Aliya

Ali jumped when she heard a knock on the door.
“Who…?” She sure wasn’t expecting anyone. After quickly saving the document she was working on, she went to the door. What she saw when she opened it was both pleasant, and a little surprising.
“Nice Pyjamas” The voice was soft, and at the same time, completely and utterly male. Damn. Thank God I put some make up on this morning! She could not allow Jason of all people to see the evidence of her sleepless nights, among other things.
“Yeah thanks. What are you doing here?” She had been trying so hard to avoid this particular man for weeks. He just wouldn’t go away. Although, now that he was standing in front of her, she wasn’t sure she wanted him to go away anymore.
“Can’t I tell you that inside? I’m getting bloody soaked here Ali!”
“Shoot, sorry. Yeah, come in. I take it you want a cuppa?”
“Always” No. Ali told herself. She hadn’t heard any sort of double entendre in that single word. Dream on sunshine.

Jason went automatically to the living room and settled himself on the sofa. He noticed Aliya’s dining table was littered with papers surrounding her laptop. Damn. She really was studying. He had been getting more and more annoyed at Aliya’s constant brush offs. It wasn’t like her to ignore him. They had been best friends since college, when he had moved over to Manchester from California at eighteen. They had bumped into each other – literally - in a bar in the city. Aliya had been carrying a huge stack of papers and files which had been sent flying into the air when she had all but crashed into him. She immediately went to the floor muttering apologies and began picking up the papers. At the sound of a low laugh from somewhere behind him, Jason saw that Aliya stilled and a primal protectiveness rose in him so quickly that he nearly missed way a big hand curled around Aliya’s wrist. Nearly. There was no concern in that hold, only mocking amusement. Looking up, he had come face to face with Aliya’s boyfriend of the time, and her now husband. He instantly disliked the man, seeing straight through the façade he obviously wore in public. Aliya had looked so determined before her papers had tumbled to the floor. A fire in her eyes that spoke of ambition and passion. He had made the decision there and then that he would get to know this young woman.
“Here” Aliya’s sweet voice brought him out of his memories, and as he looked up he could see the small crease between her eyebrows, the shadows in her eyes. He knew she was unhappy. That was why he’d come. Although he could never tell her that. She wasn’t his to protect. She’d made her choice five years ago when she married that beast.
“What’s up with you? You look more stressed than me!” He knew she was trying to make light of her suffering. So proud. She never showed anyone that she was struggling with anything. Except him. Before she had married, she had always turned to him for advice, comfort, and he to her. But since then…
“I was worried about you Ali. You stopped texting me back”
“Don’t be silly. I told you I was studying. I’m on a roll with this assignment.” She handed Jason his cup of tea and set the plate of homemade biscuits between them on the sofa. Jason’s lounging position left almost no room for her, as always. “If you don’t shift your ass, these biscuits will end up on the floor, and then you’ll be sorry” That got her a little smile. And oh what a sight it was. A smile from Jason never failed to stop her heart. From the moment they had met in the bar all those years ago, she had loved that smile. They had become fast friends through college, although Jason had made his dislike of Mark quite clear. Oh he’d been there for her when she married Mark, though the animosity between the two men was unmistakeable. He had supported her through her pregnancy, and was as good as an uncle to Callum, for which she was eternally grateful. Callum needed a good male role model in his life. Mark was definitely… struggling… in that area. But it was ok. She’d help him get there eventually.
“You sure you’re ok?” She could tell that he knew she wasn’t telling him everything, but how could she tell him what had happened? How could she admit that despite her greatest efforts, she had ended up in a relationship where she wasn’t loved? She hadn’t even confided in her mother. She certainly wasn’t going to tell the man towards whom she felt a desperate pull. No. She shouldn’t think like that. Mark was a good man. He didn’t mean the things he said.
With a determined “I’m fine. Just tired. You know when I get my head into study mode I forget to sleep” she attempted once more to lighten the conversation. Thankfully, Jason seemed to take the hint.
“Yeah, although you looked like you just crawled out of bed. What is it with you and studying in your Pjs, huh?” She looked so sexy it was hard not to throw the damn biscuits between them to the floor and kiss her until she melted for him right there on the sofa. Pink stripy pants, a hoodie that he’d given her as a birthday present a few years ago, and her hair scraped back into a messy ponytail, he had to fight to maintain his self control. She’s not yours. You missed your chance. And Aliya was not the kind of woman who broke a vow. And he was not the kind of man who broke up a family. He was too experienced in the pain it caused kids when families broke up.
“You know me. I like to be comfy”
“Yeah, I remember” They had spent many an evening together in college, when Mark had left her to go out with his friends, never involving her in anything he did. His refusal to bring her into his circle of friends had hurt at first, but she’d gradually accepted that Mark’s friends were his own, and she had Jason. He had always come round with a hot chocolate from her favourite coffee shop, and a couple of new books for her to read. She had loved every single one. She would always be in her scruffs, and he would always be dressed so casual and sexily that it she was almost always frustrated. But they would talk long into the night about everything and nothing. And it was simply… wonderful. She thought. As easy as breathing.“So where’s mini monster man? At your Mum’s?” At the mention of her son, Aliya seemed to relax without conscious thought. She nodded as she took a sip of her tea.  That’s better. He thought. Aliya smiled the first real smile he’d seen on her face in what felt like forever. He hated that she never really smiled anymore. Not really. Oh she smiled, but other people didn’t seem to notice that her eyes were still full of shadows. Except when she thought about Callum. Jason was glad she had Callum. He was growing up to be a smart kid, and at least Callum could make his mother smile. It was a kick to Jason’s gut that it couldn’t be him to do it. He would have made her smile every day.
“You happy Ali?” It came out much huskier than he had intended. His mind still running over all the ways he could make her happy if she had chosen him and not the snake of a man who never made her smile.
“Yes.” Aliya replied, a little too quickly. She held Jason’s gaze, aware that if she looked away he wouldn’t believe her and would keep pushing. She couldn’t bear the thought of Jason pitying her. She didn’t like the thought of anyone pitying her, but Jason’s pity would be far worse. She wanted to be strong, like her mother. And even if she didn’t feel strong anymore, she wouldn’t let anyone see that. Especially not Jason. He didn’t look convinced, but rather than push her, he moved the conversation down a less serious path, filling her in on all the gossip she had missed while she had been in her ‘study bubble’ as he called it.

