Chapter 6 - Zain Gul

I must've waited outside the front door for half an hour before calling it quits. I couldn't grasp what had gotten over Noah to push me out in that manner.

Was it his parents?

Was he having a panic attack?

I called him but received no response. No reply to my texts either. I didn't even have his girlfriend's number to have her check up on him.

After rummaging through various potential actions to take, I concluded going home as the best. Noah's parents had left by now and my brothers would believe any lie I told them.

Finding a taxi or an Uber at this time was difficult, so I decided to walk down the street first before hailing a transportation service.

The curbs were overcrowded with Teslas, Mercedes, and Audis. I wondered why these rich people invested in expensive cars that would only go down in value overtime and not even last long.

Then again, it was their money. They had enough surplus to afford these luxuries.

I stopped by a black Audi with completely black windows. No one was around so I took the opportunity to look at my face.

My hair was sticking up and I groaned wondering if this was how Noah's parents saw me. I wore no makeup and the moisturizer I had put on this morning did a poor job hydrating my dry skin.

If I kept this up, I was definitely going to look a grandma soon and never going to find a boyfriend.

"Great job, doofus," I muttered to myself.

I took my scrunchie from my wrist and gathered my hair up in a high ponytail. I slapped my cheeks for some blood flow before turning away from the car.

I must've walked down ten steps before I heard a car door open. I looked over my shoulder and was horrified to find a tall man in a black suit step out of the Audi I used as a mirror.

It was not my day today.

Picking up my pace, I turned my head down and tried to make a run for it.

"Excuse me!"

I flinched and resumed my way until I heard footsteps chasing after me.

"Seher!"

I finally halted and turned to face the person. How did he know my name?

"Noah's new girlfriend, right?"

The tall guy reached me within seconds.

As he stepped forward under the street light, I took in his striking features. Dark brown eyes with matching hair and cheekbones higher than the Mount Everest. He was perhaps a few years older than me with the same skin color as me.

He was also too attractive for his own good.

"I don't believe we've met," I said softly. Was he a friend of Noah's? I didn't know anyone else but Olivia.

He chuckled and then started to laugh.

"Really, Seher? You don't recognize me?"

I suddenly began scrutinizing his features trying to remember if I had met him before. He called me by my first name so he ought to know me somehow.

I was more than sure I would've remembered his handsome face if I had met him before.

"Zain. Zain Gul," he introduced.

I still gave him an unknowing glance. The name did not ring a bell.

His smile vanished and he turned serious.

"Maybe you don't remember me. We were in the same gym class," he said. "I was the Teacher's Aide for your teacher."

I vaguely remembered my high school gym class where we had over four classes sharing two gyms at the same time. Considering I went to a public school where the number of Asian students could be counted on one hand, I should've remembered him.

I stressed my mind and thought about the TA's my gym teacher had.

"My memory is the worst in the world when it comes to remembering faces," I told him honestly. "All I remember is . . . Wait a minute, wasn't Greyson was one of the TA's? You were his buddy? Did you lose weight?"

Greyson was the guy who smiled at me a lot for some reason and everyone thought he had a crush on me.

I doubted it.

He never asked me out or made small talk. I did recall his Indian best friend who suffered from obesity.

I earned a laugh from Zain.

"I lost about fifty," he confessed. "I can't blame you for not recognizing me."

No wonder!

We never had a chance to talk to each other in high which had me clueless about his personality or life.

"Do you live around here?" I wondered aloud.

"No," he said, putting his hands in his pants's pockets. "I'm a close friend of Noah and was dropping in for a quick chat. I was waiting for his parents to leave to pay him a visit. He told me you'd be here too to talk."

"Noah's not feeling well," I told him. If Noah had kicked me out, I doubted he wanted to see this man. "He wanted to be left alone for a while. I was on my way back home."

"Could I offer you a ride?" he said politely.

I shook my head. Stranger danger. No matter how handsome he was, he was still a stranger.

"Thank you, but I'll walk. My place is close by."

It was only an hour long walk. I could use some fresh air.

Just then, the leaves in the bushes behind me rustled and I almost jumped out of my skin.

He raised an eyebrow. "It's too late at night for a girl to be walking by herself. If you don't want to ride with me, let me offer to grab you a taxi."

His generosity made me more suspicious of him.

"I got it," I said quietly.

"Let me call Noah," he said pulling out his phone. "How can he let his to-be wife walk home alone at night?"

