"Who's the pretty lady?" teased Kyle as they approached a surprised Rayan. 

His gaze immediately fell on Naira, curious specks of green staring at her as if expecting a reaction. Though she felt envy boil her blood, she had no intentions of letting it known. The only problem was, she was glaring at the hand that still gripped Rayan's bicep. 

He followed the path of her eyes, a ghost of a smile on his lips as he gently removed her hand. "This is my co-star from the new series I'm acting in. You know, the one about Ancient Egypt," he explained before chuckling to himself. "I suppose I should let you introduce yourself."

She slapped his chest playfully, causing another stab of pain to shoot through Naira. "Damn right," the mysterious woman smiled, showcasing a set of pearly whites. 

Naira wasn't the jealous type. Hell, she wasn't the boy band type either, yet here she was feeling the vines of envy wrap around her in a fiery of green, tightening its hold the more she watched the adoration in the girl's dark, cat-like brown eyes. They were hooded in a secret promise, a beguiling beauty tempting all in her presence. She mastered the aura of confidence and demanded the room's attention. 

Even in a midst of fury, Naira was impressed by the way this woman carried herself. She held her head held high, ignored the icy roots of envy, and spoke in a velvet tone. No wonder she's an award-winning actress, she thought. This woman could run circles around my achievements. 

As much as Naira hated to admit it, this was the type of woman Rayan was expected to be with. 

It was like there were a thousand reasons for her to run away from the love she felt, reasons that whispered doubts and insecurities back at Naira. His fans could never accept her as a love interest, nor would they let her off for falling in love with their idol. 

Her thoughts were broken by the bubbling conversation. However, Naira was half tuned out. She faintly heard the woman introduce herself as 'Rosalie' or 'Rose' for short. Her mind was still muddled with uncertainty, with a broken symphony.

He once told her that she was the song he never wanted to stop hearing, yet he didn't realize the sharp pause of their union. She knew she should distance herself, knew she should push him away, but she didn't have the strength to. 

Naira wanted to be with Rayan. 

A husky voice whispered like a breeze against her hijab. "What's got your pretty mind working so hard?"

"Haven't you heard of personal space?" she hissed, moving a step back and fiercely glaring at him. She gave a sideways glance at Rosalie and Kyle, who were joined by Wesley in idle conversation about the new series. "Nothing's on my mind." 

Rayan came into her line of sight again, blocking her view of the others as if he were caging her to his side. "Are you by any chance jealous?" he grinned. 

Heat crept up the back of her neck, a rosy amber tinting the gold of her cheeks. "N-No."

His cheeky grin only widened. The damned bastard was enjoying it. "You are," he beamed before a softness entered his gaze. "If you don't like other woman touching me, I'll put boundaries."

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You do realize that you're an actor, and that's a crazy preposition to make," she stated. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Rayan gave her a flirty smile, flashing his beaming teeth and glowing eyes of sea-green. An ocean's reflection mingled with the verdant life that came with his vibrant presence. He always found a way to make her a blushing rose or a spluttering mess. No matter the distance she put, he came running back. 

Not even her cold demeanor could hinder the flames of their attraction. 

He released a deep chuckle that strummed her heartstrings like the way he played guitar. "How can I be okay with a woman like you in my life?" he asked in a low voice such that only she could hear. "A woman that's so stubborn that she makes my head hurt and so beautiful that I aimlessly think about her when I shouldn't. Can any man be okay when this is how the cards are dealt?"

Her heart clutched within her chest, pain stabbing the memory of what his fans once said about her. "We can't..." she trailed off, averting her gaze. "You know the industry would hate us. Not to mention both of our careers. It'd be better for us to move on, Rayan."

"I'm not moving on," he swore. "Not even destiny is going to keep us apart. I won't let it." 

She shook her head with a smile. "Then you don't know how destiny works." 

"Just give me some more time."

"Time?" she asked, raising a brow. "What is time going to do for you except make you late?"

He narrowed his eyes at her slight insult. "I'm going to let you get away with that today," he mused. "But, no. Give me the time to prove to you that we can work, that a future between the two of us is a heartbeat away. We belong together, Naira, and I'm going to make you see it." 

It was wishful thinking, but she had to give him credit. "How?" 

"I can't tell an ice queen like yourself how I'm going to woo you," he chuckled. "I'd get rejected instantly."

Naira crossed her arms, not liking his little label of her. 

Rayan wasn't surprised by her reaction, laughing even more when her frown deepened. Even when she tried to push him far away, he came running back to her, honey words and rainy eyes brewing the storm within her, a conflict of love and war. 

He reached out towards her as if to cup her cheek, but Naira flinched, taking a step back. She saw the hurt written across his visage, the disappointment in his gaze and his smile faltered. Sure, Naira was developing strong feelings for a popstar, but she wasn't compromising her faith for love. 

Allah came before all else. No matter who it was. A part of her yearned to run into his strong arms, to be enamored by his presence, and lose herself in the fantasy. However, Naira knew better than that. Her religion taught her self-control, and she honored it by resisting her temptations. 

Rayan scratched the back of his neck nervously, sighing. "So, how about I buy you coffee instead?" he asked, daring a glance at her.

She breathed a sigh of relief. "Sounds like a good plan. Are you buying for everyone?"

"Hell no," he denied, eyeing his friends as they continued small talk with his co-star. "We better go before they try to come with us."

Naira raised her brow, amused. "You don't want to treat your friends out to coffee?"

"If I did that, how would I get alone time with you?" he winked. 

"Just get me coffee."

"Your wish is my command." 

His words shouldn't have sparked a flame in her, but they did. A wild flame, one that refused to be tamed, one that was full of chaos.

The more she denied it, the more it grew. Her desires were getting the best of her, and if Naira wasn't careful, they would consume her.

----

Finals took me out. Semester was brutal and now I'm ready to be sleeping beauty.

Except no prince to wake me because I want to sleeeep.

Rayan is such a flirt, but I love him. Do you think Naira will let her desires get the best of her?

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