Prologue

Z A R A

I push through the crowded hallway, trying to reach my locker in one piece. The halls are buzzing with students excited to leave for their summer break. For some, like myself, it's our last year of high school. Adulthood doesn't sound fun, but high school wasn't that much fun either.

"Are you meeting Alejandro today?" Yasmeen asks, leaning against the locker beside mine.

I nod. "He asked me to meet him at the coffee shop across from the school."

"He seemed a bit distant in class today. Barely spoke to me," she mumbles.

It's not unusual for Alejandro to avoid conversing with people, but he usually holds a conversation with Yasmeen and me pretty well.

"Maybe our senior year finally made him crack," Yasmeen jokes.

"With his grades, I wouldn't care if I cracked, because at least my report card would be glowing," I sigh.

"Ugh, don't remind me. If my parents realise my average is 89% this year and not 95%, they might actually disown me," she groans.

"I swear, if I hear you complain about your 89% average one more time, I'll backhand slap you." I make a pouty-angry face.

"Back to Alejandro..." She quickly changes the topic. "I forgot to mention, he said to let you know that he'll be in a hurry after school."

"He did seem a little anxious over the last few days... I wonder why," I say.

"Do you plan on ever confessing this undying love for him that you've been holding onto for the last three years?" Yasmeen suddenly asks.

"Do you ever plan on letting me live peacefully without bringing this up every thirty seconds?" I frown.

"I don't bring it up every thirty seconds; I bring it up every fifteen seconds," she clarifies, as if that makes a difference. "Come on, Zara! You two obviously like each other! Just get it off your chest!"

"It's not that easy, Yaz. It could ruin our friendship. Besides, he's not even Muslim. Where would this confession lead?" I reason.

"Oh, I thought you'd convince him to revert and get hitched," she says casually.

"It's so weird... sometimes I think about it. I think about how I should just confess, whether it leads to anything or not. The feeling has been weighing me down recently," I groan.

"Try today! It's the last day of senior year, make it memorable!" Yasmeen says with far too much enthusiasm.

"I might just..." I think out loud.

"That's my girl!" She pats my back. "Remember when everyone found Alejandro to be extremely intimidating?"

"You're acting like they don't find him intimidating anymore," I laugh.

"You're right, let me rephrase that," she says. "Remember when we found Alejandro to be extremely intimidating? Ah, the good ol' days."

"Yes, I remember. I almost cried the first time he spoke to me because he sounded so... domineering," I recall.

"To be honest, he still scares me sometimes. Something about him is... permanently frightening," she says.

"Come to think of it, it's been three years since we met him, right? He's been here since sophomore year, yet we barely know anything about him besides the basics," I muse.

"Those basics were enough for you to fall madly in love with him. Plus, it didn't hurt that he looks like he jumped straight off a Vogue magazine cover," she smirks.

"Yasmeen!" I frown.

"What? Did I lie?" Her smirk widens.

I start to get flustered as Yasmeen begins to giggle.

"I know I shouldn't encourage it, but you two would be the cutest! You're so adorable and he's so edgy; a perfect match," she squeals.

"Okay, that's enough. My heart doesn't appreciate the encouragement—it will only lead to disappointment," I sigh.

"You're such a Negative Nancy," she frowns. "Anyway, I'll drop you off at the coffee shop and wait for you outside."

"Are you sure? I could take the bus home," I suggest.

"Yes, I'm sure," she nods. "Besides, I want to hear the tea while it's still fresh and hot, which means I'll hear it the second you leave the coffee shop while I'm driving you home!"

"You're so nosy, I love you!" I smile.

"You act like you wouldn't be this nosy if this were happening to me." She narrows her eyes at me.

"I'd be even more nosy," I admit.

"Exactly," she laughs.

-

"I'm nervous," I say, rubbing my palms together.

"You'll be fine. It's our last day of senior year. Make it memorable! That was the plan!" Yasmeen says encouragingly.

"You're always telling me to confess, but you never did," I raise a brow.

"You want me to confess to whom? A tree? You know I don't currently have a crush. Especially not one I've held onto for over three years," she points out.

"Okay, okay. I'm going!" I say, quickly getting out of the car. "I'll be back in about ten to fifteen minutes!"

"Don't worry! Take your time, lovebird!" Yasmeen giggles.

Once I enter the coffee shop, I see Alejandro sitting by the window, dressed in a black hoodie and sweatpants. He always dresses very low-key, never trying to bring too much attention to himself. Little does he know, his face draws more than enough attention. Though everyone is intimidated by him, there is no doubting he's gorgeous. His chiselled features complement his sharp, cold grey eyes. His cheekbones are a gift from God, and his jawline is as sharp as a new knife.

Even though he hides under large hoodies, it's obvious he is extremely well-built underneath. At a mere glance, his hands are just as intimidating. Their sheer size could make someone uneasy, with his long, slender fingers adding to their striking shape. The prominent veins running along his arms only add to their rugged attractiveness. Am I drooling over a man's limbs? Yes, I am. Give me a break—I've been eyeing this man for three whole years.

He even looks older than his age. When he enrolled in our sophomore year, he already looked like a senior. He was about 6'1" or 6'2", which was extremely tall. My 5'4" self looked like a tiny figurine beside him. For a while, many of us thought he was either redoing high school because he had failed or because he never completed it in the first place. But it turned out he was exactly our age. It was hard to believe at first, but everyone got used to it pretty quickly.

