Chapter 81: "Restoring Normalcy"

Guys thank you so much for the comments on the previous chapter! It made me so happy!🥰

Post your reactions as you read

First Draft: December 25, 2021

"Bee."

Zayn gave her hand a gentle squeeze, making her pause. The snow had stopped, leaving a heavy blanket of white over the lawns and the gardens, in its wake. They were going down the steps to the shed where Zayn's car was parked. Salma turned around to face him at the base of the marble steps in front of the house. Zayn released a breath, as if bracing himself for something unpleasant. He was quiet for while, then tugged at her hand gently, pulling her towards him. "There's something I have to tell you," he finally said.

Salma eyed him questioningly, feeling a little worried by the obvious conflict and dread he was displaying. She nodded at him to begin.

He swallowed as he prepared to tell her the heavy news.

"I've had an offer made by an English Premier League club to join them next season," Zayn started carefully. "I've decided to join Manchester City. If all goes according to the plan, I'll be leaving for Manchester soon."

Zayn watched as Salma's lips parted wordlessly. She seemed caught off guard. After her meeting with Grandpa Steve, the old man had encouraged Zayn to tell her about his potential move. In fact, seeing her hit it off great with his Grandpa, he himself had felt more confident that things could work out for them, but now, as she looked away, as if trying to come to terms with what the news meant for her, he felt his heart sank, killing his hopes with it.

"When--?" She stopped, then shook her head as if to clear it. "I mean, congratulations!" Salma forced a smile. "This is huge! I'm happy for you!"

Zayn felt his heart sear. She did not say she would move to Manchester with him.

"Thank you," he whispered past a clogged throat.

Salma nodded, turning to the snow covered ground like she was trying to find a way past this disturbing new.

"Have you told dad?" she asked after a while.

Zayn shook his head.

"When will you leave?" she asked finally.

"In August," Zayn replied.

"So we have like, eight months?" Salma looked up at him.

Zayn took in a shaky breath, and watched his sigh turn into a puff of mist as he exhaled.

"Is that a no?" he asked.

"What?"

"We have eight months and then I leave," Zayn said. "Does that mean you won't come with me?"

"You want me to come?" Salma's brow raised as she blinked.

Zayn scoffed at the stupidity of her question.

"Of course I do!" he cried, shrugging. "Question is, would you?"

"No." Salma shook her head, taking a step back. "That's not even a question!"

Zayn looked away as he felt his jaw tightening. He felt a tug at their conjoined hands.

"We have to stay together after the marriage, so –"

"What?!" Zayn cried, almost snapping his neck as he turned to her.

"What do you mean what?" Salma asked, eyeing him weirdly. "How do you expect us to be a family and not –"

"You'd come with me?!"

Salma's eyes widened to realize he was inches away from her. He had grabbed her face and was looking at her, his ember irises going to and fro between her eyes, shocked.

"I . . ." Salma blinked, not sure which part of her response he could not understand. It was pretty straight forward. "Isn't that how it is after two people marry?"

Zayn mouth opened but nothing came out. For a crazy second, Salma thought he was going to, either break into a dance, or burst into tears. But when he looked like he was about to pull her in for a kiss, Salma panicked and grabbed his hand to push away. It was only when her chilled nose crashed into his shoulder did she realize, he had pulled her into a hug.

"Oh my God!"

Salma held her breath, feeling her head spin.

What was going on, again?

"I love you!" Zayn cried happily as he kept squeezing her. "I love you. Ya Allah! Thank you!"

Completely out of the loop, but thinking it rather stupid, and impolite to rain on his parade to stop him, so she could ask what had him acting like an idiot, Salma turned to the clear black sky above, where the stars were twinkling and shinning on them.

Help!

First draft: August 5, 2020

It was already quite late when Zayn dropped Salma home. Standing in front of her front door, Salma shrugged away from Zayn.

