Hayat Amanullah was always the pampered child in her household. With loving, hardworking parents and two older brothers who were more like best friends, Hayat was never neglected of anything. She had no sense of responsibility, no worry in the world...
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~ Aspen (flower): Fear ~
Under the guise of hanging out with Abeer, I'm spending the day with Rameez.
At first I was a little hesitant, Abeer's cautious warnings about my changing personality ringing in my ears. But when I saw the informal itinerary Rameez sent me, a pleased flush rose in my cheeks. He remembered the tiniest details from our conversations—how I loved hay rides and cornfields, how I had been craving mochi donuts for days, how I was dying to watch the sunset atop our town's famous rock point. He had planned the day out for us with all my activities and interests in mind—not only would it be incredibly rude of me to reject his offer, but I would personally be very heartbroken to not be able to spend the day with him, too.
As I'm heading out, I kiss my mom's forehead. She walks me to the door and furrows her brows. "Where's Abeer's car?"
Shoot. I was not expecting my mom to bid me goodbye since she always used to be in her room. My heart thuds against my chest as I scramble for a response. "Oh, I just asked her to wait by the neighborhood entrance so I could get some walking in." I chuckle nervously.
She nods, and for a moment guilt crawls up my throat at her immediate and blissful acceptance of my lie. Then I wave and head down the street to where Rameez's car is waiting.
"Hi," I say brightly as I open the passenger door.
He looks up from his phone, breaking into a breathtaking smile when our eyes meet. "Hey!" he says as I settle in and lock my seatbelt. "How are you?"
He seems genuinely happy to see me. The realization causes color to rise to my cheeks and dispels any anxiety from spending the day with him. "I'm good!" I chirp. "How are you?"
"Excited," he says breathlessly, switching gears and putting his foot on the gas.
"Me, too," I say, nervously playing with my fingers. The exhilaration I'm experiencing is so foreign that I have to take a breath before saying my next words. "I really appreciate this, Rameez," I say quietly. "The way you planned out the whole day, your attention to detail, seriously, I appreciate it so much."
He clucks his tongue. "Stop thanking me. I wanted to spend the day with you. Also, I have a surprise for you."
"A surprise?" I squeal, then blush at the amused expression on his face. "What kind of surprise?"
He quirks his lips and throws me a sidelong glance. "Wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, would it?"
"Sorry, sorry." I mime zipping my lips shut and throwing away the key.
He chuckles, then strategically maneuvers the conversation into different territory in a way I've begun to envy. "We'll grab food first and then head to the farm. Sound good?" I nod, jittery with excitement.
