He shook his head, peered through the peephole, and then looked at me. “It’s your mother.”
“My mother? How…?” I was interrupted by loud knocks on the door. “Samantha, open the door!” My mother’s shouts jolted me into action. How was she able to get in? Wasn’t there security?
“Do you want to talk to her?” Nick asked, concern creasing his features. I didn’t want to. Why couldn’t I just have one day without an argument or feeling utterly mortified?
“Open the door, or I’ll call the police!” I nodded at Nick. He opened the door, and a woman who looked a lot like my mother stormed in, furious. She had bags under her eyes, not a speck of makeup on, and her hair was a mess.
“I want an explanation of what’s going on right now, Samantha!” She shouted, advancing on me. Nick stepped in front of me, protecting me in case my mother tried to slap me. “You, get out of my way.”
“Not if you’re going to hurt her,” he muttered.
“Nick, it’s okay,” I said, touching his shoulder to calm him. He moved aside so my mother and I were face to face.
“Why are you here?” She ground out through clenched teeth. I was sweating, my nerves on edge.
“Olivia kicked me out, and I had nowhere else to stay,” I said, meeting her gaze. She was the only one who could make me feel so vulnerable.
“And why did she do that?” She took another step towards me.
I was debating whether to tell her the truth or not. I didn’t think she would take it well, especially coming from me. I knew Olivia would do this, would find a way to make me question my position, my relationship with Nick. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t right. But I had always played it safe, always done the right thing. Martin was safe; he had always been safe. My mother didn’t accept my relationship with him, and I blindly obeyed her. Before I could break up with him like she wanted, she found out he came from a good family. She told me she had changed her mind and wanted me to be with him. It was always like that. Also with university. She had attended this university; she had decided-or rather forced me to think-that King was my dream when in reality, it was hers. My mother had controlled my life as she pleased, and I was only now realizing it.
This time would be different. I loved Nick blindly and unconditionally. I wouldn’t leave him, even if she was holding a gun to me right now, ready to pull the trigger.
“Nick and I are dating,” I said, surprised by the firmness and certainty in my voice. I was looking her straight in the eye, without a trace of fear.
“What did you just say?” She grimaced, disgusted with me.
“You heard right. I’m with Ni…”
Her hand flew to my cheek.
I clapped a hand over my mouth to keep from sobbing and looked down.
“Let me go!” My mother’s right hand-the one she had hit me with-was being held by Nick.
“Touch her again, and I’ll forget that you’re my father’s wife and her mother.”
“Who the hell do you think you are? Do you realize she’s your stepsister? You’re sick!”
A rush of adrenaline started to course through my body. It was powerful, as if I was momentarily high on it.
“Don’t talk about him like that!” Before I knew what was happening, Nick had grabbed me by the waist and pulled me back before I could reach my mother.
A situation similar to the one I had had with Olivia, but even worse. It was my mother I wanted to hit.
“Were you going to hit me, Samantha?” My mother screamed, hysterical. “Were you going to hit the person who gave you life because of this?”
Tears of frustration and anger started to spill from my eyes.
“His name is Nick! And I won’t let anyone speak about him like that, not even you! So Mom, think very carefully about the words you use to address him,” I ground out through clenched teeth, trying to swallow my rage. If Nick let go of me now, I would probably lunge at her.
“What happened to you, Samantha? You didn’t used to be like this!”
She said it as if she knew me, as if she knew who I really was without her. Even I didn’t know who I was without her.
“I was never like this! Don’t you get it? I always acted under your damn influence! You never let me make my own decisions! But not anymore, Mom! I’m eighteen years old, I’m old enough, and I’m with Nick. Nothing you do is going to change that. I love him.”
“You love him? Please, don’t make me laugh. You’re infatuated, which is different. You think he’s going to stay with you forever? He’s going to get tired of you and leave you. All men are like that, and he’s no different. Wake up, girl. Do you think you’re a woman already? You still have a long way to go. I know more than you do, so stop your tantrum and come with me,” she offered me her hand.
“I’m not going with you, Mom!” I yelled quickly.
The features on her face showed just how offended and angry she was. I didn’t know those two emotions could blend so perfectly.
“I gave you everything I could. I gave you everything, Samantha. And this is how you repay me?”
“Thank you. Thank you for fulfilling your duties as a mother. What else can I say? The only thing you gave me besides paying for my studies and food was not letting me live for myself. You were never home, and when you were, it was to tell me how much harder I had to work on my studies and be more presentable. I worked so hard on my studies to please you that I earned a full scholarship,” I said sarcastically. “Also, you made decisions that were mine to make, not yours. That’s what you did, Mom. Now, for the first time in my life, I’m making my own decisions and for the first time in my life, I’m truly happy and don’t feel forced to smile. I strayed from the path you chose for my life, and I feel free having done so.”
My mother was stunned by what I had said. I had never voiced what I truly thought, and saying it now, a huge weight that had been pressing on my chest disappeared.
“You’re an… ungrateful girl. Everything I did was for your own good.”
“More like for yours,” I concluded.
She turned to leave through the door.
“Don’t come back begging for forgiveness when he leaves you.”
She left, and Nick pressed his chest against my back. Tears were still streaming from my eyes.
“Thank you for defending me,” he whispered in my ear.
I turned around and placed my hands on his cheeks. “Every word was true. We fight most of the time, but you make me happy… Although you also make me very angry. But at the end of the day, you’re the one who makes me smile sincerely.”
“You also cry,” he said. Suddenly, it felt like he was regretting getting back with me, like he didn’t deserve me.
“Yes… you need to work on that.”
“I swear it’s not my intention, Samantha. When I get angry, I lose control and don’t manage my words, but I’ll stop doing that. If I have to go to therapy, I will,” there was uncertainty in his beautiful eyes.
“I love you, Nick.”
His face tensed, and he kissed me on the lips. It was pure, not lustful, but loving.
“I love it when you say that.”
“I’ll say it as much as you want. I’ll say it so much you’ll get sick of hearing it.”
“Never if it comes from your mouth. Say it again,” he said like a little boy.
“I love you.”