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We all sat down on the table viewing the pool, and dug into the food. Munching on the fresh baked goods, and drinking orange juice could this get any better? "When are you going to tell us what happened, you know how curious i am" Shamsa mentioned. "Not going to say anything" Khalaf replied with a smile on his face. "Come on, this isn't fair" Shamsa continued. She crossed her arms and gave him a dirty look. "Ha, what's this?" Khalaf questioned. She turned her head and faced me. I was lost in my thoughts, actually i was thinking about Hamdan's aggressive move. I was shocked but didn't want to overreact, he just got out of an accident. He was always gentle with me, this was a first. Khalaf got closer to Shamsa, and sat next to her. He pulled her face towards his, and stared at her eyes. There was a moment of silence. Everyone was just waiting for what was going to happen next. He got closer to her, his nose touching hers. Their eyes staring straight into one another's. He moved his head down to her neck and smelt her scent. Then he made his way up to her cheek and placed a kiss. She smiled and so did he. We looked at them and started smiling and whistling.

We decided to stay at the massive villa for a day. Shamsa and Hamda both called their parents and told them they would be sleeping over at my house. I told my parents i would be sleeping over at Shamsa's house for the night. "Maria and Gloria, can you please prepare the guest rooms and the guest pyjamas" Nayef ordered nicely. "Yes sir" they both replied at once. We sat down to watch some TV. Hamda next to Nayef, Shamsa next to Khalaf with his arm around her, and Hamdan next to me. I went to get some water from the fridge and Hamdan came after me. "What's wrong with you?" he asked. "You haven't said a word since i came." "What do you want me to say" i replied. "Anything, i came here for you" he said. I ignored him and walked back to the couch and drank my water. We kept watching TV, till we decided to spice it up. We decided to play truth or dare.

We got an empty bottle and sat in a circle. Shamsa rolled the bottle and it came on Hamda and Nayef. "Truth or dare?" Nayef asked. "Dare" she replied. "I dare you to kiss me on the cheek" he stated with a smile. "Come on, that's just awkward" she stated with a shy smile."It's a dare, you have to do it!" I uttered. She went to him slowly and leaned to kiss him on the cheek. She was making her way to him slowly, and he got closer to her too. She kissed him on the cheek, and looked into his eyes as she was done. He grabbed her face, and kissed her passionately on her lips. We were all shocked, everyone was very silent. "What just happened?" Shamsa asked. We looked at them and surely didn't expect that. Nayef and Hamda? Just the thought of it was weird. "Okay, i think that's enough for today" Khalaf said while laughing. "Lets all go to our rooms and sleep, it's been a long day" Nayef said. "Maria and Gloria, can you please lead the girls to their rooms" He mentioned. Maria and Gloria both appeared out of no where and walked us up the stairs. "Come on Shabab, let's go to our rooms"He stated to Hamdan and Khalaf.

We walked through the endless hallways, while looking at the pictures on the wall. As we reached three rooms near each other, we each picked one. The room i picked had a huge window covered with golden curtains. Classical furniture took over the room, and the walls were filled with beautiful floral wallpaper. I sat on the bed, and looked at the pyjama that was placed. It was a long silky white dress with lace on its ends. I took off my clothes and jumped in the bath and filled it with red rose petals and hot water. Shamsa had the biggest room, which had light pink walls. It had modern white furniture, and had lots of mirrors. She got a short pink silk pyjama, that was also placed on her bed. She decided to take a shower too. Hamda had the brightest room, it had pearly white walls. The furniture was all golden with a hint of maroon. She had red curtains, and got a red silk pyjama. As soon as i finished my bath, i dried my hair and tried on the white dress. It was beautiful, it had two openings on the sides showing my legs. It was open from the chest area, showing some cleavage. I was pretty sure this dress was meant for more than just sleeping. I heard a knock on my door, and went to open it. "Hala hala" Shamsa stated. Shamsa and Hamda both walked in, both wearing the pyjamas given to them. Shamsa looked beautiful in her silky pink shorts showing her toned legs, and the top addressing her curves. Hamda in her red silky pyjama, looked super attractive. She had red lipstick to match her pyjamas, which defined her sleek body, and showing her rather big behind. We sat and talked about random things, till we got to Nayef and Khalaf's moves today. "What was going on today with you and Khalaf?" i asked Shamsa. "I don't know" she replied. "What about you Hamda, what was up with that kiss?" Shamsa asked Hamda. "I really have no idea, i felt this rush of emotion, this tension between us" she replied with her eyes sparkling. "What about you Layla, what's up with you and Hamdan?" Hamda asked me. "He honestly shocked me when he grabbed my arm, didn't expect it from him." i replied.

After some time, they left and we all stayed in our bedrooms. I heard a knock on the door, and said "did you forget anything girls?" I opened the door and it was Hamdan with nothing but boxers on. His eyes started from the bottom, staring at my legs, then waist, up to my cleavage and he stopped there. "Hamdan" i said awakening him from his stare. He slowly looked up and stared into my eyes. "You look stunning Layla" he mentioned with a smirk. "Thanks, what do you want?" i asked. "I came to see you" he said. "Well, you saw me now, so good night" i said while closing the door on his face. He pushed the door, and held my arm like he did before. He walked in the room, and slammed the door. Pulled me on the bed, still holding my arm firmly.

