“I don’t think so.”
“You didn’t rip his heart out and backed a dump truck over it.” I rubbed my eyes. Suddenly I was more tired than I’d ever had been. “I was a stupid,stupid, child. I was jealous and stupid—did I say that one already?”
“A few times, yes.”
“I saw him dancing with another girl.” I cleared my throat. “I knew she was going to ask him out and it made me so angry. The rage that night—I couldn’t remember ever feeling that pissed off, ever.”
“You had a crush on our snake?”
“Not an excuse. I was a miserable, little shit.”
“What exactly did you do?” Maia asked.
Before I had a chance to answer, Tarek appeared at the foot of the stairs.
“Well.” He called up. “There’s bad news and more bad news.”
I groaned. “Of course.”
“What’s the bad news?” Maia asked.
“Malik wants to come over.” Tarek replied.
“And the more bad news?” Maia inquired.
I didn’t care, really. Bad news was only going to come back to haunt me. Still, I beat Tarek to the reply. “He couldn’t stop Malik from coming over.”
“Ding, ding, ding!” Tarek replied pointing at me. “Give the woman a cookie!”
“Wait—I don’t get it.” Maia looked from me to Tarek. “Why is this a bad thing? Oh, wait. Wow. Whatdidyou do?”
I shrunk back against the step then stood. “I’m going to need a place to hide.”
Tarek sighed and climbed the stairs toward me. “I’ll show you your room.” Tarek stopped to pick up the bag Maia had given me.
Maia said nothing and Tarek led me down the corridor to a beautifully male room. If my life wasn’t in danger and Tarek didn’t dislike me so much, I would have taken a chance to enjoy the space. Tarek set the bag on the bed and I knew if I sat, my chest would explode. “He’s not going to be happy to see me.”
Tarek walked over to the window to shove the curtains aside. “No,” he replied.
“And I don’t suppose saying I’m sorry will change his mind?”
Tarek shook his head.
“I didn’t think so.” I signed and sat on the chest at the foot of the bed. “I don’t even know why I reacted that way. It was never like I could have been good enough for you. You weren’t wealthy, but I was never…” I rubbed my eyes. “I saw you with her and I—shit. I lost my mind I knew she’d asked you out and from the way she held you, I knew you’d said yes. I knew I wasn’t—I’d like to be alone now.”
To stress my point, I climbed to the bed and rolled away from him. For so long, I thought I had it all. I thought, even though my parents annoyed me, I had money. Any trouble I had could go away if I threw enough money at it. As my world burnt around me, I realized what I felt for Tarek was the only real thing. He was the only good and real thing in my entire world.
Tears seeped from my eyes and the frustration only made things worse. My body rocked with sobs. At some point, I must have fallen asleep because soon the darkness descended over my world. The nightmare came like a sharp knife slicing through my brain. My mother stood in front of me with fire and damnation in her eyes.
“Shame!” She yelled at me.
I covered my ears for her voice was loud enough to make my ears hurt.
“You should be ashamed!” She stressed.
“Please!” I screamed, trying to run but only tripped over myself and hit the ground hard. “No! Stop it!”
I screamed.
