A knock on khalifa's door interrupted his thoughts. He ushered whoever was knocking to come in before pinning his attention back on the file he was working on.

"Um- Sir there's a delivery for you." The male cleared his throat making Khalifa raise his head up with furrowed eyebrows. His mother was supposedly mad at him for failing to visit her in Lagos and she was still angry at him after finding out about him and Halima separating so he knew for a fact it wasn't her. Who was it then?

The man passed the notepad for Khalifa to sign. He collected the red notepad writing down his signature before handing it back to him. He was handed a paper bag that had their logo plastered in front of it in bold red letters. Whoever owns this business have a thing for red.

As soon as the man closed the door behind him, Khalifa's phone started ringing immediately after. He picked it up to find Yasmin calling. He answered the call leaning on the table putting the phone to his ear.

"Where do you want us to eat at?" Yasmin asked immediately as soon as he picked up the call. He got more confused when she asked that meaning she was out of the question.

"Well, I got my lunch delivered to me." Khalifa shrugged his shoulders causing Yasmin to smirk on the other side of the phone.

"Well that person seems nice. But my father actually suprised me today." She started whilst Khalifa leaned on the table listening to her intently. "So after I came back we were on a call and my mother was like who was that? And I was like Khalifa and the woman got salty because I never invited you over as a friend apparently." Yasmin sighed on the other side of the phone whilst Khalifa just listened to her, amused.

"Seems like you want to trap me." Khalifa let out a breath as a laugh when Yasmin sucked her teeth, agitated. When they started getting along, there were times where they met at restaurants or anywhere they could meet but he had never visited her house which her parents preferred.

"You would love that huh?" Yasmin asked sarcastically. "But well my mother told me to tell you to come over but you're free to decline. I completely understand because my parents can be intimidating and suffocati-" Yasmin started babbling, something she did when she was stressed, annoyed or nervous earning a laugh from Khalifa.

"It's okay. I don't mind coming over. What time?" Khalifa asked glancing down at his watch which read it was twelve on the dot. He had to ho pick up from school and drop her off considering Halima asked him if he could pick her up because she was busy.

"Seven thirty is okay. And Khalifa don't wear those sweat pants or hoodies of yours. I want to see something different and God help me you wear those slides." Yasmin threatned him making him chuckle massaging his full beard that grown over the weeks.

"I'll see what I can do." Khalifa replied smugly, detaching the phone from his ear hearing the faint sound of Yasmin yelling out threats and cussing him out. He laughed staring at the screen where the call was ended by a flustered Yasmin.

**

"I CAN REMEMBER HOW YOU LOOKED AT ME." Halima choked on her drink bursting out laughing as Nasir told her the story about their last argument. They were seated in the comfort of Halima's home she claimed was her parents.

"You can't possibly blame me, you just snapped which caught me off guard. What was I supposed to do?" Halima cut her eyes at him, taking a sip of her drink cautiously looking over to Nasir hoping he wouldn't say anything to make her act out of character.

"It angered me in a way." Nasir let out folding his leg over the other whilst he ran his thumb over Halima's knucles. She smiled in return laying her head on his chest, sniffing the faint cologne on his clothes.

"How so?" She asked rubbing circles on his chest. Nasir had loosened up after some time which was something she was happy for. At first, he was stiff because he kept asking questions like "what would happen if someone walked in?" Until he gave up, and were sitting side by side with Halima laid on his chest casually.

"Well for starters we were in a middle of a conversation when you took your phone out and took a picture. I found it normal but when you started laughing at something, it angered me to think there was a possibility you had someone besides me which is something off limits for me." Halima felt her heart beating rapidly against her chest but tried to keep her cool, not wanting to seem off to him.

Nasir let out a ragged breath running his hand down his face. "There was this girl I was with and we had been together for years just to find out she got married and didn't even have the decency to tell me."

He explained with a pained voice which made Halima slightly jealous because it was obvious the girl still had some effect on him. Nasir fixed his face back to a better expression.

"But that's in the past. We are together and I know you have been hundred with me since the beginning and those materialistic stuff don't even phase you." He smiled and Halima slid onto his lap brushing his comment off not letting it make her feel bad.

