IS IT OVER?
I ’m starving. I fell asleep after being left alone, and I don’t know what time it is or how long I’ve been out.
I’ve been thinking about throwing myself out of the window. This time, Dante won’t be there to catch me.
He’s stopped sending me messages. Maybe he’s given up on me. Maybe he’s realised I’ve got too many problems.
He doesn’t want me. I’ll be stuck here for the rest of my life.
I close my eyes and try to fall asleep again. I’ve been in the same position for what feels like forever.
I’m sick. I’m tired. I just want this pain to stop.
I haven’t heard anything from my mum—not even her screams or crying.
Why do we have to live like this? Why did I mess everything up yesterday? If I hadn’t asked him... If I’d just come back when I was supposed to. If I hadn’t asked him to take me to his place, I’d be fine. Mum would be fine. I wouldn’t be lying here, all beaten up.
But my father would’ve touched me. He would’ve whispered things into my ear when all I wanted was Dante.
Though he did it anyway.
A hand covers my mouth.
My eyes snap open. There’s a shadow in front of me. My heart pounds against my ribs, and a scream catches in my throat.
They’ve come for me again.
This time, I’ll die.
I can’t—
“It’s me,” he whispers, pulling the hood from his head. “What happened?”
Relief floods through me, and I start crying. He holds me tightly in his arms. I cling to him, wrapping my arms and legs around him as he carries me to the bed. His embrace is firm, protective. I try to keep quiet, but I’m choking on my own sobs.
“What happened, sweetheart?”
“My father, he… I don’t know. I don’t know why he’s so angry. It’s all my fault.”
He brushes my hair away from my face.
“How long ago?”
“W-when I—When you left.”
“Have you eaten?”
I shake my head. He pulls something out of his jacket and hands it to me—a cereal bar.
I’m starving, but I can’t bring myself to eat.
“We shouldn’t see each other until the wedding.”
“Over my fucking dead body.” He presses a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll get you out. You’re coming with me. Now. Pack whatever you need. You’re not coming back.”
“What about my mum? I have to tell her, I—”
“Amore—”
“I can’t leave her like this. She’s suffering too.” I bury my face in his chest. “She’s all I have. I’m all she has. Please. I want you to get me out of here, but I can’t leave her behind.”
He sighs, pressing another kiss to my head. “I’ll stay here tonight,” he murmurs. “In the morning, I’ll speak to your mother about getting you out. If she can’t, I’ll handle it. Understood?”
I shiver. “He was furious. He’s going to hurt you. He has a—”
“Trust me, sweetheart. Everything will be fine. I promise.”
“H-he almost killed me... I don’t even know what I did to make him hate me so much.”
He strokes my hair and kisses the top of my head. “Tomorrow, it will all end. You’ll stay at my flat for these last weeks before the wedding.” He pauses. “Do you want to know where I’m taking you for our honeymoon?”
“We’re travelling?”
“Of course,” he chuckles. “Just the two of us for a few months. What do you say?”
“I’d like that.”
“We’ll have our home. I’m making arrangements for you. The largest room will be ours; your mum can have one of the spare rooms, and later, I could build a little cottage for her, right next to our place. We’ll have pets too. Do you like horses?”
“I don’t know.”
“I have a mare, Daisy. She’s beautiful. You’ll love her.”
He keeps talking about our future together. He has so many plans, and it scares me a little.
Not once does he mention children, so I assume he doesn’t want any. I don’t know whether to feel relieved or hurt.
A few minutes pass before he starts singing to me, and when I fall asleep, I dream of our life together.
I wake to the sound of knocking at the door.
Startled, I look around. Dante is nowhere in sight, and everything looks the same.
Did I dream everything last night?
Mum bursts into the room, shutting the door behind her. “We don’t have much time,” she whispers, scanning my room for something.
“What’s happening?”
“You need to leave. Grab your clothes.”
It wasn’t a dream. Dante did come.
“Your father’s out. Dante is waiting for him in the living room.”
No.
I can’t leave her.
“Mum—”
“Help me, Lana!”
I obey, with a knot in my throat and tears in my eyes.
Five minutes. That’s all we need to gather the essentials. Nothing I have truly belongs to me.
Mum cups my face. “I’ll take care of the wedding. We’ll keep seeing each other, okay?”
“Come with us.”
Tears spill from her eyes as she smiles.
