"Don't what?" I asked, not entirely sure what exactly it was she didn't want me to do.
My mind was a little clouded from her close proximity and the warmth of her skin against my palm.
"Don't be like this." She told me, moving her face away from my hand.
I dropped it back down to her shoulder. Happy for once at the fact that I couldn't stand alone. She was stuck, right there in front of me, only inches away.
"Be like what?"
She blew out a frustrated sigh, her green eyes fierce with determination as they locked with mine.
Just like that our moment was gone.
"Like this." Her voice was clipped as she nodded her head at me.
I didn't get what she was talking about. "What? Crippled?"
She rolled her eyes. "You're not crippled."
"Then what? How am I being?" I pushed.
She shook her head. "Just forget it, lets get you on the bed and you can stretch."
"No Mina." My words came out rushed. As soon as I was sitting she could very well leave. "How am I being?"
I could see her frustration growing. It poured out of her, her muscles tightening, jaw clenching, eyes narrowing.
"Like this!" She let go of me, causing me to panic internally as I watched her hands gesture at me.
Fuck, what if I lost my balance? I'm sure I gripped her shoulders tighter.
"All sweet and kind and caring. Guys like you leave Owen! You always end up leaving! And you don't care what mess you leave behind!" She yelled at me.
"I'm not leaving." I reassured, trying to remain as still as possible while I waited for Mina to put her hands back.
She scoffed, like what I said was the most ridiculous thing she'd ever heard. "Guys like you always leave."
I had a good idea who she was referring to. Max had said that her dad left when she was young and that she had a lot of resentment toward the guy. But I wasn't her dad. And I sure as shit wouldn't walk way. Partially because I couldn't. But also because that wasn't how I worked. I wouldn't just leave. Not without her first blowing a hole through my heart. And I was pretty sure Mina didn't have that in her.
"I'm not going anywhere Mina."
"I don't believe you." If I didn't believe the words she said, I could hear it in her voice. She didn't believe me and she didn't trust me.
I really only had one option.
"I'll prove it."
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At some point, Mina and I found our way back to neutral ground. Luckily before I lost my balance or my legs gave way. She had turned on the tv, I did some stretches, none of which really did me any good and we wound up both on the bed watching some chick flick she put on. I could feel my eyes growing heavy, maybe it was exhaustion or maybe the pain was finally starting to recede but I was fading quick.
"Mina." I mumbled, aware that my words sounded slurred and heavy with sleep.
"Hmm?" She didn't bother to look at me.
"Thank you." My eyes were starting to roll in my head as I let out a yawn at the tail end of my words.
That caught her attention as she turned to study me. "Shut your eyes."
"Don't go." I didn't want to fall asleep, desperate to hold onto this time with just Mina and me. "Please."
I let my head sink back into the pillow, using my last bit of energy to roll myself onto my side. My eyes were shut but I could feel the warmth radiating from Mina, my face almost pressed against her arm.
"I won't." Mina promised quietly.
And just as I was about to drift off to sleep I felt her fingers lace between mine.
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I woke up to the bed shifting. The warmth that I'd fallen asleep to gone, my fingers no longer laced with someone else's. My eyes snapped open, vision blurry from sleep. All I could see was a retreating back but I knew it was Mina.
"Where're you going?" I mumbled.
She spun around at my voice, hand over her heart startled. "You wake up easy."
I pushed my hand into the bed, rolling myself flat again. I tilted my head towards her.
"Were you leaving?" I asked again.
I shouldn't be surprised. We were missing the whole bbq. Plus I'm sure sitting in a room while I slept wasn't anyone's grand idea of fun. But I had really been hoping she'd stay.
"I have to go to the bathroom." She said. "I was trying to be quiet. I'll be right back."
I sounded needy but I didn't care. "Promise?"
The smallest hint of a smile pulled at the corners of her lips, her green eyes soft as she looked at me.
"I promise."
