15 December 2019

Hey, guys! I hope you're all well! Had a good weekend? Here's the next chapter of 'Arranged or Love?' that you've all been waiting for! Enjoy! ;)

"They didn't agree on much. In fact, they didn't agree on anything. They fought all the time and challenged each other every day. But despite their differences, they had one important thing in common. They were crazy about each other." - Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

Alayna's POV

I take a deep breath before opening the bathroom door with a trembling hand. My gaze is stuck to the floor, I don't dare to look up. I'm blushing furiously, my cheeks bright scarlet.

'Alayna,' I hear Zayan's husky voice. He clears his throat, and I hear him get up from his seat on the couch.

I nervously lift my gaze to see him staring intensely at me, his eyes darker than ever. "I-I'm sorry I took so long. I took a shower," I mumble shyly.

His lips break out into a grin. 'You look.. very lovely,' he says, staring at me shamelessly from head to toe.

I bite my lower lip, giving him the tiniest smile. "Thank you."

I cover myself as best as I can with the lace cover-up, before slowly walking towards Zayan.

He's dressed comfortably in a snug white t-shirt and black sweatpants which hang low on his hips. His dark brown hair is tousled, and he looks hot. Very hot.

'I.. need to charge my phone,' I blurt randomly.

He chuckles, shaking his head at me. I hand him my phone, and he plugs it in.

"I brought some food for you from downstairs, Alayna. I saw that you hardly ate earlier, you must be hungry. Come," he says, smiling softly at me.

I open my mouth to argue, but he shakes his head, raising an eyebrow. I sigh, following him over to the sofa. I take a seat near him, and he uncovers some plates.

He's brought upstairs some biryani, butter chicken and chocolate fudge cake. My mouth starts to water at the sight of the delicious cake, which is my favourite.

'I-I'm not hungry,' I say quietly, glancing at him.

He raises an eyebrow at me. "You hardly ate anything, Alayna. I don't want you to fall ill on our wedding night."

I blush deeply and he chuckles. 'I won't fall ill,' I mutter.

"Please eat something, for me?" He says, pouting in the most adorable way. It tugs at my heart.

'Okay, only cake though,' I say, my cheeks bright pink.

He nods, beaming. I eat a spoonful of cake, before I feel full.

'That was nothing! Only three more spoons,' he says, taking the spoon from my hand and filling it with cake for me. He has a soft smile on his lips as he takes the spoon to my lips.

He wants to feed me. "Zayan," I whisper, blushing furiously.

'Open up, Dr. Alayna,' he says with a sly wink. My cheeks turn redder as I open my mouth slightly and eat the cake from his hands.

After three more spoons, I shake my head. "No more Zayan, please!"

He smirks, his eyes dark. 'Last one!'

I groan, eating another spoonful of the delicious chocolate fudge cake. It tastes better from his hands.

"No more! You eat some now," I say, slowly opening up to him. Slowly, slowly I'm starting to talk more and feel less nervous. Although I'm still extremely nervous. He's doing his best to make me feel as comfortable as possible.

He eats a few spoonfuls of the cake himself, from the same spoon as me. It makes my heartbeat quicken.

I drink some water after I've eaten and after I'm done, he speaks, "Alayna, I want you to know that I won't touch you or try anything, so you don't need to feel nervous. I won't touch you until you're comfortable and you want me to."

My heart rate quickens as I look down at my hands shyly. He speaks again. "I want us to start our married life as friends, because I know you're not comfortable enough around me. First, I want to become your friend and make sure that you're comfortable and happy around me. I promise to wait as long as it takes."

I know that he means every word he's saying. 'Thank you,' I whisper, biting my lip. I feel like the worst wife already, but I know that he's going to do as he's said.

'No other man would want to wait, though, especially with you looking like that,' he says, staring at me.

I blush deep red from head to toe. "I- I didn't know what to wear. This was the only.. suitable option," I mumble, trying to cover myself with the lace cover-up. I'm feeling quite exposed, because of the low neckline.

I shiver, not because of the cold but because of the look in Zayan's eyes. His blue-brown depths are almost black right now.

