Loving yourself is hard. Trying to find love in a family who objectified you? Seems like work. But try finding love in someone as a hopeless romantic too.
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Smart, nerdy, pretty, and kind are all the words she's gotten used to. Being a Junior in...
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"D...dad? No—" I struggled to say as if it was gonna stop him from looking back and opening the door. Neither did he wait for another second.
By the time I got a hold of my father's sleeve, he had opened the door, and there stood calmly was Matteo. He takes a second to take in the scene that unfolded before him. His eyes widened and the epiphany hits him.
"Matteo, go," I said through tears, holding my father back like a rabid dog in chains. I felt him tense up at the sight of Matteo. They look at each other and for a moment I thought this will be nothing but a mere stare down— I was then quickly proven wrong.
"Dad!" I yelled as he pounced towards Matteo, hitting him with full force until the only thing that followed was the sound of Matteo's skin ripping and then him falling to the ground.
My scream was the only thing other than the hit that was heard. I felt my heart drop to the floor and my mind swirled. Seeing Matteo on the floor, wincing as drops of blood from his lip dribbled down. He stood up easy and I thought he was to return the gesture— hell I hope he did.
"He's the guy you are so proud to be hooking up with?" Mother scoffed and everyone turned to her. I gulped at the way he spoke of Matteo, poking fun at him like wasn't there to hear it all. She spoke of him like she was so perfect when she was nowhere close to that.
"I knew you guys were messed up, just never had the pleasure to see it for myself— until now." Matteo humored. I flashed a look of disbelief to him thinking something must've come loose in that shallow head of his to be making jokes like that. Or perhaps it was the anger slowly manifesting itself.
As expected my father didn't react well to his words and before I knew it he grabbed Matteo by the collar and the air in my lungs had dispersed. Screaming profanities and curses to his face, my dad called the attention of the whole floor until doors began flying open. He dragged Matteo near the stairs and past all the college kids watching with their phones up in the air. I couldn't care less.
I ran behind them calling their names while mother just watched like the heartless human she is. Perhaps she'd be even more embarrassed once those videos go online. That's just the kind of person she is. She never cared about anyone but herself.
"Dad let him go!" I yelled as they came to a halt right by the stairs.
My heart was pounding and I was out of breath from all the yelling and running but I had no time to be tired.
Finally, my dad turns to me with flaring eyes and says, "sure, since you asked so kindly, " his sarcastically evil remark appalled me, and before I could say anything he does what I asked of him.
With a grunt, he lifts Matteo off the ground, and as I caught his beaten gaze, he was flying down the steps. The loud thuds of his body rolling of every step lead me to croak only because I couldn't do anything. My tears are now flowing relentlessly and my mind was hazy for everything I had just seen.
