HIJABI ✔️

Chapter 23

Ruqayyah's POV

"Ouch," Alex groans in pain for the hundredth time making me chuckle. I fold my prayer mat as I had just finished praying Asr and walk to the sofa located in his giant dorm. Is this a dorm or a whole freaking house?

"I told you to go gentle," I tell him as I watch him dab his bruise with the cotton in which I put the bruise disinfectant.

"I am, why would I wanna hurt myself...? Why don't you do it for me?" He looks at me like a lost puppy.

"I can't, I've told you that already," I say as I grab a ice bag from the fridge and then hand it to him. "Besides, it's your fault. I hope you learnt your lesson." I lecture gaining a weak smile from him.

"Thank you... Honestly." He says although I don't believe I did anything really.

I slowly walk around the room, pretending to be looking around, but actually I was having a big argument with myself. I remember what Jess told me. She said that Alex and Sebas were fighting over her. Why does that bother me so much?

"What are you thinking about?" He suddenly interrupts me from my thoughts.

"Why were you fighting with that guy?"

"You already asked that,"

"You just said he got in your nerves, but what did he do?"

"It was nothing much, I can barely remember." He says as he leaves the ice bag on top of the counter and closes the first aid kit.

If he found the need to avoid the question, then maybe Jess was right.

"Alex... I already know the truth,"

"What is the truth?" He leaves the box to look up at me, since I was standing and a couple of steps away from him.

"Jess told me you were fighting over her," I tell him as I avoid eye contact.

"I'm not gonna lie to you, we were fighting over her, but not in that way,"

"So you admit that you were fighting because of her?"

"Well... Okay, can I explain?"

"Alex, I don't really care. If you like her and want to get back to her, then tell her, instead of going into fights with people. She is crazy about you, she wouldn't think twice if you asked her out. And maybe we should just give it a time to this thing we call friendship because she doesn't like to see us together." I don't know what all this rambling was about, but I honestly need to calm down.

He gets up to face me but I walk away and grab the ice bag to place it back inside the fridge.

"Ruqayyah, look at me." He says, but I grab my jacket instead. I don't even know what I'm doing here. And I thought I was over this heart racing scene with him.

"Would you calm down and let me explain?" His tone was quiet and gave a feeling of trust as he grabbed my jacket from me. Before I could reach for it, he speaks, "Apparently that guy was Jess' current boyfriend, and he came to me making acusations and saying I was trying to steal his girl. I tried, believe me, I tried to calmly tell him that I never came near Jess after the day we broke up, in fact, we never properly dated in the first place. But he wouldn't listen and after he threw the first punch I just couldn't hold myself back." Alex concludes and I try to process this in my mind. I feel so stupid right now.

"But Jess said... Oh... I'm so sorry... I'm sorry, it's just that Jess was so convincing and_"

"You should have known by now that Jess loves to be the center of attention,"