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The man with the ripped jeans punched Khalaf in the face, forcing blood to burst out of his mouth. Khalaf punched the man back, and that started the fight. Nayef kneed the man in the Kandora, and he fell to the floor. It was a wild sight to see. Blood on their clothes, hair messed up, and clothes ripped. Nayef and Khalaf both punched the crap out of the two men. As the two men fell to the rough ground, Khalaf and Nayef both pulled them towards the car we were in. "Why are they getting them here?" I asked. "I don't know!" Shamsa replied with fear. They opened the back boot, and threw them in. Khalaf opened the front door, while wiping the blood running down his nose. He turned the car on, and Nayef sat next to him in the front seat. Nayef's hair was a curly mess, he had some scratches on his face, and bruises on his elbow. "What happened?" Shamsa asked with tears in her eyes. "Shh, i don't want anyone to talk" Khalaf uttered firmly. Khalaf picked up his phone and called random guys and asked them to meet in Ajban. Ajban is a deserted area, which is mostly filled with local farms. We didn't dare question Khalaf about what was going to happen. I peaked back to check on the two men, they were both unconscious and bloody. I felt like i was in an action movie. My phone rang, and it was Hamdan. "It's Hamdan, what do i tell him?" I mentioned out loud. "Tell him we're eating lunch in Shakespeare" Khalaf replied. "I can't lie to him" i stated. "You have to lie to him, it's for his own good." "If he knew they did this to him, he would literally kill them" Khalaf continued. "Fine" i said bluntly. I lied to Hamdan on the phone and he bought it, although i felt guilty.

We shifted from a paved road, filled with palm trees, and lights to an area loaded with sand, and fences. It was quiet, dull, and gloomy. The place seemed haunted, no one was there,  although it had some houses. Those houses are usually farms, or summer houses that are barely used. Khalaf drove us into a huge gate which led to a massive modern villa. There was a big pool, a playground, and a tennis court. It was very fancy, like a mirage in a desert. The car stopped, and there were two other cars near us. The doors opened, and around 6 guys stepped out of both cars. Unfamiliar faces were talking to Khalaf and Nayef. They walked the 6 to the back boot, to show them the two criminals. The girls and i were just staring with our mouths open. Was this really happening right infront of our eyes? They caught sight of our stare, and Khalaf walked towards us. He opened the door and said "Girls you need to go inside while we take care of the two guys." "Nayef will take you inside the house, and you can do anything you want just don't stay here or go out of the house" he continued. We stepped out of the car, and we saw the 6 guys carry the two victims to only God knows where.

Nayef walked us towards the house, and we were shocked. The house turned out to be a mansion. It was very lavish, modern, and looked like it came out of a magazine. We walked into the house, and it had French classical furniture, huge chandeliers flowing throughout the house,  and two stairways at the entrance which were fitted with a red carpet. "You can stay here, and do whatever you want" Nayef said softly. "Who owns this house?" I asked curiously. "My family" he replied. "God bless, it's beautiful" i stated. "Thanks, make yourself at home girls, and if you need anything Maria and Gloria are here to help" he uttered. Two exotic ladies appeared wearing beautiful, neat pink outfits. "Good Afternoon" they both said with smiles. "Gloria and Maria, please fulfil their every desire and prepare some food for later on" Nayef mentioned before leaving. We did everything possible. Jumped on all beds, had pillow fights, watched Tv in different rooms, and went through all the books in the library. We went to kitchen, and the table viewing the pool was filled with all types of fresh juices, all sorts of fresh baked pastries, muffins, and so many cakes. It was all a dream, It must be. Khalaf and Nayef both walked in the house together drenched in sweat. "What happened?" Shamsa asked. "We'll take a bath and we'll tell you" Khalaf replied. "I will prepare the bath sir" Gloria mentioned. "I will prepare the towels" Maria continued.

After some time, Khalaf came downstairs to the kitchen with his hair all wet, wearing his Calvin Klein boxers, and a plain black T-shirt. Nayef followed him wearing a clean white Kandora, and smelling like Black Orchid by Tom Ford. "Did Hamdan call?" Nayef asked me. "No" i replied. The door bell rang, and Gloria rushed to open the door. Hamdan walks into the kitchen with anger. "Why did you lie to me?" he yelled at me while grabbing my arm. "Let go of me" i pulled away. "I told her to lie" Khalaf spilled. "Why?" Hamdan asked. "We wanted to tell you the story when we were done with it" Khalaf stated. "What story?" Hamdan questioned. "We found the guys who got you in the accident in Yas" Khalaf explained. "We saw them infront of your house as soon as you walked in, so we decided to follow them." "I had to teach them a lesson after what they did to you, and i knew you would've gone wild if you knew" he continued. "Who are they?" Hamdan asked. "They were guys who were with you in your old school, they said you once beat up one of the guy's brother" Khalaf said. "What's his name?" "Zayed Al X" Khalaf stated. Hamdan laughed and said "I remember that *****." "Anyway we dealt with the two guys, and they wont be messing with you again" Nayef uttered. "What did you do?" Hamdan asked. "Not infront of the girls" Khalaf said with a smirk on his face. They all laughed and had an evil smile on their faces. "Come on you guys have to tell us" Hamda stated. "NO no no" Nayef teased. "By the way, how did you know we were here?" Shamsa asked Hamdan. "A friend of mine is good with tracking phones, so he tracked Layla's phone" he said. "You little devil" Khalaf stated while hugging Hamdan. 

