Diary on The Shelf!

Chapter 20

CATHERINE STARED at Halima, her eyes widening, her mouth slightly parted in disbelief. The reason she received from Halima seemed unbelievable, not the act itself, but the fact that Halima was upset about something she had no idea about. How was she supposed to know that they were having a moment? If she had known, she would have certainly kept her distance.

Her disbelief was rooted in Halima's reaction, the girl's abrupt and rude response. Catherine remained in a state of shock, her voice trembling as she attempted to understand. "Are you fucking kidding me!? How was I to know? It's not like I can read your mind."

Halima's frustration was palpable, her words sharp, "Whatever! You're annoying."

Catherine, equally frustrated, retorted, "Oh, and what? You two were going to kiss?"

Halima sneered. "Probably!"

"Yeah, no kidding," Catherine replied sarcastically.

Halima's face scrunched up, her eyebrows lifting, demanding an explanation. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

Catherine, in a rare moment of audacity, answered candidly, "Oh, come on, like you could kiss in public, let alone with a girl."

"I could," Halima muttered, her frown deepening.

"Yeah, right."

"What's it to you, Kate!? Huh? Why are you so worked up about it?"

"I'm not! I think you're being delusional right now. Did you forget you have a fiancé-to-be back at home?"

Halima's eyes widened, taken aback by the mention of Ismail. Catherine's words had struck a nerve. Catherine, her face fallen, regretted her words immediately. Halima's eyes glistened, and Catherine could see the hurt etched across her face. She swallowed a bitter pill, took a deep breath, and then exhaled, her voice barely above a whisper, "I'm sorry."

Catherine whispered, her voice laden with remorse, "Halima, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

Halima sighed, shaking her head, "It's fine, Catherine."

"No, Halima, I'm really, really sorry. I crossed a line there."

Halima's voice held a note of finality, "It's okay, Catherine. I just . . . want to get some sleep."

Catherine wanted to say more, to make amends, but Halima had turned and walked away. She felt the weight of her words, regret gnawing at her conscience.

Halima returned to where Lorna was waiting for them, her heart still heavy with the memory of their confrontation with Catherine. There was a deep feeling of hurt within her. She forced a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Are you two okay?"

"Uh, yeah, I mean, no. But we'll be. It's nothing to worry about," she reassured Lorna. "Can we go already? I really want to sleep."

"Sure, let's go.".

Lorna decided not to press further, not wanting to come between the two friends, but that didn't mean she wouldn't make an effort to uplift Halima's spirits. 

She spoke gently, "Right, so I've already booked the BNB. It has three bedrooms, so we each get our own."

Halima's heart plummeted, sinking to depths she hadn't imagined. If it was possible to feel even worse after her tense exchange with Catherine, she did. The disappointment stung so profoundly; she had held onto the hope that they would share a room. Wasn't that what Lorna had offered earlier? Or could it be she had misunderstood?

"Oh," Halima muttered, her voice tinged with sadness. "Okay."

Lorna couldn't ignore the visible disappointment etched across Halima's face. She silently berated herself for her oversight. After all, it had been her idea to share a room, so why had she even suggested otherwise now? She couldn't bear to witness the look of dejection in Halima's eyes.