CHAPTER NINETEEN
point of view | yasmine alaoui
...
"you know i have african parents too," i said breaking the silence, "we can you know ... relate to each other on that."
he let out a deep breath and turned to me, "how they dont care about anything, but their image? how they get so offended when we dont care, but the never raised us to care. talk about stuff like that?"
"thats exactly what i mean, yes," i said as we rolled to a stop at another red light, "tell me how you feel, and i'll tell you how i feel."
"theres no point if you dont care," he stated dryly, "i dont-"
"what makes you think i dont care?" i interrupted and he glanced at me with his lips tucked in.
"most people dont-" he said and parted his lips to continue.
"am i most people to you?" i interjected before he could finish his sentence, "we have spent the past week together. you met my mom and dad. you went into my bedroom. you and i shared lunch with our families. you and i went on a date, and you put me in the same category as most people?"
the light turned green and he sat stationary staring at me until the people behind us beeped. he broke eye contact and stepped on the gas. i watched him carefully. a muscle in his jaw twitched as he turned onto highway 41 which took us back on the road to our neighborhood. he turned his blinker to turn left, but slowed down due to upcoming traffic.
"im sorry," he said breaking the silence we had been sharing for at least 7 minutes, "i mean its hard to talk about something that you've never talked about."
"i know, zayne," i told him, he glanced at me meeting my eyes before looking back at the red lights of now stopped cars due to traffic, "but i care. i do. you understand what its like to ... to live our type of life. i know how ... how lonely you feel."
he swallowed hard before turning to look at me, "it kills, yasmine."
"i know it does," i told him knowing how close i had been to it, "but now you have me. you can talk to me whenever youre ready. i wont judge you."
" okay." he said quietly nodding his head slowly and turned to face the windshield.
he tightened his grip on the steering wheel as the cars behind us slowed allowing him to switch lanes. i watched his eyes focus on the road in front of us. his brows furrowed occasionally.
"you're more than jus a person," he said looking at me for a brief second, his cheeks flushing red once he realized i was already looking at him, "i- i uh didnt mean it like that. i didnt think that-"
"... that anyone would or could ever care." i finished for him.
he looked at me for a long moment before nodding his head yes, "its a little strange-"
"how alike we are?" i finished for him again.
"yeah," he said chuckling quietly, "its ... nice."
"nice to know you're not alone?" i asked him and he smiled at me, his pearly whites flashing for a long moment.
"thats exactly it," he said looking happy for the first time in weeks, "thank you."
"for what?" i questioned him tilting my head.
"talking to me," he stated looking out the windshield moving forward the little that traffic had, "it means a lot to me."
...
we pulled up in front of my house. he parked the car and turned to look at me. i gave him a smile to which he returned a small one. i was about to pull on the door handle when his hand gently touched my thigh. my heart skipped a beat before he quickly retreated his hand, but that didnt stop my face from becoming beet red.
he opened and closed his mouth twice, "l-let me get the door for you."
i watched him open his car door and shut it before walking across the hood of the car to the passenger side. i grabbed two bags that i bought from the mall as the door opened. i smiled at him. my heart still beating quickly as i stepped out of the car.
"thank you." i said as he shut the door. he met my gaze and gave me a small nod. him and i both started to walk down my driveway.
i glanced at him. it took him until we got to my porch to return my gaze. his cheeks went rosy for a brief moment.
"you know i uh," he said pausing, "i really um ... enjoyed today."
i looked over my shoulder putting my key in the lock, "really?"
"really." he confirmed once i opened the door to my house, "see you at school, yeah?" he said awkwardly patting his thighs with his hands.
i smiled at him. he watched me set my bags down inside my house, by the front door, and step forward for a hug. he looked caught off guard but slowly bent his upper body down so i could hug him. i wrapped my arms gently around his neck and smiled inhaling the amber wood scent his skin carried. his strong arms slowly but surely hugged me back. i felt content in his arms.
i slowly picked my head from his shoulder directly in front of his face. the close proximity caused my cheeks to heat up as well as my heart to skip several beats. his large hands slowly dragged down my back and set on the small of my back. i smiled shyly and gently placed my lips on his cheek, kissing it. after a couple seconds i gently pushed off of his chest.
"yeah," i stepping away from him and stepping backwards into my house. my hands set on the door handle, "ill see you at school, zayne."
...
authors note: i finished justsu kaisen and death note in one weekend.
