Beautiful Things (A Muslim Love Story)

Chapter Twenty-Four: Trying to Cope

Asiyah's POV

"Emma!" I call. "Get in here!"

"What?" 

She stomps down the hall and into my room, her wavy brown hair furiously whipping behind her.

"What do you want?" she snaps 

"Rude," I mutter. I turn to my closet and pull out two hangers then turn to her. "Black or blue?'

"What's the occasion?" 

"I'm going to a wedding," I tell her. I softly mutter, "Adam's brother's wedding."

"Seriously?" Emma asks. When I nod, she points to the blue dress. "Black is too lonely. It's not like you're going to a funeral." Right after she says that, her cheeks turn pink and her eyes get all sad. I place the hangers on my bed and place my hand on her shoulder, and she smiles at me.

"So why are you going to this wedding?" she asks.

"Ugh," I reply, sitting on the bed. "I don't know. It's important to Adam that I come. It'll be super awkward and all."

"Do you like Adam? Do you want to marry him?"

"What?" I exclaim. "No! Of course not!"

She laughs and sits down beside me. "Your words say no. But your cheeks are turning red, the colour of approval."

"No they're not." I touch my cheeks.

"C'mon, Asiyah, admit it! You have a crush on him!"

"God Emma," I mumble, burying my face in my hands. I lift my head and turn to her. "Fine, okay, maybe I like Adam a tiny bit. Okay, maybe a tiny bit more. Okay, maybe I do have a crush on him!"

"I knew it!" Emma triumphs. "Since you were reunited with him four years ago-"

"I did NOT like him then," I interrupt. "I just recently developed feelings for him. And small feelings."

"It took you four years to fall in love with a guy like THAT?"

"I do NOT love him," I gasp. "I swear to God I do not at all! C'mon! I have a small crush on him that will disappear within a few months. They always do. You have feelings for someone for a few months and then you feel nothing. I'm used to it. I used to like this guy in my second undergrad year but then I stopped a three months later. Now I like Adam, I guess. But I know it'll stop soon."

"So you're not going to marry him?" she asks.

"God no. I'm too young."

"You say that EVERY year!"

"I'm simply too young."

"You're twenty-three next January!" Emma pursuits.

"In a couple of years I'll think about it, God willing," I sigh.

"You said a crush lasts a few months. You won't like Adam in a few years!"

"So?" I shrug. 

"So, if someone told you that you were going to marry another guy, not Adam, you wouldn't freak out?"

"Nope," I answer. "I don't have any real feelings toward him. I'm just attracted to him. He's good-looking."

"Oh, okay," Emma frowns. "So anyway, I'm going out tonight, so I need the car, but I can drive you to the wedding and pick you up at 10:00."

"Okay," I grin. "Now get out of my room and let me get dressed."

....................................................................