Chapter 46 Oh God!
My mother sighed, stepping closer as if to bridge the gap between us. “Shimma, please. Your father and I are just trying to protect you. You’re too young to be involved with someone like Mattias.”
I felt my chest tighten at the mention of his name. “You don’t understand! It’s not about age; it’s about how I feel. I love him!”
Her eyes widened in shock. “Love? You’re infatuated, sweetie. This isn’t real love; it’s a crush. You’ll see that once you’re away from him.”
“No, you’re wrong!” I argued, frustration spilling over. “You don’t know what we have. He’s not just some fling; he’s someone who actually cares about me. He makes me feel different, i know it's love, and i don't need anyone to tell me otherwise. It's my feelings, not yours!“
“Shimma, listen to yourself,” she said softly, her tone shifting to a more pleading one. “You’re talking about a man who is much older than you. He has a life, responsibilities. This whole thing is just a game.”
I clenched my fists, feeling trapped. “It’s not a game to me! You’re trying to take away the one person who makes me happy. Why can’t you just accept that?”
“Because I can’t stand by and watch you get hurt,” she replied, her voice breaking slightly. “I’ve seen what happens when young people get involved with older ones. It rarely ends well.”
I giggled bitterly, wiping my the tears that clouded my eyes.
“But Dad is older than you, right? Answer me,” she hissed softly, taking one more step while i took a step back. I couldn't stand her close to me.
“Shimma, please. We’re trying to do what’s best for you,” she said, desperation creeping into her voice. “We want you to be happy, but you need to let us help you.”
“Help me? By sending me away?” I shook my head violently. “I won’t go. I refuse to leave my life, my friends, and especially not Mattias.”
My mother looked at me, her expression softening. “You’ll regret this, Shimma. I promise you, one day you’ll look back and understand.”
“I don’t want to understand! I want to live my life the way I choose!” I shot back, tears stinging my eyes. “I’m not a child anymore. I can make my own decisions!”
With that, I turned away from her, my heart pounding in my chest. I couldn’t believe this was happening. My parents were trying to control my life, and I felt like I was suffocating.
“Think about it, please,” she said quietly, backing away. “We just want you to be safe.”
As the door closed behind her, I sank onto my bed, my emotions swirling. I pulled out my phone, hands trembling as I typed a quick message to the private number Me Mattias had used to call me: “Can we talk? It’s urgent,”
I hit send, my heart racing. I needed him now more than ever—not just for comfort, but for clarity. I wanted to fight for what we had, but could I really stand against my parents?
Just then, my phone buzzed with a reply. “I’m here, what’s wrong?“
I took a deep breath. As i responded. “Everything.”
“SHIMMA, TALK TO ME. WHAT'S WRONG?” My phone buzzed, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts. I glanced at the screen, my fingers flying over it as I typed.
“MY PARENTS DON’T UNDERSTAND. THEY WANT TO SEPARATE US. THEY THINK IT’S JUST A PHASE.”
His reply came swiftly, as if he had been waiting for my words. “I’M COMING OVER. I NEED TO SPEAK WITH YOUR FATHER. I’M SURE HE'LL UNDERSTAND ME. I JUST NEED TO EXPLAIN THINGS TO HIM.”
Panic surged through me. I quickly typed back, “NO! YOU CAN’T COME OVER. MY DAD TOLD YOU NOT TO. YOU KNOW HIM TOO WELL. IT WOULD ONLY WORSEN EVERYTHING.”
There was a pause before his response appeared, a single dot bouncing as he typed. “BUT I NEED TO SEE YOU. I CAN’T JUST STAND BY WHILE THEY TRY TO TEAR US APART!”
My heart pounded against my chest, each beat echoing my dread. “MATTIAS, IF YOU COME, IT’LL ONLY MAKE THINGS WORSE. MY DAD IS SERIOUS. HE’LL FLIP OUT IF HE SEES YOU AGAIN.”
Another pause. I could almost feel the frustration radiating from him through the screen. “WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO THEN? JUST LET THEM TAKE YOU AWAY?”
I pressed my lips together, fighting back tears. “THEY WANT TO SEND ME TO LIVE WITH MY AUNT OUT OF TOWN. THEY THINK IT’LL KEEP ME SAFE. THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH I NEED YOU.” My heart ached as I hit send. I had never felt so devastated in my life. Why did everything feel so unfair just when I thought I had it all?
I waited a few seconds, wiping the tears that had clouded my eyes, just so I could read his response.
“I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS,” HE REPLIED. “THIS ISN’T RIGHT. WE HAVE TO MAKE THEM UNDERSTAND HOW REAL THIS IS.”
“THEY WON’T LISTEN! THEY THINK I’M JUST A KID WITH A CRUSH,” I wrote back, feeling the weight of my frustration and fear press down on me. “AND THEY’RE NOT GOING TO LET ME SEE YOU IF THEY THINK YOU’RE A BAD INFLUENCE!”
“WHAT IF I COME TO YOUR HOUSE ANYWAY?” HE SUGGESTED.
“NO!” I typed, my heart racing. “PLEASE, DON’T. JUST… GIVE ME SOME TIME. LET ME FIGURE THIS OUT.”
It took him longer to reply this time, and I could already sense his disappointment. “OKAY, FINE. BUT I JUST HATE FEELING SO HELPLESS.”
“Me too,” I whispered, even though I knew he couldn't hear me. A tear slipped down my cheek. “BUT I’LL FIND A WAY TO TALK TO THEM. I PROMISE.”
“JUST BE CAREFUL, SHIMMA. I DON’T WANT TO LOSE YOU.”
“I WON’T LET THAT HAPPEN,” I typed back, trying to assure him, though doubt lingered in my heart.
As we ended the text, I sank onto my bed, feeling more alone than ever. I wanted to fight for us, but the thought of confronting my parents left me trembling.
---
A few moments later, as I laid on my bed, clutching my pillow tightly. I heard footsteps approaching my door. My eyes flew open. 'God, no! I don't want to speak to anyone right now,' I silently prayed, desperately wishing that neither of my parents would come to lecture me about leaving Mattias again.
Just before the door swung open, I shut my eyes, pretending to sleep. As I heard the footsteps draw nearer, my heart began to race rapidly.
I quickly recognized my father's scent before he even got close to me. I squeezed my eyes tighter, gripping my pillow harder. God, please. Let him leave. I want him to just go!
“SHIMMA, SHIMMA, WAKE UP. YOUR FLIGHT IS IN A FEW HOURS,” he whispered. In that moment, I realized they weren’t joking about me leaving…
Oh God!