Her Hated Feelings

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏𝟖

Everyone looked at Ali as his gaze was fixed on Soha, who, in turn, looked at her friends, who were all confused.
"Why would she sit with you?" Lia asked, raising an eyebrow.

The tension in the air was palpable, but Ali remained calm, knowing exactly what he was doing.
"Why wouldn't she sit with me?" Ali responded, his voice smooth and confident. He then shifted his gaze to Aena, whose eyes reflected both frustration and confusion.

"I will-" Soha started, but Aena quickly interrupted, "You will sit with him?" Aena's tone was a mix of surprise and disapproval, but before Soha could respond, Ali cut in sharply. "Don't interrupt her," he said firmly.

Rising from his seat, Ali walked toward Soha. Mahir's eyes burned with irritation at the fact that Ali had dared to cut Aena off. He was about to get up when Shahab placed a hand on his shoulder, holding him back.

Ali didn't head toward Aena, as expected. Instead, he walked straight to Soha, who remained frozen, unsure of what was happening. Mia, sensing the rising tension, shook Soha's arm and said, "Hey, let's go get some food. We've wasted enough time already." Aena shot Mia a glare, but Shahab also stood up, gesturing toward Mia.

"Yes, let's get moving. Mia, right?" Shahab said, looking at her. Mia nodded in response. "Yes, we'll get the food; you all handle the fire," Shahab continued, nodding toward the others. As Mia and Shahab moved to get the supplies, the others exchanged glances and slowly began to set up the fire.

Ali, with Mahir's help, arranged the firewood, and soon the flames were crackling. The other girls, except for Aena and her two friends, were still staring at the two boys, blushing at their effortless charm. Ali and Shameer grabbed two seats each-one for themselves and one for Soha and Lia. Ali raised an eyebrow when he saw Shameer's gesture, and Shameer subtly nodded toward Lia, signaling that he had set aside a seat for her. Ali smirked, knowing exactly what was going on.

Aena observed the girls staring at Mahir, who was tending to the fire with focused precision. A wave of annoyance washed over her, and she rolled her eyes before walking over to Lia, who was smirking.
"Are you jealous?" Lia teased, her grin widening.

"Me? Jealous?" Aena scoffed, though she could feel the blush creeping up her neck. Just as she was about to protest, Mahir turned to them. "You can sit now," he said, his tone casual. He locked eyes with Aena before signaling for a guy to bring over two chairs.

Everyone quickly settled into their spots, forming a circle around the fire. Aena sat next to Lia and Soha, while Ali, Shameer, and the others took their places. Shahab and Mia arrived with the food, and Shahab grinned as he placed an extra box of ice cream on the table. Lia raised an eyebrow.

"What's that for?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Shameer's favorite ice creams," Shahab said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He opened the box, revealing the ice cream. Aena and Lia's faces lit up when they saw their favorite flavors. Shameer, who had orchestrated this little surprise, passed the ice cream around with a satisfied look on his face, watching Lia's delighted reaction. Shahab winked at him from across the circle, and Shameer gave a subtle nod in return.

Mahir, observing the exchange, was visibly confused. "Why didn't you guys tell me about this?" he asked, looking at the group.

"What would you have done?" Shahab teased.

Mahir was about to answer when his gaze shifted to Aena, who was happily eating her ice cream. A hint of smile flickered as he continued, soon Aena ice cream finished she was looking around and her gaze went to Mahir lips having some ice cream left.

Mahir noticed her staring and, sensing her embarrassment, leaned in slightly, making her heart race. "Why don't you taste it?" he whispered, his voice low and smooth, sending shivers down her spine. Aena's face turned bright red as she immediately looked away, her heart hammering in her chest. Mahir chuckled quietly and turned back to his phone, his lips curling into a smirk. "My baby," he murmured to himself. Aena was sure she heard him, but she chose to ignore it, focusing on anything but him.

"Hey, how about a game of Truth or Dare?" Mia suggested, breaking the tension. Everyone eagerly agreed, and the game began.

Shameer was the first to go. He took Truth.

"Have you ever felt an urge to kill someone?" a guy asked, his voice full of curiosity. Shameer's smirk was dark, and he nodded slowly, sending a shiver through the group. The tough guy exterior was hard to keep up when his eyes flicked to Lia, who was staring at him with wide, slightly fearful eyes.

The game continued, with questions flying back and forth. Then it was Aena's turn. A girl asked her teasingly, "Have you ever gotten 'princess treatment'-and from whom?"

Aena smiled slyly. "Yes, I've gotten princess treatment from my... brother," she said, a playful twinkle in her eyes.

"Kasim also gives you princess treatment?" Mia asked, smirking.

Aena rolled her eyes. "He's my brother, Mia," she retorted, her tone sharp. Mahir raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the sudden shift in the conversation.

"Is Kasim your biological brother?" Mahir whispered to Aena, his voice laced with an unspoken protectiveness. Aena glanced at him, surprised by the hint of possessiveness in his tone. Before she could answer, it was Mahir's turn to face the group.

He took Truth, as usual. Everyone leaned forward, eager to hear the question.

"So, Mahir," Mia began, her playful grin widening, "Did you ever kiss anyone?"

Aena turned to Mahir, her interest piqued. She tried to maintain a neutral expression, but her eyes betrayed her curiosity. Mahir smirked and nodded. "Yes," he said, his gaze locking with Aena's as if to make the moment last just a little longer.

To be continue.......