Salaam everyone! I just wanted to let you all know that I've seen every single one of your messages, and InshaAllah I will try to reply as soon as possible. It means a lot to me to see your messages and comments! Keep it up, and stay awesome! :D <3

Hana practically flew down the stair case, dashing as fast as she could across the Masjid towards the front doors. Unfortunately for her, Houssam was an athlete, and he was fast and soon he had caught up to her, keeping pace easily even though she was practically running.

“Hana. Hana wait please!” he exclaimed, and she skidded to a halt as he jumped in front of her, blocking her from walking any further.

“Leave me alone.” She whispered. “I don’t need this drama, I really don’t.”

 “Hana, please. I am so sorry you had to hear that, but I’m just,” he paused to run a hand through his hair, “I’m just so confused.”

“Well let me make it easier on you.”

She started to walk away from him again, but he reached out and grabbed her purse strap, causing her to stumble backwards.

“Is that your answer to everything? To run away?!” he demanded, and she took a step forward angrily.

“How dare you! You don’t get to talk to me like that!”

“But you can run away?! For once in our relationship, stay longer than five seconds to talk things out!”

“Our relationship?!” she shook her head, “we don’t have a relationship Houssam, and you made it perfectly clear how you feel about that!” she exclaimed, and he sighed.

“You came at the wrong time Hana.” He said softly, and she scoffed.

“Oh I’m sorry, was there something good after you hate me? I should have waited for the whole performance to be over before making myself known! But pardon me for not being able to handle the abuse any longer!” she exclaimed hotly, and he clenched his fists, taking in a deep breath.

“Look I am sorry. There was no excuse for what I said.”

“No,” she said pulling her purse out of his grasp, “there wasn’t.”

“So you are going to leave then? That’s it? Just walk out on me?” he called after her retreating back, and she paused momentarily in her steps.

“I was fine before you came back.”

His eyes widened slightly.

“So you regret meeting me again?”

She sighed again, wrapping her arms around herself.

“I regret that I seem to get hurt every time I turn around. I regret that I forgot my purse in the library and had to hear your declaration.”

“Hana.” He whispered, and she shook her head before smiling slightly.

“It’s fine Houssam. You don’t owe me anything.”

***

Hana sat in her old treehouse that was in the backyard of her parent’s house, and pulled her knees up to her chest. She had spent the past hour crying, she didn’t have any more tears to release. She hated how she had been acting the past few weeks. She had promised she would never let a man, especially not Houssam mess her up inside, and unfortunately she was failing…horribly.

She leaned her head against her legs, sighing deeply. He had chased after her but thankfully, and this was the first time she had been happy to see her lately, Kalthoum had come up the front steps of the Masjid, and Houssam was obliged to abandon Hana and pay attention to her. Once she had made it to her house, she had dashed past her startled parents, and had come up to the treehouse, and had been there ever since.

“Hana, w…why couldn’t you h…have h…h…hidden in y…your room?”

Hana gave a small smile as Hisham climbed up the ladder, and he sat down next to her, breathing heavily.

“Man I’m out of shape!” he exclaimed, and she laughed at how red his face was.

“You didn’t have to come here.”

“Well, yes I did.”

“Mama told you I was up here?”

He shook his head.

“Nope.”

“Baba?”

“No.”

“Amir told you what happened in the library?”

“Houssam did.”

She lifted her head in surprise.

“Houssam did?”

Hisham nodded his head.

“Yeah he appeared in my office freaking out saying he had said something he didn’t mean and he had hurt you and he would never forgive himself if you didn’t forgive him and that I needed to come talk to you and beg of you to forgive him as he is only a man.” He said with a laugh, and Hana smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Did he tell you what he said?”

Hisham nodded slightly.

“He did.”

“How did he find out?” she whispered, and Hisham sighed, leaning against the wall.

“Layla.”

“Layla!?” she exclaimed in surprise, and he nodded grimly.

“Yeah Layla. She heard Ilham and I talking about it and told him. I’m sorry Hana! I never would have expected her to be paying attention, let alone remember enough to tell Houssam!”

“Oh wow.” She said quietly, and her brother put a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. It is what it is.”

They sat quietly for a few minutes, before Hisham nudged her with his toe.

