inbetweenlines
LOVE, GENTLY
Ayla's life was supposed to be simple: survive college 9,000 miles away from home, keep her GPA intact, and maybe (just maybe) figure out who she is without her family around. But then she locked eyes with him.
Ahad. Calm. Unbothered. The kind of boy who shouldn't matter but somehow makes her heart skip like it's late to class.
She tells herself it's nothing. Just a silly crush. But why does he keep showing up everywhere she goes? The student center. The dining hall. Even the gym. And why does every tiny interaction, an almost-smile, a door held open, a water bottle handed back, feel like the universe is playing matchmaker?
Between homesickness, exams, late-night chai with her ride-or-die roommate Inara, and a heart that won't stop racing, Ayla is caught in a tug-of-war she never saw coming.
A story about faith, friendship, and the softest kind of first love.
Perfect for readers who love slow-burn crushes, chaotic internal monologues, and all the what ifs of being young, Muslim, and falling (just a little) in love.