𝐀𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐲𝐚
I'd sworn off of love and men after the fiasco that was my last relationship. Until I spent one steamy and passionate night with a dark haired stranger. A man that I thought I'd never see again. Until I found out that he was my new boss...
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By the time I was done talking, I was pretty sure that my face resembled that of a dying raccoon. But I felt lighter. And so, so, so much better. Apart from Mira, Oliver and my parents, no one knew about my past. And I had intended to keep it that way. Until Neil came into my life. I'd go as far as to say that he was the best thing to ever happen to me. The way he was so gentle with me, the way he stood up for me and showed that he cared time and time again no matter how much I tried to push him away. Yeah, that was something real right there. And I knew I'd regret it if I didn't pursue it. Which was why I was glad that we'd talked about everything and that I now got to call him my boyfriend. It was a surreal feeling, honestly. The last time I'd referred to a man as my boyfriend was ten years ago and that wasn't even true. Now, in hindsight, I'd say that Ishaan was more of a lesson for me. I don't think I even actually loved him - it was probably the high of emotions that I was going through as a teenager.
"Aaliya," Neil's voice cracked with emotion as his forehead touched mine. "Fuck, I...I don't even know what to say." His chest heaved with a deep breath as he pulled me impossibly close. "I want to kill him." He said, a dangerous note in his voice. "I'll rip him apart, piece by piece -
"Neil," I stopped his tirade with a hand to his face. "He's not worth it."
"You were just a child." His eyes shone with grief and a deep sadness for me and that was when I knew that I was completely gone for this man. I think I was in love, truly, for the first time. "Fuck your parents for not protecting you and fuck them for putting you in this position. How could you even look at their faces after all that they've put you through?"
"I don't know." I sighed regretfully, hating myself all over again for being weak and unable to cut off ties with my parents, no matter how terrible they were to me. "They've always treated me like an afterthought." I admitted sadly as my heart broke all over again.
"You deserve better than that, Aaliya." Neil said softly. "Look at me." He demanded when I couldn't meet his eyes. "You deserve more than being treated like an afterthought. You deserve to be shown what real love looks like. You shouldn't have had to run away just to protect yourself. Just to get a chance at a new beginning."
"That's the thing, though. We're always running away from something, aren't we?" I laughed ruefully, shivering as goosebumps covered my arms.
Neil hummed quietly, deep in thought before he felt my trembling body. "You still want to go?"
"Yeah." I replied. "Once I fix my makeup, that is. We can call an Ola. It's just a couple of minutes away from here anyways."
"I still can't believe they left us out here stranded."
"That's my parents for you. They need to feel obeyed, like they control me. When I listen to them, I'm the perfect daughter. But when I don't adhere to their rules...that's when I see a completely different side to them."