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Hamdan was finally leaving the hospital today. We helped him pack his bags, and asked the doctor to have a final check up. The doctor prescribed some medications for Hamdan to take daily. I was running abit late, cause i went to the flower shop to get him some flowers. I know it's weird to get a guy flowers, but it was a change. I ran to his room with the big bouquet of white lilies. The door was open, so i walked in while saying good morning. God, i was so happy he was back. "Good morning Habibti" he said with a big smile. "These are for you" i said while giving him the bouquet. "Aww, you shouldn't have" he uttered. He made his way to my cheek and pecked me with his soft lips. I smiled, and heard the nurse tell him he had to get up and take a few steps. He slowly removed the cover, and moved to the edge of the bed trying to stand up for the first time. He pushed himself to stand up and walk, but his legs were too weak and forced him to fall. I immediately held his arm and pulled him up. "Let's take baby steps slowly" i mentioned with an innocent smile. He began to walk step by step while holding my hand, and gradually began walking normally. "See you did it!" i spilled. "Yea, wouldn't have done it without you" he replied. I walked him slowly towards his driver's car, and placed him in the back. His mother was sitting next to him in the back, and she would be taking care of him from now on. I walked to Khalaf's car and sat in the back next to Hamda and Nayef. Shamsa was sitting next to Khalaf and she turned to greet me. "I'm glad he's better now" Shamsa stated. "Yea, thank God" Khalaf answered with relief. We made our way to Hamdan's house and played some music.

As soon as we reached, we all helped with the bags and so did the maids. Hamdan's sisters ran out and jumped to hug him. They began to kiss him many times on his cheeks and played with his hair. "We missed you" the little one said. "I missed you more my little princess" he replied. When i saw that sight, i didn't want anything but to see him a father to my children. The way he was carrying his sisters with both arms, you could sense the safety and protection. His mother invited us in, but we apologised. Hamdan needed to rest and so did we. He hugged Khalaf and Nayef and thanked them for all their support and for standing by his side. He shook Hamda and Shamsa's hands and thanked them too for everything. As i went to him, he just stared and smiled. "I'll talk to you soon" he stated while slipping a note in my hand. He blew a kiss to me and i caught it and placed it on my heart. I watched him holding his sister's hands and walking into his house. 

We rode in Khalaf's big black Toyota Land Cruiser. "Want to get some food?" he asked. "Yea let's go to Shakespeare" Hamda suggested. "Yalla" Khalaf replied. As we were leaving we noticed a strange car parked in front of Hamdan's house. It was a silver Porsche Panamera, with the plate number 12345.

"I recognise that plate number from somewhere, but i don't remember where?" Khalaf stated while squinting his eyes. We all looked into the dark tinted car, to find two people inside. It was really weird, all cars in every neighbourhood were known. This was the first time we ever saw that car. We ignored that sight and drove to Shakespeare to get some food. We were singing along to some of the newest songs, then suddenly Khalaf turns the car and speeds super fast. "SH*T!" he yelled. "What's wrong?" Shamsa screamed. "Why're you going so fast?" "Slow down!" she shouted with anger. "That was the car i saw in Yas, after the accident." "The guys who got Hamdan into the hospital, own that car" he barked with his face red, and eyes so black. When we reached Hamdan's house the car just left. Khalaf quickly followed the car and tried not to make it obvious. We kept following them for an hour, until the car finally stopped in the middle of no where. Two men stepped out of the car. One of them was tall, dark, and had a really big body covered in a yellow Kandora. The other man was almost the same height as his friend, but he was wearing ripped jeans and a black T-shirt. "Please don't go out there!" Shamsa spat out with her hands clinging on Khalaf's Kandora sleeves. He pulled his arm away from her grab, and stepped out of the car. We were all scared, terrified another accident would soon take place. The two men both walked towards Khalaf and smiled. Shamsa began to cry. We just got out of a harsh time with Hamdan, we didn't need another person to mourn about. Nayef stepped out of the car too and walked towards Khalaf. I was sitting in the car with Hamda and Shamsa, and they were both panicking. The men walked towards each other and began to talk. The one with the ripped jeans put his hand on Khalaf's shoulder and he immediately shook it off with anger. This was going to get rough.