"When my family is around, each of us, keep our limbs to ourselves, alright?" she said, before inserting the key in the lock.

Zayn frowned at her comically.

"What? Why –"

"Absolutely no logical reason other other than family and cultural preferences," Salma explained. "I'll die a little inside if you hug me with my dad or Asim around so."

She faced Zayn again and slipped her arms around him, giving him a quick hug. Zayn laughed, pulling her closer to him in response. The warmth of his embrace was a welcoming refuge against the cold but Salma had to get inside.

"Consider this a goodbye hug incase I have to send you packing with my family around," Salma finished, pulling away.

She opened the door and stepped in before Zayn could argue. Zayn followed after her as she held the door open for him. The house was quiet and mostly dark. Salma switched on the light in the foyer and peaked into the sitting room as she took off her shoes. Light was streaming in from the kitchen. It seemed to her that everyone had retired to their rooms for the night, except maybe one, or perhaps, both her parents, who were probably waiting for her to return.

"Maybe I should leave," Zayn said quietly, as he shrugged out of his coat. "Your father is asleep, I think."

Salma hung her parka on the hook.

"I think he's in the kitchen," she replied. "Or mum is. Come on."

The two made their way through the dark sitting room, lit only by the stream of light pouring in through the kitchen door. Salma peeked in. She saw a tall, broad shouldered figure with dark hair up in a half ponytail, sitting with his back to the doorway. Salma quickly stepped back, knocking into Zayn.

"What happened?" Zayn asked, as he grabbed her to keep her steady.

"Burak Kaka," Salma muttered, pulling her veil back up.

The Green Coat, having heard the commotion behind him, turned around. He smiled.

"Assalamo'Alaikom Pundookey bachey!" He greeted her with his usual cheerfulness. It was both a little confusing and a relief, considering the miserable circumstance she had put him through the last time they had met.

"Wa'Alaikom Assalam," Salma said as she stepped into the kitchen. "Assalamo'Alaikom dad."

"Wa'Alaikom Assalam," her father replied, who was sitting across the table, opposite to Burak Kaka, with a laptop in front of him and quite a few folders littering the table.

The three men exchanged salams as Salma pulled a chair for Zayn next to hers, and took a seat close to her father.

"You guys got late," her father said, pulling the lid of his laptop down. "I hope the dinner went well. How was Mr. Walter?"

"He was good," Zayn replied. "We had a very good time. I think he's taken to Salma."

"Who wouldn't?" Burak Kaka snorted. "Our Princess is a rare breed."

"How are you here?" Salma asked the Green Coat. "It's kind of late. Is everything alright?"

"Of course," Burak Kaka gave her a tight smile. "I'm just officially taking over as your designated body guard."

Salma eyed her father questioningly. Given the issue of Salma's stay with the mysterious man, Burak Kaka was deemed untrustworthy and asked to step down as her shadow. She wondered if they had consider his appeal to allow him to continue that part of his job?

"The Sthooriy embassy has notified the State Department that ex-Agent Tufan," her father explained laying much emphasis on the ex, "who is now working as a private contractor, will be performing the duties of keeping you safe."

"Ex-agent Tufan," Salma muttered, feeling bad for the Green Coat who was staring at the table gloomily So they did strip him from his position as a Green Coat.

"I'll do my best, don't worry!" Burak kaka forced a smile. "Just because I have 'ex' before agent in that notification doesn't really reduce my efficiency."

"I trust you to keep me safe," Salma replied, meaning it in more ways than one.

"Thank you, princess," Burak Kaka replied earnestly. "I'm honored."

"I've been meaning to ask," Zayn spoke up. "Wouldn't this put all of you guys in danger of getting exposed? I mean, the Green Coats and their operations here. The FBI already suspects something. Putting Agent Tufan on their radar so openly, isn't it a little risky?"

"They already know him," Mr. Rahman replied.

