Istikharah Love Jibril Emerson

Chapter #26 - Remembered Back!

"Where's the kid?" muttering Ruby while glancing at her watch, she and Shalwa had been waiting for Eliza since 15 minutes ago. However, Eliza did not reveal the trunk of her nose.

"Maybe it's still on the road" Shalwa said. "Do I need a phone? I'm worried about Eliza, too" he added.

"Let me call" Ruby said. He had already taken a cell phone and was about to contact Eliza but suddenly Eliza had appeared which made the two women breathe a sigh of relief.

"Tumben you're late, El," Ruby said. Eliza did not respond. Eliza's gaze was precisely on Shalwa who was currently throwing a gentle smile as usual.

"I want to ask you something" Eliza said without further ado. He pulls out his phone and shows Shalwa a wedding invitation photo that makes Shalwa go awry.

"El, you .. where did this invitation come from?" ask Shalwa.

"Jibril's friend's account posted this," Eliza replied. "What is the name of this invitation, your name, Shalwa Az-Zahwa?" eliza asked in a choked voice that made Shalwa look wrong.

"You're Jibril's future wife, Shalwa?" eliza's two eyes glazed over as she asked the question, while Ruby who did not understand what her best friend was talking about could only gawk in confusion.

"Eliza, actually—"

"Why are you lying to me?"

"I just don't want any awkwardness between us, Eliza." Eliza's forehead is a little wrinkled to hear Shalwa's nonsensical answer. "The reason my marriage and Jibril caused our family to struggle, our family relationship used to be close but now everything has changed" Shalwa said.

"So I ruined your marriage? I'm the woman who hurt you?" lirih Eliza with a deep frown.

"I didn't know at first, El. I just found out when Ruby's birthday, I was surprised too," Shalwa said in a soft voice.

"Why aren't you angry with me? I broke your heart."

"You're not wrong about this, there's nothing wrong. It's just ...." Shalwa breathed a heavy sigh.

Shalwa warns Jibril not to tell Eliza the truth about their past, but Shalwa cannot lie when asked that question by Eliza. Moreover, Eliza's gaze was so innocent, Eliza was like a child who would ask without hesitation, without further ado and definitely expect an actual answer.

"Yes," Shalwa answered softly which immediately made Ruby stunned. "Geez!"

"I don't think about why you're not being honest with me" Eliza said later.

"I told you, El. I just don't want our friendship broken because it turns out .. we love the same guy." Shalwa bowed lethargic, as did Eliza.

They had wanted to meet to comfort the troubled Eliza. However, this meeting actually makes Eliza's mood even more unusual because even Shalwa was involved now.

"But in the end I know, right? If only you'd told me from the beginning—"

"If I tell you from the beginning what, El? I'm also confused how to tell you, let alone you have trauma—" Shalwa said as she suddenly stood up, she looked at Shalawa with an unusual gaze, as if he did not like Shalwa to carry his trauma.

"I don't need to be pitied, Shalwa!" hiss Eliza then rushed away from the place. Ruby and Shalwa go after Eliza who is walking quickly to her car.

"Eliza?" call Shalwa but Eliza refuses to turn her head. He does not understand what his feelings are now like, is it disappointed or even moved because Shalwa is so guarding his feelings? But on the other hand he also felt guilty because it turned out that he was the cause of a woman's wounds so good.

"Eliza, are you angry?" shalwa asks who managed to catch up to Eliza.

"I'm not angry" Eliza replied later. "Only I feel guilty, why did Jibril have to cancel his marriage with you just because ...." Eliza was silent, she remembered what Shalwa had said at the time.

"My husband-to-be confessed to loving another woman two days before our wedding, so our marriage was off."

"Did Gabriel really love me? Did he admit that?" eliza's question was full of emphasis.

Shalwa was silent for a moment, she looked into Eliza's eyes looking impatiently waiting for her answer. Until finally Shalwa nodded slowly which made Eliza immediately let out a long sigh. On the one hand he is happy if Jibril really loves him and admits it in front of his family. However, on the other hand he also cannot be happy above the suffering of others.

"He confessed his love to you in front of his family and my family, but ..." Shalwa took a deep breath. "El, you're different. His family won't allow it so will your family."

...🦋...