114 CAN I LOVE WITH THIS HEART?

Ella keeps quiet all through the drive, thinking of the entire situation at hand. Now, Vivian is out of the issue, all she is thinking of is how to break the news of who she is to Shamim and her friends. Before she knows it, she arrives at Abdullah's house, as he stops driving, Ella looks at him smiles. "I actually enjoyed the ride."

"I am glad you do." Abdullah says and returns the smile.

The both of them alights from the car and walks in the apartment. Opposite the entrance, is a nice and very big painting of Ella dressed in a very lovely wedding dress. The painter was Miss Smith herself.

"It's been long since you came here." Abdullah whispers as he shuts the door behind him. "You have been claiming to be so busy that you seldom even have time for me or anyone else."

"Here we go again!" Ella laments tired of that particular argument already. "You know the nature of my job, don't you?" She asks and drops he bag on the couch, then sits very tiredly on it.

"Why do you look so tired?" Abdullah asks and sits beside her, not leaving any paces between them. "Is everything alright?"

"No!" Ella exclaims whispering. "Everything is just going so wrong, I don't know what to do concerning Shamim anymore. I am just so scared to tell him the truth."

"You don't have to." Abdullah whispers and pats her head. "But I just think you should tell him as soon as possible."

Ella breathe out deeply. "This is a very difficult one, I think I should have told him the truth a long while ago." She says and there is no reply, she notices that Abdullah is just staring at her. "Hey!" She taps him. "What is wrong with you?"

Jumping off his deep thought and removing his stare from her. "Well nothing, I am fine."

"Are you sure?" Ella asks again.

"Of course I am." Abdullah replies and nods faking a lot of smiles.

"Alright then, I will go change in to one of the step ins I have here." Ella says and is about to stand but Abdullah holds her firmly. "What is it?" Ella asks again looking worried. "Is there anything you will like to tell me?"

Abdullah didn't utter anything at first but later he shakes his head and releases Ella's hand. "No, you can go do what you wanted to do."

"Abdullah." Ella calls very worried. "Tell me what is wrong with you, I want to know right now."

"I don't want to do or say anything that will put an end to our relationship." Abdullah whispers. "So it's best that I don't say it at all."

"But I want to know." Ella whispers and hold his hands. "You are my best friend,I need to know everything going on in your life."

Abdullah sighs and says. "Promise you won't get mad."

"I promise." Ella promises.

"Ella, I actually like you so much. I have liked you a lot ever since I set my eyes on you, but I don't know how I am going to just express my feelings to you, because I don't want to ruin our friendship." Abdullah expresses his feelings not looking at her face but her hand that is holding his.

Gently, Ella releases his hand and Abdullah looks at her manly. "Do you really think I deserve or worth your love?" She asks whispering.

"What do you mean by that?" Abdullah asks too.

"My heart is filled with pain, bitterness, regrets and so much urge for revenge. Can I love you with this heart? Is it possible for me to love with that much burden in my heart?" Ella asks with a lot of pain in her voice.

"I love you Ella, and when I say I love you, I mean I will share both your happiness and sadness, gain and loss, burdens and responsibilities. I promise to stand with you and by you." Abdullah says with a lot of confidence.

"I still seek revenge." Ella whispers still with pain. "Will you still love me with this pain in my heart?"

"come sun, thunder, rain and storm. I promise to never make you cry or compromise the love we share for anything." Abdullah promises.

"Are you sure you won't later betray me the way Vivian did?" Ella asks.

"Destiny brought me to this world, Ella you are my destiny, and that is why I will do whatever it takes to protect you." Abdullah says and embraces Ella, giving her some kisses.

"Can I love with this heart?" She asks herself in her mind.

**************

Paul enters the sitting room with a different look. Originally, he always look so stressed and older than his age due to overworking but today he looks so helpless and pitiful.

Linda and Jessie sits on the couch awaiting his arrival, they pray and hope he takes things very easily.

"Welcome father." Linda greets and walks to her father. "Why do you look so stressed?"

Paul ignores his daughter at first and sits, then he later gives her a paper which he kept in his breast pocket. "Have this." He whispers sadly handing over the paper to her.

Linda quietly collects the paper and reads the content, it is the result to the overall tests that he did today. The test confirms that her father is suffering from Alzheimer just as they had predicted earlier. "Father, this says-"

"Our boss at work, Mr Peter Smith asked all the workers to run a medical check up and that is my own results, it states that I am suffering from Alzheimer. I have been stopped from work too." Paul whispers sadly.

"Father, your boss is who?" Linda asks.

"Mr Peter Smith." Paul repeats again.

Jessie closes her eyes in a mixture of pain and annoyance, she looks at her daughter who already has tears in her eyes. "You should go upstairs now." She says to Paul. "Just freshen up, we can talk about this later when you feel very much relaxed, I don't think it so a good idea to discuss such important matter when you are in this mood."