Chapter Ten: How dare you? #
And tonight, she had pushed the red button, and there he was, as promised. He looked the same but seemed more commanding since she last saw him. His blonde hair was still perfect. He had sapphire blue eyes that always had a shine in them. He had a cute face, and when he smiled, it made him look younger than he was. He was 5" 10" but looked much taller in that suit. He still had a swimmer’s build and felt as strong as she could remember.
Alex walked out, and they were still hugging.
“Hi. I am Alex, Aliya’s boyfriend.” Said Alex extending his hand and interrupting them.
The hug ended, but he was still holding on to Aliya. “Hello.” He said, shaking Alex’s hand. He ignored Alex and almost immediately got back to Aliya.
“Are you ok?” he asked.
“I am fine. How have you been?” asked Aliya.
He smiled. “Same old, same old. What happened tonight?”
Alex interjected. “I am sorry. Who are you?”
“Oh!” said Aliya realizing he hadn"t introduced them. “Meet Magellan. He is…..”
“I am the Head Strategist for Aliya’s security.” He said dryly.
“I was going to say my friend, but I think one has to be in touch to be a friend.” Said Aliya looking at Magellan.
“I have been in touch. You called, and here I am.”
“I have to be in distress to meet you. I didn"t know those were the terms of our relationship. How stupid people are to use phone numbers and email addresses to stay in touch.”
“I did one better. I gave you a phone with a button. You press it, and no matter where you are in the world, I will come for you. Anytime, anywhere and always. But it seems like you don"t need me. I am so proud of you. You didn"t lose your cool, you didn"t show fear, and you told us where she was. How is your hand?”
“Just bruised,” said Aliya with a straight face.
“Show me.” He said with command. She extended her hand to his hand. He looked at the hand to ensure nothing was broken. He signaled someone while he supported her hand with his hand.
“Will this go in the logs?” asked Aliya.
Magellan pointed to his pin, and she remembered how it recorded everything. The person brought an ice pack, and Aliya talked as he wrapped the ice pack around her hand.
“Do my parents know?”
“Not yet. But you need to be on a flight to London. Ben has your passport, and he will go with you.”
“How are you here so quickly?”
“Ben called me two weeks ago.”
“You fired Naz and Paul.” He looked at her and then went back to bandaging her hand. “You don"t scare me.”
“I am not trying to scare you. I am trying to keep you safe. You need to go to London. Your parents have been informed of the situation and are under protection. But they don"t know the details. You will take my jet in an hour. Your safety is most important right now. Don"t worry about anything. I will talk to you very soon.”
“Can I come with you?” asked Alex to Aliya. “I just need my passport.”
“I am sorry.” Said Magellan. “She must go under her security.”
“I will get my plane.” Said, Alex.
“I recommend staying here since Veronica is connected to you. Additionally, Aliya’s house in London is in lockdown. No one from outside is allowed in the house until we sort this out. You are useful to me here. Clearly, the Seattle police are doing a great job of finding her.”
“Ok.” Said Alex.
“What about my Head of Security?” Asked Aliya. “Is he coming to London?”
“Your Head needs to stay here to conduct his investigation and follow up with Ms. Writhe. The police cannot do what I can do. I need to control the information released to the police. You do not exist. Your security does not exist. Did you give the police your name?”
“No. I told them I was disoriented.”
“I am sorry. Her name is in my statement to the police.”
“DIdn"t Ben tell you two weeks ago not to use her name or tell anything about her security?” angrily asked Magellan.
“Sorry.” Said Alex feeling dumb.
A security guard came to Magellan, handing him a box. “Aliya, your phone will be kept with us for evidence. Your new phone and sim are in the box. Your contacts have been transferred, but I suggest not contacting anyone except your parents. Any questions?”
“Am I coming back, or am I saying goodbye?” asked Aliya. “Does my new number start with +1?”
Magellan shook his head in no.
Aliya let out a sigh full of grief. A man came to Magellan with a phone.
“Aryan insists on talking to you.” Said Magellan handing Aliya the phone. “Say your goodbye.”
“Hey. Are you ok? Is Alex ok?” asked Aryan.
Aliya looked at Magellan. “Yes. I am ok. Alex is fine. Are you under house arrest?”
“Total lockdown.” Said Aryan.
Aliya sighed. “I need to get going. I have to explain all this to my parents.”
“Don"t worry. Aunty is the coolest person in the world. You will be back in no time.”
“I can hope. Take care.”
