Amora was panting as she climbed the stairs from the third floor toward the rooftop. Okay, Danish was seriously crazy! And Amora was starting to catch his madness. Yeah, for some reason, she had simply gone along with it when Danish led her into the old building and took her up the stairs from the ground floor all the way to the top.
The abandoned building was dimly lit. It was quiet and felt incredibly creepy. Maybe the building would be perfect for a test-of-courage challenge, with all kinds of invisible creatures living there, but Amora didn't care. The girl had to sneeze several times because of the fine dust inside the rooms.
"Are you trying to kill me here?" Amora's voice echoed.
"Hmm?" Danish hummed without looking back at Amora. "Give me an idea—which way would be best to kill you? Stab you with a knife, or throw your body out the window so it looks like you were a desperate girl who decided to commit suicide?"
Amora snorted. "I'm tired, idiot! How am I supposed to keep up with your muscular body?"
"Aish... Why do women always complain so much?" Danish turned around, then, without warning, scooped Amora into his arms.
Amora shrieked and instinctively wrapped her arms around Danish's neck. "What are you doing?"
"Carrying a big baby. What else would I be doing?"
"Danish!"
"Be quiet. You walk too slowly, like a snail. When are we supposed to reach the top of the building at this rate?"
"Put me down!"
"Quiet, or I'll throw you out the window."
Amora pursed her lips. In the end, she let Danish keep climbing while carrying her. Okay, she had to admit that Danish was incredibly strong. The man had absolutely no trouble climbing the stairs even with a load as heavy as Amora. No, that didn't mean she admired the sharp-jawed man.
A few minutes later, they reached their destination: the rooftop of an old building in the middle of the capital. Danish lowered Amora from his arms. The girl sighed in relief. Her eyes widened as she took in a rare view she'd never seen before.
"Wow!" Amora ran to the middle of the rooftop, closed her eyes, and spread both arms wide. The night wind blew her long hair around.
"This is my favorite place. I knew you'd like it."
"I can breathe the fresh air up here." Amora inhaled deeply. A moment later, she opened her eyes and shot Danish a sharp look. "If you brought me here just to pry into my personal problems—"
"Always assuming the worst," Danish cut in. "What is your brain made of, huh? Can't you think positively about me just once?"
"Think positively about a criminal like you? Don't hold your breath!"
"Okay, no problem. At least I managed to calm you down after you saw the view up here. The glittering capital and the night sky filled with stars. You found peace in it, didn't you?"
"I'm still not going to thank you."
"Unfortunately, I don't need your thanks either. Whatever. Arguing with you will never end." Danish lay down on the dusty floor. He folded his hands beneath his head. "Lie down and enjoy the stars in the sky."
"You've got to be kidding. This floor is dirty, and—"
"Okay, then just stand there until your legs cramp."
Amora snorted. How could Danish lie so comfortably on a dusty floor as if he were relaxing on a sofa? Aish... Amora had forgotten. A thug like Danish had probably grown used to dealing with filthy places. He might not even mind throwing himself into the mud.
Danish's gaze formed a straight line toward the brightest star in the sky. He smiled bitterly. "When I was little, I looked at the stars almost every night. To me, those stars represented a dream, a future. Reaching them took a struggle."
Amora listened carefully. It was an interesting conversation. Everyone had dreams. Amora was no different. The girl sat down dejectedly on Danish's right, staring at the star Danish had pointed to. "I have one dream," she said softly.
Danish ignored Amora's words. He continued rambling. "When I was fifteen, they came to get me. I should've been happy because I thought they were dead. But I didn't feel even a little bit of that happiness. Do you know how I came into this world?"
"Hmmmm?" Amora's gaze shifted to Danish.
"I was born from a mistake. That bastard refused to take responsibility. My mother got pregnant and was banished by her family to a remote village. To their family, my existence was a disgrace. That's why my mother was heartless enough to abandon me at an orphanage so she could return to her family. Fuck!"
"I understand how you feel." Amora lay down beside Danish, trying to adapt to the thick dust brushing against her delicate skin.
"Just because he wasn't mentally or financially ready to be a parent, that bastard rejected my existence. According to Mom, seven years after they separated, they met again. Then they got married in the name of love. Shit! What is love? I don't even believe love exists. To me, love is disgusting."
"It depends on how you look at it, Danish. Sometimes love can be beautiful, too. Be grateful that they eventually looked for you. It means they still love you."
"Fifteen years is a long time. It's too late. Even all their wealth wouldn't be enough to buy back the years that have passed."