Nahla POV
"Thank you, Jonah. Although I did tell you I could have taken a taxi," I pointed out, happy to be back in my wheelchair after an entire week of struggle, my arms and legs were beginning to ache, not used to the pressure being put on them for this long.
"Nonsense, if anything I feel like you've been going quiet on me. Is something wrong?" His eyes were full of concern, and sadness. "I heard your date didn't go well... Listenâ"
"Please don't," I introjected knowing well where this was going.
He didn't like that however, taking a stand right in front, preventing me from moving forward.
"You are being ridiculous," he accused. "I'm here, and I'm willing, you know that Nahla, you know that I love you. Why won't you give us a chance? Just one date, I could do much better than any of them. Have I not done enough for you?"
He was right, he was always there whenever I needed him, my only remaining friend after college, I've made the mistake of consoling myself in him after the accident, which he took a bit too literally.
"Jonah... It's not it, please," I tried to calm him down seeing how flared up he was.
"What!?" he snapped, his hands thrown into the air. "I love youâ"
The sound of shattering glass has stopped this circus, as we both looked to the side. To my surprise, Elina was standing there with a rather blank expression, something she used to do a lot at the beginning. I wasn't certain where the sound came from until my sight shifted lower, finding her hand covered in blood still holding onto the remaining piece of the glass bottle she held.
"Oh, God!" I gasped and quickly moved towards her. "What happened?!" I wasn't sure where to start, her entire hand was bleeding.
Looking up, her lips parted at the realization after which she simply shrugged and placed the rest of the glass on the ground.
"Wanted to say hi, I suppose my water bottle decided to explode. Funny," her modulated tone wasn't making it any better. When our eyes finally met, her dark blue didn't look away from mine for a second. "Don't worry," she told me simply as if it wasn't anything serious.
For some reason, my heart was beating aggressively against my chest. "How can I not..." I whispered upset that she would still say that to me.
Taking a handkerchief out of my purse I gently covered her bleeding hand.
"Nahla I beg you, can we finish this conversation?" Jonah's desperate voice called from behind, anxiety has bloomed inside me at the thought of letting him down. "And how the hell did a glass bottle even break in your hand," he grumbled at Elina who smirked amused.
"Oh, you should be grateful it was the bottle," her remark made no sense, yet her intimidating aura has made me feel some type of way. What's wrong with me?!
Jonah frowned, but ignored her comment, referring back to me. "Nahla, I really need an answer soon. Think about it, you won't find another guy like me." With that said he began to walk away until Elina scoffed and made him turn back. "What?" he hissed displeased.
"Who said she wants a guy like you," she pointed out, and I wasn't sure what was happening, but I didn't like it. "Maybe stop making her feel uncomfortable, can't you see she's not interested?" she was making fair points, but this wasn't fair to Jonah...
Noticing her bloody fist clenched against the shattered glass I panicked and tried to open it up, but she wasn't letting me do so.
"Who the hell are you?" his raised voice made me wish I could hide in my room and ignore this confrontation, scared of people yelling or speaking with anger.
Elina, on the other hand, didn't seem bothered, she didn't even flinch when he approached her closely and challenged with eye contact.
"I'm her friend," she said shortly, somewhat the response pleased me, yet wasn't sufficient enough, how many friends did she have? Was I any more special than them? Did I want to be...?
"So mind your own business," he retorted, feeling slight intimidation from Elina's cold and blank stare. "And don't get in between what we have."
Her fist only bleeding further as she still hasn't let go. "Elina, please don't hurt yourself..." I begged quietly, not wanting to make it worse.
Her attention within a second was back on me, her stare much softer and smile reassuring before going back to him. "You two don't have anything, stop making her feel bad. If she wishes to date you she will tell you, but from what I can see, at this very moment, she does not. So leave her alone, and stop pressuring her."
"This is a joke, right Nahla?" I flinched at the way his voice snapped, Elina must have noticed because she quickly stood between us and whispered something into his ear. I couldn't tell what it was, but I was grateful as he finally complied and left.
Elina's demeanor has softened as she knelt in front of me and placed her not bleeding hand on my knee. "I apologize. I shouldn't have gotten involved in your affairs, yet I couldn't help but see how uncomfortable he made you feel with his confession. It didn't feel right. Hope you will forgive me and I promise not to get involved further."
Why was she saying all the right words? It's like she knew exactly what to do to make me smile and feel better. I never had anyone notice my anxiety and behavior the way she has.
"Can we please take care of your hand now?" I changed the subject, terribly worried about the way it looked. "Come with me?"
A tiny smile cracked upon her hard-to-decode expression, which made me grin happily. Not sure why, but she made me feel so childish sometimes, and I liked it. Always on my guard and ready to deal with difficult situations coming up in my life, but with her, I felt safe. First time in my life I felt safe from my anxious thoughts and overwhelming past, she was seeing the real me and she didn't hate itâyet.