"How do you know that we are getting married?" I asked frowning.

He knew more than he was letting on. Noah had never mentioned his name in my presence.

"I'm your lawyer," he stated simply. "Noah must've forgot to tell you, but he wanted to start the process for your marriage-based green card as soon as possible. That's why I tried to drop by today to talk to you guys together."

He handed me his business card and I confirmed his identity. Well, I gave him the benefit of the doubt when I saw his picture on the business card too.

Things made more sense now.

I couldn't believe after kicking me out of his house, Noah still made me like him for all he was doing for me. He had started this process for me ASAP. All he wanted in return was for me to make his mother hate me?

Kind people existed out there.

"I appreciate it," I told Zain. "I guess I'll have to take your offer now."

He didn't waste another second before ushering me towards his black Audi. I tried not to think about how I used his window as a mirror while he was still in the car.

Once on our way, I decided to get more details.

"How long will the process take?" I asked him.

"Did you marry him for a green card?" he asked in return.

I didn't know how much Noah had told him. Was I supposed to be honest to my lawyer? Considering he knew I was illegal and needed a green card, he probably knew the basics.

I decided not to admit the fraud I was committing by marrying Noah for a green card.

While I contemplated my answer, he continued, "The only reason I ask is because Olivia's face was all over Noah's social media for the past few months. When you have your interviews with the immigration officers, we have to ascertain you and Noah are the real deal."

I nodded, knowing his words were important. No wonder Noah took a crazy amount of pictures today at the ice skating rink.

We have to prove our relationship on social media first to have it considered real.

The world had come to that.

"When's the actual wedding?" he asked.

"His parents aren't exactly thrilled by our alliance," I told him. "We are still fixing a date."

I watched the dark streets pass by us and wondered if any of those people had similar worries as me. Did the thought of being illegal in this country haunt their sleep too? Did they spend their evening with their lawyer discussing their status?

It must be great to have been born here.

I scolded myself for thinking such grim thoughts. We came into this world with a blank slate and without our own decision as to where to take birth. Death would be similar.

"A penny for your thoughts?" Zain said breaking my concentration.

"Sorry, I was thinking about something else."

"Are you okay?" he asked suddenly. His inquiry surprised me. "Noah's behavior can be strange sometimes. He doesn't act up, right?"

"Act up?"

He cleared his throat. "I mean he's not abusive or aggressive, is he?"

"Of course not."

Was he a lawyer or a psychologist asking me that kind of a question?

As tempted as I was to spill the contents of tonight's penthouse kick out, I refrained from talking. What if Noah just wasn't feeling well? His parents were upset with him.

I couldn't bring myself to expose  someone else's weaknesses.

I assured my companion Noah was completely fine.

I quickly guided Zain through the residential area as we entered my apartments complex.

I cringed realizing his Audi was the fanciest car in my entire neighborhood. A lawyer at these lowly apartments where half of the population was drug dealers or crackheads.

I was totally over my embarrassment at this point.

I was grateful I still had a roof over my head.

"You haven't moved in with Noah yet?" he asked.

"It's frowned upon in my family to live together before marriage," I lied to him.

I had no parental guidance on live-ins or marriage, for that matter. Because he had my ancestry too, he didn't further question me.

"Thanks for the ride," I told him as I guided him to a parking spot.

"No problem," he said. "Here."

He handed me another business card, but this one had his name, cell phone number, and home address.

"Two business cards?" I asked puzzled.

"The one I gave you earlier has my professional information," he explained. "This one is for emergencies. In case you ever need to reach me immediately, call me at that number or you have my house address too."

I imagined I'd be calling the police in case of emergencies. Maybe he meant immigration related issues.

I had no fears about getting deported now.

"I don't think I'll need this since I'll be seeing you often," I told him. Plus, his other card had his office phone and address. That's usually where we'd go see him.

He didn't take back his card. "You never know."

I kept it and bid him farewell.

He left with a concealed look in his eyes and a mysterious silence on his lips.

I felt the hairs on my arms stand up as I examined the two business cards in my hands. One for professional use and one for personal.

I should've reconsidered getting a ride from him. Then again, he was as much a stranger as an Uber driver.

It was an eventful night to say the least.

First, Noah's parents had a fit, then Noah behaved strangely, and now, this unknown lawyer wanted to add more mystery to it.

I called it a night and headed inside.