The Memory Of Us

Chapter 24

"Morning." Khalil groaned, rolling over in bed.

He placed a forearm against his forehead to brace his eyes against the fluorescent lights that he wasn't sure when Mina had flickered on. In fact he couldn't even recall when she had risen from bed, or when she had gotten dressed, but now he was staring at her from across the room, her hair pulled back away from her face with a thick pink headband, dressed in black tights and a fleece winter of the same pink.

"Morning." Mina called to him over her shoulder, leaning further over her dresser to stare at her reflection in the mirror.

"You're awake early."

"We don't know what time my grandma's going to leave." She said, turning around now, the edge of her dresser pressing into the small of her back. "We have to be ready to go whenever that is, otherwise we're back to square one again-" As she spoke, her voice rose in volume, her hands leaving the top of her dresser to dance about wildly in the air as her anxiousness became palpable.

"-and I'm in the hospital suffering from a lot worse than a stab wound!" She finished, wincing as the last word left her lips and Khalil was on his feet and across the room in an instant, steadying her as she doubled over, clutching her hands to her stomach.

"You need to take it easy." He warned her, massaging gentle circles into the small of her back. "You're still hurt, and the wound isn't going to magically close just because you want it to."

"I don't have time to be hurt!" She exclaimed through gritted teeth.

"Yeah,well you're not going to have time  to be anything if you keep overexerting yourself like this." He said, bending over so that he could look her in the eyes now.  "You'll rip your stitches open and be back in the hospital anyway."

    Mina heaved a sigh that shook the entirety of her body as she slowly, inch by inch, began to return upright once more, with the help of Khalil of course.

    "Hey-" He said, once she was standing tall once more, placing his palms on either side of her face. "I promise we're going to figure this whole thing out but-" Mina closed her eyes, but Khalil shook her, still holding firmly to her face, forcing her eyes back open once more.

    "-but-" He tried again. "-I need you to prioritize yourself because none of this is even worth it if you're not ok. I mean, I'm not sure what'd I even do with myself if you weren't. Ok."

    "You can't-" Mina stuttered, wrapping her hands around his wrists in an attempt to push him away, but he held steadfast.

    She turned her head from him, but he simply pulled her back to face him once more.

    "You can't." She whispered out again, tugging against his hands. "You're confusing me."

    At this, Khalil let out a chortle. "You're confused?" He teased her, pulling her closer so that their faces were only mere inches apart. "One minute you're being cold, yelling and pushing me away and the next you're asking me to stay over and pulling me closer in the bed. If anyone should be confused, it should be me!"

    Mina pulled her lips into her mouth. "I would say I'm sorry, but you deserve to suffer for even a little bit after everything you put me through."

    A smile tugged at the edges of Khalil's lips. "That's fair." He said. "And anyway, besides annoying me on an unbelievable level, this whole 'will they, won't they' thing we have going on is kind of entertaining."

    "Entertaining?" Mina echoed Khalil in disbelief. "The crisis I'm having is entertaining to you?"

    "Oh, absolutely!" Khalil exclaimed, daring to inch yet closer. "I mean I can practically see the gears turning in your head every time I get close to you, debating whether or not to fight the overwhelming urge to kiss me."