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I woke up to someone stroking my cheek gently. I opened my eyes slowly, to see Hamdan's eyes looking back at me. I opened my eyes wider, trying to wake myself from this dream. He wasn't disappearing, he made his way to my hair, and started running his fingers through it. I didn't say a word, just stared into his innocent eyes. Was this a dream? Someone pinch me! He broke into a smile, and my heart skipped a beat. "I love you" Hamdan whispered. I smiled, and hid my face so he wouldn't see my tears flowing. "Layla" he said with a harsh tone. God, i missed his voice, and the way he said my name. I looked up and wiped my tears. "What's wrong?" "I love you, that's what's wrong" i replied. He began laughing, and squeezed my cheek. I was so in love. Do you know what i'm talking about? The kind of love where the sun could shine or not shine all day long and you wouldn't care. The kind of love that makes you want to jump in the pool on December. The kind of love that makes you want to dance in the rain. The nurse came in, and woke me up from my thoughts. "How are you feeling today, Mr. Hamdan?" she asked. "I'm good, woke up to her beautiful face, what else could i ever wish for" Hamdan replying while looking at me. I began to laugh, "Aakhhh i miss that" he blurted out. "What?" i said while laughing. "I miss your laugh" he said with a smile. "I need to check your blood pressure, sir" the nurse interrupted. She took his arm, and check his blood pressure and kept his eyes on me. I turned around cause i started blushing, he began to laugh. "Haa, you're blushing?" he asked. "Sir, you have a ring in your hand" she uttered. She showed it to him and he looked at my finger with the missing ring. He gently took my hand and put it on my finger. "I'm waiting for the day i'll get to put a wedding ring on your finger" he mentioned with a big smile. "Why was it in my hand though?" he asked.

Khalaf, Shamsa, Hamda, Nayef, and his mother burst in the room and ran towards Hamdan. "Habibi, my son, you scared me, i thought i lost you" his mother said with tears rushing down her face. "Oh mum, i'm okay, look at me I'm all good" he said while kidding her on her head. "You scared us, man" Khalaf said while hugging him. "Ah, missed you a whole lot" Nayef said while hugging him too. "Welcome back" Hamda said with a smile. "Shamsa cried so much for you, i started getting really jealous, thank God you finally woke up" Khalaf said while looking at Shamsa. "I didn't cry, don't lie" she replied. Everyone started laughing and it broke out the tense mood. "Are you feeling better?" Shamsa asked. "Yea, thank God" he replied with a smile. "How are you guys?" "Did you miss me?" he said with a wink. Everyone began laughing again. He turned back at me and smiled. "I swear Layla, didn't leave you for a second" "She didn't go home, and didn't eat for the past three days" Khalaf stated. "She kept sneaking in your room, thinking that we didn't see her" Shamsa continued. I began to laugh and said "I thought no one noticed." "We all knew" Hamda said while laughing. "Yalla let's go get you some food" Hamdan said. "Hey hey, you're not going anywhere, you're staying here till you get better" i said seriously. "Then go eat something, then Khalaf will drop you home so you can get some sleep" he uttered. "No" i replied while folding my arms.

The doctor stated that Hamdan will be able to leave home tomorrow. We all helped in packing the bags and Khalaf helped him shave and get dressed. Hamdan looked much better than usual, which is a great sign. Shamsa decided to go with Nayef to get some lunch for everyone. I stayed with Hamda and we talked about all sorts of things. Khalaf came out of Hamdan's room and sat next to us. "Thank God  he's better now" he said. "Yea" we both agreed. "Where's Shamsa?" Khalaf asked. "She went with Nayef to get us lunch" Hamda replied. I still haven't eaten for three whole days, and i was ready to eat. I surely needed to go home and sleep, but i wasn't going to leave Hamdan all alone. Moments later we heard Khalaf screaming on the phone "Where are you?" It turns out he was talking to Shamsa, and was really mad at her for not taking permission from him to go out. He told her to rush back to the hospital before he does something she'll regret. She came back in about five minutes, and he marched towards her. He grabbed her from her arm and started yelling. "Where were you?" "I went to get us lunch, instead of thanking me you're shouting at me?" she answered slyly. "Don't answer back, or i'll cut your tongue!" "I swear to God if you ever go out without taking permission from me, you're not going to like what happens, understood?" "Hmm yea whatever" she replied. "Do you want me to pull your hair?" he shouted with his vein popping from his neck. Sweat coming down his forehead, and anger in his tone, he really seemed scary. "Sit down infront of me, c'mon" Khalaf continued. We calmed him down and began to eat our lunch.

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An hour passed since Hamdan entered the operation room. Hamda and Shamsa both left home, and Khalaf was sleeping. Nayef came and sat next to me, to entertain me. He was a funny guy, if only he was like that in school. It seems as though this incident got us closer to one another. It was around 8 AM and i thought i should get some breakfast for the guys. They've been taking very good care of me and the girls so i needed to do the same for them. I walked to the canteen, and saw two nurses smiling at each other. I went to stand in line and they were there holding hands and just staring in each other's eyes. Chills ran through my body. I teared but quickly maintained myself so i wouldn't loose control. It was my turn and i got some freshly baked croissants, pastries, and Lebanese manakeesh. I also got fresh orange juice, paid and walked back to them. They were both awake, so i placed the food on their laps and told them to eat. They dove into the bags and thanked me when they were done. As soon as i got back to them, i kept falling asleep due to my lack of sleep.

I suddenly woke up to the sound of tears. Shamsa was next to me crying, and so was Hamdan's mother. Everyone was back and they were crying. "What's wrong?" i asked. "Ha-ha-ha-hamdan, is still in the operation room, and it's been 5 hours" Shamsa replied while stuttering. I guess i fell asleep for a long time i thought. "Did you ask the nurses what was going on?" i asked them. "Yea, they said there is a slight complication so it will take some more time" Khalaf replied. I felt a rush in my heart, like a blast of mixed emotions, but i didn't react. It's okay, i kept repeating in my head. He's going to be okay, it's just a slight issue, no big deal. We kept waiting for some good news, but it kept getting worse. We were all very tense, filled with pain, and fear. Hamdan was very dear to us all. He was romantic, giving, thoughtful, and smart. Yet he had a side of him that was aggressive, rude, mysterious, and wild. That's what i loved about him, he knew how to react in every situation. He loved with all his heart, and helped with all his might.