"Yes, but foreign agencies are not allowed to operate here, and you openly declaring to have asked for a Green Coat to protect Bee in front of Agent Wickfield, isn't that calling for more attention to yourselves?"

"The state department was given sufficient evidence regarding Agent Wickfield and her misuse of power around Salma to catch her targets," Mr. Rahman explained. "They were also provided with Burak's resume. He's no longer a Green Coat shadowing Salma, but a body guard, available for private hiring after the Green Coats stripped him."

Burak scoffed.

"I'm not stripped," he said, looking dejected.

"Yet." Mr. Rahman added, fixing him with a very pointed glare.

Agent Tufan said nothing, staring at the folder in front of him miserably. A silence settled. Putting two and two together, Salma concluded what was happening. Burak kaka was suspended till the inquiry was complete so, the Green Coats were not going to trust him with any new assignment, including shadowing Salma. However, Salma still needed to be actively guarded, especially now that the FBI had blatantly misused the information about her identity, and used her as a bait to lure out the X-RAW crooks. So, they had decided to put him out as red herring to prevent the FBI from pulling any such moves in the future. He would not be her shadow, but he would be there for show.

"What evidence did you give the State Department?" Salma asked, just to shift the attention away from her ex-shadow.

"Well, the embassy submitted your account, and your Aunt's, but we pulled a few strings within the FBI and promised them information and assistance, if they could submit a detailed report on the matter to the State Department," Mr. Rahman said.

"What assistance did you promise?" Zayn asked.

"We explained to them the disappearance of their agent Sam, last year," Burak Kaka replied.

"Agent Sam disappeared last year?" Salma frowned.

"Yes," Zayn confirmed, sitting rather straight, obviously surprised that the Green Coat knew about the matter. "Around this time last year, he totally went off radar while he was on a mission infiltrating the X-RAW. Alex worried he had been found and killed but surprisingly, he made it back alive."

"Wow," Salma muttered, turning to the two Green Coats.

"He was found," Burak kaka said. "and he narrowly missed being killed."

"What happened?" Salma and Zayn asked in unison, before Salma added uncertainly, "If it's alright for you to share with us?"

"I'll tell you because both of you have been equally exposed to all the dangers involved, so I want you both to be very vigilant," Mr. Rahman said. "What happened a few days ago, isn't as simple as Agent Wickfield using you as a bait. We've been fighting said fish from the shadows for over a year now. It was not just the FBI exposing you to Chris to catch him. Chris was hired to kill you."

"What?!" Salma and Zayn gasped in unison. Both sat in there stunned by the news. Zayn recovered first.

"How – Why?" he asked, flabbergasted.

"You see the party you actively fight – the X-RAW – and the party we actively fight – the Tor Guls – seemed to have come upon a common point of interest," Mr. Rahman explained. "Or maybe several points of interests, we don't know yet. But what we do know, is that both had agreed to hound my daughter; each in their own way and for their own goals."

"Chris started hunting Salma, and while that served as an opportunity for Agent Wickfield to lure him and his cronies out, someone else watching Salma and everything around her very closely saw an opportunity for himself, in the whole situation," Mr. Rahman continued. "Agent Wickfield followed the bread crumb Chris left in his wake in his pursuit of my daughter, and stationed Agent Sam to infiltrate their ring. At one point, while Agent Sam had helped Salma escape in a dark alley during the attack in the city center, Toryal saw him knocking the X-RAW men out and giving her a narrow escape."

"I remember that!" Salma cried out, recalling a man knocking Chris out just when he was about to strangle her to death. "So it was Agent Sam in the alley!"

As the string of events events resurfaced, Salma also recalled asking Alex about him some time later when she sneaked into her room, and the agent looking worried in response. So he had disappeared after all.

"It was him," Burak Kaka confirmed. "Shortly after that, he disappeared off the FBI radar."

