Bookworms | ✔

nineteen

Dina blushed, looking away. "He's the librarian."

"I already knew that, Sherlock," countered Humaid.

Dina opened her mouth to argue back, but Nicholas stood up, clutching the book to his chest and keeping his head down. He felt the light brush of his stray blonde hairs right above his eyes. For some reason, he felt anxious in the presence of all the siblings. Dina was the girl his heart longed for. No one could even compare.

Yet, there he was meeting her brothers that were cunning enough to destroy his very existence if he made the wrong move. He didn't feel nervous that they'd kill him like the majority of Americans. Nicholas knew Muslims weren't horrible. Dina wasn't and her family seemed a lot like herself.

"Where are you going, mister?" asked the little girl with a loose hijab on, her big brown eyes staring up at him as she clutched the fabric of his jeans. "Don't leave when we just met," she begged.

Nicholas was at awe. She looked exactly like her older sister. They shared the same almond-shaped eyes that would beckon him towards them with the promise of comfort. Her nose was slender while her lips pouted at Nicholas in an adorable way. His blue eyes moved to Dina, who was nervously fidgeting with the ends of her sweater, a sparkle entering her dark eyes, begging him to stay.

There was so much he wanted to do, so much he wanted to tell her. If wishes existed, he wished for Dina to be in his arms, cuddled up next to him and whispering sweet nothings to him because around Dina he was never alone. Dina's personal light absorbed the darkness that had once consumed Nicholas. Her touch, her words, and her soft voice plunged Nicholas's barriers and engulfed him in her sweet warmth.

A strong hand clamped down on his shoulder, making Nicholas almost drop his book. "Come over to our place," smiled Humaid. Nicholas realized that Humaid was the jock of the twins, his strength unmatchable. "I still got two hours till practice."

"It's not necessary. I'm going to head home," said Nicholas, keeping his voice low.

"No! Humaid, don't let him go by himself!" exclaimed Dunya.

Dina picked up her little sister, placing Dunya on her hip. Her fingers fixed Dunya's hijab, making sure all her hair was tucked away. Dunya rested her head on Dina's shoulder, clutching onto Dina's neck. The bond between the two sisters radiated a string of energy towards Nicholas.

"Don't let him go," she whispered. "He looks so alone. That's not fair."

Humaid and Haroon exchanged glances, almost like they were communicating mentally. Dina ignored her brothers as she gazed at Nicholas with longing, wistful about their moments in the library. Nicholas couldn't take his eyes off of her.

"It's settled then. Nicholas will come with us and spend his holiday at our place," stated Haroon with a proud expression. Nicholas opened his mouth to make an excuse, but Haroon held his hand up. "Don't make me tell Humaid to drag you to our place," he joked.

"Fine," Nicholas sighed, defeated.

The boys pulled Nicholas towards their house, Dina and Dunya following behind. He kept glancing back at Dina's smiling face as she teased her little sister, the two of them erupting with laughter. Although she looked the same as she did every other day, she seemed to get more beautiful by each passing second. She was a rose in a world of thorns, pushing past all to spread her love no matter how many shadows loomed over her.

Dina spread her love like a wildfire, and Nicholas was waiting for it to burn him.

----

Just dropped my parents off at the airport, and I've got to say, it's pretty damn heartbreaking with the village violence going on. I'm praying to Allah that my parents will come back untouched.

Treat your parents right, everyone, because you never know when it'll be last time you hold them.

Anyway, Nicholas is about to meet Dina's parents O.o Thoughts? Oh, so I want to enter a chapter from each of my books to my school's lit magazine. Tell me which chapter from this book would be good to put in!

Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow!