The Two of Us

Chapter 28 - Payback

Chapter Twenty Eight -  Payback

Khalid felt so lost. He didn't know how but suddenly everything he knew, everything he thought he wanted was unravelling around him. He'd been so sure. He'd been so certain about Sabrina, about wanting to spend the rest of his life with her. With shaking hands he drove home, her words playing in his mind.

Why did you betray it, then?

He felt like such a jerk. He never should have let Hiba talk to him and he should have pushed her away when she leaned over to kiss him. He should have knew something was up, that she'd stationed one of her friends nearby to take that stupid picture so she could post it online. And he should have apologized to Sabrina, he should have begged her to forgive him.

But he hadn't.

He stopped the car and slammed the steering wheel with his fists, frustration making his eyes blurry and his head spin. He was so angry, so confused, so lost. He hated Sabrina's parents for being so stuck up and keeping their daughter from marrying him. He hated Hiba for being so annoying and her planned out advances. He hated Osama for kidnapping Sabrina and ruining everything. He hated his life for being so unfair.

And Sabrina. He hated seeing her face when she'd told him to go after Hiba. He hated how she'd turned and walked away as if she expected him to do so. Did she really think that low of him? But how could he blame her if she did? He was lower than the scum of the earth, giving in to Hiba and being too damn proud to apologize to Sabrina.

That was his problem, wasn't it? He would never admit it out loud but he was too proud. He would rather watch the love of his life walk away than apologize to her. Being sorry was weak, he thought. He'd said sorry once, for bullying her back in grade school. He'd pushed past his pride to do it. He'd held on to the love he had for her to do it. What had changed? 

He sighed and rested his forehead against the window, watching cars rush past, their metallic colours blending in with the grey road. He wasn't sure anymore.

He wasn't sure if he could love her.

Not when he couldn't have her.  

So he wouldn't.

* * *

Khalid was determined to forget everything. The next day he woke up, pushed any thoughts he had about Sabrina out of his mind and got ready for school. He ignored Hiba's calls, Leila's death threats and his mom's nagging. He was determined to erase Sabrina from his life. If her parents didn't want them to be together than he wouldn't question it. He was done trying and waiting and hoping.

At lunch, he kept his eyes on his food, trying to focus on whatever it was Jamaal was going on about. Midway through his rant on why he thought the Hobbit movies sucked, he stopped and peered at Khalid closely.

"You alright, bro?"

Khalid looked up, genuinely surprised. "Yeah. Why?"

"Well," Jamaal paused and glanced down at his food, "you're killing your sandwich with a fork."

"Wha-" Khalid looked down and saw that his sandwich had basically been ripped into pieces and the weapon which had done so was dangling from his fingers. 

He threw the fork from his hand and sighed, leaning back. Sinking down in his chair, he looked up at the ceiling, pushing down the violent urge to grind his teeth into his gums. He couldn't do this, he thought, his mind wandering. He couldn't forget about her. And then suddenly he heard her, her laughter, her voice floating around the room. He shot up in his seat, his muscles tightening. He whipped around to look for her.