"We started keeping a firmer eye on Chris after that attack and infiltrated his band with one of our own men," Mr. Rahman continued. "Very soon, we got intelligence that Toryal was already in touch with the X-RAW. Like a very good spy, he keeps track of all the agents and the threats tailing his targets from various agencies. He decided to meet Chris to strike a deal with him to kill Salma. He must have thought it would be a neat job, and no one would be able to trace it back to the Tor Guls. However, while he was there, he saw agent Sam serving undercover."

Salma felt goosebumps rising on her skin.

"He recognized him as the man who had helped Salma in the dark alley, earlier. Toryal figured Sam could prove to be a threat for him, whether or not the agent realizes that he was a Torgul. He feared Sam could potentially alert the FBI of his intention to hire Chris to kill Salma and that news could eventually reach the Green Coats. Toryal wanted to kill the agent but he could not do it without the X-RAW becoming his enemies who protect their own. Up until this point, the X-RAW took Sam as one of them. Sam, on the other hand, suspected Toryal has recognized him. He suspended all communication with the FBI, in the mean time, hoping not to leave Toryal with any evidence in case the Torgul outted him. This is when there was complete information black-out and the FBI had no clue if he was dead, or alive.

"Toryal would have succeeded in killing him, but Agent Wickfield let out some information to Salma about a missing agent and she tipped me off. Very soon, our undercover agent figured the missing agent was Agent Sam. To counter Toryal and his nexus with the X-RAW, the Green Goats tipped the X-RAW off through their undercover agents that Sam was FBI, and can be used as a bait to draw out the other FBI."

"You exposed him!" Salma cried in shock. She threw an uneasy glance towards Zayn to find him staring at her father wide-eyed.

"Yes," Mr. Rahman replied.

"But that could have killed him! Dad, how is it different –"

"Allow him to finish!" Burak Kaka added impatiently.

"We exposed him in a way that he could be saved," Mr. Rahman said. "Our agents suggested a plan to the X-RAW. The X-RAW were interested. They were told to protect the agent against Toryal and stage for agent Sam a window to escape. This way, they were told, the X-RAW could use Sam to lure out the other members of FBI that were tasked to hunt them down. This move was just like Agent Wickfield using you to lure them out. In fact, I would not be surprised if she decided to use the blueprints of our gameplan against them by tempting Chris with you. Meanwhile, we also informed Sam about it, so he could tip his superior and they can devise their counter against it. Also, the X-RAW were enticed with the idea that Chris - a liability - could be killed after he kills Salma. A win-win for all."

"Let me get this straight," Zayn said. "So the Green Coats suggested Sam would be used to lure the FBI out, and once sure how many and who they were, Chris would be used to kill Bee. And then Chris would be killed?"

"By the FBI, yes, to, you know, cover the tracks," Mr. Rahman confirmed.

"How's that a win-win for all?" Zayn asked. "Bee dies, so ya'll lose. And Chris dies, so the X-RAW lose. Why would they even agree to killing their own, when you just said they protected their own against Toryal."

"Salma was always protected," Burak Kaka said. "That was just a plan given to them to make them think their business with Toryal would still be good. Chris, on the other hand, would be killed and they did not care."

"Why not?"

"Because he was no longer one of them," Mr. Rahman explained. "Already exposed and known to the FBI, Chris was a liability. The X-RAW had, by this time, ex communicated him after the forest mess up. The FBI thought he's important because of a ring he wears, but he isn't a soldado oculta, as they think. That's just a ring he's gotten as souvenir from his dead father after his own brother killed him. And this is what we shared with the FBI, minus the Toryal bits of course, in return for them putting it all in a report submitted to the State Department. In this way, our case was strong and the State Department did not create much hurdle in us getting Burak approved as a body guard for you despite his Green Coat history."

Zayn let out a breath. Salma could tell he was just as mind blown by their tale, and the complicated, extremely risk-stricken manner in which the Green Coats operate, as she was, every time she heard them explain their operations to her.