“Bye.” Aliya sighed.
Magellan placed his finger under her chin and lifted her face so she was looking at him. “You are safe. That is all that matters. I will resolve everything, I promise. Ok?”
“Ok. Do me a favor. Hinterlasse keine Spur.”
“Consider it done.” Said Magellan with a smile.
Magellan called for Ben, and they left. Aliya looked back, but he was already inside talking to the police. They were on the plane when she called her parents.
“Aliya, are you ok?” asked her mom.
“Yes, Mom. Don"t worry about anything. I am on the plane, and we are on the runway.”
“Good. Once you are here, we need to have a long talk.” Said, Ethan.
“Yes, Dad,” Aliya said in a gloomy tone.
“All right, go to sleep. Just focus on your safety right now. We love you.” Said Scarsa.
“I love you too. See you in the morning!”
“Ms. Hunt.” Said the flight attendant. “Your clothes are ready if you wish to change. Also, I was instructed to bandage your hand.”
Aliya smiled. “Yes, thank you, Lisa. Would you like some dinner?” asked Lisa.
“Yes. I am starving.” Said Aliya. “Ben, did you eat yet?”
“No,” replied Ben.
“I will arrange the table.” Said Lisa.
The dinner was set, and they were eating.
“Ben, do you like Alex?” asked Aliya.
Ben smiled. “You know I am not allowed to be involved in your personal life.”
“Yes, yes, I know the speech about your loyalty, but could you just for once answer.”
“It doesn"t matter if I like him or not. The only thing that matters is if you like him. You are asking the wrong question. You should rest. Tomorrow will be a difficult day with your parents. Sleep well.”
“Okay.”
They finished dinner. The lights were dimmed, and they were in bed. Nine hours later, they were in London. It was a hot afternoon, and they were taken to Aliya’s house. The security was tight. Once they were in, Aliya hugged her mom and dad.
“Are you ok, Aliya?” asked her mom.
Before Aliya could answer, her dad chimed in. “What the hell were you thinking? Going to an unsecured place. You had a deal with us. You ensured that you would be careful and honest. We have sacrificed our time with you so you can be safe. Your mom misses you every day. I miss you whenever I am in a car. You didn"t even tell us you were seeing someone. Is this how you behave now?”
“Ethan, calm down. Our daughter is fine.” Said Scarsa holding Ethan’s arm. “Let her shower, and then we can talk.”
Aliya took the longest shower to avoid seeing her parents. She came down and saw Magellan sitting at the dining table. She ran to hug him.
“Somethings never change.” Said Scarsa.
“How did you get here so quickly?” asked Aliya.
“I hitched a ride with the air force. Have a seat. I have all your answers.”
They took a seat.
“Alex’s friend Mikhail hired Veronica. He wanted Alex’s blueprints for the fuel burn accelerator something. I don"t know if he wanted to sell it or spy for a country that wants to use it for missiles. Either way, Mikhail will be prosecuted for treason. Homeland security has taken him into custody.”
“What about Veronica?”
“As you asked.”
“I can"t believe how grown up you are.” Said Scarsa. “How long has it been?”
“One thousand two hundred and fifty-six days. I spent one thousand two hundred and fifty-five days without you.”
Magellan looked at her, but he could not say anything. He looked at Ethan. “Aliya needs to go back to Seattle.”
“Absolutely not. She is not safe there.”
“Everything has been resolved. She is safe to go back. You should be proud of her. She did everything right. She pressed the button. She guided us to where Veronica was standing. Aliya kept her calm. We knew precisely where Veronica was standing and when to attack. I have seen soldiers panic in that situation.”
“What about her lying to us about having a boyfriend? Did you resolve that as well?” Ethan asked Magellan.
Magellan laughed. “Your daughter survived a hostage situation, and you are worried she has a boyfriend you don"t know about. That is the first ‘normal” teenage thing your daughter has done. We are succeeding in giving her an average life. Don"t uproot her life in Seattle. She has friends, school, a boyfriend, and Aryan. You sacrificed your time with her, and now that sacrifice means something. Don"t take that away. She will be going to college soon. You cannot keep her here all your life. It would be cruel."
“Have you met this boyfriend of hers? Who is he? What school does he go to?”
“I will take this one. It is Alexander Knight. You know his parents.” Said Aliya.
“Graham’s son? How old is he?” asked Ethan in anger.
“Twenty-two.”
