"I know when you're listening and when you're spaced out. I know how you play with your hands when you're nervous. I know when you're smiling for real and when you're faking it. I know where to touch you to give you strong feelings. You might know all these things but I know them better."
...
"What are you smiling at?" Ayan asks Zubair, raising his eyebrow. He is eyeing him suspiciously as if it's a crime to smile while looking at your phone.
Reminds me of my school days when if I was caught smiling at my phone, I'd have to answer to my mom's never-ending questions and her scrutinizing gaze.
"Oh, uh," Zubair says, taking his eyes away from the phone. "It's, er, nothing."
Rudy takes a meatball off Zubair's plate and stuffs it in his mouth. Cole, Emily and I make a face at Rudy while he maintains eye contact with us and licks his fingers, grinning widely.
Gross. I swear, Ansh and Rudy are long lost brothers. Give them food and they'll behave like they haven't been fed for months.
"Oh yeah?" Ayan mutters angrily, his voice rising. "So you're not stalking my sister?"
"Excuse me?" Zubair looks at him with confusion. I glance at Ayan with worry as well.
What is he doing????
"You heard me," Ayan says, gritting his teeth.
His statement is received with silence and shock. Even Rudy has paused stuffing his mouth with food. He glances at Sasha who smiles at him sympathetically.
Zubair sighs and gets up without finishing his food and excuses himself.
"Don't you dare leave without finishing our conversation." Ayan gets up and slams his hand on the table making everyone flinch.
"Ayan," I whisper, "you're causing a scene."
He ignores me and walks up to Zubair who towers over him slightly.
"It seems more of an interrogation to me," Zubair drawls and gives Ayan a bored look.
I watch as Rudy eyes a meatball on his plate as if it's the love of his life. Gathering an immense amount of courage, he slowly picks it up to eat it but Sasha smacks his hand and the meatball rolls off his hand and hits Ayan at the back of his head.
We all snicker but our laughter dies down when Ayan looks at us coldly, sending a chill down our bones.
Oof.
Rudy gulps but doesn't say anything. I give him a pitiful smile. Poor Rudy. He didn't even do anything!
"Dude, I saw how you were looking at my sister earlier," Ayan's voice rises above the silence. "You're still not over her?"
Zubair's ears get hot as he spats, "I'm not the one you should worry about. Worry about Dane. You fucking spoiled her life. Weren't you his friend? Then how did you not know he had a drinking problem, huh?"
Ayan seethes, "How dare you?"
Zubair sneers at him and laughs only adding fuel to Ayan's wrath.
"You think this is funny?" Ayan snaps.
They both are at each other's throat like savage hungry dogs fighting.
"Guys break it off," Cole says, pulling Ayan aside but Ayan just pushes him away. Ayan clenches his fist and glares at Zubair.
I sigh and stand next to Ayan. I open his closed fist and entwine my fingers with his, making him glance at me.
"Ayan," I whisper, "he's your friend. You don't want to hit him."
His eyes soften as he looks at me. With one last hardened stare aimed at Zubair, Ayan heads upstairs.
"Um," I say as I hear a door being slammed shut. "I'll just, uh, follow him?" Emily and Sasha nod at me while Zubair purses his lips.
"Be careful." Cole gives me a sympathetic look. "When he's angry, he says harsh things but he doesn't really mean them." He smiles sheepishly and looks away.
I nod at him and smile, "Yeah, okay. Thanks for the warning."
"Finally!" I hear Rudy say, "Now I can eat my lovely meatballs."
"Oh shut up," we all shout at him. He pouts at us.
...
"Ayan," I say as soon as I enter the room. "What was that downstairs?"
"None of your business." He glares at me.
Whoa, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.
I roll my eyes. "Zubair did nothing wrong. You know that, right?"
I watch as his face changes to hurt and anger and it only serves to bring his fury to a higher boil.
He shouts at me, "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU KNOW?"
I wince at his harsh tone. "All I know is that you're behaving unreasonably. Why are you creating such a big fuss about nothing?"
"Naira," he groans, pulling his hair tightly, "he's been after her for so long. I've told him to forget her but he just doesn't get it."
I scrunch up my eyebrows. "Do you even hear yourself?" Then I shake my head at him. "You're behaving like a fucking child. Zubair was just watching something on his phone. Why would you think that he was stalking Sara? How long have you known him, huh? Well, I've just known him for a few days and it feels like I know him way better than you do."
He scowls at me. "If you want to take his side, why don't you fucking go talk to him? Why are you still here, huh? Wasting your own time as well as mine."
I ponder over his words. Why am I here? I could just leave him alone. This has nothing to do with me. But the thought of seeing Ayan like this just doesn't sit right with me.
I glare at the ground and avert my gaze. I mumble as low as I can, "I don't know."
"Stop interfering with my life all the damn time," he says bitterly.
Wow, rich words coming from him.
My eyes flick to his rage-filled eyes. I sigh and raise my arm to touch him but he steps back. "Don't," he says coldly.
I gasp and nod.
"Well, if you want to behave like a fucking child then sure, go ahead," I say and leave the room, slamming the door shut behind me.