"We should have gone to the nurse," I cringed at the amount of glass I took out of her hand. "What if I missed some...?" I worried and looked at her concerned, even more so when I noticed her eyes being closed. "Elina," I called.
Her deep hum made me gulp, she was so stunning, how could anyone be this beautiful? Her face was like a porcelain doll, defined jaw, long blonde lashes, and those plump pink lips... Shaking my head I focused back on her hand, what's wrong with me?
Wrapping it up in the bandage, she appeared so peaceful, as if she enjoyed this moment, instead of being scared or in pain.
"My sweetness," the nickname has caused her mysterious dark blue eyes to open up. "Does it not hurt? I applied some medicine, but if you wish to take a painkillâ" her smirk took me aback as I paused with a pout.
"What...?" I muttered.
Her voice on a lower side, I enjoyed it, that deeper undertone she at times made even more noticeable when speaking to me. "You worry too much, this is no bother." She pointed at her hand.
I wanted to argue, but how could I? Older or not she intimidated me on levels I never experienced before. Nodding, feeling shy all of a sudden she chuckled at my reaction.
"Thank you Nahla, no one has ever taken care of my wounds before."
I frowned, there were moments when she made me question what this young woman had to go through in her life. Has she gotten into fights? Rough childhood? Or was I reading too much into her words. Wishing for answers, but knowing well, some things were being better left in the past.
"You think too much," she called me out as if reading my mind. I was ready for her to tell me to stop, that it wasn't good, but instead, she's done the complete opposite. "It's cute, I like it, and the way you knit your brows."
My breath hitched and head turned to the side, touching my cheeks I felt the warmth her words have made me feel.
How odd...
"Hey Elina," my tone changing, her left eyebrow arched in wonder. There was always a question lingering at the back of my head, why did her existence feel so out of place, yet right at the same time? Hard to put it into words I sighed and gave up, which she allowed to let go, knowing she most likely didn't hold the answer to what I was about to ask.
My mother was useless, I took care of my younger sister the moment I reached eighteen years of age, we lived in between the shelters for a year until I managed to rent a small room for the both of us in some dingy apartment.
She never complained and was happy, her bright smile kept me going. I worked two jobs and studied hard in order to provide for both of us and her future. When she met her boyfriend I was skeptical, but he proved himself trustworthy, at least until he got her pregnant...
It was a difficult time, but we decided she should keep it. I worked even harder, my social life was nonexistent except for some college friends such as Jonah who often helped me to catch up with some work.
When things finally began to look hopeful, I got a good job as a professor's assistant at our local university, her boyfriend managed to get a place for him, Andy, and my sister, life was about to get easier, until our fight.
I found out she was sending money to our joke of a mother, it infuriated me. We never fought like this before, she tried to leave but I followed. We got into the car she drove carefully, but it didn't matter, I didn't let her focus. I kept on yelling at her, desperately needing to understand her reasoning, until everything went dark and our lives have changed.
No.
My life has changed, hers has ended.
No matter the awful things that have taken place in my life everything seemed to make some sort of sense, it's life after all. People get into accidents, people die, whoever I met seemed to carry meaning into it, a purpose, yet there she was. This girl. Her existence baffled me, she didn't make any sense, and her appearance felt so out of order, out of reason.
The inability to read her intentions or feelings terrified me in a way, but at the same time, the urge to find out prevailed over that uncertainty.
"Just who are you," I finally let out, my breath thin, hardly audible in the silence of the apartment I was renting for the past two years.
Elina stared at me truly taken aback, now I've done it. Her head tilted ever so slightly as her usually blank expression turned into a frown, she appeared to be deeply in thought, wishing to answer with the truth she promised me always, but she couldn't.
I wasn't blind, and I wouldn't make her lie for my own reassurance.
"I'mâ" she began but bit onto her bottom lip preventing herself from speaking further.
"I'm sorry, it was random!" my voice hitched. "I don't know what came into me, I shouldn't have, please ignore it..."
"Who am I..." she repeated to herself as if she wished to know the answer. She didn't know? Her lips parted again ready to speak, but I quickly placed the finger against them.
"Shhh," I cooed. "You just confuse me sometimes.... But it's okay, as long as you are here, it's okay."
Suddenly she moved away and got up from the sofa, not being able to follow I was left to watch the panic overtake her dark blue eyes as if her soul began to drown in the deep cold ocean.
She left my apartment quicker than she entered my life.
The pang in my heart was of a new kind, and at the time I didn't know, it was something I would have to learn to accept. To feel the pain was one, but to live with it... completely another.
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