Moments later, Hamdan was being pushed in the bed from the operation room. He was still pale, very weak and fragile. He had three different kinds of tubes in his arms. His hair was shaved off from the back and had visible stitches. As soon as his mother saw him, she began to cry hysterically and slap herself. All of a sudden she falls to the floor, and we all rush to lift her from her arms. The nurses run to her and place her on a wheelchair. They push her to a room and inject her with something and put an oxygen mask on. What a dramatic day, we all thought. Khalaf held Shamsa's hand making her feel like everything would be okay. She smiled back at him, and he kissed her hand. I just looked at them and caught sight of my finger with the ring's print. When the nurses pushed Hamdan to his room, they put the oxygen mask on his mouth and nose. They also applied the heart monitor on his chest. The nurses checked on him, and so did the doctor. The doctor closed the door, and made his way towards us. "I'm glad to say, that the operation was successful, but he has to rest for a few days" he mentioned. "There was some slight instability during the surgery but thank God everything turn out right." "Thank you doctor, thank you so much!" Khalaf yelled with utter joy. He started jumping up and down while hugging Shamsa. Nayef was whistling, and dancing with Hamda. I remained still, i wasn't going to believe what the doctor said, until i saw Hamdan with my own eyes.

Everyone was celebrating, dancing, and singing. They decided to go check on his mother, and tell her the good news. I stayed behind, and walked into his room. "How's my baby doing?" i said with a smile. I walked towards him, and pulled the chair as usual and the cup of water was still there. I held his hand, and felt the ring inside and smiled. "I heard you're okay now" i said. "I can't wait to get lost in your mesmerising eyes." I just looked at him and smiled. He was finally going to come back. I really thought that the end was near, but i prayed to God every minute that he wouldn't leave me alone if he ever wanted to leave. We are in this world together, we will live together, and die together. As i kept talking and telling him stories, i got really tired. I fell asleep while sitting on the chair, my head on the bed, and holding his hand. 

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It's been two days since Hamdan's accident and we still didn't know what was wrong with him. The time has finally come for us to know the truth. The nurse had some papers in her hand about his situation. "Mr. Hamdan has a moderate to severe head injury" she said slowly with her eyes focusing on me. "Hamdaaan, my son !!!" Hamdan's mother yelled. "Madam, it's okay we will take care of him." "He will be under the doctor's supervision, and will have to undergo a surgery" she continued. "In this surgery we will put a hollow tube called a catheter into the fluid space in the brain called the ventricle" the nurse stated while reading the papers. Shamsa began crying, making Hamdan's mother cry hysterically. Their eyes were on me, expecting some sort of reaction. I kept moving back and forth while repeating the sentence "he's not going to die". "He's not going to die" "he's not going to die" "he's not going to die" i kept repeating. They all looked at me, with affection. I didn't need affection, i needed Hamdan. He was the only one who understood me, who knew how to make me happy. "Go talk to her, habibti" Khalaf whispered in Shamsa's ear. She wiped her tears with her abaya, and sat next to me. "Layla, Layla, calm down" Shamsa stated while holding my shoulder. "He's going to be okay, it's just a surgery, then he'll be back with us" She said with a fake smile. Khalaf sat on the other side, "Layla, we all have to be strong for each other" he mentioned. I remained silent, still moving back and forth like a lunatic. They gave up and walked hand in hand towards the parking lot. Hamda came and sat next to me, while Nayef was asleep. "Hey" she said with a big smile. "Remember when Hamdan first came to school, with his long black hair, and sat in the first chair in class taking notes." "He couldn't take his eyes of you" she continued. "Layla, things will get better i promise." "He won't leave you, he'll come back for you" Hamda said while hugging me. I stopped moving and sat still. Flashbacks were zooming through my mind. The first day we met, the first time he sat next to me, the first time he talked to me, and all the other moments.

Later on during the day, Shamsa and Khalaf both came back together with Mc Donald's bags in their hands. "Where were you guys, i was worried?" Hamda asked. "We went to get some food for everyone" Shamsa replied. "Foood" Nayef said as he woke up from the delicious smell. They gave me a meal, but i was revolted by it. I couldn't eat anything since his accident. They all dove into their meals from hunger. The nurse came to us, and we were scared she was bringing us more horrid news. "The doctor says Hamdan will undergo the surgery tonight, for his own good" she said. "We need you to sign a few papers" the nurse stated to Hamdan's mother. She nodded and walked with her to the main desk. His life is based on this surgery. If it doesn't work out, we all know what's going to happen. There were only a few hours till the surgery and we were all frightened. Hamdan's mother came back with tears in her eyes. "Let me drop you home auntie" Khalaf uttered. "Yalla, i need to check on the kids" she replied. Khalaf held her from her arm, and walked her to his car. Shamsa and Hamda both went to the bathroom to freshen up, while Nayef was on his phone. "What's up?" he burst out. I shook my head as to say nothing. Words couldn't come out of my mouth. "Want some water?" Nayef asked. I nodded in agreement and he got me a bottle of water from the vending machine. I smiled as to thank him, and he smiled back. Nayef was busy on his phone and the girls were in the bathroom. That meant i could sneak into his room without getting caught. 

