Shattered Hope [3]

Two more months and that is all, I kept telling myself.

Exams drew nearer and I could not spend as much time as I used to around Mohammed and his sister. My apartment was a mess so I spent nearly the entire days at the library, researching or studying.

Even though it was hard to, I had to deny lots of other invitations from Rania’s part and it reached to a point where I had to switch off my phone and then come up with fake excuses for it. I wanted to get it over with so I could get back to my family, and pay full attention towards them, but studying for exams took all my time.


On rare occasions, I would spend some time at the coffee shop as a treat. I would stay there and think of nothing else than how I came to be and what they must be thinking of me; to appear out of the blue and then disappear!

I promised myself to make it up for them so on Friday evening, after having done a double share of studying; I called up Rania and asked her if we could go to the movies together, plus Mohammed. She was all over the place about my idea and a couple of hours later, we were on our way to the theatre.

‘Look who’s here!’ Mohammed said when we first met after weeks. He had a wide grin on his face that made the butterflies in my stomach go crazy.

'Hey' I replied shyly.

'Ready to go?' Rania asked, interrupting our conversation.

We ended up watching a comedy movie, and I really needed to have some laughs. For dinner, Mohammed had an early reservation at a restaurant. The food was delicious as Rania and I ordered what Mohammed recommended us.

Before any of us knew it, the perfect night ended and we had to say goodbye.

Next morning, I stopped at the closest coffee shop as per usual and for a moment, I was positively sure that my mind was playing tricks on me again.

He had just entered.

I thought of hiding, disappearing into thin air, or simply walking out before he notices me but it was too late –

'Morning sunshine' he said to me, and sat right across my table, talking on his phone. I nodded, smiling.

What should I do, oh what should I do?
He seemed busy. I should go. It's either now or never! The inner voice kept repeating the same thing over and over again.

Even though, the real voice, that is mine, was insisting on staying. I mean how bad can I be in a verbal conversation? And it's not like we're sharing the same table. Besides, I'll just finish my coffee… and read a few pages of my novel…

'Am I allowed to share your table?' He asked.

I'm dead.

'No', he was taken aback, 'After consideration, I'll have to say yes you may' I finished.

STOP flirting!

'Thanks, your majesty', he mouthed the words and we sat in silence till the waitress took his order.

'So, how are you feeling this morning?'

'I'm alright, what have you been up to lately?'

'I've been on a break so it's all about hanging out with friends and stuff'.

'Cool…'

'Listen…' he took the coffee and stood up, 'I have to be somewhere else. This guy wants me to pick him up' addressing the phone he had on his other hand. 'Talk to you later?'

'Yeah…' I said.

'Laters' he grinned and waved goodbye.

Phew, that went well.

At the end of the day, I dropped down on the sofa and started reading, but the SMS made it impossible for me to finish the page.

- Good evening :) What r u doing?

- Hey, I just started reading a book.

- Good. There's something I wanted 2 talk 2 u about.

- Go ahead.

- No, I can't say it here. Can I call u?

- Sure.

What's going on his mind? I desperately wanted to know.

[Shattered Hope: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4]