"This sure is a lot to take in," he said slowly.

"I know," Salma said biting into her lip. "So much is coming back to me and now it makes sense. Alex always said Chris singling me out as a target, and targeting me so openly was uncharacteristic of the X-RAW. She said it was like someone had hired him to kill me."

"Turns out she was not wrong," Mr. Rahman replied grimly.

"She's a sharp one," Burak Kaka said, "which would have been a good thing, if she was not such a nuisance for me."

"You now have a new cover." Salma shrugged.

"Yeah," Burak Kaka replied glumly. "No more worrying about shaking her off now that she knows exactly what I'd be doing. It's kind of boring though. Dodging people is more exciting then purposely feeding them information."

"You better not be engaging in anymore exciting acitivities of dodging people, Tufan!" Mr. Rahman warned. "It won't end well for any of us."

"I know, I know."

***

"Anyways, I got to go now," Salma told Sarah as she typed a quick message to Zayn. She scrolled through their conversation.

Zayn: Where are you?

Salma: Sarah's dorm. I'm coming in a sec.

Salma: Are you in the campus yet?

Zayn: Alright, stay there. I'll come get you.

Salma: Okay.

"Is he leaving today?" Sarah asked.

"What – yeah!" Salma replied, pulling herself out of the conversation in the inbox. She picked up her bag. "The upcoming schedule will be tight for him. Doesn't look like he will be able to drop in for the next three months."

"That must hurt." Sarah made a face.

"Let's just hope that's the only thing that hurts," Salma sighed. She had just told Sarah about her three-tiered kidnapping, and both the girls agreed that with the way things were going, it was just a matter of time before Salma got herself, or one of her loved ones, in some serious trouble. Her prospects were looking extremely scary, especially now that she found out Toryal had been actively hiring guns to finish her off for over a year now.

"You made it this far," Sarah said. "It can't be without a reason. Unless your purpose is fulfilled, I see you miraculously living through it all."

"Thanks," Salma muttered dully. "I just hope the people around me live the same miracles."

She was not just worried about her family and friends, though those were obvious targets for being used as collateral, she was also worried about the people in the shadows that were fighting tooth and nail to keep her safe. People like Jason, and Sam and Burak Kaka and Spogmae, and the many other nameless individuals that she did not know about, and probably never will.

A knock on the door alerted her.

"It's Zayn," Salma said, getting to her feet. "I have to go."

"See you," Sarah said.

"Bye," Salma replied, opening the door. "Assalamo'Alaikom."

Sarah's reply to her salam faded in the background as Salma stepped out of her room to be faced by, not Zayn, but a totally unexpected person.

Salma's eyes swept over her serious face as she stood to one side of the door, with her a heavy suitcase next to her. Her eyes had regained some of its shine, and her cheeks were now tinted a fainted pink. Her heavy dark circles were now less pronounced and although her arm and shoulder were still in a cast, covered by the thick black leather jacket she was donning, she was making obvious signs of recovery. She had also cropped her hair, now a virgin brown, into a pixie style, messily pinned to one side by a cute, pink, bobby pin.

"Hello." Lena nodded grimly.

"Hi," Salma replied, a little uncertain of the girl's motive this time. One could never tell what went through her head, and how she was about to react.

Lena inhaled a breath.

"I'm shifting out," she said, grabbing the handle of her heavy case as it stood sturdy next to her. "I saw you go in earlier. Though I'd say goodbye."

The girl looked away uneasily, and Salma realized how awkward this small gesture of politeness was. They had always been at daggers drawn with each other. To actually knock on Sarah's door to say goodbye to Salma must have been weird.

"Shifting out, as in . . ?" Salma asked.

"I'm switching colleges." Lena shrugged.

"Oh," Salma said slowly, not sure what she felt. "Well, good luck in future. I hope you get everything you wished to achieve here."

"Do you?" Lena raised a brow.

