“Laila? You okay?”
She blinked and focused on Zarif’s handsome face. He looked concerned.
“It looks like all the blood just dropped out of your head,” he said, standing.
She realized she gripped tightly at the corner of the table.
“No, I’m fine,” she mumbled. She gave Tahi a wild glance. “Do you want to take a little walk?”
“Sure,” Tahi said, setting down her tea abruptly and standing. They headed for the beach.
“What’s with those girls?” Laila heard Zarif say through the screen door.
“It’s Mamma Sophia,” Laila’s mother said with a sigh. “You have no idea how much Laila has been worried about her.”
Laila strained to overhear more, but Tahi was pulling her across the terrace. She heard Zarif say something about Zara before the sound of the surf silenced the conversation.
“What are you going to do?” Tahi asked her tensely once they put some distance between themselves and the cottages.
Laila stared out at the white sand and the shimmering periwinkle-blue water, seeing nothing but Asher’s face.
“I don’t know,” she said. She’d never been so scared.
Chapter Sixteen
At eleven forty-five that night, Laila rose from her bed. She silently and methodically stuffed some pillows beneath the bedclothes to make it look like she was still in the bed. For several seconds, she lingered by the side of Mamma Sophia’s sleeping form, assuring herself that her grandmother was breathing and peaceful.
Then she snuck out of the room.
Her heart pounded faster tonight than any time when she’d escaped from the sleeping porch. There was a good chance her parents would hear her tread in the hallway. One misplaced step on a squeaky floorboard would betray her. What she was doing tonight was a far greater risk than she’d ever taken before. She didn’t dare to even breathe until she’d made it through the house. When she finally made it out the door and down the terrace steps, she felt dizzy. She paused, bending over and gasping for air.
A moment later, she raced up the white, moonlit dune toward the road. Toward Asher. They’d agreed by text to meet. Three quarters of the way up the dune, she paused and glanced backward at the cottages. A light in the communal parking area told her that Zara’s car was missing.
She’s with Eric.
Both she and her cousin were rebels tonight.
Her cousin Zarif’s car was missing too. Had he decided to go back to Detroit?
“Laila.”
Asher’s hushed call jerked her out of her thoughts. She resumed jogging up the dune.
It felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest by the time she reached the summit of the dune and the road. It gave another leap when she saw his tall form leave the shadows and step into the moonlight. He wore jeans and a dark-colored T-shirt that showed off his cut, muscular torso. A shiver passed through her when she saw his lean, hungry expression as he stared at her. For the past several days and nights, she’d been so chaotic emotionally, so scattered, so uncertain about what she should do . . . about what was right, about what was true for her.
But in that moment, Asher struck her as almost savage in his focus. He had enough single-minded intent for both of them . . . for a thousand people.
For a few seconds, she just stood there, panting, a little in awe of him. He came toward her and reached out with one hand, caressing her cheek. He cupped her shoulder and leaned down, capturing her mouth in a quick, blistering kiss.
“Let’s go,” he breathed next to her mouth, nodding toward his parked roadster.
She just followed him, made speechless by the heat of his kiss.
• • •
Asher could hear explosions and gunfire emanating from the television set in the family room when they entered the beach house. Rudy and Jimmy were watching a movie. Chances were, they hadn’t even heard Asher leave to pick up Laila, let alone realized he was returning. He led Laila up the stairs to his bedroom. They’d barely spoken since they’d met up on the dune road. A strained silence had reigned between them. She’d texted him about her mother’s proclamation that they were leaving in the morning for Detroit. He’d sensed her panic. He’d insisted that they meet tonight, and she’d agreed. But he still had no idea what she was thinking about the fact that her parents expected her to leave tomorrow. He was scared to ask her.
But he would.