"You're damn right. She was the past and I'm the present." Halima laughed pressing her lips to his which Nasir quickly responded wrapping his arms around her waist, his hands slowly moving down her lower back but was interrupted with her phone ringing making Nasir suck his teeth about to pull away, but Halima held him still gripping the back of his head in place.

**

Khalifa adjusted the cufflinks on the sleeve of his grey kaftan. A knock halted what he was doing as he walked to the door pulling the door open coming to face with flustered Halima.

Halima surveyed his outfit which seemed like he was going out. He furrowed his eyebrows but walked into the house with Halima following behind him. The strong scent of his cologne answered her question as she awkwardly stood by the chair refusing to sit on it for some reason.

Khalifa's footsteps came to a halt as he looked towards her arching a brow.

"You need something." The question came out more like a statement just when his phone dinged. He picked it up reading the clock which was six fifty six.

He let out a breath walking into his room she thought if she had ever entered the room but remembered she had when they hooked up.

"Home was hectic and I just wanted space." Halima breathed out, following him to his room where he was surfing his closet for the hat that would be best for his clothes.

"You can't always appear at my place when you feel like it halima." He looked over his shoulder, his toned eyes meeting her Hazel ones.

"We are divorced and you can't just come to your ex-husband's house for the sole purpose of needing space." Khalifa said calmly, making Halima's heart wrench in her chest taken aback from his words.

"Just because we're seperated doesn't mean we don't have a child together. It doesn't mean I can't talk to you when I need you." Halima snapped, approaching him with her hands on her waist

Khalifa turned to face her with an incredulous look on his face. "That's the problem. You want everyone to be there when you need them no questions asked. You expect them to drop everything and tend to you while you fail to do that everytime and you blame your faults on them for getting tired. Not everything is about you Halima. Everyone has their own lives. I can't live my life living for you when you couldn't even do the smallest thing you were expected to." He said in a defeated tone, his voice painfully low.

He opened his mouth to talk but closed it right after, grabbing his phone attempting to walk out of the room only for Halima to stand in front of the door pushing it closed leaning on it staring up at him.

"Ever since you found out, you haven't even given me an opportunity to explain myself to you. Even when you cheated on me, I listened to you but you can't even do the same?" Halima's voice cracked but Khalifa didn't care about that right now. Yasmin was waiting for him and he wasn't about to disappoint her for someone who's irrelevant.

"Yeah. And how long did that take?" Khalifa tilts hid head to the side, failing to get an answer from Halima who suddenly went mute. He let out a sarcastic chuckle reaching his hand for the knob but Halima's voice interrupted him.

"I just missed what I had...before." Halima admitted as Khalifa stared down at her with a blank face. "I missed the time where I would get whatever I wanted without having a limit or thinking about the future. I missed everything and- it got to me." Halima muttered under her breath, unsure of herself before looking up at him.

"But I loved you. I still do. But I just wanted to be happy. Don't I deserve to be?" Halima added earning a dry chuckle from Khalifa. He walked towards her whilst she walked back until her back hit the door.

Khalifa towered over her, his hand gripping the doorframe consumed in rage. "Whatever you did Halima, you did it because it felt good and there's no excuse behind it. And what ever both our intentions were, it's done and in the past. We're divorced and free to do whatever. There is no need for explanations as of right now." Khalifa said in a low voice, his eyes boring into hers, his eyes failing to show the sincerity it showed before.

Halima swallowed the lump in her throat, barely nodding but Khalifa didn't care to respond. He backed up removing his hands from the frame running his hand down his face tiredly.

"Whatever we have is dead. Let's accept that." Was the only thing he said before he was out of the door. Halima sighed picking up her phone calling the one person who was actually there for her whenever she was down.

"Hello?"

***

Yasmin paced the dim lit living room checking her phone who read 7:33. She shrugged sitting on the chair clicking around her phone before she decided to get on instagram to see if there was something interesting.

Her timeline instantly refreshed, the first picture being of Sauda walking down a pathway saying something inaudible. She rolled her eyes not caring to watch the video but paused when she saw the next video was Sauda and Faisal together, the caption reading SAUFA 2021.