“I should get going.” Said Magellan getting up. “I will arrange for your flight tomorrow and your new phone.”
“Are you coming with me?”
“I am. You will have new security waiting for you. Ben will remain as your Head. I will ensure that you are comfortable.”
“Why do you always give me men? Are there no women in your security team?”
“I do. Would you prefer women?”
“Yes. Please don"t replace Ben. It took too long to break him in. But I would prefer one woman. They look less threatening. And hand them a baby, and no one will think twice about them.”
“Okay. I would need some time to find someone who looks like you.”
“Why does she need to look like me?”
“If someone is trying to kidnap you, they would confuse her with you.”
“Oh boy. I don"t want to endanger her life.”
“That is her job. Also, she is trained to fight. I didn"t get one before because you were growing. You are now grown up. This would be a good idea. Could you stand up for me?”
Aliya stood up, and Magellan pulled out his camera. He took pictures from the front, back, and side.
“It is difficult to match your hair with people who speak German.” Said Magellan. “I might not have someone tomorrow. But I will find one.”
“Why German? I would prefer Russian.”
“No. I do not speak Russian. I speak German. Ben speaks German. You speak German.”
“I speak Russian too.”
“Okay. Let me check. Would you like to name her as well?”
Aliya thought about it. “Miura.”
Magellan laughed. “I will see you tomorrow. Rest tonight. You have a long flight home.”
“Thank you.” Said Aliya hugging her.
“Always.”
Magellan left.
“Can we talk about the elephant in the room? The thirty-year-old dating our daughter.” Said, Ethan.
“He is twenty-two.”
“Ignore Ethan. Why don"t you and I go to the terrace and talk?”
“Yes. Victoria, could we have some tea on the terrace?” asked Aliya.
“I will let Henri know.”
Scarsa and Aliya went to the terrace.
“Are you mad at me?” asked Aliya.
“Not at all. I am proud of you.”
“Would you like to ask me something? About Alex.”
“I hope you are using protection.”
“Mom. We met at the mall.” And Aliya told Scarsa the complete story over three cups of tea. “What do you think?”
“Aliya, it doesn"t matter what I think. All that matters is how you feel.”
“Why do people keep saying that? I am asking for their opinion because I don"t trust my feelings. What if what I feel is wrong? Or what I think I feel is not really what I feel?”
“You are putting too much pressure on yourself. You are only sixteen. You have your whole life in front of you. Enjoy this time, and let him work on the relationship. I might have a different opinion of it as a mother, but I was sixteen once too. He is doing many things right. His parents know you. His friends know you. But you kept him out of your life. None of your friends know, and even Shireen found out by accident. You are a part of his life, but I question if he ever was a part of your life. You live alone. Why do you only see him on Saturday? I know you have not had an average life. You are cautious. But don"t miss out on a relationship because you are worried about security or something else. Let people in. They might hurt you, but you need to experience that as well. Magellan is right. You need to change his name.”
“What would you suggest?”
“He is grown into a very handsome man. Were his eyes always this blue?”
“Always.”
“Pick a shade of blue like Cobalt, Yale, Neon,” said Scarsa reading on his phone.
“Azul. How about Azul?”
“Sounds nice. Much better than Magellan. He is too hot to be called Magellan.”
“Do you have a crush on him?”
“I appreciate beauty no matter its shape or form.”
“Could we get back to Alex?”
“I thought we closed the subject. Do not put so much pressure on yourself. You are too young to be so moral and proper. Make mistakes, be spoiled, and enjoy. You do what a daughter would, and I will do what a mother would do. Now back to Azul.”
“The name doesn"t suit him. How about Neal? I saw a trailer for this show called White Collar. There is a guy, a conman named Neal, with beautiful blue eyes.”
“That is a good name. Neal. So, let’s talk about him. You counted the days since you last saw him. I know you were young, but did you have a crush on him.”
“Crush on what? We are sitting here and coming up with names. I don"t know anything about him.”
“You have a nine-hour flight with him tomorrow. Get to know him.”
“He has the stupid pin on his jacket that records everything. He can"t talk as long as the pin is on him.”
“Hmm! But would you like to get to know him?”
“Yes. But I would like many things in life.”
“It’s already seven, and we should have dinner.”
“I will skip dinner. I want to sleep and put this behind me.”
“Didn"t you sleep on the plane?”
“No. I was nervous about what would happen here. Good night.”
She went to bed, but she could not fall asleep. She tossed and turned until morning. She came down for breakfast, and Magellan was sitting at the table.