I walked in slowly and pulled a chair next to his bed. I looked at him, such innocence, such fragility. "How's my handsome man today?" i managed to say. Looking at his hand, the ring was still there. His beard started growing, making him seem even more irresistible than usual. I held his hand, and began to talk. "Remember valentines day?" i laughed. "You came to school wearing a red Kandora, and had a bouquet of roses." "Each of the 500 roses had a quote on it written by you" i uttered with a big smile. "You came up to me in recess, when i was talking to the girls." "You closed my eyes, and put the bouquet in my hands" i continued. "I held the bouquet in one hand and reached for your hands in another." "As i caught sight of your eyes, i lost all my senses" i said. "I felt like no one was around us, just you and me, where it was actually in front of all the school" i laughed. I stopped talking and stared at him. "Are you going to leave me alone in this cruel world?" i asked still holding his hand. "Will this be the last time i ever see you?" i began to cry. My heart pounding with every tear jolting out of my eyes. I brushed away my tears, and bent down slowly to kiss him on his cheek. I put the chair back in it's place and walked towards the door. Before closing the door, i took one last look at him and closed the door. 

I went back to the sitting room where everyone was sitting. Khalaf was back and so were the girls. They questioned my absence and i lied as usual. The nurses went into Hamdan's room and began with the surgical preparations. The doctor came our way and said "He is in safe hands, no need to worry." "It's a small brain procedure and hopefully he'll be as good as new" he stated with confidence. "It will take around 3-4 hours, so i advice you all to go home as it will take time." He soon left to Hamdan's room, and prepared himself. Minutes later, we see them pushing Hamdan out in the bed to the surgery room. Everyone began to cry when they saw him. Khalaf was covering his eyes, Nayef was tearing, Shamsa was crying heavily, and Hamda was bursting into tears. I remained silent and just looked at them. Could one person really have such a big impact on so many people's lives? I got lost in my thoughts again. "Layla, Hamda and I are going home, if anything happens please let us know" Shamsa said. They both hugged me with tears in their eyes, and left with Khalaf. "I miss you" i whispered to myself. "I miss you, Hamdan."

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Walking up the stairs with his sister guiding me to his room. I opened the door of his room, and walked into a big room with big windows and gold curtains. His room was filled with gold and white, and had modern yet classic furniture. I walked towards his perfume section and smelt one of his perfumes. I couldn't help but tear, it was the perfume he put to school. The very same scent he had when i first met him, and the one he ended up in the hospital with. I put it down slowly and wiped my tears with my sleeves. I walked to his closet and opened it. I was impressed by how neat it was. Kandoras in one  closet, pants and shirts in another. Shoes, slippers, and sandals in another small closet too. The maid walked in with 2 big suitcases so we could pack some clothes for Hamdan. I took out 4 Kandoras, 5 polo shirts, and 3 pairs of jeans. I told the maid to get his boxers and undershirts. I added matching shoes, a pair of slippers and sandals too. As i was getting him pyjamas too, something fell to the floor. I picked it up and flipped it to find a picture of myself. It was my school picture. I kept staring at it for a while till someone woke me up from my thoughts. "Hamdan always tells me about you, you are Layla right?" his maid said. "Yea" i said with agreement. "Why are you crying, Madam?" she asked. "I miss him" i replied. His sister ran in the room, "Why are you taking Hamdan's clothes?" she asked. "Hamdan's going to travel for a few days and asked me to pack his clothes" i replied. "Why didn't he kiss me goodbye, he always does?" she asked with sadness in her voice. "Habibti, he asked me to kiss you goodbye instead of him" "He also told me to tell you he loves you very much" I lied while giving her a hug. We closed the bags and put them in the driver's car. I sat in the back seat and we were off to the hospital. Hamdan once introduced me to his driving by calling him Winnie the Pooh. I always laughed when i saw him. It was Pooh that was driving me to the hospital. "Hala Layla, how are you doing?" he asked. "I'm good, how are you?" i answered. "I'm very sad about Hamdan's news" he replied. He turned on the radio and it was the CD he was last playing. I held the pain in, and just smiled.

When we reached the hospital i took the bags and walked towards his room. Shamsa ran to me and hugged me, "let me help you" she said. She took one of the bags and walked me to the room. As soon as i got to his room, i saw Khalaf, Nayef, Hamda, and Hamdan's mother sitting outside. "God bless you my daughter" his mother stated with tears still rolling down her eyes. "This is the least i could do, auntie" i replied with a smile. "You haven't eaten anything for 24 hours, you have to eat something!" Khalaf interrupted. "No thanks, I'm not hungry" i answered. Shamsa grabbed Khalaf from his arm and they were off to the canteen to get food. I kept staring at them, Khalaf slowly making his way to Shamsa's hand. They were walking hand in hand, with smiles across their faces. I was glad that some of us were smiling. Hamda was sitting next to Nayef and he was teaching her how to play temple run. So i sat next to Hamdan'a mother and tried to calm her down. Soon Shamsa and Hamdan came back with bags of food for everyone. All sorts of foods and drinks were served, but i didn't have the appetite to eat. Everyone dove into the bags to get some food, but i remained still. Khalaf was feeding Shamsa and she fed him too, it was the cutest scene i've seen in a while. I stood up to get some water to drink, and got another cup of water. I slowly yet quietly opened the door to Hamdan's room.

