Novels by Abdulkareem Salma

Lucas drained the glass in one gulp. He lurched to his feet, an urgent need to leave clawing at him, but the room tilted violently. A wave of nausea washed over him, and he stumbled, his shoulder colliding with the edge of a table. The world swam before his eyes, a blurry, disorienting mess. "Are you okay?" Sophia's voice, laced with seductive amusement, sliced through the fog in his brain. He pressed his hands to his throbbing temples. "My head is spinning. What did you give me?" Sophia's hand, moving in and upward caressing his shoulders and giving him kisses on the necks, pushed him down onto the edge of the bed. "Just relax." His phone buzzed incessantly, a relentless reminder of Ava's persistent calls. Sophia rolled her eyes, her lips twisting in annoyance. "Can't she take a hint?" A predatory gleam flickered in her eyes. "Nothing can stop me now. Today, I'll get what I want." The phone buzzed again, a persistent whine. Sophia stabbed the "reject" button, then sil

Lucas's grip on the steering wheel intensified the moment he spotted Mateo. A muscle ticked in Lucas's jaw."What's he doing here?" Lucas muttered, not taking his eyes off Mateo. "Does he know Ava works here?"Sophia sighed. "Why are you so mad? It's good Ava has someone who cares about her." She placed a hand on Lucas's arm. "Mateo's a good guy. He'll look after her."Lucas scoffed, shaking off her hand. "Look after her? I can look after her just fine.""As what, Lucas?" Sophia's voice rose. "You're her brother. That's it. You can't control her entire life. You can't protect her forever.""I can try," Lucas snapped, his gaze hardening. "And I'll start by making sure Mateo stays away from her." He reached for the door handle.Sophia's hand shot out, grabbing his arm. "Don't do this, Lucas. Don't make a scene. Ava doesn't need you interfering."Lucas twisted, his eyes burning into Sophia's. "She doesn't need me? She's my..."She's your what? Answer me!" Sophia exclaimed."She's

"Helen, I'm sorry. Things have been rough, real rough. I need to go, but I'll explain later, I promise." Helen's grip tightened on Ava's arm, her eyebrows drawn together. "No way, Ava. You're not going anywhere until you tell me everything. No excuses." Helen's voice was sharp, leaving no room for argument. Ava's eyes darted around. "You don't get it, I'm late! I have to be somewhere, it's important." "I'm not letting you brush me off, Ava. What's going on? We used to tell each other everything. Now you're shutting me out." Helen grabbed Ava's wrist. "Come on." She pulled Ava through the crowded doorway into the college cafe. The air buzzed with chatter, the clatter of trays, and bursts of laughter. Students filled the large, open space. They sought out an isolated spot at the back and sat down. "Alright, tell me," Helen said, her eyes fixed on Ava. Ava took a shaky breath. "It's...it's not a big deal," Ava mumbled, avoiding Helen's gaze. "You know I tell you everything,

The sun, a harsh glare, pried Ava's eyes open. Lucas's arm lay heavy across her, his slow breaths filling the quiet. Her cheeks burned. Last night's images flickered: laughter, soft words, a tangled mess of limbs. "Oh no," she whispered, her fingers pressed to her forehead. A nervous giggle escaped, then died. She looked at Lucas, asleep, a soft smile on his lips. He looked peaceful. "I love you," she breathed, the words barely there. Her cheeks heated. Wow. Just wow. Then, fear hit. How do I face him? She threw back the blanket, the sheets crumpled on the floor. A dark stain, clear against the light fabric, made her stomach clench. Oh no. "Crap," she hissed, barely a sound. She paced, her eyes searching for a way to hide it. Think, Ava, think. "Damn it!" she muttered, grabbing the stained blanket, holding it like a shield. She backed into the bathroom, eyes wide with panic and shame. The lock clicked, loud in the silence. The shower water burned, a desperate attempt to wa

The moment Mateo turned, he saw Ava drowning. Without hesitation, he plunged into the water. He didn't even kick off his shoes, just launched himself towards the water. The splash echoed across the pool area. Beneath the surface, the chlorine stung his eyes, but he didn't care. He had to save her.Her black dress billowed around her like a ghostly shroud, her limbs tangled in the pool's underwater lights. He grabbed her wrist, the skin shockingly cold. With a surge of adrenaline, he pulled her upwards, breaking the surface."Ava!" He gasped, hauling her onto the rough concrete. Her head lolled back, eyes closed, lips tinged blue.Lucas knelt beside her, his face contorted with fear. "Let go of her!" He shoved Mateo aside, almost falling on top of Ava. "Ava please wake up." "Get off!" Mateo snarled, his voice thick with panic. "Give her some air!" Lucas ignored him, frantically pressing on Ava's chest. "Come on, Ava, breathe, damn it!" His voice cracked, tears spilling down his che

The voice startled her so badly she almost jumped out of her skin. "Brother Lucas! Hi. I- I was just over at Helen's."" Who was that guy that dropped you off at home. I'm not comfortable with you being driven home by a man. You're still a child, and it's important that I know who you're with. Also, it is very late , what if something had happened to you? I was worried sick. Lucas thundered."Thank you for caring, but I'm growing up and learning to be independent". I'm fine, really." Ava said with tears in her eyes. Besides, you have someone else in your life that you should be giving all the care to now. Please don't bother about me anymore." She turned and walked quickly to her room, the door banging shut with a loud thud.*****On the morrow, her alarm jolted her awake. Remembering her new job, she leapt out of bed and rushed to the shower.Having dressed quickly, she made her way out of the house in a hurry, but when she was just about to reach the sitting room, the rain sta