The unC.R.I.M.E

Chapter 20

I got a phone call from her and she was asking me which hotel I was at and which room I was in. I found it strange that she wanted to see me but the man in me thought she'd finally succumbed and wanted a night of passion. Of course I knew it was silly to think that, but the thought was there.

When I opened my hotel room door, I didn't expect her to throw herself into my arms and cry into my chest. I already knew it was Leonardo and honestly, I'm killing him. He made her cry twice, and I was stupid for letting him hurt her the first time.

I carried her to the couch and sat us down, letting her sit in my lap and cry as much as she needed into my shoulder. I waited until she'd calmed down before I said something, "tell me what's wrong."

She sighed, wrapping her arms around my neck and keeping close to my body. I enjoyed this proximity and even pulled her closer because I needed her warmth. Her scent was intoxicating. 

"Leonardo brought up some things of the past and called me some really, really nasty things."

"Leonardo has been hurting you," I told her, feeling a smirk come on my face. I'd make her hate him so that his death wouldn't be a harsh blow. 

"He really has and he's not stopping. He keeps… keeps bringing up all of these things from my past and just rubbing it in my face." 

I kissed her forehead, "I'm sorry. Do you want to talk about it?" 

"So," she began, and I was surprised she was speaking. I wiped her tears and let her continue wanting to know about this past of hers, "I was once in love a couple of years ago. I met this guy while I was in university, and he was just...he was a bad boy." 

"The kind of bad boy who dropped out of school and drove around with his dad's beat down cars. He drank a lot and partied a lot too. I guess...he managed to break down my walls. I was this naive Muslim girl who was so innocent and protected from the outside world."

"The story started out like every kind of fantasy written by some amateur writer. I was with my friends at a restaurant, and he walked in with his friends. The minute he entered the place, his eyes were on mine and mine were on his. I'd look away and then look again and see that he was still looking at me. He walked up to the table and asked me for my name, where I went to school, if I was from around town and then told me he'd see me around."

"I was hard to get at the beginning but soon after, I was weakened. He was, a fairy tale, or so I thought. I found myself trying to impress him. I wanted him to like me even more, I wanted him to make me his and I wanted to be with him. One minute I was wearing my hijab, the next I was wearing leather miniskirts, and drinking lean."

"He promised me the world, and I fell for it. He told me he'd love me forever and that I was the most beautiful girl in the world. After he'd say that, he'd hold a cigarette to my lips and we'd smoke it together." 

"He'd pick me up in his dad's old pick-up truck and we'd go buy fro-yo and dance to rock and hard metal music. One night, I decided to give in to him and I gave him what he wanted, in the back of his dad's pick-up truck at a Deftones concert."

"After three weeks, I got news that there was some s*x tape circulating around the internet. I went to check it out and lo and behold, I was his conquest. He titled it "f*****g the Muslim girl". I called him, crying and heartbroken, but he told me that I was stupid for ever believing him and he'd never be with a terrorist."

"My parents stepped in and sued him big time, the video was taken down and I think they pulled a whole lot of strings for it not to surface at all on the internet. So yeah, that's what Leonardo keeps throwing into my face." 

"What?" I asked in disbelief and scoffed, "that you fell in love and made some mistakes?" 

"No," she sighed, trying to pull away, "he's right I'm nothing but a useless piece of meat." 

"Dr," I forced her to look up at me, "you're not a useless piece of meat. The useless piece of meat is the stupid little fuckboy driving his dad's cars with no education. Look at you," I said with a smile, wiping her tears and wanting to put a smile on her face, "you're a trauma surgeon for crying out loud. You're living your best life in New York City, with a private jet and a baby on the way," she cracked a smile, "you're going to be a mother, Dr. You're not a useless piece of meat, excuse me and forgive me for not wanting you to ever utter those words. You're not your past either, Dr, you're your present. And the present you, is a damn superhero." 

"A superhero?" she laughed and her cheeks widened and her smile brightened up my world. I nodded. 

"You're saving one life at a time," I chuckled as I placed my forehead on hers and looked into her eyes. It was true, she was saving one life at a time and at the moment, she had saved mine. 

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