 As i walked in, i grabbed a chair and put it near his bed. I put the other cup of water that was meant for him on the bedside table. He wasn't moving, all you could hear was his heartbeat on the heart monitor. His face was very pale, but it was clear from any blood stains just some scratches. His body looked very frail and weak. I didn't cry this time, i looked at him and felt comfort. Slowly and carefully as to touch glass, i ran my fingertips on his soft cheeks. "Hi Hamdan" i whispered. "I hope you're doing well, you look handsome as usual."i laughed."I miss you so much, i miss the way you say my name, the way you look at me with your big brown eyes,  and your smile that always has its way of making me smile" i said. I held his hand, and put my favourite ring in his hand. "The next time i will ever wear this ring would be when you wake up and put it on my finger" i mentioned. I slowly kissed him on his cheek, and the heart monitor started speeding again. I left as soon as it happened avoiding any trouble. I walked out quietly so no one would know i was in since visitors weren't allowed. As i walked back to them, "Where were you, we were so worried about you!" Shamsa yelled. "I was in the bathroom" i lied with a smile. We all sat down and the nurse walked towards us. "Hello, you are all here with Mr. Hamdan?" "Yes" we all replied at once. "I have news about his situation, the check up results came in" she said with a serious tone.

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We were all still in the ladies bathroom, standing in silence. A nurse walked in the bathroom, and asked to talk to Khalaf. They went out of the bathroom to talk privately. A few minutes later he came back inside with watery eyes. "I have to tell you the truth Layla,” “But I want you to keep calm please" Khalaf stated with a calm voice. I nodded. "Hamdan might be in a coma, but they're not sure yet." "He was hit on his head very hard and it affected his brain" I was in complete shock. I walked out of the bathroom in silence and kept walking through the hospital. Nayef and Khalaf followed me in silence too. "He felt your hand on his, that means he's not that bad" Nayef said. “They’ll have some check ups to check if anything in his body is broken, or if he has any internal bleeding” Khalaf mentioned with concern. I walked out of the hospital, to take a breath of fresh air. This was a lot to take in, having a coma meant that he wouldn’t wake up till only God knows when. He was still too young for this to happen. His siblings were all younger than him and he was their role model. He still had a lot more to experience in life before such a thing. Marriage, graduation, university, and work. Was he going to miss it all?

My phone rang and Shamsa’s name appeared on the screen, I didn’t want to reply. I realized that it was her 10^th time calling. “Hello” I replied. “Layla, how are you?” “Are you still in the hospital?” “What did they say is wrong with him?” Shamsa said at once. I began to cry and she kept quiet. “Layla, you should go home and rest you’ve been in the hospital for the whole day” She said. “I’m going to come now do you want me to get you something to eat?” I didn’t reply, I couldn’t stop the tears from running out. “Please stop crying, it’s not good for you I swear” Shamsa mentioned with a comforting tone. “Please come, I can’t deal with this on my own” I said. “I’m coming now don’t worry” she replied quickly. Shamsa always had her way of comforting me with her words, made life seem like a better place. Minutes later, Shamsa’s grey Armada stops in front of the hospital where I was sitting. She stepped out of the car and ran to hug me. “It’s going to be okay Layla,” she said. Khalaf came out and greeted Shamsa with a smile and a fly kiss. She smiled back and looked at me. “They told me to go to Hamdan’s house and tell his parents what happened and get him some clothes,” Khalaf stated. “Layla since his mom loves you, can you come with me please?” He asked. Shamsa looked at Khalaf and shook her head in disagreement.

Khalaf and I walked towards his black land cruiser. He opened the door for me and buckled me in. He opened his door, buckled up, and then started the engine. He turned the radio on to break the silence and Hamdan’s favorite song was playing. I held myself not to burst into tears, then I looked at Khalaf and saw tears rolling down his face. I looked at him, looking so sad and hurt. “We’ll help each other and stay strong for him” I said with a fake smile. “It’s really hard Layla, I’m trying my best to stay strong for you and the other, but Hamdan’s my brother” “We eat from the same food, drink from the same water, and live together,” He said with pain. We reached his house, and couldn’t manage to go out of the car. Too scared from his parent’s reaction, we didn’t want to go in. We finally got out of the big car and walked to wards the huge lavish villa. Walking towards the door, Khalaf rang the bell. His little sister opened the door and smiled, I began to cry. “Layla, calm down please” Khalaf said. He carried the little girl and walked in the house. As soon as I walked in his house, memories rushed through my head. The days we used to go to his house to work on projects and then spend it playing truth or dare and watching Indian movies. His other sister who I loved most, hugged me from my leg till I carried her. She wiped the tears from my face, “why’re you crying Layla?” she said. “I’m just happy to see you” I lied. “Where’s Hamdan?” she asked. I looked at Khalaf, “He’s in school” he spilled out. His mom walked down the stairs and welcomed us to the living room. “What a lovely surprise” she said with a smile. That smile wouldn’t last for long I thought. “Where’s Hamdan, he’s usually with you” she said while walking towards us. Khalaf kissed her on her forehead, and I kissed her three times on her cheek. “You two look very tired, Layla have you been crying?” she asked. I just looked at her and smiled. “Auntie we have to talk to you about Hamdan” Khalaf interrupted. “Ughh what did he do this time, he’s always getting in trouble” she laughed out. “He’s in the hospital, he got hit when we went karting yesterday” he continued. She began to cry hysterically. “Hamdaaaaaaan!!” “My soooon!”  We got her water and tried calming her down, but she was going mad and we didn’t blame her. “Take me to him” she managed to break out. His mother grabbed her abaya and walked with us to the car. We held her from her arms; she could barely walk from the shock. She sat in the car, and Khalaf drove her back to the hospital, while I stayed at his house to pack his stuff with the maids.  

