Becoming One

6 ~ Unnoticed feelings

Chapter six ~ Unnoticed feelings

~ Mina's point of view ~

I was reading the same sentence for the tenth time as a vague movement and the smell of something sweet caught my attention. I snatched my eyes off from the screen and focused on an object placed two centimeters from my face. Oh, no wonder, Dawod had seen my anxiety so he wanted to cheer me up with some hot chocolate.

"Hey, stop being so sad, I told you that I am going to help you find it. Also, Ahmed called me earlier and told me that the char team found some things that might be what you lost. We will be able to check them out tomorrow InshaAllah. Don't push yourself and try to calm down first, get back to work when you are ready to." He tried to sound bossy but his voice was soothing, as well as his assuring smile.

He was confident that I could get it back, so I should believe in him. I gratefully accepted the cup of hot chocolate that was still held in front of me and returned a weak smile as he was headed back to his computer to finish his assignment.

I felt the warmth from the cup when I put my lips on it and took a sip. I gulped the deliciousness but coughed soon afterwards, I could not feel the cup's heat against my hands anymore. I looked at my bare hands while trying to stop coughing, the cup was missing. Since it had been removed so hastily and unexpectedly, my pulse increased it's pace and I thought for a minute that I was in a shock. Thankfully that wasn't the case but it could have been worse so I looked irritatedly at Dawod and was about to scold him but he was faster to do so.

"I am reassuring you that everything is going to be alright, why can't you just try to depend on me for once? I was even about to offer to help you get done with your essay, but all I get is a doubtful, concerned smile? Why, why can't you just believe in me? Why? Just why?" His voice tune was getting lower and more emotional the more he spoke which made my heart ache and feel somewhat heavy. That is weird, I thought for a second.

I have apparently made him feel conscious of his actions towards me since I didn't show any conviction towards his words. How could I have been so clueless to this? He has been doing so much for me that I should be obeying his every word, being appreciative for all the problems he has helped me through.

His sudden fit made him feel embarrassed so he had his gaze lowered. I put my right hand on his chin and felt his harsh new grown beard tickle my palm as I felt butterflies swipe through my stomach. Weird, I thought for the second time. I lifted his head up to make him look at me and to make sure that what I was going to say would get through to him the right way.

"Dawod, I am really sorry for making you feel this way, really. I did not have an idea that you were feeling this way. Now that I do I just f..." I wasn't even able to finnish my apology before being interrupted by the bell.

I was going to ignore it and continue with my apology but Dawod went to see who it was through the window. I followed him and what I saw made my jaw fall to the ground. It was Dylan, how did he know that I lived here? More importantly, what kind of business did he have with me?

Dawod dragged himself away from the window and headed to his room with a nonchalant statement. "We are on the third floor, which is your residence, mine is on the second one so that means that he is here for you."

As he was walking away, I noticed that his shoulders were slightly stiffened up and that his hands were tightened to fists. I knew that it could just be my imagination, I mean, he was probably freezing as we hadn't turned the heat up today, but I still wished that it he was concerned as I, for some weird reason, wanted him to be jealous.

I went to answer the doorbell and opened it when I thought of a brilliant idea. I went to the walk in closet to put on an Abaya and whirl a Hijab on.

I waited for the sound of the elevator and put my hand on the door handle. Dylan knocked on the door but I didn't open it.

"Dylan could you please step backwards? There is something I need to tell you before I let you in." I informed with a loud voice, to ensure that he could hear me.

"Oh okay, go on, I have stepped as far as possible." He giggled as he finished the sentence, probably at how strange my order was.

A small smile appeared unavoidably on my lips but it disappeared just as fast as it had come, I didn't want to attract him as it could make him do something wrong on impulse, which was haram from both parts. I straightened my expressions and pushed the door open till I could see him.

"Hi, well you see, there is no one here right now so I can't let you in. Because according to my religion and my personal belief, if the only ones present in a room is a girl and a boy, assuming that they are not forbidden to engage in marriage, the third one present will be the devil. He will try with all his might to make the other two do wrong things that should not happen expect for between married couples. However, if you promise to wait until I get to my bedroom and give you a sign of being there, and then go straight to the kitchen and close the door after you and wait for me to bring a neighbor then I will be able to let you in." He was nodding with a serious expression on throughout my whole lecture.

"I promise you, that I will do all the things that you told me to. I really have something urgent I would like to tell you regarding my lost twin, so hurry up please."

He was halfway through his sentence when I rushed into my room and shouted "Ok" so that he could go to the kitchen. He did, followed up with his ok. I still waited patiently till I heard the door close and then I headed towards Dawod's room and told him that he needed to be present when I was going to talk to Dylan, for religious reasons.

Dawod did as I told him and pretended that he had just came and knocked on the door. I shouted the second signal to Dylan and he went to open the door, when he was done he shouted for me. I went into the living room at the same time as Dylan sat on a couch without looking who it was standing in front of the door.

"I didn't get to say this sweetie, there is no need for the devil to make me feel attracted to you, your beautiful face is enough for me." Dylan said flirtatiously with a mischievous smirk.

I felt like hiding my face and hitting him simultaneously, but someone else did them both for me.

My throat got constricted by something that was strangling me so I couldn't breath, my arms were wrapped against my body, which hurt both my arms and sides, even my feet were lifted off the ground. I felt someones arms gripping me tightly. I directed my head with effort upwards and met a pair of brown eyes, filled with fiery anger which could kill like shooting flame, but they were aimed elsewhere. It was Dawod who had suddenly appeared behind me, turned me around and held onto me giving Dylan a deadly stare.

I tried to turn around to look at Dylan's expression, which probably was filled with fear, but failed miserably, Dawod's grip wouldn't budge in a million years. I sighed disappointedly.

There was still an unexplainable happiness and confusion taking place in my heart and mind at the same time. I thought that Dawod exaggerated the graveness of the situation but couldn't stop feeling content. I couldn't explain it, it was just like the other times when I felt something weird in my heart and abdomen. I had a ticklish feeling in my stomach and I felt that my heart was lightened and somehow fluttery.

I was so caught up in my thoughts that I didn't realize what had happened in my surroundings. It was a loud banging sound which took me back to reality. It sounded like wood being slammed on the floor and I my ears told me that it came from behind me. Not a second before the echoing of the noise reduced I felt a cold breeze brush by my right side.

"YOU!" It was Dylan's voice coming from my right, obviously sounding more angry and annoyed than scared.

I flinched involuntarily because of the sudden tension in the atmosphere. I didn't understand the reason for Dawod's sudden protectiveness, the less did I comprehend why Dylan would get angry at Dawod.

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