under the covers [hs au]

chapter eleven.

It took blood, sweat, and tears for Samira to keep her eyes open. Avoiding even a single nap was a challenge.

Samira was back in Liverpool. Tasneem had come over to keep her awake, entertaining Samira with another one of her comical boyfriend stories. As they talked in the kitchen, Samira was distracted with whether it was worth telling Tasneem about her feelings for Harry.

"Can I tell you something?" Samira asked out of the blue, sipping her coffee.

Tasneem blinked, surprised: "Yeah?"

"Um." Samira paused, bracing herself. "I like Harry."

Tasneem froze, widening her eyes. "Really?"

"Uh, yeah?" Samira furrowed her eyebrows, catching herself off guard at Tasneem's actions. "He was there for me that day, you know."

"He didn't . . . do anything else?" Tasneem asked, as if she was predicting the rest of the story.

Samira squinted her eyes: "Do you know anything?"

"No." Tasneem looked away.

Samira put her cup down, leaning in.

"Tasneem."

"Can't tell you." She shook her head.

"Can't tell what?"

"That . . . he likes you," Tasneem answered nonchalantly.

Her mouth fell agape, and Samira was surprised by how easily she got an answer.

"He told you?"

Tasneem nodded, hiding a smile: "Yes."

"Say wallahi." Samira covered her face bashfully.

"Wallah," Tasneem confirmed. "He kept it a secret with me."

Samira couldn't figure out whether she was relieved or worried. Of course, he would keep it a secret, that was Harry, but there was now no chance of him ever confessing after she embarrassed him.

"Are you going to tell him?"

"I can't," Samira groaned. "Fuck."

"Who says you can't?"

"Allah, you idiot."

"Is there another reason?" Tasneem asked, giggling.

"We had a little argument . . . I said we can only be friends. Then he showed up that day and now he's all I think about," Samira explained.

"Oh . . ." Tasneem put her soda can down. "Well, Harry called me the night before, wanting to know when your train was so he could . . . tell you."

"Really?" Her gaze softened.

"Yeah. He called me again that morning to make sure I was okay," Tasneem shared. "And he said he was going to make sure you were okay, too."

"Oh man," Samira whined, covering her eyes wistfully. "He tried to tell me."

Tasneem pouted her lips: "Well, now you know."

Samira swirled a spoon through her coffee: "I barely know him."

"Please," Tasneem interjected. "He's loosened up since you showed up."

"Why?" Samira said. "I'm such a bitch to him."

"A bitch? Or brutally honest?" Tasneem snorted. "He likes that you call him out on his bullshit."

Samira shrugged, trying to push away the idea of doing anything with Harry. All she wanted was to be his friend and keep that halal gap, but now she wasn't so sure.