'Hanna and Laiba Bhabhi,' he says, clearing his throat.

I nod. "I know. They love to put me in such.. crazy situations," I say, biting my lip.

His eyes darken even further. He coughs, standing up. 'Are you tired?'

I shrug, my body warming up at the thought of going to bed.

Zayan smiles, walking to the closet. He goes inside and emerges only seconds later, holding a plain white duvet and pillow. I frown, confused. I walk over to the bed slowly.

He walks over to the white sofa and sets the pillow and duvet.

What is he doing?

I stay silent, rooted to the spot.

"What are you doing?" I blurt, staring at him.

He glances over to me and gives me a breath taking grin. 'Going to bed, of course. You must be exhausted, Alayna. It's been a long day. Go to sleep.'

"What do you mean?" I ask him, my face beet red. I nod at the sofa, questioningly.

'I figured you wouldn't want to share the bed and I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable. I'll sleep on the sofa, it's okay.' He takes a seat on the sofa, and I glare at him.

"No. You can't sleep on the sofa," I blurt, playing nervously with my fingers.

He looks confused as hell. 'Alayna, I'm not letting you sleep on the sofa. It's fine, I've slept on a sofa many times.'

I shake my head furiously. "I mean.. I don't mind. It's your bed."

He frowns at me. 'You're not sleeping on the sofa.'

My heart rate accelerates and I groan internally at the bright red blush colouring my face and entire body. "I-I don't mind sharing the bed," I ramble.

I peek at him through my eyelashes. He looks shocked, his eyebrows raised. 'Alayna..'

"Unless you don't want to. I mean, you wouldn't make me uncomfortable."

'Are you sure?' He asks slowly, unsure. He's looking at me questioningly.

I nod. "Positive."

He smiles softly at me before walking to the bed. He gets in and lays on his side, facing the opposite wall. I go into the bathroom and brush my teeth once again, before switching all the lights off in our room. A small smile makes its way onto my lips when I see Zayan with his eyes closed. Is he asleep already?

After turning the lights off, I get into bed beside him, my heart pounding loudly in my chest. He's so close, only half a metre away. I wrap the duvet around myself and close my eyes, knowing that sleep won't come anytime soon.

A few minutes later, I open my eyes and stare at the ceiling. I recall all the memories of the day, smiling constantly. It was the most perfect day. Such a beautiful day. One that I'll never, ever forget.

When I hear Zayan snoring softly, I grin. He must have been pretty tired. I slowly gather the courage and turn to face him. His back is to me, and he's fast asleep. I swallow, seeing at the strained muscles of his back. They're clearly visible through his tight t-shirt.

I'm being crazy.

I quickly close my eyes, my face very warm. Although I'm very nervous, I feel a comfort, a safety that I've never felt before. Zayan's right beside me, and I know that I'm very safe with him. The thought calms me, and it eventually helps me to fall asleep. When I fall asleep, I dream of him. Of course I do.

********

I wake up to the loud shrill of an alarm. I groan, covering my face with the warm duvet, wanting the annoying sound to stop. I sink deeper into the thick, fluffy pillows and enjoy the warmth of the duvet. But the alarm sounds again, waking me up.

'Let me sleep,' I mumble, to no one exactly. I want to sleep, without being disturbed. I'm exhausted.

"Alayna wake up, it's Fajr time," I hear Zayan's gentle yet husky voice.

When I hear him, my eyes fly open and I jump up. Realising that the duvet has fallen off and that my lace cover-up is also almost off, I hastily pull the duvet tightly around myself.

'W-what?' I mumble, yawning and blushing simultaneously.

He grins at me, and all my tiredness vanishes. My gaze is stuck to his face. I can't stop staring at him. He's so handsome, even just after waking up.

"It's time for Fajr, Alayna. Get up, let's pray together," he says. His words shock me. I know that he's a great guy, but I didn't know that he prays regularly. Knowing this gives me immense respect for him.

Yes, I respect Zayan. Of course I do. He's one of the best doctors in the country, he saved me while risking his own life, and now he's my husband.

