The Best Of Us

Chapter 19: The Best of Us

Chapter Nineteen - The Best of Us

Sabrina stumbled down the hall after watching the two Police officers take Khalid away. Her heart was in her throat. She desperately wanted to know what would happen to him and why he was being questioned. Could they possibly think that he'd shot his own mother? But then she remembered that he was in a gang and probably had drugs or weapons stashed away in his room or something. Perhaps the Police had come across it when they were investigating the attempted murder. She'd checked on his mother before she left and almost sat down to cry as she watched Khalid's father sit by his wife's side, his hand on hers, his glassy eyes staring at her sleeping face.

As she approached Bradley's rooms, Leila rushed out, her face flushed. Sabrina jumped back, surprised as Leila nearly shouted at her.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Leila screamed. "You've been gone for like half an hour!"

"Woah, calm down." Sabrina said, raising her hands in surrender before telling her that she'd bumped into Khalid and that his mother had been shot. Leila's eyes widened as she continued the story and repeated the somewhat awkward conversation that they had. Leila let out a sigh when she finished and stared at the floor.

"I called the Police." She whispered. "I felt so bad for Bradley while he talked about his daughters and I just thought to myself that I was being cruel. I knew who did this to him and I wasn't talking. But I finally did it. I called the Police and told them it was Khalid."

Sabrina nodded her head slowly, relief flooding through her veins. And yet, she was slightly annoyed. The guy had admitted his feelings for her and two seconds later he was being taken away by the Police. She didn't resent Leila for calling them. She realized that she cared, though. She cared about what happened to him and if he was being taken to jail - even if he deserved it - because of her best friend, then was it all that bad that she was feeling slightly annoyed? She shook her head and scolded herself for thinking so. He deserved it. It was his fault. She felt nothing for him.

"So...that was fast." Sabrina chuckled trying to lighten the mood. "I mean how did they even know he was here?"

Leila shrugged, and leaned in to Sabrina with a mischievous grin on her face. "So...he likes you."

"Liked me. Past tense." Sabrina muttered, trying to keep a poker face, even though her heart fluttered.

"Uh-huh." Leila grinned. "Suuuureee."

"You are so...haraam." Sabrina scolded. "Stop thinking dirty things."

Leila laughed at that, stopping to eye her best friend while Sabrina looked back with a blank face. I don't like him! She thought. He was a criminal. He was rude. He was a douchebag. He practically screamed bad news while he sauntered down a hallway with his naughty grin and stunning eyes. Sabrina paused. Did I just call his eyes stunning? She nearly face palmed herself. Meanwhile, Leila was going on about Bradley and his daughters so Sabrina respectfully listened, knowing full well that she shouldn't be thinking about Khalid and his eyes while Bradley was hurting in the room besides them, given what had happened to him because of Khalid. She felt utterly disgusted about thinking well of Khalid while Bradley's name was being mentioned.

The worst part was: she'd never felt this way. For anyone. So why Khalid?

* * *

A few weeks had passed since that day at the hospital. Sabrina tried not to think about that day because, as far as she was concerned, it was the first time she had felt anything for Khalid besides contempt and disgust. He'd been charged for a number of things like, drunk driving and leaving the scene of an accident. Since he was not yet an adult, he hadn't been sent to jail but had his license suspended and had been fined like a thousand dollars. Sabrina was glad that he didn't have to do jail time though, even if he had been practically forced to attend a correctional facility.