"Alejandro! Hey!" I wave at him while walking toward his table. He looks up at me, and his gaze alone stops me in my tracks for a split second. Something about him today seems darker... the aura around him is almost unsettling. He doesn't smile back, nor does he wave. I take a seat across from him, trying not to lose my composure.

"Did you want to talk about something important?" I ask.

He nods. "I'm leaving."

My eyes widen. "Leaving? Leaving where?"

"Just... leaving," he answers vaguely, just as he always does, acting as if he's hiding some big secret.

"Are you coming back?" I ask.

"I don't know. Chances are that we'll never see each other again." His words are, as always, so short and abrupt.

"Oh." My heart stings at his response. "Is that what you wanted to tell me?"

He looks out the window for a moment. "I have something I want to give you."

He pulls out a dark, almost black ring with a medium-sized red gemstone set right in the centre. He gently grabs my left hand, hesitating for a fraction of a second, and slips it onto my ring finger. My heart begins to hammer against my chest at the brief touch of his skin. When I look down at the ring from a closer angle, I see that the band is shaped like a dragon; its head hooks onto the gem from the left side, while its tail hooks onto the other side, completing the circle.

"It's... beautiful." And it looks expensive. "I couldn't possibly accept this."

"I would appreciate it if you did," he asserts.

Again, there is no real explanation as to why he's giving me this or what is on his mind.

"I have to go," he says suddenly.

"Right now?" We've barely exchanged a few sentences.

He nods, quickly standing up and stepping away from our booth.

"Wait." I grab the end of his sleeve.

It's now or literally never.

"I have something to say before you go," I whisper. He looks right into my eyes, making my heart skip far too many beats. I look away as my cheeks begin to turn pink.

"I—I like you!" I blurt out. "I've had a crush on you for years, but honestly, I never intended to act on it. Sometimes it feels like more than a crush, but it doesn't matter anymore. I just wanted to get it off my chest."

He stands there, frozen like a statue.

I quickly wave my hands in the air, shaking my head. "There's no need to answer! I promise, I just said it to make myself feel better. There's nothing we can do about it now, right?"

"I..." He starts, but doesn't finish.

I can feel my cheeks heating up in the heavy silence. "So, this is goodbye, huh? No texts or calls either?"

He looks down, avoiding my gaze, and that answers the question. Maybe I made him uncomfortable by confessing, but it won't matter. According to him, we'll never see each other again.

"Alright, then. I guess this is goodbye." My voice is quiet.

Why is this so much more painful than I thought? Is it the sting of rejection mixed with the reality that I'll never see him again? Suddenly, acting completely on impulse, I stand on the tips of my toes, reaching up as close to his height as I can, and place a soft kiss on the tip of his nose.

"Good luck, Alejandro." And I bolt out of there before I can even get a look at his face.

When I say bolt, I mean I literally Usain Bolt'd out of that coffee shop as if my life depended on it.

I jump inside Yasmeen's car, slamming the door shut.

"Holy shit, Zara!" She jumps in her seat. "You scared the living crap out of me!"

"Drive, Yasmeen! Drive!" I urge frantically.

"What?" she asks in her concerned mom tone. "What's wrong?"

"Just drive!" I say a bit too loudly, causing her to reverse out of the parking spot entirely too unsafely.

"Do you plan on telling me what happened in there?" she asks.

"He's leaving," I answer.

"Alejandro? So what? We're all leaving," she says, sounding confused.

I shake my head. "He's leaving for good. He said we'll never see each other again." A few tears roll down my cheeks. "I told him I liked him, but he went dead silent afterwards. It was so awkward, I wanted to pass away."

"Aw, my little cinnamon roll." She pats my arm while trying to stay focused on the road. "It's okay. Your heart feels a lot lighter now, doesn't it?"

"And... and I... I kissed him!" My voice sounds like a weird mix between a screech and a squeal.

"You WHAT?!" Yasmeen slams on her brakes at a red light that changes colour at the perfect time.

We both lurch forward, almost hitting the windshield.

"I don't know what happened... I just got on my toes, kissed the tip of his nose, and ran out of there like a madman," I say, sliding down in my seat.

"Oh my God... I shouldn't encourage it, nor should I praise it, but you've got balls. Since when? You can't even order food on the phone without rehearsing it a few times." There is clear surprise on Yasmeen's face, and she's trying really hard not to overreact for my sake.

"I wish I could tell you how or why it happened, but I don't know myself... I really don't. It just... happened. I might as well take this hijab off for disrespecting it like that," I pout.

Yasmeen frowns. "Girl, if you feel this bad, then you deserve to keep it on. It means you feel extremely guilty for your actions and recognise the disrespect. Ask Allah for forgiveness until your heart is full again; He is All-Merciful."

"Tell me how you're a crackhead with half a brain cell one second and an intellectual scholar the next," I laugh, sniffling a little.

"It's my hidden talent," she smiles proudly.

"Honestly, an amazing talent it is," I say.

"So... you really kissed him, huh? On his nose? That's so freaking cute—don't get me wrong, I don't approve at all, but I can't help but think about how cute that must've looked!"

I groan. "I hate to admit it, but I got intense butterflies when it happened. I thought I was going to pass out from the intensity. But please, let's not mention this ever again, or at least try to mention it as little as possible."

"You know me. I'll probably mention it every minute until I can move on, but I will try to respect your wishes," she winks.

And that was that. That is how I ended my last day of senior year—with a bang! Just kidding... It ended with a platter of heartbreak and tears, adding some haram as a side dish.

But even so, I hope I get to see Alejandro again someday. Even if it is just a glimpse from afar, just to know that he's doing well.