I watched her as she turned around, slipping through the door and pulling it shut behind her moments later. I let myself relax back into the pillows, exhaustion still filling every part of me. I checked my phone, I'd only been asleep for thirty minutes give or take. My eyes still heavy, the thought of getting up seemed equivalent to climbing Mount Everest. In a wheelchair.
The movie was still playing, my mind to slow to process the words as I stared at the screen.
What if Mina didn't come back?
I shook my head slightly, I was being ridiculous. Mina was constantly telling me to trust her. She wouldn't lie. Right?
But people lie. All the time. About anything and everything.
What if she went back to the bbq and I ended up just sitting there, waiting for her, like a fool?
I blew out a breath, shoving myself upright and shimmied my way to the edge of the bed. If she wasn't back by the time I was in my chair I'd have my answer. I'd go find her. I sent myself into a fit of spasms for a minute. Luckily I was now a pro at stopping them, my right leg far worse than my left. Like usual.
Eventually I got myself sitting upright, my legs dangling over the side of the bed. My stomach growled even though all I had been doing up until the bbq was eating brownies.
The door clicked open just as I started reaching for my chair and I stopped where I was. Mina closed the door behind her, a glass of water in her hand.
"I thought you might need some water." She said before her eyes landed on me. "Running off?"
She was teasing me, mischievousness dancing through her. I liked when Mina let her guard down slightly. When she let go of her mature, business, stoic front. When she let me see her as she actually was.
"I thought you weren't coming back." I blurted against my better judgement.
That wasn't going to keep playful Mina around.
"I told you I would." She said, the slight smile she had walked in with gone.
She still hadn't ventured into the room, instead stuck halfway between me and the door.
"Are you feeling any better?" Something sent her back in motion, as she crossed the floor and handed me the glass of water.
I took a sip, the cool water refreshing. Apparently I was thirsty too, downing most of it in one sitting. I shrugged my shoulders, I was slightly better, maybe. I could still feel the dull ache that I'd just grown to accept over the past several months but I hadn't had any searing jolts rip through me so that was a bonus.
I curled my hands around the glass, staring down at the clear liquid. I wondered if things would have been different between Mina and I if I never would have gotten hurt. Like what if I just bumped into her at school one day. Or if a teacher had paired us up for some lame project. And we got to know each other as we met up to work on the project and then when it was over, we just kept talking. And we talked until we were friends, and then we were friends until we accidentally developed feelings for each other because isn't that how it always goes? There was never any intention of falling in love, we were just meant to be friends. But we did fall in love with one another and then one of us would have to be brave enough to act on those things, which probably would have been me. And Mina never would have held back. She would have told me about her dad and her mom and she wouldn't be afraid to let me in because we would have been friends turned lovers. Not whatever it was we were.
The bed dipped beside me, Mina's arm grazing mine. I was too busy to look over at her, too lost in my what if's. Dreaming of an alternate world where Mina never tried to pretend to hate me.
"Owen?"
I didn't answer.
She let out a sigh and I felt her chin rest on my shoulder, her fingers curling around my forearm. My heart responded to her small show of affection, pounding happily in my chest regardless of the fact that Mina never wanted to be mine.
"I'm sorry Owen." She whispered, her breath warm on my neck.
It sent tingles bursting across my skin.
"For what?" I asked, not moving.
"For not being what you want."
But that was the thing. I just wanted her. Just as she was. I wouldn't change a thing.
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I've been kind of struggling to write this story and every time that happens I go through this stage like "what's wrong with me?!" And then I hit another stage that goes like "well maybe this is all I have to say?" And I think I'm at the later stage. I already know how this story is ending and I think we're there guys. For those that didn't see my little leak of what book two is we will be hearing from Mina. But instead of Mina picking up at the beginning of this and going through everything or picking up at the end of this one, her story starts somewhere in the middle.
I'm telling you all this because we might just have one more chapter 😳. Don't hate me for surprising the end on you, I honestly had this revelation after I finished up this chapter yesterday. So bare with me if the next chapter isn't posted tomorrow. I want to make sure I'm not rushing things but also that I'm not drawing it out.