Lisa's POV
The walls of the safe house felt like they were closing in on me. Noha had said we were staying here for now, but the unease in the air was palpable. Every creak of the old house, every shadow that flickered past the windows, made me jump.
I couldn't sleep, couldn't settle. Not with everything that had happened.
I sat on the edge of the couch, staring at the floor, my mind racing with thoughts of Noha, the mafia, and the chaos that seemed to follow us wherever we went. My thoughts kept returning to the same question: How did we get here?
I had never imagined my life would end up like this. I had always been so careful, so sheltered from the dark world that Noha was part of. But now, I was in the thick of it.
And I wasn't sure I could handle it.
Noha's POV
I stood by the window, watching the shadows outside. The night had fallen heavy, and the house felt like it was holding its breath.
I had been avoiding Lisa's gaze all night. I knew she could feel the tension, could sense the unease in the air. But I couldn't bring myself to talk about it.
Not yet.
She was too important to me, and the last thing I wanted was to drag her further into the mess I had made of my life.
But the reality was, I was in this mess. And so was she.
I turned, glancing at her sitting on the couch. She looked lost in thought, her body tense, her eyes distant. I knew she was struggling. She always tried to be strong, but I could see the cracks in her facade.
I couldn't keep pretending everything was fine. Not anymore.
Lisa's POV
I heard the soft sound of footsteps approaching, and before I could look up, Noha was standing in front of me. His eyes were darker than usual, his jaw clenched tight, but there was something softer in his gaze. Something I hadn't seen in a long time.
I tried to smile, but it felt weak. "Hey."
Noha didn't respond right away. He just looked at me, his eyes tracing my face as if trying to read my thoughts.
I could feel the weight of his gaze, the intensity of it, and it made me feel exposed, vulnerable.
"How are you?" he asked quietly.
It was a simple question, but it felt loaded with so much more.
"I'm... okay," I said, but my voice faltered. "I guess."
Noha sat down next to me, his shoulder brushing mine. I could feel the heat radiating from his body, but there was still a distance between us, an invisible wall that neither of us had been able to break down.
"I'm sorry," he said, his voice rough. "For everything. For bringing you into this."
I turned to look at him, my eyes widening in surprise. Noha never apologized. He never showed weakness, never admitted fault. But now, as he sat next to me, his posture tense, I could see it.
The guilt was eating him alive.
"Noha," I whispered, reaching out to place my hand on his. "You don't have to apologize. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."
He didn't respond at first. But then, his hand covered mine, squeezing gently, like he was trying to reassure both of us.
"I never wanted you to see this side of me," he said softly. "I never wanted you to be involved in all this mess."
I squeezed his hand back. "I'm already involved. You can't protect me from this anymore. But I'm not afraid of you. Or them."
Noha finally looked at me, his eyes softening for a moment before the familiar mask of indifference slid back into place.
"I should have kept you safe," he muttered. "But I failed you."
"You didn't fail me," I said firmly, though I could feel the fear creeping back in. "We'll figure this out together."
For a moment, there was silence. And then Noha spoke again, his voice quieter, almost like a whisper. "I don't know how much longer we can keep running from this, Lisa."
Noha's POV
I couldn't keep running. I couldn't keep hiding her away in a safe house, pretending like everything was okay. The truth was, the more time we spent here, the more vulnerable we became.
Every minute spent in this house felt like a countdown to the inevitable.
The moment I realized I had fallen for Lisa, I knew I had already made her a target. The mafia was not a place for love. It was a place for power, for violence, for control.
And yet, here I was, tangled in a web of emotions I had no idea how to navigate.
Lisa's POV
I could see the struggle in Noha's eyes. I could feel the weight of everything he was carrying, the burden of his past and the future that loomed ahead of us.
But I wasn't going to let him shoulder it alone.
"I don't care about the mafia," I said, my voice strong despite the trembling fear inside me. "I care about you, Noha. I care about us. And I'm not going to run. Not now."
He didn't answer right away, but I could feel the shift in the air. A quiet understanding passed between us, a silent agreement that no matter what, we would face this together.
For better or for worse.
Noha's POV
I looked at Lisa, her words striking a chord deep inside me. She didn't care about the mafia, didn't care about the bloodshed and the danger that followed me everywhere. She cared about me.
And for the first time in years, I allowed myself to believe that maybe, just maybe, that was enough.
The noise outside had died down, but I knew we weren't safe yet. The storm was coming.
But with Lisa by my side, I felt like I could face anything.
Lisa's POV
As Noha stood up, I followed him, my heart pounding in my chest. There was something in his eyes—a determination, a resolve—that I hadn't seen before. It was like he had made a decision, and now, we were going to face whatever came next head-on.
"I'm not afraid of them," I said again, my voice steady. "We can beat this. Together."
Noha turned to look at me, his expression softening for just a moment before he nodded.
"We will," he said. "Together."