Her heart wrenched in her chest as she stared the picture of them together, walking into the house hand in hand having a hushed conversation. She could feel the tears pricking her eyes but Khalifa's incoming call cut it short.

She quickly wiped the tears that was yet to fall, fixing her turban before walking out of the door sighting Khalifa's all black Audi A8. She forced a smile walking towards the door raising her phone to show the time that indicated he was late.

Khalifa looked up to see Yasmin holding up her phone with a murderous look on her face. He let out a breath as a laugh clicking on the locks and Yasmin steppped back to give him space. He stepped out locking the car afterwards, turning back to Yasmin who seemed to be glowing with an amused look on her face.

"God helped you I lied to my parents you were coming by eight." She breathed out before Khalifa walked towards her. He leaned down wrapping his arms around her, hugging her tall skinny frame. She shrinked in his embrace before placing her head on his chest staying there for sometime, her mindset wasn't the best and she just wanted to be held as of right now.

"Now why would you think I would want your dandruff all up on my clothes?" Khalifa jerked his head back scrunching his face. Yasmin let out a laugh pulling away shoving him in his chest.

"You play too much. Like you're any different." She retorted, standing on her toes yanking his curls. He winced rubbing the spot pushing his lips together staring down at her with a frown on his face.

"Why do you like abusing a guy?" He whined following behind Yasmin who attempted to run into the house before he caught her but was too late. Khalifa held her from behind making her squeal before laughing afterwards. She placed her hands over his hands trying to pry them off whilst wriggling in his embrace at the same time.

"Okay! Okay! I won't do it again. I won't touch your hair. I'm sorry!" She said in between laughs still moving around in his grip. The curtains upstairs moved which was her rooms window which caught both their attention.

"I knew Namisha couldn't resist." Yasmin shook her head rolling her eyes playfully at her friend's funny behaviour. Namisha came over today and was there when Yasmin called Khalifa earlier. Their plan was for her to sleepover but she knew Namisha would want to get a show.

"Where do I know that name mah?" Khalifa scratched his beard in thought making Yasmin to shoot him a disbelieving look.

"Don't act like you don't know her." Yasmin mugged him, reaching for his head full of hair but Khalifa was quick to jerk his head back casting her a knowing look making her roll her eyes.

"Let's go, shall we?"

"My father isn't around. Just my mother." Yasmin informed Khalifa who was seated in the single seat. He nodded, leaning his head back with a lazy smile on his face.

"Even better." He smiled earning a glare from Yasmin befkfe she walked out of the living room, taking a trip to her mother's room which was on the other side of the house bumping into someone in the process.

She looked up to see Ameer dressed in a hoodie and kaftan pants. She smiled giving him a side hug before pulling away looking up at him with the same smile plastered on her face. Ameer was her younger brother she gave three years. They were close but he hadn't been around much considering he was at work.

"You're finally back?" She raised both brows making him throw his head back, his damp hair following before he looked back at her.

"On God I forgot. Abba was really serious about me working for my position." He offered an apologetic look but Yasmin laughed in his face instead making him frown knowing she was enjoying how he was suffering.

"That's enough for me." Yasmin patted his shoulder as he licked his lips, a faint smile on his face. He resumed his walk before stopping in his tracks looking bacck her, calling out her name making her turn around.

"I'm not letting him go unscathed if it ever happens again." Ameer said in a serious tone, all the humor on his face disappearing as he referred to Faisal. She knew he was probably talking about Khalifa who came over. He was very protective over her and he was so close to beating up Faisal if she hadn't stopped him.

Yasmin nodded slowly giving him a sad smile in return. He sighed noticing how her face dropped before he approached her wrapping his arms around her protectively.

"You know just because I use hearing aids doesn't mean you can't talk to me, okay?" Ameer joked earning a low laugh from her. Ameer couldn't hear anything without his hearing aids but with them, he could hear everything clearly.

Yasmin nodded just as he pulled away stuffing his hands in his hoodie pockets.

"I'm going out with my friends. Just call when you need anything." He told her making her nod in return. He nodded to no one in particular walking down the hallway leaving her standing there before she went her way to her mother's room.

Song: Cutting Ties - 6lack