“So what are we going to do?”

“I don’t know what to do Hisham.”

“Maybe it’s not such a bad thing that he knows.”

“Are you insane!? It’s a horrible thing!” she exclaimed in horror, and he laughed.

“You only think it’s a horrible thing now because you are so embarrassed. If you just look at it from the point of view that now he knows and you can do something about it, you will feel a lot better!”

“Hisham. The man said he hated me, and he was asking his brother for advice on how to ‘fix’ it. There is nothing that can be done about it!”

“Hana, he said so himself he was just confused about his feelings. I think he likes you more than he realizes, I have had the suspicion for a while now.”

She shook her head.

“Thanks for trying to cheer me up, but no offense big bro, you aren’t helping.”

Hisham smiled.

“Can you just hear him out?”

“Hisham, I know what he is going to say. He’s sorry I heard what he was saying. He meant what he said, he is just freaking out because I heard!”

“Let him explain habibti.”

“Hisham I cant face him! He knows I like him! That’s just…humiliating!”

He gave her a pat on her back.

“Habibti, you didn’t do anything Haram. It’s perfectly normal to have feelings for people. It’s not like you tried to seduce him in the library or something!”

Hana groaned.

“You did not just say that!”

He laughed.

“I did. Look Hana, you are my little sister and I love you, and you are my priority. Not Houssam and his feelings. But I really think you should let him explain!”

Hana shook her head.

“No. Look I have a lot to think about, and I’m guessing he does too. InshaAllah maybe in a little bit of time I will be able to face him, but right now, I really can’t.”

He was silent for a few seconds, before nodding.

“Okay. Whatever you want.”

***

“You idiot!” was the way Yusra greeted her brother as he stepped into her kitchen later that day.

“Hey! What did I do!?”

“What did you do? WHAT DID YOU DO!?  YOU are an IDIOT!” she punctuated her statement by hitting Houssam with her dish towel, and he threw his hands over his face.

“Yusra! What the heck!?”

“Don’t what the heck me! How could you do that to Hana?!”

Houssam groaned.

“Amir!” he yelled in the direction of Amir’s office.

“Sorry bro!” Amir called back.

Yusra placed her fists on her hips and frowned at her brother.

“How could you do that?! The poor thing!”

“I didn’t do it on purpose!” he protested, and she rolled her eyes.

“It doesn’t matter! You have done some stupid things in your life, but this has to be the worst!” she exclaimed, and he plopped down on one of the dining room chairs and frowned at her.

“Stop making me feel bad. I already feel so horrible I could cry!”

“Well you should! Why would you say you hate her!?”

“I don’t,” he said with a sigh, “I don’t know how I feel, but I don’t hate her. I was just speaking out of frustration.”

“Well what are you going to do to fix this!?” she demanded, and he groaned.

“She won’t talk to me. I already sent Hisham to beg of her to forgive me and let me explain, but she refused.”

“How could you explain if you just said you are confused?”

“I don’t know!” he exclaimed drawing out the ‘o’ in the word, and she glared at him.

“Houssam you are twenty seven.” She paused to poke him in the chest. “It’s time to grow up and take responsibility for your actions.”

“I don’t want to grow up.” He whined, and despite her annoyance, she laughed.

“Houssam habibi, you have to think long and hard about what you want to do. Do you like Hana? Honestly?”

He hesitated for a second.

“I don’t know.”

She stomped her foot.

“You have to know!”

“Woah pregnancy road rage here!” he cried, and she rolled her eyes.

“Watch it. I’ll come sit on you, don’t think I won’t!”

He laughed, and gathered his hair up in his hands, before letting it fall back down to his shoulders.

“Tell me what to do Yusra.”

Her face softened, and she put a hand on his shoulder.

“Habibi, I can’t tell you what to do here. I wish I could help you but this is something you have to do on your own. If you have even the slightest bit of feelings for Hana, you have to break it off with Kalthoum. It isn’t fair to her, it isn’t fair to Hana, and it isn’t fair to you.”

He sighed, and put his face in his hands.

“Did you know she liked me?”

“I did.”

“How long has she?”

“A very long time.” She said softly. “That’s why you have to go easy on her heart. It’s been through so much for you already.”