Calling him my husband, even in my mind, makes me so happy.

I return his smile with a shy one of my own, and I step out of bed. I can feel his eyes on me, and I wrap the cover-up tighter around myself. I know I'm not covered enough, though. My neckline is much too low for my liking. It makes me even more nervous around him.

********

I pray Fajr alongside Zayan, and it's the best feeling in the world. He has the most beautiful voice, and it warms my heart. After we've prayed, he recites some Duas and blows gently on me. It makes me slightly emotional, if I'm being honest.

I'm definitely a lucky girl.

After we've prayed, I glance at the clock on the wall opposite us. It's just turned 5am. I ask Zayan if everyone's awake. I wonder what Hanna, Laiba, Aunty and Uncle are doing. And Adnan, of course.

'They must have gone back to sleep now, after Fajr,' he tells me with a smile.

I nod, blushing and playing nervously with my hands.

'It's only 5am, Alayna. You should sleep for some time more. Mum and Dad told us to sleep for as long as we want. No one wakes up before 9am anyway, on the weekends,' he says.

I nod, going into the bathroom and changing back into my nightgown. I glance into the bathroom mirror, looking at my reflection. My face is flushed, bright pink. It feels hot to the touch. I brush through my hair, taking out the tangles and letting it fall nicely over my shoulders.

Not wanting to have morning breath, I brush my teeth again after washing my face. I look into the mirror again, smiling slightly, recalling the events of the previous day.

Yesterday was the best day of my life. It was such a beautiful, perfect day. It was a very emotional day, but it was one I'll never, ever forget.

My heart pounds loudly in my chest as I open the bathroom door, walking into the bedroom. Zayan is sitting in bed, doing something on his phone. He gives me the most dazzling smile when he sees me.

'Hey, are you ready for bed?' He asks me, putting his phone on his bedside table.

I nod, my legs trembling as I walk towards the bed.

I get into bed, lying under the duvet and leaving some space in between us. At least half a metre.

Zayan lays down too, facing me. It makes me blush harder.

"You didn't have the faintest idea that we'd be married so soon, did you?" He asks me, his voice husky. It sends shivers through my whole body.

I shake my head, pulling the duvet tighter around me. 'Not at all. I'd never, ever thought that I'd marry you.'

He raises an eyebrow, a small smile playing on his lips. "Are you happy, Alayna?" He asks me a few seconds later.

I turn to face him, my face bright red. I nod slightly, a small smile forming on my lips.

"Good. I'm very happy, Alayna. Having you in my life is the biggest gift," he says. His words send my heart racing.

I blush harder, biting my lip to control the grin that's trying to break out.

'Really, Dr. Zayan?' I tease, smiling softly.

His eyes darken slightly as he nods, swallowing. "Really, Dr. Alayna."

His constant gaze is driving me crazy. I can't think straight when he's looking at me like that.

I try to look at anywhere but at him, as I'm so nervous.

'Are you tired?' He asks me after a few seconds.

I glance at him for a brief second, shrugging. "Not really."

His expression changes slightly, he looks almost nervous. 'I.. wanted to tell you something. Now that we're married, I don't think we should hide anything from each other. It's important, because I want you to know that you can always trust me,' he begins.

I nod, giving him a small, reassuring smile. "I trust you, Zayan. With my life. I don't think there's anything you could do or say to me that would break this trust."

His eyes cloud with several emotions as he gently grabs my hand. It sends the strongest current through my entire body.

'I really hope you don't think of me any differently after this, Alayna,' he says quietly.

"Of course I won't, Zayan," I say, giving him a small smile.

He gently lets go of my hand and places his hands behind his head, sighing. He stares at me deeply for a few seconds, before staring at the ceiling.

'I've always been a career-oriented person, putting my education and career before everything. It's the reason why I married so late. Most of my friends married at the age of twenty-three or twenty-four, whereas I'm twenty-nine. Almost thirty. Throughout my time at university, there were many girls who threw themselves at me, who were clearly interested in me, but I wasn't interested in any of them. Until one day, I met Mariyah,' he says slowly.

