It feels like it was yesterday I was left to rot at that unknown place. Khloe was able to save me that day. I can’t believe Ethan left me there. I know he was angry, but that is not enough reason for him to leave me there. I should not be surprised anyways because it’s Ethan I am talking about, someone who hates me more than anything in this world. He hurt me a little that night, nothing serious, but I still feel little pains in my arms when I move them. His grip was really tight that night.
I am on my way to class this beautiful afternoon. I get to class and take my seat, waiting for the professor to arrive. Someone takes a seat beside me, but I don’t border to look up from my phone to know who it is. The professor arrives after a few seconds, and the class starts. I keep my phone on the table and look up. The person sitting beside me is not someone I want to see after what happened on Saturday. Ethan is sitting beside me. Why is he sitting beside me? I look around to see if all the seats are occupied, but they are not, so why is he. Ethan will never willingly sit beside me; something must be wrong with him today. I don’t say anything to him and mind my business.
I take out my pen from my bag to write, but it falls from my hand. I try to pick it up, but someone beats me to it. Ethan helps me pick up my pen. What is going on? The Ethan I have known for three years now would never help me pick up my pen. Is something wrong with him? I did not realise I had zoned off until Ethan speaks.
“Adina your pen,” Ethan says in a calm voice that I have never heard him use before.
“Thank you,” I say, taking the pen from his hand.
“You are welcome,” Ethan says in the same soft tone he used earlier. Can today get any weirder with Ethan’s behaviour? Why is he behaving like a totally different person today? Ethan would never ever say any polite word towards me, and he just did. Wow, I can’t believe it. I feel like I am dreaming right now. I wonder what is making him act like this. Anyways that is not my problem right now, I have a class that is going on, and that is where my attention should be.
After an exhausting two hours, the lecture is finally over. I am walking out of the classroom when I hear Ethan calling my name. I pretend like I can’t hear him and walk fast. I don’t want to speak to him alone, and he made sure everyone left before he called my name. I can only imagine what he wants to do to me today. I hear his footsteps getting closer, so I increase my speed. Last time he might have only hurt my arms by mistake, but today it might not be so. He was very calm around me, which makes me very scared. There is a saying that when someone is calm, that is when they are most dangerous. If they want to hurt you, they will do it painfully because they are thinking straight and can do a lot of harm. That is why I am running away from Ethan. It's funny how I am running away from him, and two weeks ago I would have never thought I would. I think it’s because regardless of the number of times Ethan and I have fought, never has he been the way he was with me on Saturday. I am able to outwalk him and quickly get to my car. Alhamdulillah, I was able to.
I am on my way to meet Usman for dinner; I prayed Isha before leaving the house. He has been busy since he came into town. I park my car and walk into the restaurant. I see him sitting with a few papers in front of him. I walk over to join him.
“I thought we came to eat, not for you to work,” I say once I take my seat.
“Is that how you should greet your elder brother?” Usman says, lifting his head from the papers in front of him.
“As salamu alaykum”
“Wa alaykumu salam”
“Are you happy now?”
“I don’t blame you; it’s because I love you too much.”
“If you don’t love me, who would love me,” I say laughing while Usman just shakes his head smiling.
“How are you doing sis.”
“Am good, and you?” I say trying to take a bite of Usman’s food, but he hits my hand away.
“Am fine and order your own food.”
“That’s not nice and how long will you be staying,” I say and signal a waiter to our table.
“The sooner I get the deal signed the sooner I leave, but In Shaa Allah I would stay for only two weeks.”
“Alright, and you said you needed my car to go somewhere on Friday.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Alright no problem, I will drop it off at your hotel Thursday evening since you need it Friday morning.”
“Thank you, sis.”
“You are welcome and better pay for my meal.”
“I don suffer (I have suffered)” Usman says shaking his head while smiling.
“I love you too,” I say, smiling.
Usman and I have finished eating. I walk to the toilet to freshen up before we leave. On my way out, I bump into someone because like always I am going through my phone while walking. I really need to stop doing this. I immediately apologise to the person, but I can’t believe out of all the people in the world, it had to be him. His all too familiar perfume surrounds me with its intoxicating scent. I can’t believe I have become so familiar with this particular perfume. It seems odd that I would. I continue walking, but stop when he blocks my path. Oh my God, now he is going to make a big deal about it, and I don’t have the time for this. Usman is waiting for me outside. I try to find a way to walk around him, but he keeps blocking my path. I give up and stand still, waiting impatiently for what he has to say. He grabs my hand and walks us into a room. The room is a bit dark, so I can’t really see well inside, but the lights from outside give it a little brightness. We are in a storage room, and I wonder why he brought me here. Does he want to do something to harm me? Ya Allah, I pray he does nothing harmful to me.
“I don’t understand. I can’t seem to comprehend why you did it. It does not make total sense to me why you would” Ethan says, staring at me intensively with a lot of curiosity in his eyes.
His questions take me by surprise because I don’t know if he is asking why I bumped into him or something else. For some reasons, I don’t feel like it has anything to do with what happened a few seconds ago. The curiosity and confusion in his eyes tell me it has to do with something more profound and much more connected to him dearly.
“Ethan I don’t know what you are talking about?”
“Tell me Adina why, why, why, because I cannot understand why you would,” Ethan says, ignoring my questions and gives me more stunning and confusing ones to answer.
“Ethan, I can only answer your questions if you explain to me exactly what you are asking me.”
“I don’t want to believe it. It can’t be possible that there is actually one of you who is different. That’s impossible, you all are the same”
“One of us? We are all the same? What are you talking about?” I say getting more confused by the minute
“Adina are you truly what Mrs Grace says you are. Are you really not like them? Are you really different from them and does not hate me” Ethan says, grabbing my face in his palms as he stares deeply into my eyes.
I try to turn my face away, but he holds it in place, making sure I stare back into his eyes. I also try to remove his hands from my face, but it feels like I am touching a brick wall. I don’t know why Ethan is behaving or asking me all these questions. I am baffled as to what he is talking about.
“Tell me, Adina, do you hate me?” Ethan says, staring into my eyes with so much curiosity in them. I wonder why he wants to know deeply if I hate him. Why do I feel Ethan’s reason for hating me is not something little. Ever since I saved him that night, I think it left a profound impact on him, and I don’t know why.
“No, I don’t hate you,” I say honestly while staring back into his eyes, wondering why it’s so vital for him to know if I hate him or not.
It might surprise people that no matter how much Ethan and I don’t get along, I don’t hate him. I feel hate is a huge word, and it can’t be used to describe what I feel towards Ethan. Yes, I dislike his character, but hate is far too big of a word to use and describe it. And also as far as Ethan does not rudely speak to me or insult me. We are totally fine with each other because I don’t have any other reason to loathe him.
“Oh, my God!” Ethan says, dropping his hands from my face and grabs his hair in a tight grip. “I can’t believe this,” He says, walking up and down the room, looking very deep in thoughts. I am truly lost, and I wish I could understand what is going on.
“Ethan,” I say, trying to get his attention.
“I need some time to think,” He says and walks out of the room. Leaving me with all these questions and thoughts to wonder why he asked them this night.