“You are coming.” Said Aliya looking at him.
Magellan smiled. “Come here. I have something to tell you.” He said, pulling out the chair next to him. She sat down. “I have been promoted because of you. I will be moving to London from DC.”
“I didn"t even know you were in DC.”
“I can tell you now.”
“What is your name?”
“You don"t choose the questions.”
“We decided on a new name yesterday, Neal.” Said Scarsa.
“Okay. I will have it changed.”
“When can I leave?” Aliya asked formally.
“Whenever you are ready.”
She got up and left to get ready. She showered and sat on her bed crying. She heard a knock.
“Aliya, do you need any help packing?”
“No,” said Aliya in a breaking voice.
“May I come in?”
“Yes.”
“Aliya. What happened? Why are you crying?”
“I don"t have anything to pack.”
“Honey. Do you want me to buy more clothes for you?”
“No. I feel like I have no home. I am so lonely. I am surrounded by people who continuously remind me that they are not my friends. I am so lonely.”
“You can"t talk to Nana?”
“No,” said Aliya breaking down in tears.
“Aliya. I am sorry. I will talk to Henri about it. You have a new boyfriend. Talk to him.”
“He doesn"t understand.”
“How will you know if you don"t tell him? You didn"t tell him anything about your security.”
“I didn"t want him to be scared and leave.”
“Aliya, you are a beautiful and brave girl. You deserve an equally beautiful and brave guy. He is not the right guy if he doesn"t want to fight for you. I know being lonely can be hard. But don"t be with someone just because you are lonely. Be with someone because you genuinely want to be with him. You can come here often. You have a good mom. My friends tell me that some children never see their parents. Your mom knows everything about you. She knows your favourite color, tea, classes, and friends. She knows what books you are reading. Every weekend she goes to a bookstore to look for books she thinks you will like. I make sure I donate the books you have read so we can make room for the new ones. Your dad knows what cars you like. The first thing your dad wants to know in the morning is if you have an email. The mornings when I tell him yes, he is happy the entire day. You are much loved. You have a home here. Do you know how much of a home you have here? Henri makes kaiserschmmarn every week to ensure he can make it perfect for you. I have to taste it every Wednesday and tell him it is the same. Marriage is hard.”
Aliya laughed under her tears.
“You are so brave. You can do this easily. Come here when you feel lonely. Stop worrying about what your parents think or what your friends think. Start thinking about yourself. Be selfish. What do you want? What do you like? Trust yourself. You know more than you think. You control your happiness. You deserve to be happy. So, what do you want to do right now?”
“Eat kaiserschmarrn.”
Victoria laughed. “I will tell Henri to make one. Wash your face and come down.”
Aliya came down and walked past Neal and her parents to the kitchen. She climbed on top of the counter.
“It is ready. I will bring it to the table.” Said Henri.
“I want to eat here.”
“But your parents are waiting.”
“So.”
“Why do you like eating in the kitchen, sitting on my counter?”
“I like your company.”
“Don"t eat out of my pan. Give me a minute to plate it.”
“Would you like something to drink?” asked Victoria. “Champagne?”
“No. I have been drinking too much alcohol lately. Just water.”
“Victoria told me Nana is not working out.” Asked Henri giving her breakfast. “Do you not like her cooking?”
“It is ok. I don"t look forward to it. It is just one year. I like that she is private and leaves before I come home.”
“The security company approved her. Next time, I will find someone and get the company’s approval. Do you want another one?” asked Henri noticing her empty plate.
“Could you, please?”
“Yes. I have enough to make ten.”
“How are you doing? Any plans for a vacation?” asked Aliya.
“Yes. We will drink in Frankfurt while you go to the auto show.” Replied Victoria.
“I completely forgot. This is the year of the auto show.”
“Your dad has tickets already. We have reservations at the new restaurants to try new dishes. It is all set.”
“Thanks for reminding me. It would be a good time for Alex to meet my dad. He is always happy when he buys a new Bentley or Mercedes.”
“Sounds like you have a plan.”
“My plans don"t work very well, Victoria. Most of the time, I land on my face in shit.”
“Don"t say that in my kitchen.” Said Henri giving her a plate.
“Sorry.”
“Why are you not eating the sauce? Is there something wrong with the sauce?” Asked Henri.
“It is off.”
“What is off? It is the exact same recipe.”
Aliya shrugged.
“Didn"t you buy vanilla paste because they were out of beans?” asked Victoria.
