She was talking to me about her favourite book, it wasn't the right time.
What about this morning when you sat on the island together and talked about your plans for the day?
I couldn’t let her go to work knowing this.
There didn’t have to be one choice when I could have both.
It took me a fucking long time to admit it, but I wanted to be happy.
“Oh, fuck no,” Osama groaned with an accusing finger. “I know that face too well.”
“What?” Hasan grumbled at him with squinted brows.
“He’s in love,” Osama said slowly. “You’re in love with Adelaide.”
Hasan turned to look at me and now both of them were staring at me—fucking analysing me like a rat in a lab.
“Shit,” Hasan massaged his temples. “This is bad.”
“Why the fuck is it bad?” I asked.
“For one,” Osama got up from his chair and put his hands on his hips. “When you’re in love with her, you don’tthink.”
“I’ve always been in love with her.”
“We’re fucking screwed,” Hasan added.
Osama pointed a finger at Hasan but stared at me. “See, even he knows.”
“Give me an example.”
“Do you remember when you introduced Adelaide to me for the first time at your house?”
I nodded.
“You hadn’t seen her for a full week and bought her eightdifferent bouquets from eight different florists across the city—spending all your allowance money and then when we got back to campus and you had nothing to eat you said some weird shit like her smile’s enough for me—besides the fact that that was fucking cheesy as shit, you didn’t think one bit before doing something for her.”
They were making this a big deal when it wasn’t.
“I’m not that guy anymore.”
Hasan scoffed, “Right. So, the guy that flew to Switzerland in a single day and bought a ring from an auction for forty million dollars—paying everyone who wanted the ring a million bucks to stay quiet—isn’tyou?”
The chair squeaked like my mind as I leaned back into it. “Adelaide’s your friend—your supposed sister. Shouldn’t you be happy about this?”
“Oh, I’m fucking thrilled.” He genuinely smiled and it creeped me the fuck out. I liked him better when he was all scowls and grumbles. “But couldn’t you have waited until afterwards to admit your love?”
“Like he could’ve waited, dumbass.”
“Don’t take that tone with me,” Hasan scowled.
“Don’t take that tone with me,” Osama mocked.
These two…
“I’m going to tell Adelaide the truth.”
Heads turned.
