Elona’s POV
I remained in bed for a few days. I only got out when I needed to but found myself back in bed again. I felt so hollow and yet still cried myself to sleep. Everything was playing on repeat in my head. Those words from Tristan and Cris. I played with fire, and I got burned from the inside out. A fire that doesn’t seem like it wants to end. That burn of agony is as if I’m really in hell… but the thing is… I am in hell.
My father wasn’t at home much, but he did check up on me. Everytime that he checked up on me, I would be in bed. I could tell that he was concerned. Tears ran down my face and onto my pillow. I bet my pillow is so sick and tired of all my tears. I wish that I could erase Tristan and what we had from my brain. I wish that I had never told Cris about this. I can see why Tristan wanted us to wait… but I needed a friend. I feel so alone in this, and maybe I want to deal with this on my own. Maybe Tristan didn’t plan on telling anyone about us since we are no longer together. As if nothing happened between us. The dull ache in my abdomen appeared again. I just couldn’t get myself to eat and, in that regard, I missed taking my birth control pills again. Maybe I should just give into this pain and just rather suffer in physical pain than the emotional pain that is so unbearable for me.
There was a knock on my bedroom door. I didn’t move, I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I don’t even give a fuck about school right now, although it is crucial for my graduation and modeling. The door opened, “Elona,” Dad’s gentle voice broke through my thoughts. “Are you not going to school? Are you having flare-ups again?” his voice came closer, and I felt the mattress of my bed dip beside me, and I turned onto my back to face him. He was worried. I could see it in his eyes, and they became more visible when he saw my tears. “What’s wrong?” he asked as he placed a hand on my leg in comfort.
I sat up straight, my head feeling heavy with all the crying. I wiped the tears away with the back of my hands. “There is something I need to tell you. But promise me that you won’t… leave me or write me off because of this,” I looked at him, tears threatening to spill again. He furrowed his brows.
“I promise. You are all that matters to me. You are all that I have. So, what is going on?” he asked.
“I can’t even get up and go to school. I can’t face anyone. I am deeply hurt inside. I don’t know if I can get through this. It’s too much to handle. I only want to sleep because in that moment all the hurt is away. I just can’t face anyone; I can’t find the will to eat. Nothing will make me do those things because I feel ruined on the inside, and it’s like I can’t move past this, Dad. I don’t know how you did it with loss, but heartache from breaking up with someone you love feels kind of worse. I just don’t know what to do,” my voice broke.
“What is it? I am here. Whatever it is, you know that you don’t have to go through this alone,” he was being sincere, but that worry was still in his eyes.
“Tristan and I… We were secretly dating-”
“What?” he stared at me as if I was joking.
“We were secretly dating,” I repeated. “I had a crush on him, and he somehow had feelings for me. It started only at the beginning of this year, after Cris and I turned eighteen in January. It wasn’t anything inappropriate because I’m legal age. So, don’t worry about that. He never wanted Maggie; he wanted me. We were going to wait to tell you and Cris after we graduated. Maggie told him that she is pregnant, and then he broke up with me because he could be the father. He would rather support his child than be with me.” tears streamed down my face. “He broke my heart so badly because I lied about being a virgin when we first had sex-”
“For fuck’s sake,” he muttered under his breath, looking at the window, shaking his head in disbelief. “You both had sex,” he stated.
“Yes, and he threw my lies back into my face. I told Cris, and she would rather support Maggie and Tristan. I lost her. I can’t lose you either.”
“I can’t believe this… I want you to eat and take your medication. You have to go to school; you are missing days of schoolwork. Don’t let a man ruin you. You have a lot ahead of you and make sure that that bastard knows what he has lost… He lost a good thing. But that does not mean that I am happy with all of this. It happened behind my back.” he shook his head in disbelief again.
“I’m sorry,” I said, barely in a whisper.
“You have me. But I will be dealing with that bastard. He is no longer welcome in this house. He hurt you and I won’t forgive him for that.”
“Dad, please just leave it. It’s not worth fighting about,” I begged. He stood up from the bed and scrubbed his face with his hand.
“He hurt you and I will not sit here and watch you suffer this way. So, I will make sure that he suffers. You will not stop me either,” he glared at me as if it was a warning. I swallowed because I know how strict my father can be. It was very rare that he would get that way.
“Don’t hurt him,” I whispered.
“Like hell I won’t.” He walked towards the door. “He will learn not to hurt others… or break a woman’s heart.”
“Dad!” I called out, but he was already out the door.
There was no way that I could stop him from going to Tristan. I was not going to be in the middle of how my father handles him. I lay back down on my bed and stared at the white ceiling as the tears continued to stream down my face. Tristan Crane was my mistake… my worst mistake. I shouldn’t have given into the idea of dating him in the first place, but it was just as much my fault for thinking that we wouldn’t have consequences in a secret relationship.