Fall For The Fangirl

33

*JOVANI*

   When my mom dropped Nalah off at home I instantly missed her.

   "Was it weird to share your bed with a girl?" Julian asked.

   "No, I liked holding her."

   Julian nodded his head in silence for a second, but spoke again. "I'm happy for you bro. She makes you really happy, and I like that. Plus she's loyal."

   I laughed. "Thanks bro."

   "I hope I can find someone who makes me that happy."

   "You will man. When the time is right."

   After dinner I went to take a shower and called Nalah, like I'd been doing for the last few days, but she didn't answer.

-Hey babe, you're probably in the shower rn, but call me when you see this ❤

   After an hour passed I felt uneasy, but assumed she was just busy.

   "Jovani." My mom said, walking into my room.

   "Yeah mom?"

   "Nalah's mom just called me and asked if I could bring you over there. Nalah is really upset and her mom thinks you can make her feel better."

   "Oh. Um, yeah of course." I quickly put on my sneakers and went with my mom to the car. Now I know why Nalah wasn't answering her phone.

   My mom knocked on the door and Ms.Santiago answered, her eyes were puffy and red.

   "Maria what's wrong?" My mom panicked.

   "I can't stand to see her in pain, but I can't do anything."

   My mom stepped inside and Nalah's mom started crying. I stepped past them and walked up to Nalah's room. The moment I opened the door I saw Nalah throw a small glass figure at the wall and it shattered. I pulled her away from the mess and we fell to the floor.

   "Baby calm down." I told her.

   Tears were rolling down her face and and when her eyes met mine she cried harder. I wrapped my arms around her shaking body and pulled her into my lap as if she was a small child.

   "Nalah what happened?"

   She cried into my chest, shaking more.

   "Nalah, everything is ok. Just calm down, please. I'm right here, you're ok."

   "My parents were so in love. And now they hate each other. My dad hates me now too."

   "What? Nalah he could never hate you."

   She wiped her face and sobbed quietly. "He said he misses me and he wants to visit for New Years. But he said he's not coming unless he can bring her."

   The woman he cheated on Ms.Santiago with.

   "I told him no. I begged him to just come see me. I told him if he loves me then he could put me before her and he hung up the phone. He hung up." She started crying again. "He hung up."

   My entire body suddenly filled with hate for a man I've never met. To see her so broken was breaking my heart. I squeezed her, but in response she got up and sat on the bed, shaking her head.

   "Love isn't real. I'm ganna be alone just like my mom is now. My mom doesn't deserve this. But maybe I do. Maybe I'm stupid to expect my dad to choose me over the woman that broke my family. Now he has a woman to replace my mom and a kid on the way to replace me."

   I went over to the bed and kneeled on my knees in front of her. I wiped away her tears with my sleeve.

   "You're wrong. You don't deserve this either. You will never be alone. You have your mom and you have me. Love is real Nalah. I know it is because every time I look at you I fall deeper in love. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me."

   "I bet my dad said that to my mom before--"

   "Stop it." Now I was slightly angry. "Don't try and tell me I'm lying Nalah. I am insanely in love with you. My whole family sees it. I need you to see it too."

   She shook her head. "I love you too Jovani, and I'm so scared."

   I sat next to her on the bed and wrapped my arms around her too. I couldn't lie and tell her that we'll last forever, because I don't know. All I know is I can't imagine any other girl making me as happy as she makes me.