TANGLED -overprotective famous brothers and crazy life

Niagara Tears

ALISHA’S POV

One word to describe the past few days- Crazy. Award after award, party after party- Pre-parties, after-parties. And I attended them all. Why? I needed an escape. Only Salman knew that I was dying inside. Don’t get me wrong, I was beyond happy for him, for all the success. But just the thought of the murderers, the girls sent chills down my spine.

I didn’t want to deal with it. I admit it. I was being a coward and finding escapes and excuses. I was trying to trick myself into forgiving everything. Every night, it’d wake up from a nightmare, and act like everything was normal. Salman would always crawl into my bed and calm me down. We were the only ones who knew what I was dealing with. And he was worried.

It was one of those nights. I had a nightmare about all the things messed up together and was now in the living room. Salman was out at a friend’s place, I had to push him to go. He was reluctant to leave me alone, but he needed some fun time. I honestly felt guilty for ruining his perfect day, every night.

I was scribbling in the diary. I stopped and asked myself.

What was I doing? I was running away from everything. From all my problems, all the challenges. So what if my life was messed up? So what if I didn’t have the privilege to lead a normal life? I couldn’t and shouldn’t use it as an excuse to avoid everything. I couldn’t throw my life away.

I wasn’t a quitter. I’d never accept my defeat before fighting back. I was gonna face everything and everyone, and not back down.

I sighed and pushed by diary aside. Where did that come from?

‘*text*

(Liz text) Hey, can I talk to you?

(Salman text) Want me to come back??

(Liz text) No no…stay there. Nevermind. We’ll talk when you come back. No problems. J

(Salman text) Uh, ok. Why are you still up?

(Liz text) Nightmare… L

(Salman text) Yea, I’m coming back. Back in 30.

(Liz text) You don’t need to!

(Salman text) Chill, we were almost done. Bye now gotta drive.

(Liz text) Drive safe.

He said thirty minutes right? He was back in fifteen. I was eating chocolate ice cream then.

“Ice cream. At night. Something important, huh?” Salman said, taking his jacket off.

“Can’t a girl eat ice cream just for the heck of eating ice cream?” I replied, keeping the bowl in the dish washer.

“Normal girls can. But I know you. What’s bothering you?” He patted the couch where he was sitting. I went over and snuggled close to him. He instantly wrapped his hands around me. We sat there for a while, in comfortable silence. I absorbed his aura. The love, the protectiveness, the understanding-ness. Yup, that’s not a word I know. I can invent words, k?

“I’m done escaping life.” I whispered, while he was playing with my hair. I didn’t let anyone but him touch my hair. I wouldn’t hesitate to slap or punch anybody else who messes with my hair. Yes, I was extremely protective of them.

“You were never escaping life.”

“Yes I was.” I defended myself. What was the point in refusing the truth?

“You were on a much needed vacation. Life has been pretty umm, eventful. Everyone deserves some break. That is what you were doing.” Eventful. So he has turned into the politically correct dude too? Then I’m the black sheep of the family I guess.