All Chapters of Between Destiny's Chains and Moonlight (Book series): Chapter 21 - Chapter 24

The double doors to the canteen swung open, and the usual midday roar of voices hit me like a solid wall. Selima did not let go of my arm, she steered me through the crowd with a mission-driven focus.“Look, he’s over there,” she hissed, nodding toward the center of the room.“I see him, Selima. It’s hard to miss the sun when it’s shining,” I replied, my voice trembling as I watched Uriel sitting at a central table.He was surrounded by the ‘elites’, the athletes and the socialites whose parents owned half the city. “He’s alone at the end of the bench,” Selima observed, her eyes narrowing as she calculated our path. “Michael is just a few feet away. This is perfect. We’re going in.”“I can’t do this,” I whispered, trying to anchor my sneakers to the linoleum floor. “Look at Chloe and her group. If I walk over there, they’ll laugh me out of the building. Did you see the way she looked at my hair yesterday? Like I was something she found on the bottom of her shoe.”“Who cares about Chlo

“This is your moment, Mehanda. Say something. Anything. Even if it’s about the weather or how much you hate the cafeteria pizza. Just open your mouth and let words come out.”“I can’t believe you’re making me do this,” I moaned, feeling like my legs were turning into literal jelly. “I look like a mess. I’m sweaty from sitting in the sun, and I probably smell like the gym floor.”“You look like a girl who is about to get a ride from the hottest guy in school,” Selima countered, smoothing my hair with a quick, rough motion. “Now, chest out, and chin up. Act like you belong in that passenger seat. Be the queen of your own destiny for once!”“I’m more like the court jester of my own destiny,” I muttered. My heart thudded painfully as Uriel approached, his stride easy and confident. The sound of his sneakers on the pavement felt like a countdown to my own explosion. He glanced up, and for the briefest second, his eyes caught mine. A flicker of recognition passed through those deep blue de