Bookworms | ✔

thirty-nine

"I'm bored," whined Dina, her cheek resting against the russet desk while her laptop sat in front of her. She lifted her face, pouting at Nicholas when he refused to acknowledge her or even speak. "Nemo, let's play a game."

He shook his head, distracted by the endless pages upon pages of words he had written about a book he hated. Familiar stirrings of a migraine pounded against his skull, leaning against sensitive parts of his brain. Nicholas was too busy typing up one last paper to even worry about Dina. 

"Nemo."

Only the rapid press of keyboards and silent curses were heard.

"Nick."

He ignored her once more, bright blue eyes never straying from his blinding screen, even when his eyes begged to close shut and drift to a peaceful slumber, but the alarms in his mind slapped Nicholas back to reality every time. He was approaching the finish line of his education, so close and right within his grasps, but he had to continue the work for a couple more weeks until graduation. 

"Nicholas! Stop ignoring me!"

His eyes flickered to Dina. "I'm not."

She narrowed her eyes. "Yes, you are."

"No."

"Yes."

Nicholas sighed, pushing himself out of his chair and standing over the book cart to stalk the barren shelves. "Fine. I'll take a break."

Almost instantly, Dina followed him with a bright, white smile, one that made the blood rush all the way to his cheeks, bruising them in a crimson tint. He couldn't function on doing a simple task like pushing a cart all because of her damned smile, her heartwarming beauty, and her soft as velvet voice.

"We should play Pokemon again. I brought one of my stronger decks this time. If not Pokemon then we can try Yugioh or Uno. Do you think these library computers could download League of Legends?" she rambled, perfectly in sync with his steps. "I guess that wouldn't work since it would take forever to download."

As Nicholas replaced the empty cavities of his beloved library with captivating books, he couldn't help but steal glances at Dina, watching her animated expressions with a newfound joy and relishing in the warmth that her tranquilizing presence surrounded him in. When she met his gaze, he became paralyzed, stumbling over his own feet.

"Shit," he cursed under his breath.

"Nemo," gasped Dina dramatically, "fish don't curse."

"Well, I'm not a fish."

"In my eyes you are," she grinned.

"Should I take offense to that?" he wondered out loud. 

She viciously shook her head. "Of course not! Finding Nemo was my favorite Disney movie. If anything you should take it as a compliment," she huffed. 

He smiled, leaning a little closer to her as they walked. A part of him longed to wrap his arms around her waist, to capture her soft lips, to ravish every part of her until they were both left with the feelings of bliss and desire to be satisfied. 

But Nicholas knew the rules of Islam now. He knew her limitations. 

"Hey, Dina?"

She hummed in response as they stopped before another aisle. 

Nicholas slowly put the books on their designated places, his heart pounding within his chest as he wondered if she could hear it. He didn't understand how she still affected him in the most dramatic ways where Nicholas was consumed with thoughts of her day and night.