Dina and Nicholas sat beside each other in the large library. Their scribbling was the only sound that was heard, concentrated visages and the occasional sighs of tortured college students. Every once in a while, Nicholas would glance back at Dina, relishing in the radiance that she brought with her.

Her thick lashes fluttered, dark eyes scanning her paper for any written errors while Nicholas counted every perfection that he saw in her. His mind crumbled into a pile of mush. Dina consumed his every thought, suffocating him with her warmth, and she wasn't even touching Nicholas.

"Hey, Nemo?"

He averted his gaze. "What?"

"How did you write your conclusion?" she asked, not looking up from her work, fingers gliding across her paper as she continued to write. "I'm completely lost with half of what I wrote."

"Then maybe we should take a break," Nicholas stated, dropping his pencil.

Mr. Jerikson had assigned a practice essay about racial diversity based on specific class readings. Majority of the articles were negative opinions, so Nicholas didn't have much to work with or any spontaneous writing secrets to finish the essay. He was in dire need of relaxation.

Dina stilled her movements, finally bringing her curious eyes to him. "But the essay," she protested.

Nicholas rolled his eyes. "I highly doubt that writing with a fried brain is going to help your essay," he commented dryly. "Besides, I wanted to show you a new book."

Instantly, her eyes lit up. Putting her pen down, Dina eagerly glanced at Nicholas, watching him reach into his bag. Nicholas chuckled, amused at her excitement. It seemed like she was ready to sink her teeth into another adventurous book, another alternate reality where she could escape the struggles of her life.

"Here." He handed her the emerald green book. "I read the book when it first came out and I don't know why, but the main character reminded me of you."

"Stalking Jack the Ripper," she read, flipping it open. "A historical unsolved murder, probably the most famous serial killers of all times."

"You forgot to mention the Zodiac killer."

Dina gasped, hugging the book to her chest. "Nemo! Don't utter such amateurs in front of an ancient murderer."

He quirked his brow. "Do you have any idea how wrong that sounded?"

"Absolutely not!"

Nicholas shook his head, leaning closer to Dina as she began reading the first page. Her toasty brown eyes hungrily absorbed the delicate words written on the page. Her fingers glided across the delicate pages, savoring every word. He glanced over her shoulder, reading the passage with her.

Her floral scent hit him, and Nicholas couldn't stop himself from leaning in. Dina had not noticed the close proximity of their bodies. It would only take one movement and her lips could be on his, or he could cuddle Dina to his chest, sitting in the library alone with only love stamped on his brain.

But Nicholas was wiser than that.

He pulled away, choosing to focus on his essay instead of his traitorous thoughts. Never had Nicholas felt the pull of attraction the way he did then. Everything about Dina allured him like a forbidden fruit, tempting him with the promise of sweetness, an escape from their bitter world.

Shifting in his seat, Nicholas felt a stirring down below. His cheeks flushed.

Noticing the tension in the air, Dina glanced up from her book. "Nemo?" she questioned, voice as innocent as an angel. "You seem a bit stiff."

"You don't say," he muttered sarcastically under his breath, blonde hair falling over his glasses.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing."

"Tell me," pouted Dina, lips tempting him towards sin.

Her blood-red hijab matched the fire that ignited within Nicholas, twisting and turning, irrationality filling his senses, and once again Nicholas was lost in the thought of Dina. His bright blue eyes drank in her expressions, her beauty, her outspoken personality. He imagined hundreds of ways to love her, to show her how much she meant to him, yet his hands were motionless at his side.

Feeling the intensity of his gaze, her cheeks reddened. She gently bit down on her lip, an action that Nicholas wished he could be doing.

"It's just that..." he trailed off, choking under the pressure of his emotions. Come on, Nick. Spit it out. You already told her you love her. It can't get any worse.

Dina tilted her head at him. "Yes?" she prompted him, eyes sparkling with an unreadable expression. Perhaps Nicholas was just too afraid to interpret the meaning of her emotions, afraid to feel the shattering of his heart.