I swallow, my expression falling slightly. I've heard of Mariyah, and I've heard that she hurt Zayan. But I don't know what exactly happened between them.

'I met her at university. I was in my third year of medical school when I met her. She was studying law. We became friends over a time period of a few months, and I thought that I had feelings for her. At the time, I'd thought that I'd loved her. So I told her how I felt. She told me that she felt the same way, that she loved me too.'

I don't say anything. Does Zayan still have feelings for Mariyah? Is it possible that he loves her even today?

'I was a very different person back then, Alayna. I'm not at all proud of it. I never prayed, I dated girls, but I didn't do anything else. Perhaps you've heard, I used to be called a playboy back then. I was seen with a different girl each week until Mariyah, but I was never interested in them. A year after I'd met Mariyah, I proposed to her. I felt as though it was the right time, that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. But she betrayed me, she broke me and turned me into the person I was, until before I met you.'

My heart starts to race. "What did she do, Zayan?" I whisper.

He glances at me, laughing humourlessly. 'I proposed to her with her perfect proposal, and she told me that she was already engaged. To someone else.'

This shocks me completely. My mouth falls open as I grab Zayan's hand. "W-what? She was already engaged? She didn't tell you this in the whole year?" I ask him, confused. I feel angry at her, for him.

He shakes his head. 'No, she didn't tell me anything. She told me that she was getting married in two months, to someone she'd known for ten years. She made several excuses, crying to me. She told me she didn't tell me because she didn't want to hurt me. Everything she ever told me was lies, Alayna. I don't know how I ever liked that girl.'

"Zayan, are you still in love with her?" I ask slowly, suddenly feeling furious at Mariyah and jealous. I don't show it, though.

He glances at me, squeezing my hand gently. 'Alayna, I don't think I ever was in love with her. I don't even think I was in like with her. As I told you, I was a completely different person back then. I didn't know what 'love' was. But I felt hurt when I found out the truth. I turned cold towards everyone, I didn't want to think about the idea of marriage, because I thought that every girl would turn out to be like Mariyah. And then I met you.'

I blush. 'You changed everything, Alayna. When I found out about our arranged marriage, I was furious. At myself, at my parents, at everyone. I felt as though they were trying to ruin my life. But then, I met you. And you were nothing like I'd ever imagined. You were you. You were crazy, bubbly, funny and caring. You were nothing like Mariyah or any other girl I'd been with. You were innocent. You made me forget about Mariyah. Slowly, slowly, I found myself not furious at the idea of marriage anymore.'

"Zayan, I'm sorry for Mariyah hurting you. You deserve much better than her," I tell him, staring into his eyes for the first time.

In his eyes, I see real happiness. A smile appears on his full, pink lips. 'And I have you, Alayna. You're much better than her, you're the best person. I don't deserve you, though.'

I raise an eyebrow, my cheeks tinted pink. "Why do you think you don't deserve me? No one's perfect, Zayan."

'You are,' he whispers, staring at me.

I blush furiously, smacking him playfully on his chest. "Why, thank you! I know I am," I tease, laughing along with him. I'm kidding, of course.

'You really are,' he says a few seconds later.

I grin, poking his arm. "Go to sleep, Dr. Zayan!"

He returns the grin, showing off his perfect pearly whites. 'Goodnight, Alayna. Thank you for coming into my life.'

I smile, closing my eyes. "It's technically morning now. But goodnight to you too, Zayan."

I fall asleep a couple of minutes later, and I have the best sleep that I've had in a while.

********

I've finished showering, getting changed and applying some light makeup while Zayan's still fast asleep. I stand up from my seat on the chair in front of the dressing table, turning towards the bed.

A small, shy smile forms on my lips when I see Zayan sprawled out on the bed, lying on his stomach. He's fast asleep, his hair tousled and messy.

It's 8:45am, and I've been awake for almost an hour.

'Zayan, wake up,' I call, nudging him gently.

"Hmm," he mumbles in his sleep.

I chuckle, poking his muscular shoulder. 'Zayan, wake up! It's almost 9am,' I say, smiling at his sleeping form.

"Alayna," he murmurs sleepily.

