Page 167 of Nobody's Girl

Finally, he lets my arm go. Crap, that hurt. I hope he didn’t leave a bruise.

I look it over as my mother comes to my side. She looks at the place on my arm he was holding so tight. It’s red, but I don’t think I’ll bruise.

I swear she looks worried.

“David, you didn’t need to handle her so roughly. You could’ve left marks on her. Then what would you have done?”

My father runs his hand over his face. “I don’t know. I didn’t think about that. The only thought in my mind was about her going against our rules, yet again. This has to stop, Alyssa. You’ve never done this. You’ve always followed the rules we’ve set. It’s so close and now you decide to go hog wild.”

“Hog wild!” I shout. “Wow! I mean, come on! I’m not an out-of-control teenager. The melodramatics need to come to a halt.” I move away from my mother’s hold on me, looking back at my father. I swear he looks more afraid than mad. “What are you so afraid of?”

My parents sit down on the sofa together. Dad holds Mom’s hand. Neither answer me for the longest amount of time.

My mother finally says, “Tomorrow we’ll have a visitor. He’s the son of one of our dear friends. He’ll be staying with us for a week. It’s just that we want none of our family problems to leak out in front of him. It would be an embarrassment to us if you had signs of physical abuse on you.”

How insane!

“Okay. I’m not hurt. I’m okay, you guys. You’ve never hurt me in my entire life. Yeah, Dad was a little rough, but he’s never been before. Who are these people who make you feel like our family has to be so perfect?”

Dad runs his hands through his hair. Again, I sense he’s nervous. “People we used to hang out with a lot before you were born. Very nice people. It’s not about them. It’s about us. This thing with you suddenly going against us has us confused. I suppose we’re coming off strange because this is so strange to us. We love you, Alyssa. Your happiness means everything to us. When I saw you all hugged up next to Kyle, I lost it.”

“If you want me to be happy, then stop this stuff about Kyle. I love him. I’m going to live with him, and God willing, one day I’ll marry him.” My words seem to make them pale even more. “Why are you taking this so hard? Kyle’s a great guy. You’ve always adored him.”

Dad clenches his fist. “We thought he was your friend. We love the kid as your friend. In time, you’ll come to see why we have our rules, Alyssa. Please don’t do this again until after you turn eighteen. Don’t run off alone with him. We want to trust you. Honestly, we do. But if you do this again, we’ll have no choice but to take your car away and give you a ride to and from school ourselves.”

Take my car away because of forty-five minutes with Kyle? Wow, this is passed bat-shit crazy!

“Fine, I’ll give you no reason to do that. I’ll be eighteen soon enough and get the hell out of here. I wish you could accept me as an adult. Who I want to have a relationship with is my business and mine alone. As long as he’s a good guy, that’s all that should matter to you. Kyle’s the best and you two know it. I’ll be in my room, but just so you know, I feel like I don’t even know who you guys are anymore.”

My legs are heavy as lead as I walk up the stairs to my room. I fall on my bed in utter exhaustion.

How can my parents be so hard? Kyle is so sweet and faithful. I know they see that in him. What is their problem?

My birthday can’t get here soon enough.

CHAPTER 6

EDEN

My heart’s beating hard in my chest. I’ll see her today. My mate will finally be with me. Not entirely. I must take it slow, but at least I’ll be able to touch her and hear her voice.

What she must sound like in person?

I’ve listened to her voice in the background a few times, over phone calls to her parents. The last time was five years ago. I’m sure it’ll sound different since she’s matured.

They told her I’m coming, but a different version of me.

What will she think of me? Will she look at me with interest or indifference? Is she going to be sweet to me or ignore me because of her other love interest? How will she smell? Will her hair be up or down? Will I be able to keep my hands off her?

The drive has been exceptional for me. The time to think and clear my mind of all the negatives which stab at my brain, has been awesome. Top down on the jag, I cruise down the highway, merely hours from seeing my Alyssa.

In school, she waits for class to be over. She’ll go home and soon I’ll be there with her. Together at last. How hard it’ll be not to blurt out everything to her.

My love for her will see me through and help me stay strong. I don’t want to overwhelm her. Tough though it will be, I’ll go slowly with her. Take the time for her to get to know me.

Funny how I never envisioned how a girl in this day and age would take to having to marry a man she barely knows. Our unique condition will help her to understand better than if we were normal humans.

She’ll need me once she changes, and I’ll need her. We have to be as one once that happens.