AsYa SS-The Distance Between Us- CHPT. 9&10 on pg.53 01/4/14 - Page 10

PRESENT

"Have you found him?" Asad asked his head security man. The man shook his head and Asad sighed. He had ruined his new relationship with Zoya and now the man who was the cause of Asad's rash reasoning had disappeared. Not for long if he had his say. The man would be found, he had no doubts on the capabilities of his men but knowing Zoya probably now hated him hurt like nothing else he'd ever experienced. Now that he'd had time to mull over it, he'd overreacted and made too much of a rash decision to get Zoya home where he could see her and know she was right there. That he wouldn't have to worry about her being so far away from him.

He sighed heavily and thought about how her voice broke while she told him she wasn't coming back and that more than their relationship breaking, he'd probably broken her too. He wanted to call her. He wanted to explain, do something to set things right but his pride wouldn't allow him to do so. But did his ego and pride matter more than losing the woman he cared so deeply for?

FLASHBACK

Five Weeks earlier...

Not even a month had past and Asad couldn't bring himself to stay away any longer so he'd booked himself a flight and decided to surprise her. Their relationship was new and there was always that doubt in his mind that she'd run away from this relationship. It had taken a lot of persistence to have her give him a real chance that he couldn't stand the thought of time apart breaking what was so new ... so fragile...

"What are you doing?" He asked her on the phone. He was standing outside her rented apartment for the allotted stay and he hoped she'd be happy to see him. "I'm just getting ready to go to bed." He could hear her moving around the apartment and he then asked, "It is a nice night tonight isn't it?" She was quiet for a moment and then she said, "How do you know? Shouldn't you be asleep?" She sounded confused and he smiled. "Look outside your window."

He looked up and saw her leaning out her window. "Y-You're here." He heard her still over the phone. He saw her close the window and then heard the buzzer for the door and he entered making his way up to her apartment. When she opened the door, he took a minute just to relish in the relief of seeing her after three weeks and the time away hadn't changed anything that he felt about her and he hoped that had been the same for her too.

When she threw herself into his arms hugging him tightly, he knew everything was alright. He hugged her back while backing her back into her apartment, closing the door behind him. He lifted her away and clutched her face between his palms, "I missed you." A huge smile spread on her face and her beautiful doe eyes softened, "I missed you too."

PRESENT

Zoya sat at her small desk in her apartment in Australia, looking through her emails and she wouldn't admit it but she was at least hoping to see one from him. But there wasn't anything...no email, no phone calls...nothing...it was well and truly over and she knew she had to start accepting it and move on. She couldn't pretend to be sick anymore. She had to do the job she came here to do otherwise what she had just lost would've been for nothing at all.

She heard her email ping and her heart flipped but then the smile that had been forming on her face died. It was an email from Mark. She sighed but opened it anyway.

Hey Zoya,

I heard about your leading role. Congratulations. I know I'm two months too late but you deserve it. I know you'll do great! Oh and thank that boyfriend of yours for me. I haven't been able to contact him since. Anyway, take care and I'll make sure I'm front row when your show opens.

Mark.

What had Asad done for Mark? He hadn't told her anything about that. She scrunched her brows and figured it didn't matter much now anyway. She would probably never speak with him again so it didn't matter.

Unintentionally, he mind flashed back to the day Asad surprised her a couple weeks ago. She'd been so happy then, now she couldn't shake the numbness. The feelings of despair. She never thought she'd care so much for him...so quickly but...he'd pushed himself into her life and then broken his way out of it just as quickly and he'd left her a mess in the aftermath of it all...

FLASHBACK

"This is the best surprise ever." Zoya said as they both sat down on her two-seater couch in the living room. Asad pulled her in close and tucked her under his arm, her head on his chest. "How long are you here for?" She asked snuggling in closer.

"Just tonight . . . I have a flight tomorrow evening. Meetings that I can't miss." He kissed the top of her head.

"That's okay. I'm just glad you're here." She said, her voice muffled in his shirt. As they sat there in perfect companionable silence, Zoya realized something and she bolted up and blurted, "There's only one bedroom."

Asad busted out laughing at her stricken expression and the way she'd just blurted out her thoughts without thinking. While she was miffed he was laughing at her, she marveled at his carefree laughter and she didn't think she'd ever seen him this free. He was always so intense and focused. She'd never seen his laugh so hard or much at all... and that god darn dimple in his right cheek. She just wanted to poke her finger into it or kiss it. Either was a great idea. So she did.

She leaned in close and kissed him right on that sexy dimple. And just like that his laughter died and that intensity she'd become so accustomed to was back. He lifted his hand brushing the hair from out of his eyes and started at her with intense focus and leaned forward. She closed her eyes as he got closer and then she felt his lips on her left cheek right where her dimple was and she smiled, bringing that dimple into prominence.

She opened her eyes slowly and looked up at him from beneath her long lashes and she saw the small smile playing on his lips and he leaned in closer. She mirrored his movements moving backwards until she yelped as her back hit the cushion and he was looming over her. She closed her eyes her breathing getting heavy as she felt the presence of his big body over hers and she swore her heart was beating its way out of her chest... "Asad..." she whispered, her breath coming out in pants, she unconsciously wet her lips letting her eyes slide open just the tiniest bit and saw his lips closing in on hers.

She twisted away and sprang up from beneath him, but he caught her wrist. Her eyes slid closed as her chest rose and fell with her labored breaths. She could hear him get up and feel the heat of his body close in on her. He pushed her hair to the side, and pressed a small kiss to her nape. She gasped... "I've really missed you." Zoya's heart lurched at his husky voice at her ear and she gripped the arms that wrapped around her tightly holding her to him. "Me too." She whispered. "Me too..."

PRESENT

Zoya found herself smiling and pining for those moments again. She'd been so happy that day but something changed after that night. She didn't know what. He had acted different before he left for his flight the next day. He wasn't cold to her or indifferent but something had changed and she could tell...she saw it in the way he spoke and just the way he was. It had been nothing like the night before. He hadn't acted like the man he'd been the night before. But she didn't push or question him. She had let it be but now she was thinking she should've asked because now everything was destroyed...

Precap:

"I know what you said. I was there on the other line. Don't talk down to me." Zoya said angrily.

"You said come home or it's over right?" She pushed at his chest her anger rising with every word he said. "Well...it's over. I think you know where the door is." She snapped and turned around and walked away back to her practice and away from the hurt and pain of seeing him again after everything had caused.

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