Salma looked away, saying nothing. One thing she wished to achieve here was to get Zayn, or get him down. Whatever was her plan.

"Everything good that you wish for yourself, I hope you get that," Salma elaborated. "And more."

Lena stared at her for a while, her blue eyes going to and fro between Salma's. Then, one corner of her lips tugged up in a smile.

"Thanks," she said. "Perhaps I should wish you well too, but then again . . . I've already warned you, and you're still with him. So." She shrugged. "You're just asking for it, I suppose."

Salma swallowed, feeling her gut convulse with anxiety and anger alike. There was absolutely no need for her to project her apprehensions of Zayn on her.

"I'm willing to believe you are wrong," Salma returned tersely.

Lena nodded.

"We'll see," she said, then grabbed the handle of her suitcase and started pulling at it as she left. "Goodbye Salma."

Salma nodded once, just as the door to Lena's room opened and out came Charlayne struggling with her case and a duffle bag.

"Lee! A hand in here, please!"

Salma quickly stepped forward to grab the door for her.

"Thank you!" Charlayne said gratefully, as she pulled at her heavy suitcase. She balanced the duffle bag on top of the case to shrug into her dark fur jacket. She was dressed in a low-cut, very revealing leopard-printed dress and, her golden tresses were streaked with copper and green.

"Are you shifting out as well?" Salma asked, closing the door.

"Oh, yeah!" Charlayne said. "I thought real hard about it and I just realized I had to go too. There's no point in me staying here now that Lee's leaving."

Salma smiled.

"You're a good friend," she said. "But what of Claire?"

"Oh, we'll keep in touch," she replied, waving the question away. "I just felt Lee needed me more at this point in time – which reminds me, where's the key to the room, Lee?" She yelled after her friend who was already down the hall. "We have to return it to sign out!"

Lena paused and sighed.

"How's this me needing you when I'm still cleaning after you!" she complained. "I left it on the dresser!"

"Oh yeah!" Charlayne went inside again.

Salma saw someone round the corner in her periphery. She turned to said person to see Zayn walking up the corridor towards her. Salma watched him stiffening as he noticed Lena standing to one side with her luggage. The two eyed each other gravely, before Lena nodded her acknowledgement. Zayn nodded back. The silent exchange was over just as swiftly as Zayn passing her by. His face brightened when he saw Salma.

"I see you're out already!" he said with a grin.

"I thought I'd meet you halfway," Salma replied with a smile.

"Yeah? And how did Snob take that?"

Zayn took his hands out of his coat pockets and enveloped Salma in a hug. Feeling a little uneasy with Lena around, Salma threw a quick look over his shoulder but was grateful that she was not there to witness their moment.

"I found the key! I –"

Salma stepped away from Zayn and turned around to find a wide-eyed Charlayne staring at them. Salma saw her eyes zeroing on Zayn's arms that was still loosely draped around her.

"Oh," she quickly looked away. "Didn't realize you were here. Anyways, so where's Lee?"

"She just left," Salma replied, shrugging away from Zayn's arms. She pretended not to notice the scowl appearing on Zayn's face at that.

"Right, I better hurry!" Charlayne replied, quickly locking the door and pocketing the key. She turned around. "This is it, then I suppose! I'm leaving."

Salma opened her mouth to wish her luck only to have her words drown by Zayn's loud scoffed.

"Good –"

--riddance!" He rolled his eyes.

Salma and Charlayne both turned to him, shocked by his rudeness. Zayn turned away moodily. Salma gave him a disappointed look before turning back to Charlayne.

"Wish you all the best!" She smiled.

"Thanks," Charlayne replied, still scowling at Zayn, offended by his words. She started dragging her suitcase away, with her bag mounted on top of it. Salma waited till she was out of earshot.

"What was that?" she rounded on Zayn.

"I didn't realize I said it out loud," Zayn lied as he started walking too. "Come on." He reached for her shoulders.

