terrifying point, my heart was stolen and in the hands of the man who technically put the finishing touches on my already broken life.

He set fire to my soul, showed me colours of the flames in a different light. Those lively and fascinating flames danced around my heart, lighting up very dark inch. Little did I know, those beautiful flames will burn me.

But wait, I did know, didn't I? I warned myself but my heart never listens to my head. When does it ever? My emotions always triumph over my logic. I always care too much, give too much, love too much and rarely ever receive any of it in return.

My own parents, for God's sake, didn't love me. Is that why my heart attached itself to anyone merely showing me the slightest of interest?

It shouldn't hurt this much. I dug this grave myself and I buried myself as well. He didn't show love, he rarely showed like. He only showed lust, that lust blinded me. I frayed from my path of goodness because I was desperate for attention from another soul who could fill my loneliness and this is what I find.

My fingers are clenched so hard into my palms that my nails are digging into my skin, dripping small blood drops into the steering wheel.

I found the Devil to give my heart to so what did I expect in return? A sweet, happily ever after?

I started this journey to hopefully escape but now, even if I run as far as I can, I'll never escape but he's captured an essential part of me: my love.

I can escape to the opposite ends of Earth and only he will occupy my thoughts; only he will keep me up at night; only he will...

But what will he do in return? He will do what he's done tonight. Hurt me. In every way possible. He'll hurt me using ways that will stop me from breathing, that will make me cry, and maybe, eventually, be the one who will take my life.

What have I done? Where do I go from here?

• • •

I'm sure I sat in the car for a good 20 minutes but when I look at the clock, it was only five minutes.

I'm glad I took these five minutes to calm down. My blood was rushing to my head so much that I could've hurt someone else if I chose to drive off.

Of course, I had no plans on hurting myself. I would like to think of it as God's sent a soul to rent this body and only He has the right to turn off the lights.

In short, it's haram. But, then again, who am I to say what's haram and what's not in my case. I'm sure I passed the line of being able to have the right to say something's haram.

I turn on the car and I realize there's no infotainment system on here.

I become extremely frustrated. I wipe away my remaining tears and start pressing random buttons.

I could definitely go home but I've already been disowned.

I could go to Caterina's but something tells me that will put her in danger.

I could go to a hotel but I have no money or a cell phone to contact anyone with.

I could go anywhere but to Dominic's but something tells me he'll find me no matter what I do and do some damage while he's at it.

"You're trying time tell me, this car costs the same amount as my kidneys and heart combined but it doesn't have a—oh." I pressed something and a controller popped out from under the hand rest and the screen lifts from the front revealing the screen.

"Please have the home address saved, please have it saved, please have it saved. Ya Allah, please help me." I whisper to myself as I scroll through the GPS options.

When I click Home, it doesn't show anything.

I sigh in disappointment. Of course he doesn't have his home address saved in his car.

I lose all hope until I accidentally click a button and the voice on the system tells me to turn left.

Where else can I end up at this point? So, I do as she says.

I even managed to turn on the radio.

Ah... I haven't listened to any form of music in so long, it almost feels alien.

After a 15 to 20 minute drive, I realize the car brought me back to Dominic's house.

I'm not sure if I should be relieved or terrified that I'm back here.

The front gates automatically open when the car comes close enough and I drive in, watching the doors close behind me.

I slowly creep up the car to the front entrance and I quickly put it in park to rush inside.

I make my way to my room, rush to the washroom to switch back to my usual appearance. I'm so exhausted tonight that no matter how much it hurts, my body doesn't have time to think about it; it just wants sleep.

The second my body hits the bed, I'm out like a light bulb.

• • •

I wake up to a commotion happening downstairs. But I don't bother to check, not today.

The clock reads the time as 11:45 AM. I slide off the bed and go to the washroom to freshen up.

I don't ever change out of my pyjamas unless I need to go out. Especially, not today since I'm feeling a bit down and would like some comfort.

I grab my black scarf to wrap around my head. Once I reach the mirror, I stumble back a little.

My God... I look... my eyes and face are so puffy, my under eyes have a dark shadow. I look so tired...

I shake away from my thoughts. Once I start walking down the stairs, I realize the noise hasn't stopped.

"What the fuck do you mean you haven't found her?! Someone could've mutilated her and burned the pieces by now! I don't fucking care if you have to use up every single resource we have, I have to find her! If she gets taken by them, I'm fucked." Dominic is yelling on top of his lungs.

Silence again.

"Fuck you! Don't fucking ask what she means to me! I just want her back in this goddamn house. Don't fucking question me!" His yelling so angrily that you can hear that he would shoot the person he's talking to right now if he could.

"Dominic?" I call out to him out of habit. I quickly cover my mouth but it was too late.

He whips his head around and the hand he was using to hold his phone drops to his side.

I thought I looked bad... the dark circles under his eyes are so prominent that he looks like he hasn't slept in years. His eyes are bloodshot red as if he hadn't blinked once in the last 24 hours.

I've never seen him so physically tired and out of it in all the months I've been with him.

"Inaya?" His voice is so soft; soft as a low whisper, that it pulls at my chest.

I just stare at him, blinking at the confusing scenario unfolding in front of me.

He takes a couple of slow steps towards me, keeping a few inches of distance between us. He reaches out his hand to nudge my cheek softly as if to check if I'm real.

"You're still alive... you're home..." I couldn't tell if he was telling me this or assuring himself.

He, then, pulls me into his chest and whispers. "I thought I lost you, I thought I fucking lost you."

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A/N: I love playing with everyone's feelings. 🤪🤪Inaya gonna pull up to square up with me for doing this to her. 😤😤😤

Next Update: Wednesday, December 25, 2019