'Yes, it's me. Wake up, before I go and call Aunty to wake you,' I say with a laugh.

"Five more minutes," he says sleepily.

I shake my head, walking back to my dressing table. I glance into the mirror, smiling when I see my reflection. It's my first morning being married, and everything feels like a dream. Everything's so blissful and perfect, I feel like I'm over the moon.

I'm wearing a light pink coloured anarkali dress which is embroidered in light gold and silver. It's embroidered and elegant, I feel like I'm a princess right now. The dress is paired with matching light pink leggings and a dupatta which I've placed around my neck. I've applied some light makeup with a matching lipstick. For my jewellery, I've left things very simple. I'm wearing my engagement ring, the locket and bracelet Zayan gifted to me last night, and diamond studs I'd bought from Cartier a few months ago. I've put my hair up into a stylish but messy side bun, leaving a few strands out to frame my face.

I apply a spritz of my favourite Dior perfume, before going into the closet to pick out something for Zayan to wear.

When I'm back with his clothes in my hands, I blush seeing him sitting on the edge of the bed, stretching. He looks super handsome with his tousled bed hair and sleepy eyes. His eyes brighten when he sees me enter the room.

'Good morning, wifey,' he says with a sexy grin.

I blush harder, handing him his clothes. "Good morning, Zayan. You sure slept well," I say, blushing and smiling.

He nods, staring intensely at me. 'I had the best sleep I've had in a long time, Alayna. You look beautiful.'

I bite my lip, quietly thanking him. "Thank you. Hurry and get ready, I'm going downstairs to see what Aunty's doing."

He stands up, coming to me. 'You're going already? It's not even 9am yet. My lovely wife already wants to get away from me?' He teases.

I blush, looking down towards the ground. I shake my head. "I don't.. want to get away from you. Everyone must be wondering where we are," I mumble quietly.

And there's that smirk that I've missed. 'Let them wonder, Alayna. We just had our wedding night,' he whispers, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

I flush, looking everywhere but at Zayan. "Go and shower," I mumble, feeling shyer than ever.

'You look perfect, Alayna. Especially with that beautiful blush on your cheeks,' he whispers huskily.

I feel my heart pound in my chest as his gaze travels over me once again. "Thank you."

I nod over to the clothes in his hands, making him grin. 'You picked out clothes for me.'

"I hope you like them," I say, biting my lip.

His gaze darkens and he nods. 'I love your choice. I'll be right back.' He throws me a heart-stopping wink and strolls into the bathroom to shower and change.

********

Zayan takes the quickest shower, and is ready in less than ten minutes. When he comes out the bathroom, drying his hair roughly with a towel, my heart stops for a few seconds. I stop breathing, and I freeze completely in my seat on the sofa.

He looks so handsome, he's so hot. He's wearing a white button-up shirt which is well-fitted, and shows off his impressive body. It clings to his abs and biceps. He has huge biceps. His body is drool worthy. He's paired the shirt with a pair of light blue denim jeans. The look is casual but super sexy.

Sexy?! I've lost my mind.

He winks at me when he catches me checking him out. I flush, quickly looking away and pretending to be busy with my phone. Zayan chuckles, coming over to me.

'You should have taken a picture, Alayna. It lasts longer.' There's that cocky Zayan back. My cheeks heat up and I glare at him.

"Let's go downstairs," I say, my cheeks still bright pink.

He smirks, nodding. 'Lead the way, wifey.'

********

'Alayna, have some pancakes too. They're delicious,' Hanna says excitedly, placing a pancake into my plate.

I smile, blushing slightly. "Hanna, you eat too. You've hardly eaten anything, you just want me to eat loads and loads."

Hanna grins at me. 'I'm eating! And I'm looking at you and I can see that you're not eating properly. Eat, or else I'll be naraz with you.'

I chuckle, shaking my head at her. "I'm eating! Aunty, Uncle, how do you cope with her?" I tease.

Aunty and Uncle grin at me, shaking their heads. 'I don't know, dear. It's difficult,' Uncle jokes.

