NADIA
Last night I could barely sleep. Dr Malik's words were reverberating in my head the entire night.
What if my dad wasn't going to make it? What if those people actually got what they wanted? Whoever they were, they clearly didn't have a heart.
"Hey sweetie, you don't have to go to school. I can call your school and—"
"No, Mom, I have a test I can't miss today," I lied, desperate to escape the suffocating atmosphere at home.
With my dad's condition deteriorating under the same roof, I felt like I was losing my grip on sanity. The weight of my family's secrets were serioudly taking a toll, and I couldn't envision things getting worse.
Since Zeke was busy, I headed to school alone, which was fine with me cause I was not in the mood for a conversation. As I arrived, I adjusted my crop hoodie, ensuring it covered the bruise on my wrist – a painful reminder of the incident at the mall. Suddenly I wanted to throw up.
Scanning the hallway, my eyes locked onto Elijah, his gaze fixed on his phone as he typed with one thumb. Our eyes met, and for an instant, I thought he froze, but he continued walking, leaving me wondering if I'd imagined it.
As he brushed past me, ignoring me like I was invisible, a stinging sensation pierced my heart. I closed my eyes, inhaling the fleeting scent of his cologne, which brought me momentary peace.
The rest of the day was a blur. Elijah avoided me at lunch, sitting across the room during classes. It wasn't until I spotted him at his locker that I felt a spark of hope.
I approached him, my heart pounding in anticipation.
"Are you going to ignore me the whole day?" I asked, leaning against the locker in front of Elijah's. But he remained silent.
"Elijah, there's no use in ignoring me," I pressed on.
He finally spoke, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Then what else should I do? Celebrate because you're talking to me?"
I furrowed my brows, taking a deep breath before responding. "Elijah, I'm being serious."
He turned to face me, his eyes cold. "Listen, I don't think you understand. I don't want to be around you."
I felt a sting from his words. "Is this because of yesterday? Because I apologize if—"
Elijah cut me off. "Don't you get it? I don't want to be around a girl like you."
His words sliced through me like a knife, but I tried to reassure myself that he didn't mean them.
"You're pushing me away," I said, my voice firm.
Elijah's silence confirmed my suspicion.
"You're trying to push me away, but it won't work," I declared.
He shrugged. "I just realized you were a bit too much for me."
I chuckled bitterly, feeling the sting of his words. "I'm sorry, now I'm too much?"
Elijah's expression remained indifferent. "Yes, I'm not going to be with someone who acts like a whore for a man's attention."
My eyes welled up with tears. "Take back what you said right now." But he didn't.
"You're so full of shit, Elijah. You know that? You meet a girl, finally feel something, and the second you realize it, you back out because you're too cowardly to face your feelings?"
"I wish your parents had loved you more," I said, my words sincere and heartfelt.
I brushed past Elijah, my body trembling with emotion, but I forced myself to keep moving. I had nothing to fall back on this time, no safety net to catch me.
For a moment, I thought I'd finally found someone who accepted me for who I was. But it seemed I was wrong. My tendency to self-sabotage usually ruined things, but this time, it seemed Elijah's own demons were too much for him to handle.
Now more than I ever was when I needed him and for the second time now, he wasn't there.
Nicholas appeared out of nowhere, his eyes fixed on me with an unnerving intensity. We were standing on the school grounds, surrounded by students rushing to their next class.
"Hey, Nadia," Nicholas said, his voice low and smooth. "I saw you earlier, and I couldn't help but notice you looked upset. Is everything okay?"
I narrowed my eyes, wary of his sudden concern. "I'm fine, Nicholas. Just leave me alone."
But he didn't budge. Instead, he took a step closer, his eyes locked on mine. "I'm here to comfort you, Nadia. You deserve better than Elijah. He's not the guy you think he is."
My curiosity piqued, I asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Nicholas's smile turned sinister. "He's a monster, Nadia. But you're too blind to see it."
I shook my head, dismissing his words. "That's not Elijah."
Nicholas's expression turned ugly, his eyes flashing with anger. He took another step closer, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "You're so naive, Nadia. You think you're better than me? You think you can just ignore me?"
Suddenly, his hands were on me, his fingers tracing my skin in a way that made my skin crawl. I tried to push him away, but he held me firm.
"Let me go, Nicholas," I warned, trying to keep my voice steady.
But he just laughed, his breath hot against my ear. "You're not going anywhere, Nadia. You're mine now. My little slave."
I felt a surge of fear, but I refused to back down. "I'll tell Elijah," I threatened.
Nicholas's smile grew wider. "Go ahead. No one will believe you. You're just a stupid little girl who can't even protect herself."
That's when I balled up my fists and punched him as hard as I possibly could. It was enough to create some distance so I backed away. I spat on him.
"You have no idea who you're messing with, Nicholas."
But as I turned to walk away, I could feel his eyes on me, boring into my skin. I knew I wasn't safe.