Nicholas sighed, averting his eyes to the paper below him, scared of rejection. "You just..." he began again, inhaling a sharp breath. "You make it hard to be around sometimes."

He felt her figure slump beside him, and Nicholas quickly realized his mistake.

"Not like that!" he quickly amended. "I meant that it's hard to think clearly around you."

She furrowed her brows. "How? I mean I know I'm overbearing with my opinions," she joked halfheartedly, "but I swear that I'm as harmless as a butterfly."

His words melted into his tongue as a chuckle ripped through him. "A butterfly?" he questioned with a smile. "I think you can be a little more creative than that."

Dina grinned. "Okay, let me think. How about a baby? They're harmless."

"They scream."

"But they're babies!" she protested. When she saw Nicholas's bored expression at the new comparison, Dina scowled. "Fine."

"You remind me of guardian angels," he blurted out. A rosy pink tinted his cheeks as Nicholas squeezed his eyes shut, praying to disappear from his embarrassment.

"I do?"

Slowly, he nodded, gazing at her through his thick lashes. "You saved me, Dina," he whispered. "You stopped me from killing myself."

Dina winced from his word choice like the mere thought of suicide cut through her in sharp blades, but nonetheless she stayed silent.

"If you didn't come when you did, I wouldn't be standing," he smiled, sitting straighter. "I won't lie and say my dark thoughts don't bother me at times, but you, Elijah, and hell even your brothers have managed to remind me everyday that I have people worth fighting for in this life. Especially you, Dina."

"Nick-"

"Everyday, I'm reminded that I still have you. Everyday, I'm reminded that a girl cares for me. Everyday, I'm reminded that you love me," he softly said, watching the faint smile playing on her lips. "I know we aren't perfect for each other. I know you can't be with me, but just this once I want to remember us like this. Together with no one impeding between us."

She bit her lip, uncertainty squirming in the dark pools of her eyes. "I wish I could, but Allah comes before everyone. I'm sorry," she whispered.

Instinctively, his hand clawed at his chest, feeling the hurt bloom like a poisonous flower infecting him with an incurable disease. Nicholas stood, legs wobbling and Dina right at his side in case he fell, but internally, he was being ripped to shreds. His heartbreak bled through his sanity, through his hopes, through his memories.

"No," he furiously shook his head, "this can't be happening."

"Nick-" she tried to calm him, but Nicholas pushed her hands away.

"You said you loved me. You said you cared. You said you'd always be there for me!" he yelled, tears brimming his eyes. She looked away, silence touching her lips. "Please, Dina."

"What do you want me to say?" she asked brokenly with glossy eyes.

It was then that Nicholas realized how much God meant to Dina. She was willing to sacrifice the thrill of young love if it meant pleasing her Creator. God veiled Dina from the hungry eyes of men with His commandments, shielding her under His protection. Her faith brightened up the darkness that surrounded her at every obstacle.

Nicholas admired that.

He wasn't foolish to believe converting to a religion would fix all his problems, but Nicholas knew that he couldn't let her go. He couldn't watch her walk out the door and out of his life forever. He knew that life was more than science and tragic histories.

Nicholas was the author of his narrative. The pen was in his hands, the pages left blank for his future. The ink of his decisions weighed down on him, but Nicholas refused to live in a world where Dina was nothing but a distant love story that was never meant to be.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, rubbing the sorrow from his eyes. "I don't know what came over me. It was wrong of me to force my feelings on you like that, but could I ask for one favor?"

She nodded.

"Don't give up on me yet."

----

Talk about a whirlwind of emotions. The update was a week late, I'm sorry >.<

Anyway, I'd like to wish a happy birthday to one of this book's fans BlackRose3344. I wasn't sure if I could get the chapter up today, but I pushed through! You should thank your friend for asking me to do this because usually I wouldn't, but I'm a sucker for friendship goals.

What do you guys think Nicholas is going to do?

Don't forget to vote, comment, and follow!