Aunty nods, agreeing with Uncle. "Very difficult. Usman and Zayan have never been as crazy as Hanna."

I laugh, winking at my best friend and now sister-in-law. Hanna frowns at us all. 'You're supposed to be my best friend!'

"And I am. But you're very crazy at times," I tease her again.

Usman Bhai, Zayan and everyone starts to chuckle at the both of us. The whole family is super happy this morning. I've never seen them this happy before. It warms my heart.

'Adnan was missing you this morning!' Laiba says, smiling at me.

"Where is he?! I was missing him too, so much! Is he awake?" I ask Laiba, my heart swelling with happiness.

'He's asleep now, thankfully. He woke up at 6am and he wouldn't go back to sleep! He slept after 8am, keeping me and Usman awake,' she tells us.

I smile. "I'll definitely play with him when he wakes up. I miss that adorable face."

She laughs. 'You're going to be his favourite aunt.'

"Hey, what about me?!" Hanna jokes, pouting at us.

'You too!' Laiba grins.

Right at that moment, Zayan places a piece of French toast into my plate. I turn to him, pouting slightly. "Zayan, I'm full!" I whisper, my cheeks heating up.

He frowns at me, raising an eyebrow. 'You're full after eating half a pancake and one small piece of toast? Have some French toast, Alayna. It's delicious.'

"But.." I start, but he won't have it. His eyes are shining with mischief and happiness.

'No buts. You hardly ate anything yesterday. You'll fall ill at this rate, and I can't let that happen.' Aww. Everyone watches us with smiles on their faces, while I blush furiously.

"Turning into a doctor now? Don't forget that I'm one too!" I tease.

He smirks. 'I remember very well.. Dr. Alayna.'

My cheeks are now as red as a tomato, and they're blazing hot.

"Okay, I'll eat the French toast. But only if you eat this," I say, grinning at Zayan. He watches me with a raised eyebrow as I place two pieces of French toast, a pancake, half an omelette and some fruit into his plate.

'I've finished my breakfast, but no problem,' he says, a small smile on his lips.

My eyes widen when he starts to eat the food I've piled up into his plate. It makes me start to eat too, and he was right. The French toast is delicious.

"Alayna, you and Zayan Bhai make the most beautiful couple," Hanna says, tears shining in her eyes.

I blush, thanking her quietly.

Aunty nods. 'Hanna's right, dear. You have no idea how happy we all are today. Seeing you both like this. May Allah always keep you happy.'

I start to feel slightly emotional myself, at how lovely everyone is. I spend some time with my new family after breakfast, standing in the kitchen with Hanna and Laiba while they wash the dishes. They won't let me help them at all. Usman Bhai, Zayan and Uncle are in the living room, and Aunty's phoning the walima venue to make sure everything's perfect.

'So, tell us everything! What happened last night?' Hanna asks, her eyes twinkling.

I blush, bursting out into a coughing fit. "Hanna! You're crazy!"

'I want to know too, all the details! Come on, Alayna! Tell us everything!' Laiba asks excitedly.

"Well... Zayan gave me my wedding gift, which by the way is perfect. Then, we got changed for bed and slept!" I tell them.

Their faces fall, they're shocked. 'What do you mean you slept?' Hanna asks, her eyes wide.

"I mean, we closed our eyes and slept!"

Laiba shakes her head. 'You mean.. nothing happened? You guys didn't...'

"No! Of course we didn't.. do that!" I laugh, my cheeks burning hot.

'I don't believe that! The way Zayan was staring at you last night after your Nikah, I can't believe that he didn't jump on you right away!' Laiba says, shocked.

My mouth falls open in shock at her words. And right at that moment, there's a knock on the kitchen door. Zayan stands in the doorway, his cheeks tinted light pink. I hope he didn't hear anything. Oh, god. This is so embarrassing.

Laiba and Hanna burst out into a coughing fit, quickly busying themselves with washing the dishes.

'Alayna, I hope they're not giving you a hard time?' Zayan teases his sister and sister-in-law.

I flush, shaking my head. "Of course not, Zayan. Did you need something?" I ask him.