“Yes, but this time it is the same Tahitian variety. You cannot possibly taste the difference.” Said Henry tasting the sauce.
Aliya shrugged.
“This is gelato all over again. Victoria, throw the paste and find me the beans.”
“I love you, Henri.” Said Aliya getting down from the counter and kissing him on the cheek. “You get better every day. I want another one, but my stomach disagrees. It won"t travel, right?”
“No. It will be soggy. But I made you sticky toffee pudding. You can take that.”
“I love you so much.” Said Aliya hugging him. “Thank you. I should get going. Until the next debacle.”
“You will be fine. You are stronger than you think.” Said Victoria hugging her.
Aliya walked to the dining table.
“Let’s go.”
“I still need to talk to you about your security.” Said Neal.
“Talk in the car, but I must be on the plane. Mom, thanks for everything. Dad, let’s talk at the auto show. I will send you details about the flight.”
“Okay. Take care of yourself. And no cheating on the cars.” Said Ethan hugging her.
“I make no promise.”
They were in the car.
“Your new phone.” Said Neal giving her the phone. “The number begins with +1. I am still looking for the female, but you have two new security people you will meet in Seattle.”
“I don"t want to talk to them. I don"t want them to talk to me. I want them to do their job and be ghosts. Same with Nana. I don"t want her there on weekends. We don"t talk already, and I would like to keep it that way.”
“Okay. Is there a problem?”
“No. I finally hear you. We are not friends.”
Neal took out his phone, typed something, and showed it to her. “Aliya, you and I are many things. But don"t ever belittle this relationship by calling it a friendship. You are more important to me than that, and I know I am more important than a mere friend.”
Aliya was about to say something when he placed his finger on her lips to motion her to remain quiet. He pointed to his pin to remind her that it was recording.
“I know you are hurt. Take some time to settle in with the changes. I will personally come in and check to make sure everything is ok and you are comfortable.” Said Neal.
Aliya took out her phone, typed, and showed it to him. “You promise?”
Neal smiled and nodded. Aliya left and was in Seattle in her flat. She took a long shower and tried to fall asleep again but couldn"t. The week passed in school and studies.
It was a cool Friday night, and Aliya was sitting on the couch on her terrace reading a book when she heard the buzzer. She went to the intercom and turned it on. “Ma"am, Neal is here for you!”
Her heart raced. “Yes. Thank you.” And she pressed her thumb.
A minute later, the elevator doors opened. He wore a black suit with a black shirt, and the jacket was open. But there was no tie and no pin. His hand was on the elevator wall above the door, and he was leaning toward it. He was touching his chin with his other hand, looking down. When the doors opened, he held the pose but looked up at Aliya. His eyes looked even bluer if it was at all possible.
He adjusted his suit jacket by clutching the lapels and pulling on them with both hands, and he walked out of the elevator. Aliya greeted him with a hug, and they sat on the couch across from each other.
“Do you feel safe?” asked Neal.
“That is your first question.”
“That is the most important question for me.”
“How about how I am doing? How about I am sorry I hurt you? Did you cry for a long time? How about I am sorry I left on your birthday without saying goodbye.” Asked Aliya with anger and tears.
“I had no intention of hurting you,” he replied, moving towards her.
“You thought leaving me alone without saying a word would please me?”
“Aliya,” he said, leaning back and touching his hair from the back of his neck. “It doesn"t mean I wasn"t here if you didn’t see me. I was watching you. Your first day at school when you forgot your book, your speech on the morality of debating that got you elected as head of the club, friendship with Shireen, Melia, Jun, Verma, Mike, and the mall. I was there with you all the time. You just forgot about me.”
“How dare you?” She screamed, getting up in anger. “You abandoned me! How dare you accuse me that I forgot you?” She said in anger. “You don"t know what I think, what I feel.”
“I am sorry; I didn"t mean that.”
Aliya wiped her tears. “If you were there, why didn"t you talk to me.”
“Because I couldn"t. I had to give you space to grow and become who you are today. This strong, confident girl that just saved someone’s life.”
“How did your leaving me help with that?”
“You have been on your own. You have been managing your life by yourself and very well. Your nightmares, you can sleep now, right? You chose your high school, made friends, debated; you did all this by yourself.”
“Is that all you saw?” said Aliya with anger. “Did you see my crying hundreds of nights? Did you see me waking up ten times a night at every little sound? Did you see me call your name when I would get a nightmare? And did you see me all alone in this fucking prison? Did you see that when you were watching me?” Tears ran down her eyes.