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Khalaf came back to the hospital, and the nurse rushed to him. They walked away to a corner to talk privately. We saw him covering his eyes with his hands. That's it, i knew Hamdan wasn't okay. He walked to us and sat down. The scratch on his face was still visible and dirty, "He's going to be okay, Layla" he said with a fake smile. "Why're are you all lying to me?" i yelled out. My heart was rushing with fear. "The nurse said he has to make some check ups and he'll be okay" Khalaf mentioned. "Layla, you have to go home and rest and in the morning you can come back and see him" Nayef interrupted. "No I'm going to stay here till he wakes up" i replied with anger. Khalaf pulled Nayef to the side and talked to him and kept looking at me. What was the secret they weren't telling me? I walked to the nurse and asked her how he was. "He's fine madam, you will see him soon" she replied with a smile. I could tell she was lying. "Tell me what's happening now, why did Khalaf inform you not to tell me!" i yelled. "Tell me now!" "Is he dead?" i burst out. They all looked at me with silence. Was he dead, i thought to myself. Khalaf held my arm and sat me down. He knelt down on both his knees and looked up to see my red inflated eyes. "I know this is hard for you, but it's hard for us too" "Please calm down, God's with him" "Have faith in God, Layla" He said with his hands trembling.

We've been in the hospital for around 4 hours now, and i still didn't know what was happening. Khalaf and Nayef were sitting next to me on the chairs infront of the emergency room. They were both asleep, Nayef sleeping on Khalaf's shoulder very peacefully. I just stared at them, looking so tense and tired. I hoped things would be okay. The doctor came out of the emergency room with three nurses. "Are you with Mr. Hamdan?" the doctor asked. "Yes" i replied. The nurse that once talked to Khalaf whispered in the doctor's ear. He looked at me and smiled, "As soon as Mr. Khalaf wakes up send him to my office" he said. "Why don't you just tell me, he's asleep?" i replied. "I'm sorry miss, we have specific instructions not to inform you" the doctor stated with a soft voice. I began to cry. The pain i felt inside me was unexplainable. The thought of loosing someone very dear to me was unbearable. I never told anyone how i felt about Hamdan, my love to him was my little secret. As i broke out of my tears, i got an idea. Since all the nurses and the doctor left the room, that meant no one was inside with Hamdan. I decided to go inside to finally figure out what happened to him.

I slowly got up the chair, very careful not to wake Khalaf and Nayef up. I walked quietly towards the big white door of the emergency room. I opened the door, and walked in. There he was, the broken angel. Hamdan was on a bed, with scars and bruises all over his body. His face was yellow, and still had some blood stains. He had an oxygen mask on and injections on his arm. Blood flowing through the tubes, and other white solutions passing through his arm. I walked closer, shivering with fear. I ran my fingers through his hair, and there was blood all over my fingers. I started crying again, this time with my throat all dry. "I love you" i said with tears rushing. I slowly held his hand, and then something happened. The heart monitor started speeding up and made a loud noise. Beep Beep Beep it kept repeating. The lines on the heart monitor were jumping. What was going on? A nurse rushed in and called the doctor to come fast. "What did you do?" a nurse asked me. "Nothing" i replied. "Please leave madam, Doctor come here quick!" She yelled with the top of her voice. Random nurses ran in and i just ran out of the room. What have i done? Khalaf and Nayef saw me leave the room, so i ran to the bathroom. I sat in one of the bathrooms, and cried my heart out. With every tear came a memory, and with that came pain.

I heard footsteps of people running towards the bathroom. "Layla!" "Layla!" Nayef and Khalaf were calling. "What do you want?" i replied. "Come out!" they yelled. "Imagine Hamdan saw what you were doing to yourself, how do you think he'd feel?" Khalaf said. I ignored, "Come out for him" he mentioned in a low voice. I came out and they told me to wash my face and drink some water. "What happened when you went in?" "and why did you go in?" Khalaf asked. "I couldn't just sit there not knowing how he was, so i went in." "I just looked at him, then i held his hand, and they all rushed in" i said. They both smiled. "Layla, you held his hand then his heart beat started speeding yea?" Nayef asked. "Yea, i didn't mean it, it's all my fault.." i mentioned until Khalaf interrupted me "Layla, he loves you."