Hanna coughs loudly, before snickering. 'Yes, Bhai. Tell us! Did you need something?'

He shakes his head. "Alayna, did you see my watch this morning? I don't remember where I placed it last night."

'Oh, it's-' I start, but Laiba breaks me off.

"Zayan, even I know that you only place your beloved watch in one place. In the top drawer of your bedside table. Are you missing Alayna?" She teases him. My blush brightens.

'Laiba Bhabhi, it's not there. I've forgotten where I put it last night,' he says.

I look at him, shaking my head while trying to control my laughter. "Zayan, Laiba's right. Your watch's in the top drawer of your bedside table," I tell him, raising an eyebrow.

'Oh, thanks,' he says, his face falling. Aww. He's too cute for his own good. Cute, and hot.

"Hanna, Laiba, why are you teasing Zayan?" Aunty chuckles, walking into the kitchen.

She comes to me and kisses my forehead gently. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

I hold her hand gently, smiling. 'I'm great, Aunty, thank you,' I say quietly.

She grins. "You and Zayan should go and rest, dear. It's going to be another busy, long day. Soon after lunch, the hair and makeup team will arrive to get you ready in Hanna's room where your walima dress is." I blush, knowing very well that she wants me and Zayan to spend some time together, alone.

'Aunty, I want to help out too!' I say.

She shakes her head. "No, dear! Not at all. You can't do any work, just spend time with Zayan okay? We'll manage everything." She hugs me, kissing the top of my head.

I nod. 'Don't worry, everything will go perfectly this evening,' I say, knowing what a perfectionist Aunty is. She worries about the tiniest details.

She beams. "I know, dear. Everything will be perfect."

'Alayna, go with Zayan before he goes crazy,' Laiba says with a laugh.

My blush brightens further as I bite my lip discreetly.

"Enjoy, both of you!" Aunty teases before me and Zayan leave the kitchen.

As soon as we're upstairs, I hit his arm playfully.

He turns to me. 'What was that for?' His eyes are glinting with mischief.

"For this!" I huff, striding to his bedside table and taking out his watch from the top drawer.

He smirks as I hand it to him. 'Thank you, Alayna.'

He puts on his designer watch before throwing me his perfect grin.

"I wanted to spend time with my lovely wife, but it doesn't seem as though she wants to spend time with me," he says sadly with wide eyes, pouting at me.

The adorable look on his beautiful face tugs at my heart. 'Zayan, of course I want to spend time with you. But I want to spend time with your amazing family, too!'

He continues to pout sadly at me.

I pull his cheek gently, shocking him. "Stop making adorable faces at me, okay?"

'You think I'm adorable?' He asks, grinning.

I chuckle. "You're alright," I lie.

'Just alright?' He asks, raising an eyebrow at me with mischief in his eyes.

My entire body turns a shade of pink as I playfully slap him on the chest. "You're... okay," I say, laughing internally.

'Your expression is telling me otherwise though, Alayna,' he says, throwing a wink at me.

I feel a weird, foreign but good sensation in the pit of my stomach as I start checking out my husband again. He's the finest man I've ever seen. The sexiest. Hands down. He makes me feel... things I didn't know were possible to feel.

I forget that he's standing right in front of me, and I shamelessly continue to stare at him. My heart rate starts to accelerate and I start to feel warm.

He clears his throat, smirking at me. 'Like I said before, wifey, take a picture. It'll last longer.'

I blush deep scarlet as I quickly look away, looking everywhere but at Zayan. I can't believe myself sometimes! I'm crazy. He's made me crazy.

Just for him.

********

How was the chapter, guys!? I enjoyed writing this chapter for you all, that's why it's so long! Over 5500 words!

That's to make up for my next update which will be near the end of this month! I'm super busy lately, I've hardly had any time to write but I had to post this chapter for you guys.

Don't forget to vote and comment if you liked it!

What was your favourite moment in this chapter? It was filled with Zayan-Alayna moments!

Question: What's your favourite season, and why? Mine is summer, because it's quite short here in England lol! It's always cold here, so I quite like it when it gets warm.

Bye guys! x