Poisonous love

Ours was a poisonous love. Neither of us could live without the other. Leo Pasion was the biggest mafia leader in the country. He was 180 cm tall, had a muscular body and strong arms. When he got angry, his eyes seemed to be lost in a dark sea. I would do anything to keep someone like him away from me, let alone fall in love with him. His world was dark and cold, while mine passed through flowery paths. What made everything possible was love. I first saw him in a bar. As soon as I saw him, I couldn’t stop looking; it was as if something was pulling me toward him. In that moment, the feelings inside me were unfamiliar, yet it felt like my body and soul knew what was happening. I was eager to meet him, ignoring the girls beside him, and my eyes were focused solely on him. For a moment, I turned my gaze away and stood up to ask the bartender for another drink. Alice was lost in the rhythm of the music. When the bartender handed me my drink, I stumbled, slightly dizzy from the alcohol, and felt someone steady me by the waist. Looking up from the floor, I saw the handsome man I hadn't taken my eyes off all night standing there. Our eyes locked. Looking at him so closely made my heart race. The nearby light illuminated every detail of his face: his sharp jawline, slightly curved lips, and bright green eyes that sparkled in the darkness. He had a short, messy but striking beard, which gave him a tough yet equally attractive look. He wore a dark shirt that emphasized his body shape, and his jacket elegantly hung over his shoulders. “Watch where you’re going,” he said in a stern, cold tone, pushing aside any embarrassment I felt. I, irritated by his words, sharply responded, “You should watch who you help, or they might bite you.” Angrily, the man turned around without looking back, grabbed his whiskey from the table, and took a sip. Alice came up to me and said, “Calm down, do you know who he is?” She nervously grabbed my arm and started pulling me toward our table. “Who is he?” I asked, and she laughed, saying she didn’t know him. When I laughed back, she checked her phone and saw that her boyfriend Luca had called multiple times. Alice couldn’t take it anymore and sent Luca and Finn the location of where we were. “You’re not mad, are you? You know Luca’s a bit quick-tempered,” she said. I told her it was fine and took a sip of my drink. Soon after, Luca and Finn arrived at our table. After greeting them, I continued sipping my drink. Alice and Luca, as always, became all over each other the moment they saw each other. Finn, on the other hand, took his drink and moved a little closer to me, starting a conversation. When the music changed, Finn, clearly drunk, asked me to dance. I declined, realizing how drunk he was, but Finn, so drunk, didn’t understand a word I said. Eventually, when I couldn’t take it anymore and tried to leave, Finn grabbed my arm, saying, “Where are you going? We just started having fun, Lara.” I told him to let go of my arm, but he didn’t. Instead, he tried to pull me closer, and just as I noticed a punch coming from the left side of me toward Finn’s face, Finn collapsed to the ground. Thinking Luca was the one who hit him, I turned to the left and was surprised to see that it was the man who had caught me to prevent me from falling. Looking at him with wide eyes, he suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the bar. As we stepped outside, I tried to pull my arm back to slap him, but he gripped it firmly and said in a cold tone, “Slow down, what do you think you’re doing?” I couldn’t understand why he was acting like that. “What are you doing? Why did you drag me out here? Fine, you helped me, but you didn’t have to do this.” He smirked and rubbed his forehead. “Did you see what was happening inside? That guy was practically trying to kiss you. I dragged you out because as soon as he got up, he was going to grab you. Now get in the taxi and go home before there’s any more trouble in my place.” “So that’s how it is? You think it’s your place now? Fine, I won’t ever set foot here again. I’ll never come back to a place like this, where there’s poison in the air!” “That’s good. Just don’t show up in front of me again, crazy girl!” “Crazy, huh?!” “Yes, crazy, completely crazy! Get in the taxi!” He opened the taxi door, pushed me inside, slammed the door shut, paid the driver, and asked him to take me to my destination. As he looked at me, I said to the driver, “Let’s go,” and I was desperate to get as far away from him as possible. “I hope I never see you again, poisonous zakkum flower,” I mumbled under my breath. The driver asked if I had said something, and I just gave him my address. I took out my phone and messaged Alice, “Alice, I’m leaving the bar and heading home. I’ll see you tomorrow.” As I entered the street where my house was located, I asked the taxi to stop, paid the driver, and got out. I walked, thinking about how strange the day had been. I stopped at a nearby store and picked up a few things before heading home. When I arrived, I assumed everyone had already gone to bed, so I quietly made my way to my room. I sat down on the armchair to rest and then got up to pick out a few clothes from my wardrobe, laying them on the bed before heading to the bathroom to take a shower. After a warm shower, I put on my pajamas and lay down in bed. As soon as I closed my eyes, thoughts of the poisonous zakkum flower filled my mind. Why