***

Aliya jerked awake in the early hours of the morning. She knew the dream had been brought on by Jason’s visit, and for a split second felt unadulterated rage that he had broken through her defences so easily. Then, as she shook her head, she reminded herself that the dream was purely down to her own weakness. The fear that was a constant drone in the background of her dreams had intensified tonight as she had felt Mark’s fingers curl around her throat. “Stupid woman. Mark wouldn’t do that” Bit he’d shown her two weeks ago just what he was capable of. The bruise had just about faded. Her make up hid it completely now. She could almost hear her mother whispering in her head “Get out Ali. Before he does worse” But her Mark wouldn’t do it again. He had been drunk, and she had been down in the dumps, having just sent Callum off to spend the summer with her parents. He loved spending time down south with Nanny and Gramps. Especially now that they had developed their land into an outdoor pursuits centre. He would have a wonderful time, so she would never begrudge him spending time down there, but she had been thinking about how much she would miss him when Mark had come home from a night on the town. In a drunken outrage that she had not been naked in bed waiting for him as a dutiful wife should be, he had pinned her against the wall and struck her. He had almost immediately collapsed on the bed. Ali had slept on the sofa that night. Too scared to face Mark in case he woke in the same foul mood. She had been woken to the sound of the front door closing. Mark had left her a not on the bed saying that he was sorry and had been called onto a job that would mean he would be away for the next three months. Great. She had thought. Not only was Callum away for the next six weeks, but she now had the next twelve weeks to stew in a mix of hurt and worry about how he would return. And if he would return at all. She was well aware that she was no stunner, and Mark’s job being that of a (?) meant he would be in constant contact with rich and beautiful women. All of which were no match for her. What would she do if he never came back? How would she support herself and Callum? Mark earned enough money that she had been able to become a stay at home mum when Callum was born. She had wanted to go back to work eventually, but Mark had persuaded her that it was best if she stayed at home and took care of Callum, and him.
Realizing that there was no way she would get back to sleep now, Ali decided she might as well start her day. She wandered into the bathroom and turned on the shower to boiling. Maybe the heat of the water could burn away some of the apprehension she felt towards Marks return.
***


Jason didn’t sleep a wink that night. He knew Aliya was hiding something from him. And he had a sickening feeling he knew what it was. Mark had hurt her. He had gathered from snippets of their conversation earlier that he had been called away on business a couple of weeks ago, and would be gone for at least the next three months. Maybe longer. That was about the same time she had told him she was in ‘study mode’ and tried ignoring him. She wouldn’t be making that mistake again. He could not allow her to withdraw so completely into herself again. He could tell she had lost weight in the last two weeks, and the shadows under her eyes were all the proof he needed that she had not been sleeping well. She had been growing more and more distant over the past few months, and the fact that she had actually asked him to leave her alone for that last fortnight caused him a pain so sharp it felt like a knife in his heart. Dammit. He wasn’t supposed to bee feeling like this. She was married with a kid for God’s sake. She might not look happy to him but what the hell could he do about it? If he pushed her, tried to force her to see that she made the wrong choice five years ago, she would clam up and he wouldn’t get anywhere. Ali was the reason the word stubborn was created. If she decided she didn’t want to tell him something she damn well wouldn’t. Great. A sudden thought occurred to him at that moment. She wouldn’t be pushed, but maybe she could be gentled… Coaxed into trusting him with whatever it was that was causing her such pain that she felt she had to hide it from the world. And he had three months… Decision made.

***