He stood up and hugged her.
Aliya was crying. “It’s not fair. It is just not fair that you left, and you see what others see, but you don"t really see me. You don"t see me.” She said, moving away from him.
He wanted to move closer, but she got up. She continued in a broken voice, “I don"t see you either. I don"t know who you are, where you are from, what you like, or what you don"t like. I don"t even know your name. And it is my fault. You told me all the time that we were not friends. I am just another client for you. Well, sir. I am safe. Thank you so much for your concern, and you may leave now.” Her last sentences were filled with anger and resolution.
He turned around and left. Aliya’s back was turned towards him. He wiped a tear with his thumb, and the elevator doors closed.
“Without saying goodbye again,” Aliya muttered to herself. She was about to climb the stairs when she heard another ding of the elevator. He was back to say goodbye, she thought. She entered the code, and doors opened, but there was no one. She looked at the floor; there was a notebook with a sunflower stem. She picked it up, and the doors closed.
She smiled at the sunflower and caressed it with her cheek. She opened the notebook and she sighed. She went to the terrace and lay on the bed. She looked at the first page of the notebook.
That night, she wouldn"t sleep again, but it was not unrest but because of fond memories. A memory that was just a spark had been fueled into a fire, and that fire was roaring in her heart to keep her awake. “Did I forget about him?” she thought, and all the memories came rushing back.
Neal and Aliya would sit on the bench and talk for hours. She couldn"t remember what they talked about, or maybe they played a game. But she could remember everything about him. She was being homeschooled as she had come to Seattle in the middle of the school year. Every day at three, Neal would teach Aliya and Aryan about survival training. He taught her basic defense moves, stress signals, how to fire a gun, secret messages, and so much more. He taught everything she did today that saved her and Alex’s life.
Neal had given her a compass. “Everybody needs a compass!” he said. They would camp out in the garden on those rare cloudless nights and sit outside looking at stars, identifying them using the compass. She looked at the stars above her. It was like the earth was moving backward, and she was in her bed on the second floor of her uncle’s house.
Aliya had just had a bad dream, and she woke up crying. In five minutes, he was there. She was scared to go back to sleep, so he held her in bed until she fell asleep again. She remembered the feeling of his breath on her neck. She crossed her arms and touched her shoulders to remember his touch. How calm he made her and how well she slept. They would stroll through the park, and she would ask him questions about the world. “What is this? Why is this like that?” and he would answer patiently. Then one day, she had asked, “What flower is this?”
“It’s called Sunflower. It is an essential flower.”
“Why?” she asked innocently.
“Because it always points towards the Sun. People do not like Sun because it’s hot. But Sunflower knows that Sun gives it the energy to survive. It looks past the bad, the heat, at the good of the Sun. It loves the Sun because it knows that the Sun loves it too, even though from afar. And Sun is scared that if it touches the flower, it will die. But every day, the sunflower waits for Sun to come up and blooms with happiness.”
Neal made her comfortable in a foreign country. Aliya would read books on her couch, and he would sit nearby, looking at her and scribbling something in his notebook. She would not worry about the world because he was there to protect her, watch over her. She would feel invincible because he was there. She felt like she could do anything because he was there. No matter what trouble she was in, no matter what wrong decision she made, no matter what mistake she made, and no matter where she was, she was safe. She was free to be lost in her thoughts, in the fantasy world of her books, in horror movies, because she was safe as he was there. The same notebook she held today. All this time, he was sketching her. The notebook was filled with her sketches in different poses with different faces. There was one with her tongue sticking out, and she laughed.
When she had asked her uncle if she could have her place, Neal had arranged everything; the security, the furniture, the car. It was her thirteenth birthday. He gifted her the keys and drove her to the penthouse. He showed her how everything worked, spent the night with her in the penthouse, and the morning, he was gone. There was no more class or cuddling at night, or looking at stars. He left without saying goodbye. Her heart was broken that she meant nothing to him, that he could leave without caring about her. He was her confidant, her friend?….and left without saying anything. A tear rolled down her eye.
She had her phone in her hand and wanted to press the red button again. But what would she say? That one year meant everything to her. But he left, and it seemed they had been apart for eternity. She had cried nights to forget about him. She felt the pain again, and she clutched her heart.
“No, there’s nothing to be said,” she thought. “He is gone, and I will never see him. This is the end.”