CHAPTER 5

Arianna's POV

"You should give him a chance, Anna", my mother tries to convince me to accept Brandon as I pack my clothes from the closet so I can begin to fold them into my box. I am traveling tomorrow. 

Brandon hasn't stopped coming every day just to see and talk to me, even though I don't give him audience. 

My mom saw him two days ago and she has been on my neck to give him a chance, even after I had told her everything he had done to me in high school and how miserable he made me feel. She thinks that I will get myself a boyfriend before going to England.

If it was someone else, maybe I would have given him a chance but I feel it will be so stupid of me to become Brandon's girlfriend after everything that had happened between us. 

I just wish he can let me be so I can go to England as a free woman, forget about all the bullying in high school and begin a new life as a college student.

"No, mom", I say, firmly.

"Why not?" She demands, following me back to the closet as I pack the last clothes hanging there.

"I already told you why, mom. I can't accept him. He is my enemy", I utter firmly. 

"Enemy is a big word, Arianna", she grabs my shoulders, making me stop to look up at her. I have been avoiding her gaze so she won't see how hard all of this is on me. 

I am confused like hell. I don't know what I want or if it is right. 

"Brandon was behaving that way because he was being childish. You two are now adults and you should let go of the past. He has realized his mistakes already. I spoke to him yesterday and I can vouch for him."

"Mom!" I groan and move away from her. I climb into bed and bury my head into my pillow. Mom is getting me more confused. I hate how I feel right now.

"Come on. He regrets what he did to you and he is ready to make amends. Just give him a chance." She says above me. I refuse to look up at her.

"Arianna", she calls, shaking my body. I sit up and she embraces me tightly. I didn't know when I begin to feel emotional and a tear rolls down my eyes, followed by another and I start to sob. 

She rubs her hand over my back to calm my nerves. We stay this way for a few minutes until I am calm and she pulls away with a smirk on my face.

"Your father bullied me to love him", she announce and I roll my eyes as she burst into laughter.

"That is a big fat lie, mom", I roll on my stomach and lie on the bed. "My dad is a gentleman."

"That is what you think but he was actually a bully", she grins widely and I begin to laugh, imagining what it would look like if my father was really a bully and my mom was at his mercy. 

As much as I think of it deeply, it looks ridiculous because the iron person here is my mom and my dad is too calm for such a thing. It dawns on me that the real bully here is my mom while my dad was at her mercy.

I begin to laugh all over again, imagining what it will be like to be bullied by a female.

****

I woke up in a foul mood even though I am supposed to be super excited to be leaving today. I am going to be a registered undergraduate at Oxford University in a few days but the excitement isn't there. 

I don't know if my mood has been dampened by the conversation between my mom and me about Brandon or if it's something.

I suddenly feel like not going. I want to stay for another week but I have to go. I can't disappoint my dad. I can't let him waste the resources he pulled into letting me get this admission.

I drag my body from the bed with a grumble and enter the bathroom to take my bath. Before I am out, my parents burst into my room. Dad wishes me well and pecks my forehead before heading to the office while mom waits in my room as I get dressed and she calls the maid to help me with my luggages.

The car is already waiting outside and I enter with mom beside me in silence. She is looking at me. The luggage is loaded in the trunk and the car roars to life.

Realization dawns on me and I snap my head to look at our giant building, missing all of New York. I am going to miss the memories of Stanford High School; the good and bad memories as well as the person who created the memories. 

I am going to miss my mom's recent and sudden attention. I am going to be away for 4 years and it feels like forever, even though dad and I would be going on a vacation immmediately after my school registration. 

When my mom's hand touches my shoulder, I begin to cry.

Surprisingly, the car stops immediately when we are outside the gate, stopping my tears. I am curious to know why Samuel stopped the car suddenly but before mom can ask him anything, I stretch to take a peek at what he is staring at and I see him.

He is standing with his back to his car and with folded arms. His long sleeves are rolled, showing his dark tattoos. The expression on his face is serious and his stormy eyes pierce into mine. I don't need to ask him why he is here. 

Deep in my heart, I was hoping he would come today too like he did yesterday and the rest of the days since the graduation day. I wanted us to see each other for the last time and here he is, watching me intensely and making me feel like a betrayal. 

As I watch him, my tears increased ten folds.