A Twist of Fate ✔

Ch. 14

Hamza awoke with a start. Momentarily disgruntled, he tried to remember where he was. Why was it dark? And why did his legs feel so warm?

He rubbed his eyes as the memories came flooding back, clearing his confusion. He remembered Laila and looked down to see her head resting on his lap. She was fast asleep, her light snores just barely audible. The moonlight illuminated her face and Hamza noticed her hijab had come loose. A few curls snuck out, resting against her smooth cheek. Without thinking twice, he reached down and touched her cheek, brushing the strands aside. His fingers traced the three beauty marks that decorated her cheekbones, mapping out the constellation that felt so familiar. She was a masterpiece that almost pained him to look at. She was his.

Feeling either courageous or utterly stupid, Hamza pulled the hijab back, allowing the fabric to drop to the floor. Laila stirred slightly and he froze, thinking he had woken her up. Instead, she unconsciously nestled in deeper against his chest. He smiled at that, remembering how much she loved to cuddle. He reached down and undid the hair-tie, watching her curls spring to life. He buried his hand in the chocolate-brown mass and relished in the way the strands spiraled around his fingers. It was as if they recognized him. He pulled his hand away and watched her hair fan over her face before brushing it away, dragging his fingers along her scalp.

He could've sat there playing with her hair for hours, but she moved again. This time, she flipped onto her back, mumbling something her breath. Lazily, she peeled one eye open, then the other. They squinted up at Hamza, clearly still foggy with sleep. It took her a minute to focus in the dark and when she finally did, her eyes shot wide open.

"Oh my god, I'm lying on your lap, aren't I?" She whispered, frozen in horror.

Hamza chuckled, his voice still husky from sleep. "That, you are."

"We both fell asleep."

"Yep."

"How long have you been awake?"

Hamza noted how she made no effort to move. He was cradling her head, his fingers still entangled in her hair. He could feel the pulse in her neck tickling his wrist, his forearm resting gently against her collarbones. "Just for a few minutes."

He met her gaze. Her eyes seemed almost sparkle in the moonlight. He could feel himself getting lost in them. She was still as he lowered his head to hers, never breaking eye-contact. The closer he got, the more her skin shimmered brilliantly. It was blinding. He wanted- no, he needed more. He brought his right hand to her face, cupping her cheek. His thumb brushed across her lips and they automatically parted, her breath steadily growing heavier.

When her eyes started to flutter shut, he spoke. "Your snores are so adorable."

That immediately snapped Laila out of her trance. She shot up out of his lap, narrowly missing crashing into his face. He laughed as she stumbled around for her scarf, only now realizing her hair was out.

"I do not snore." She huffed indignantly, messily wrapping her hijab around her face and failing miserably. Her curls continued to poke out, dangling over her eyes. "Whatever. I totally don't."

When he only laughed in response, she couldn't help but laugh along. The full-blown smile that broke out across her face was enough to take Hamza's breath away. Quite literally.

"What?" Her laughed died down slowly at his sudden silence. "I know you're only teasing me to get a reaction. I don't snore." She said adamantly. "I don't." He continued to stare, and she gasped. "I really do? Oh my god that's so embarra-"