"That is a horrible excuse," Salma said, allowing him to pull her closer. She suspected his cold behaviour with Charlayne had something to do with Salma shrugging away from him in her presence.

Zayn smiled faintly.

"Help me come up with a better one then," he said.

"No," Salma replied. "Get a better grip of your volume."

"Yes, M'Lady! I'll say it quietly next time," he joked.

"How about not saying stupid things like that at all?" Salma suggested.

Zayn laughed.

"Are you seriously going to push me away because 'people', and then lecture me on our last date for the next three months?" he asked.

Salma pressed her lips together. So he was upset about her pulling away from his embrace.

"I didn't mean to lecture you," she grumbled, "And I know the looks those girls give you so I --"

"Are you jealous?" Zayn asked, sounding annoyingly smug about the prospect.

"No!" Salma denied. "but I'm sympathetic to what they could not have, and I don't want them be more miserable and bitter and directing their anger at me."

"That's something," Zayn mocked an impressed look. "I mean it totally makes sense to disown me because you're sympathetic to the feeling of the girls you suspect to have an interest in me."

Salma sighed in defeat. Did he really get that out of her reply? That sparing them was more important to her than his feeling? Hurt as he was by her casual snub, Salma figured anything she said at this point, he would misunderstand.

"You're putting a very bad spin on it," she grumbled. "But I understand why you're upset and I'm sorry. It honestly wasn't my intention. I'm just not the kind of person to flaunt around what I'm especially proud of and treasure --"

"Hmm," Zayn hummed, cutting her mid-sentence. Salma glanced sideways to see him smiling faintly. "So I'm someone you're especially proud of, and treasure?"

Salma stiffened, struggling with her reply.

"I --"

Zayn's smile widened.

"Was that supposed to remain a secret?" he asked.

Salma looked away, feeling heat creep up her cheeks. She was not sure if she should risk upsetting him by denying his assumptions, or lower her guard and admit to actually treasuring him.

"I'm just saying," he said, desperately trying to keep a straight face. "If I pull that veil down, will I be faced by a tomato?"

Salma, whose cheeks were already flushed pink, turned even redder.

"No!" she denied, facing away from him, as if worried he would see through the cloth.

Laughing, Zayn drew her closer.

"Didn't I tell you, you're a horrible liar, Queen Tomato Bee?" he whispered.

Salma pulled away, feeling her ear tickle.

"Stop!" She cried, but ended up laughing despite her annoyance.

"Alright, alright!" Zayn chuckled just as they stepped out of the dormitory building.

Salma slipped an arm around him, giving him a gentle squeeze. Zayn smiled at that, both of them genuinely happy to be with each other, and be at peace. The sun was out and bright, and the glare of the snow blinded them temporarily.

"So, what are we doing besides losing my sight?" Salma asked.

"Umm, I don't know," Zayn replied as they started walking towards the café. "What do you think we should do?"

"How about coffee to set my brains going?"

"Coffee sounds good."

The two of them ended up doing nothing after their coffee, but order another coffee and try a new kind of desert, followed by another and another. The hour went by in a flash of five coffees and several pieces of cakes and brownies. Zayn left and Salma did not see him for another three months. However, they kept in touch. More messages, voice notes and calls were exchanged between Salma and Zayn, then Salma had ever exchanged with everyone else combined. The snow melted, and cold blizzards gave way to warmer breeze of springs. In their three months apart, they grew a lot closer. There was no trouble from the FBI, or the X-RAW, or the Tor Guls. It was a fresh breath of peace after months of months of madness. Their life was slowly taking a turn for the better.

Or so they thought.

Author's Note:

So normalcy seems to have returned for Salma. Do you think Salma was right to disregard Lena?😬

Also, with all the games the Green Coats are playing, could they have one ready for Zayn in case Lena is right? Or will they really be shocked clueless if he double crosses? What do y'all think? 🤔

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J.