Page 72 of She will Always be Mine

Mending my relationship with her has helped but I still struggle with sleeping at night, afraid of the nightmares that await me.

Sometimes, it’s the faceless man touching me, taunting me, and other times, it’s my pictures getting leaked to the world. I wake up every morning and wish for them to stop but they never do.

“Nyra!”

I blink back into focus and notice we have reached our floor while Mom stares at me in concern and Pri stares suspiciously. Immediately, I smile at them sheepishly.

“Sorry. I got lost in my thoughts.”

“Distracted by your own beauty? That’s a first,” teases Pri with a chuckle.

“Shut up.”

She’ll never know, but she was the only bright spot during my darkest days. Her light humor, and spending time with me whether to watch movies or just have a silly conversation, kept me from going into a dark hole.

A minute later, Dad joins us and opens the lock. Pri rushes past me into the hallway and I follow her as she spins around in a circle in the living room.

My eyes seems to take it all in at once, amazed by the fact that my apartment is even more dreamy than I expected. Spacious, fully furnished, and bright from the floor-length glass leading into a balcony with a breathtaking view of the cloudy sky.

A little farther on my right is an open kitchen slash dining area. To my left, down the hall, there are two doors facing each other. Before I can even ask if there are two bedrooms, Pri answers for me.

“Why the hell would Di need two bedrooms, Papa?” she comments.

“I assumed her friend Monica will move in with her so they could have separate rooms,” he replies, then shrugs. “Never mind. She can use it when they have sleepovers.”

Time goes by quickly as the four of us spend next few hours exploring the rooms, making sure everything is in perfect condition, and then Mom helps me with unpacking.

Dad and Pri go downstairs to get the food we ordered online since none of us wants to waste time going to a restaurant, especially with the traffic in the city.

“Come sit with me for a minute, sweetie.” Mom pats the seat next to her.

“Yeah?”

“I just want to make sure you’re okay with living on your own. I know you’ve had a rough two months and it will take time for you to heal. If you want, I could stay with you for a few days.”

I ponder over her words before answering her and feel this is the right step for me to move forward. I felt imprisoned at home, like my choice was taken away and I had no control over my life.

Being on my own is exactly what I need—no,crave—to get that power back.

“I’m happy to be here, Ma. I can’t stay locked away anymore, putting my life on pause, and I just want to be around my friends, focus on my studies instead of constantly worrying. Do you feel me?” I softly explain to her.

She smiles and caresses my head. “Of course. You’ll be just fine.” Pulling me into her arms, she hugs me tight. “Just promise me if you ever need me, you won’t hesitate to call me. No more secrets, Nyra.”

“I promise.”

Both of us pull away when we hear footsteps outside. Her eyes are shining with emotions and she rubs a wayward tear away before Dad enters the room. The delicious smell of the food makes my stomach growl, making us all laugh. Quickly, we settle on the dining table and dig into our dinner.

Evening comes fast enough until it’s time for them to leave for the airport. I’m unable to keep my emotions at bay as I walk them over to the front door.

There is a reluctance in their stance but they know they have to go. They take turns hugging me and telling me they’ll miss me. Tears soak my face and I smile through them as I wave my family goodbye until the elevator door closes, leaving me alone in the lobby.

Locking my door, my head thuds against it as I swallow the tears back. The apartment feels too empty all of a sudden so I walk to the balcony. The chilly breeze teases my face as I stare at the view, the lights twinkling under the moonlight. A single thought rushes through me.

I’m finally home.

My body jerks back when I hear my doorbell ring, and my brows pull together at who it could be. It’s only been a hot minute since my family left. Since I’m not expecting anyone, I assume they forgot something, most likely Pri. So, I rush inside and walk past the hallway.

I twist the lock and swing it open. “Pri, did you for—”

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