Tale Teller (West Hampton U Series #1)

Chapter 15 ● Highlights

-- Muskaan --

The parents had taken over the living rooms so we had no where to go but the kitchen that was thankfully still kid and adult free. I had forgotten just how many families we had on our street that get together on the day after Christmas at Ruhaan's parents house.

Suhana has her head down on the island counter, bobbing to the music clips that play as she scrolls through Instagram reels. I continue to stacks the coffee pods in a tower and then knock them down to build a fort instead.

"What are you doing in here? We're playing a pickup game in the backyard," Ruhaan strolls into the kitchen, his dress shirt sleeves rolled up as high as they could go, presumably to play aforementioned basketball game.

"It's like 10 degrees outside you idiot," Suhana rolls her eyes, shutting her phone and sitting up in the spinning stool. "Or did you freeze the last few working brain cells in that head of yours already?"

Ruhaan mocks her words before turning to me with a friendly smile. I was relieved nothing changed between us despite the dissipation of me and Sameer. In fact, I'd argue we went from high school acquaintances to friends this year and we've stayed this way still. "Moosy, do you want to come play?"

He said it so earnestly, like we were kids on a playground. "I'm okay," I give him a sincere smile back. "I'm having a nice time," I point to my half-completed coffee pod fort.

"Here," he opens a drawer and pulls out stirring sticks. "More material for your castle," he grins.

"It's a fort, doofus," Suhana grumbles.

Ruhaan picks up one of the coffee pods and chucks it at her, I think purposely missing her face and hitting her arm instead. Suhana's head flings up, her eyes shooting daggers before she chases him out of the kitchen. Their antics make me laugh until my phone pings, and instantly my voice freezes.

I open my phone quickly to see the notifications but frown when it's just a Happy Holidays! email from my favourite smoothie place. I sigh, shutting the phone off and putting it back into my purse.

I wanted it to be Sameer. I could admit that much to myself. But I needed to stay away from. He's already lost everything because of my stubbornness, what more could he lose if he kept me around?

Suhana and I made our way back home before classes started up again. We still had plenty of unpacking to do and frankly, I didn't hate the idea of getting ahead on readings. Ruhaan agreed to come back because according to him, he needed an empty court to try out some new moves for the playoffs. I didn't ask much more about that.

We stumbled into our place after dark, going straight for bed. I appreciated seeing my parents for the last week but truly, I missed my room, my solitude. Dad kept a smile plastered on his face the entire time but Mom was barely able to hold a conversation with me for more than a minute. Without Hania, that place was just no longer a home.

We had grabbed burgers on the way home, and I could hear Suhana unwrapping hers in front of the TV. But instead of joining her, I stayed in bed, spotting my dress peeking out of my laundry basket. It was the same one I wore to the party.

That night definitely did not go the way I planned.

We were supposed to have come back here, spent the night wrapped up in these sheets and in each other. Instead, he was hundreds of miles away and I was here, alone, with nothing but the memory of his hands holding me close.