I think I’m going to bail, I text Nafiza.

I’m on a blind date. Why I agreed to this? Answer is unknown. Actually no, I do know. I DIDN’T agreee to this. I was forced into this by Nafiza. I tell her one time that I’m worried that I’ll never find anyone that’ll love me because of my chronic illness and she sets me up with someone. This is ridiculous.

My phone vibrates.

If you bail, so help me I will come to your house and murder you, Nafiza texts back.

I hate this girl.

What are you worried about anyway? she asks.

Another message: you look cute

Another message: you’re kind

Another message: and smart

I look down at my outfit. The white top and jeans hugs my curves perfectly and I have nice gold jewellery to accessories. Okay, I do look cute. But that’s not the point. The point is, the second he finds out about what I am—a sick girl— he’ll run the other mile.

"Noor?" I suddenly hear a man’s voice.

I look up at him. Nafiza was not kidding. He’s like a Greek god. The man is gorgeous. He has this certain glint in his eyes that tell me he’s funny. And for some reason.. he looks awfully familiar. I just can’t put my finger on it. He probably just has one of those faces.

"Hey," I smile and put my phone down. "Ayan?"

"Yes, that’s me," he gives me a smile that should be illegal. Ayan sits in front of me. "Nafiza told me you’re beautiful but she failed to tell me just how much."

Charming too.

I chuckle softly, "Thank you. I could say the same for you."

The rest of the date goes pretty well. And I was right, he’s funny. And charming, handsome, unreal. It’s going to be so hard to let this go.

"Hey..Random question, but have I seen you before?" I ask without thinking. Why did I ask that?

"You seriously don’t recognise me, do you?" he leans back. "Nafiza did say that you have brain fog.

What the hell is that supposed to mean? And why the hell did Nafiza tell him this?

"Year 5, robots."

"Uh.."

"Primary, football."

I tilt my head, "I think you’re just saying random words."

He smirks and leans forward, "Year 7, missed. Year 9, maths."

"How did you..?" I trail off before my eyes widen in realisation. "Ayan? As in Ayan Khan?"

"The one and only," he winks.

"Oh my gosh."

"I know," he exhales and leans back again. "It must be a shock meeting me. I tend to leave people with that face," he gestures to my shocked face.

"Shut up," I let out a small huff of amusement. "Wow. I can’t believe-It’s you."

"It’s been a couple of years, hasn’t it?"

"How-" I’m still baffled. Flabbergasted. "I thought you moved to South London!"

"I know," he nods. "But Nafiza reached out to me and asked me to come."

"How did she get your number?"

"I don’t know, and quite honestly? I don’t think I want to. That girl scares me and she gives me no questions vibe."

I chuckle softly. He’s not wrong there. "So what made you come? It’s not like you’re down the road, four hours."

He stays quiet for a moment, looking at me in the eye and I lower my gaze. "I guess.. I missed you."

"You missed me?" I raise my eyebrows. "We didn’t exactly get along."

"I still enjoyed being around you. Even if you hated my company."

"I didn’t hate you, per-say."

"You just wished my death on me everyday?"

I wince internally. Yeah, I cursed him often. "Precisely."

He hums and takes a bite of his pistachio covered croffle. He swallows. "Either way, I liked being around you."

"Why? I basically hated your guts, I wasn’t even at school half the time-"

"But when you were there," he cuts me off. "I liked being around you. You were—are smart, witty,..cute too."

My stomach does a small flip. I take a sip of my pink chai. "Since when did you become such a flirt?"

"I always have been, mainly with you. You were too busy to notice."

"What does that mean? Mainly with me?"

He stares at me for a moment. He cocks his head, "You really are still oblivious, aren’t you?"

I narrow my eyes at him slightly.

He snickers, "It’s not bad necessarily. It’s cute."

I roll my eyes. "Just answer the question."

"I liked you, Noor."

(Based off of my characters from my WIP)