Prohibited (Tom Felton)

14 | The Threat

"I tried my best to stay away from you"

When I reach the hospital, I push open the entrance door and hurry inside. Immediately, I'm met with the smell of chemicals and a feeling of nervousness. I run past the reception and into the room my mother lays in. The room I've spent so many days in, just sitting and talking and waiting for her to wake up. And it finally happened. She woke up. She looks just as fragile as she looked the last time that I saw her with the difference that her eyes are wide open and her lips curl into a smile when she sees me.

"Mum!" I hurry to her bed and hug her as some tears find their way out of my eyes.

"My darling, how are you doing?" her voice is weak and raspy but full of love.

"I'm fine, Mum. I was so worried about you. Bloody hell, I was so scared!" I take her hand in mine and squeeze it gently. "I've missed you so much, Mum. Are you alright?"

"Yea, I'm okay," she nods and I let out a relieved breath.

Only then, I notice my dad sitting on the other side of the bed, looking at the both of us with admiration and relief in his eyes. In this moment, I realize how much they both mean to me. Everything feels alright again. I feel comfortable, protected and loved. They are my safe place.

Suddenly, a doctor comes in saying that he needs to run some tests. Dad and I get sent outside and wait. But this time it's okay to wait. It's okay to wait because we know that mum is okay. And that's really all that matters right now.

I spend the whole rest of the day in the hospital with my parents and when dad leaves to get us something to drink, I finally have some alone time with my mum.

"Hey Mum? Can I ask you something?" I sit on the chair next to her bed and she looks at me with a warm smile on her face.

"Of course, honey," she brushes with her hand over my cheek gently and I look down at her.

It's weird talking to her again, now that she can actually answer. There's just a question that I've been asking myself the whole day.

"Could you hear everything when you were in the coma?" I look at her in question. "I mean- like- did you hear me talking to you?"

She nods. "If this is about the man you talked about so much... Yes, I did hear that," she chuckles lightly and I feel my cheeks heat up.

I look away from her but she takes my chin and turns my head, so my eyes lock with hers.

"Does he make you happy?" mum asks smiling.

"When we're together, yes, he does. More than happy but-" I look away from her again and she lets her hand drop from my face. "It's complicated, really."

"Tell me, then," she encourages me, "Maybe, it'll get easier."

"Well, I- it's- I don't know... We met on Tinder actually," I laugh nervously before I continue. "It was a joke at first, but then we met and he was so nice and then one thing led to another."

"Where's the problem, then?"

"Well... He's my teacher," I blurt out, not daring to look at my mum. "I know it sounds strange, but I didn't know before and as soon as we found out we tried to stop things."

"Oh, I see the problem now," she sends me a sympathetic look and takes my hand in hers. "If it's meant to be, it will be. Maybe not now, but some day."

I smile sadly and she brushes her thumb over the back of my hand. We stay like this for a while, both lost in our own thoughts and just enjoying each other's company until my phone makes a noise. I take it out and see Amber's number on my screen. She sent me a picture. Wondering why, I unlock my phone and gasp.

"Honey, is everything alright?" my mother asks kindly.

"Uhm- yes... Yes, everything's fine. I just- have to go for now. Say goodbye to dad for me, will you? I'll come back tomorrow." I kiss her cheek and leave the room and finally the hospital.

Outside, I look at my phone again. The picture of Tom and I stares back at me. My hands entangled in his hair, his steadily on my hips. Eyes closed, lips pressed firmly together. Intimate.

'Stay away from him or else this cute little photo of you and your fuckbuddy will be on every news channel'

Panic starts rising in my chest and my cheeks feel hot. My whole body begins to shake and I can't breathe. My heart pounds heavily in my chest and seems to speed up immensely. Tears start streaming down my face and the salty liquid burns my eyes. My phone rings and I don't even realize I answered until I hear Tom's steady voice.

"Did you get the picture too?!" he asks, worry and panic tracing his voice.

"I- I did," I croaks out because my throat seems to tighten itself with every minute that passes.

"What are we-," my rather loud sobs interrupt him mid-sentence. "Mika, stop crying please... Mika, are you okay?"

"I- I can't breathe," I say almost in a whisper, afraid to lose too much oxygen.

"Fuck... Mika, listen to me," his voice is soft though still serious. "You need to breathe. Breathe with me, I know you can do it."

I hear him inhaling deeply and counting his breath through the phone and I try to do the same. I close my eyes, just focusing on his breathing and his counting and it seems to help. After a few minutes my heartbeat has calmed and I relax a bit.

"Thank you," I start, not wanting to deal with our other problem. "I'm so sorry, Tom. I shouldn't have kissed you like that."

"It's okay, it's my fault too," he admits and I hear him sigh. "She wants me to give her the lead in our movie and you one of the underparts."

"Okay, do it," I just demand without much thought.

"But you're so much better than her. It's so unfair to you," he tries to justify but I disagree.

"It's fine. I'll get over it. It's your career we're talking about and you're worried about my ego," I laugh a little but Tom doesn't go along. "Just give her the lead."

"Okay, fine."

"Bye," I end the call, knowing damn well that Amber wants me to stay away from him.

And that's exactly what I'm going to do. It's what I should've done all along but I was too naïve and selfish. And now I've put Tom's career at risk.

How did she even take the picture?

She must've left her phone in class. There's no other way she could've taken a picture from that angle. She must've suspected something all along. She must've already known. She just needed proof.

Why weren't we more careful?

Why couldn't I just stay away from him?