Chapter 25

                                    

                                          
I asked her why she was leaving and if she wanted someone to go with her. It didn't feel right to let her go alone, given what happened. But she immediately refused me, and all she said was that Milo was her sister's last remaining legacy in this world and now he was gone too, so she felt emotionally disturbed and she needed a break from everything. 
	I got home from the airport, back to my apartment, and saw a tall and muscular figure standing in front of my apartment. His black curly hair was drooping on his forehead messily, and hearing my footsteps, he looked up at me. Initially his gaze was laced with caution, but upon seeing me, it softened and turned into one with concern and worry. 
I missed him. I've been telling him small things here and there but he has yet to get the full story. 
	"I told you not to wait for me!"
	"You said not to at the airport. You never said anything about waiting at your house."
	He was always so good with words, wasn't he?
	He stepped aside, his quiet footsteps echoing in the hallway and I unlocked my door. With a click both of us entered and he closed the door behind him.
	"So, how's your friend doing?"
	"I mean...okay I guess? She's holding everything in and she's still grieving. She packed her bags all of a sudden and decided to go to the countryside, and assured that she needed to do this alone. I understand, but I'm still worried."
	"...The countryside?"
	"Why what's wrong?"
	"Nothing, I think I have a way to make you more assured about her. My close friend, Aaron Capponi, came back with me from the military to take over his family business which just happens to focus on tourism and hotel branches. I think he or his parents went to one of their locations in the countryside to check how things were developing over there. Do you want me to see if we can have Lyra sent over there? I mean, it's still the countryside, but just that she'll have people we know watching over her."
	Listening to his deep voice make its way to my ears. I wanted to cry once again. Goodness Ayla, since when were you such an emotional woman? The fact that he cared so much about my friend who he's never even met before warmed me. It made me feel like he actually cared not only about me, but also my family. 
	"That sounds like a fantastic idea, thank you Tariq. You have no idea how much that'll ease me."
	"Now for a question I'm even more concerned about."
	"What is it? I'll tell you the entire story in a bit, let me just–"
	"How are you doing?"
	Clatter.
	My keys fell, and I turned around, not daring to face him.
	I felt movement behind me and I knew he was coming closer to me. I felt his arms slowly wrap around my waist. He wrapped me tighter and my back was flush against his chest. I felt his heat through his shirt. He's so much warmer than me. But nothing felt better than what I was currently feeling.
	I turned around and wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my face into his embrace. Is this what it feels like to have someone actually love you? Yes, he did ask about Lyra and that warmed my heart. But I never thought he knew me well enough to think that I was also holding things in. That I was also grieving. That I was also in pain for losing a dear nephew. 
	We held each other for a while like that before I pulled away. Seeing his crinkled shirt, I burst into laughter."
	"What are you...oh" soon, he also started laughing with me.