Please, Find Me

Chapter 35

Mikaeel pulled the key out of his ignition breathing heavily at the thought of walking inside. He leaned his head to rest against the steering wheel. He could still smell it and taste it.

Fuck.

He prayed she was sleeping already. She had woken up earlier than usual considering Imaad kept on nudging them till their eyes open. It was fucking dark outside but that barely stopped him and she had to entertain the quarter pint for an entire day.

 She had to be exhausted.

 He sat up licking his lips before wiping it with his hand. It would have to do... 

Then he opened the car door and walked inside.

"Yes Sarafina?" She looked up from her laptop to find a troubling expression on Sarafina's face as she looked at Mikaeel's shirt.

"Eish..." She scratched her head in indecision. "This is not right."

"What?" She set her cup down ignoring the slight spill of hot chocolate as it escaped the rim.

"Ek ken jou lipstick." She said warily. "Jy hou nie van rooi nie. You like pink."

"Ya..." She never realised Sarafina was as observant as that.

"Your husband." She looked back down at the shirt. "He thinks he can wash it out but he doesn't know how to."

"Wash what out?"

She stepped forward slowly holding out the shirt in her hand. "This..."

Sitting innocently on the collar of his shirt was a dark, smudged, red lipstick stain.

Hoori looked up from her computer as he walked through in the front door. His mother always forced him to stay for supper when he went over for anything but she had begun to worry after the minute hand inched to the little 11 on their silver wall clock. "I called you a few times." She stretched her arms above her head, yawning softly.

"My battery died." He sounded off as he turned to walk away.

"Did you give Imaad his marshmallows?" She asked, closing her laptop gently before standing up.

"Fuck it..." He muttered. "I'll take it tomorrow." He turned away from her walking towards the door.

"No, it's okay..." She looked at him strangely. He had been itching to walk away since he had walked in practically ignoring her as he walked to the bathroom. "We'll just eat it up."

"I'll take them tomorrow." He said resolutely, taking a step away from the room.

"Mika, wait." She called walking carefully towards him. She could only pray that she was wrong about the smell grazing her nose. It smelt something like a strong, musky rose and she hated floral perfumes. 

She was wrong. She had to be wrong.

"What Hoori?"

She stopped when she was standing behind him, turning him around gently. "Why won't you look at me?"

"I've had a shit day. I want to shower."

"Really?"

He cocked an eyebrow, expecting her to let him go. She looked at him closely, taking one last step towards him before she brushed her lips against his. It was slow and tentative and he could feel her lip balm brush against his lips before she stepped back.