was I thinking about him? I wouldn’t see him again, after all. With the weight of sleep settling over me, I gave in to it and closed my eyes. The sound of my alarm woke me up, and I quickly turned it off. I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. After washing my face, I went back to my room to get ready. I dressed in the clothes I had picked out, did my hair and makeup, and went downstairs. My mom had already prepared breakfast. I greeted her with a “Good morning” and sat at the table. When I noticed my dad wasn’t at the table, I asked where he was. My mom, irritated, said that he’d been coming home late every night and took a sip of her tea. I told her not to be mad and that he might have been busy with work. She sighed and said, “I hope so, dear.” I could sense her frustration. Since my dad had been fired from his job, he had started gambling, but for the past two years, he hadn’t been playing anymore and had even changed his entire circle of friends. I thought to myself, “I hope he hasn’t gotten involved in it again,” as I looked at my mom. Though she seemed calm, I could feel her anger. To avoid making her more upset, I focused on my breakfast. “Tell me, Lara! Did you come home late last night? I didn’t hear you come in!” “It wasn’t that late, I came in quietly, so you didn’t hear me. You know, with the medication you’re on…” “Alright, but this is your last chance. I’m not saying it’s your final year, but don’t overdo it. Lara, come home early!” “Okay, mom, I won’t be late, but if I stay a little longer, I’ll miss my class. See you tonight!” “Tonight?!” “We’ll talk later, mom, I’m already late!” “Lara, who are you talking to? This girl is going to drive me crazy.” I had to leave early to avoid more of my mom’s questioning. Sometimes, she could be just like an interrogator. I pulled out my headphones, played some calm, cheerful music, and continued walking to the bus stop. After waiting a little, I got on the bus and found a seat since it was early and there weren’t many people. I began reviewing the notes I had prepared for my last exam. When the bus approached the university stop, I got up and walked to the door. After getting off the bus, I took my entry card from my bag and went inside. On my way to the cafeteria, I heard someone calling me from behind. When I saw it was Finn, I quickly increased my pace, furious at him. As my anger boiled over, I turned to face him and started demanding answers about the previous night. "Finn, haven’t you done enough last night? You ruined my evening, and now you’re still shamelessly showing up in front of me!" "Lara, you’re right. I’m sorry for what happened, I was so drunk." "So drunk, huh? If you don’t know how to drink, don’t drink! Clearly, it doesn’t suit you." "You’re right, Lara." "I’m not trying to be right, I just want you to stay away from me! Do you understand?! If possible, let’s not talk anymore and just leave this topic here." Though I felt like slapping him, I wanted to finish my final year without any drama, so I walked toward the coffee line. I grabbed my coffee and found an empty seat to calm myself down. I closed my eyes, taking a few sips, to enjoy the silence when suddenly I felt someone touch my shoulder. I opened my eyes and saw it was Alice. I took a deep breath of relief. "Hey, Lara, how are you?" "I’m fine, how about you?" "I’m good too. Why did you leave early last night? We were having fun." "Were we? You were the one enjoying yourself, Alice!" "What do you mean? I didn’t understand anything! The last time I saw you, someone was dragging you outside, then you messaged saying you were going home. Tell me, what happened?" "Alice, I can’t believe you saw me and didn’t help! What’s going on?" "Tell me the truth, Lara!" "Alright, listen. After Luca and Finn left, Finn started acting weird. He asked me to dance, but even after I refused, he kept bothering me. When I tried to walk away, he grabbed my arm and tried to kiss me. That’s when that guy punched him and sent me home in a taxi." "I can’t believe all that happened, and I didn’t realize it. I’m sorry. If I’d known what kind of jerk Finn was, I wouldn’t have let him come over. I’m going to settle this with him." "You don’t need to. I’ve already handled it. This is our last year, Alice. Let’s finish it without any more drama, okay?" "Okay, I’ll do it your way." "So what did you guys do after I left?" "We stayed a bit longer, and then we all went our separate ways." "Really?" "Yeah, Lara. What else could we have done?" "I was just asking." "Alright." "Let’s go, class time is coming." When the class started, we both took a couple of sips of our coffees and walked toward school. Since Alice was studying architecture, we said our goodbyes, and I started walking toward my classroom. But I felt uneasy inside. I pulled out my phone to check if I had any messages from my dad. There were no texts or calls from either him or my mom. As I walked into the class, the teacher came in, and I quickly sat down, but the unease inside me kept me from focusing on the lesson. When the class ended, I immediately checked my phone. There were still no messages from my dad. My unease grew. Unable to stand it anymore, I left school, got a taxi, and started thinking about where my dad could have gone. I first went to his favorite cafe, then the park he often visited, and finally to a coffeehouse. When I couldn’t find anything, I realized one of his old friends was there.