Against The Tide (Formerly Two Tribes)

29: It's Always Darkest Before The Dawn

The morning started with Najah cleaning the kitchen. She started by wiping the top of the shelves and counters before going ahead to do the dishes.

"Good morning!"

Jameel's voice startled Najah, almost knocking her off her feet. She hadn't expected him to be up so early, and definitely not in the kitchen at that hour. Was he perchance looking for her?

"Why did you flinch?" Jameel chuckled. "You look dishonest."

"What?" Najah huffed.

"What were you doing?" Jameel hummed.

Najah shrugged; her eyes darting to the used plates in the sink. "I...what are you doing here? Is there something you need?"

Jameel reclined his back against the counter beside Najah. "I didn't meet you in your room...I figured you'd be here, and I was right."

Najah smiled as she began to wash the plates. She couldn't suppress the joy that penetrated her heart when he uttered those simple words. For the first time in a long while, she felt appreciated, and...wanted. Why else would be searching for her so early in the morning?

"What can I help you with?" He asked, jumping off the counter. "should I rinse?"

Najah quickly cut his hand before he could do it. "It's fine...I can do this on my own. You shouldn't stress yourself."

Jameel yanked his hand away. "Nonsense! If I'm stressed, I wouldn't have offered to help. Trust me, Najah, I want to do this."

Najah heaved a sigh. "You just got back yesterday. You should be in bed resting."

Ignoring her, Jameel began to rinse the plates she had washed in the sink. "Why are you up so early?"

Najah shrugged. "Normal routine."

"I see."

"Yesterday, you fell—" Najah began but stopped mid-sentence.

"Yeah," Jameel facepalmed. "I was so tired, plus the massage was soothing...I'm sorry I fell asleep in there."

I am," Najah chuckled. "Not complaining about that at all. I also fell asleep right after you...and when I awakened, you were gone." Najah couldn't describe the disappointment she felt when she woke up to his absence. He had been so comfortable with her that she thought he wouldn't mind spending the night in her room. For her, it was a step forward.

"I didn't want to wake you, so I left quietly." Jameel averted his gaze to her. "Thank you."

Najah looked away. For some inexplicable reason, she couldn't hold eye contact with him for a long period. "For what?" She asked, turning on the faucet and rinsing her hand under the running water.

"For everything you'd done for me. Every single thing," he gave a tight-lipped smile. "When you told me you wanted to meet up with Afrah and convince her to...you know, I'll admit, I didn't believe you'd be able to because I know Afrah all too well. If I wasn't able to convince her, I didn't think you'd be able to, but because you wanted to do it, I decided to try to trust you on that, and that's one of the best decisions I made. You proved to me that you're indeed someone I can confide in and trust. Hajiya definitely didn't make a mistake by making our paths cross."

Najah literally loved everything about Jameel but the one thing she loved the most and stood out for her was how good with words he was. He just knew the right things to say at the right time. He knew the exact words to say to make her heart flutter and skin tingle.

"I understand why Afrah feels so bad...one hundred percent, I do. But I also understand why you had to do it, and I can't tell you enough how grateful I am. Like, it just made me realize that you're one of the people I always want in my corner."