She presses a kiss to my forehead. “You deserve to be happy outside this hell, mo chroí. If I go with you, it will only make things worse.”
“Mum—”
“Go. We’ll see each other again, I promise. Go.”
I run downstairs. Dante is waiting at the main entrance. I rush towards him, but a hand grips my shoulder so hard I squeak. It yanks me back.
“Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”
My father’s grip tightens painfully.
“Let her go. Now.” Dante’s calm voice sends shivers down my spine.
My father’s eyes burn with rage, hatred pouring from him. He hates me more than ever. This was everything he didn’t want to happen.
“I said, now.”
“You’ll listen to him ?” my father sneers. “You barely know him. What makes you think he’s good for you?”
My mum appears behind him, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“You’ll leave your mother alone? Do you know how much she’ll suffer? You’re a selfish cunt! All of this for a cock.”
“Let her go,” Dante repeats, his tone steady.
“I’ll let her go if she wants to leave,” my father snaps. “If she decides to be an ungrateful brat.”
His words are a challenge, but his grip on my shoulder doesn’t loosen. Tears sting in my eyes as I look at mum.
“Do it for me,” she mouths. “I’ll be grand.”
I meet my father’s eyes.
“I’m not ungrateful.” My voice cracks. “You’ve done nothing but hurt me.”
“You fucking—”
“I’ll come back for my mum. And if you dare do anything to her, I’ll kill you,” I add in German.
Mum, the only one who doesn’t understand the language, looks confused.
“You’re no daughter of mine,” he growls.
“You made that clear when Tara was born,” I whisper.
I rush into Dante’s arms. He stands protectively in front of me, facing my father. Both men lock eyes, fury simmering between them.
I glance at my mum, and my heart tightens painfully. She’s been through so much. I can’t bear to leave her here, not with him. He’ll hurt her for this—for helping me.
If she dies, it will be my fault.
“She’s supposed to be mine,” my father snarls through gritted teeth.
“Then you shouldn’t have mistreated her,” Dante replies. “She’ll be my wife, and she deserves to be treated with respect. From now on—”
“You don’t get to tell me how to treat my daughter.” My father’s glare burns into me. “And you—I never thought you’d be such a fool.”
“Sweetheart,” Dante says in a low voice, “wait for me in the car.”
“But—”
“Please.”
I hesitate, looking at my mum one last time.
“He’s using you!” my father shouts. “You’ll regret this! He doesn’t—”
I don’t let him finish. I run outside, my chest heaving, until I reach Dante’s car. Once inside, I stare out the window.
They’re still arguing. Dante’s anger is more vivid now that I’m not beside him. Mum disappears upstairs, and I turn away. I can’t bear to watch anymore.
My stomach growls. From the back seat comes a smell so appetising it makes my mouth water. I can’t tell what it is, but it’s tempting—too tempting.
I close my eyes. I can’t eat without his permission. I can’t run away either.
I may have escaped one prison, but I still have nowhere to go.
The blaring of car horns jolts me awake.
I open my eyes, my heart pounding. The car vibrates beneath me, the hum of the engine steady and low.
Beside me, Dante grips the steering wheel. His knuckles are bruised and bleeding, and a thin cut mars his lip, another slicing across his cheek.
“What happened?” I ask, my voice shaking.
“A price to pay for getting you out,” he replies, his gaze fixed on the road. “It’s nothing. It all worked out.”
At the next red light, he reaches into the back and grabs a bag, then hands it to me. “I hope you like Chinese food. It’s all I could get this early.”
I take the plastic bag, the aroma hitting me like a wave. I dig in, eating whatever this is without hesitation. It tastes good—or maybe I’m so starved that even dirt would taste delicious.
“What happened with Mum?” I ask between bites.
“She’ll be okay. She’ll get in touch with you to arrange the wedding.”
“Is she—do you think he’s going to kill her?” My voice cracks on the last word.
“He won’t,” he assures me. “If I thought he would, I wouldn’t have left her there.”
A shaky sigh escapes my lips as I slump back into my seat, tears spilling down my cheeks.
“I’ll take you to the hospital,” he continues, his eyes flicking briefly from the road to me. “I need to make sure you’re okay. I’ll set up appointments for when we get back—or sooner, if you need anything.”
“Is it… over?”
He glances at me for a moment, his gaze softening. Then, his hand finds my thigh, his thumb brushing slow circles against my skin.
“It’s over.”
I smile through my tears, my mouth still full of food.
I can finally be free.