Arina

Chapter Twenty-Five

          “There is certainly no way you’re going to be going anywhere today,” Mustafa spoke with a bitter tone. “Actually, to tell you the truth, I doubt you’ll ever be going anywhere again. You have completely shamed me and my business.”

Mustafa was speaking down to Arina who was now sitting at the kitchen table. She felt embarrassed for what had happened to Haden the day before. Haden was only trying to help Arina, yet he had suffered a great consequence.

The images of Mustafa strangling Haden was an image that wouldn’t leave Arina alone. Mustafa’s large fingers crushing Haden’s poor neck, almost completely sucking the life out of him; the colour from Haden’s face, draining and the looks on both Mustafa’s and Haden’s faces was something she’d never forget.

Arina wished she could just go back in time and make sure Mustafa didn’t listen in on their conversation. But then again, if Arina had the ability to go back in time, she wouldn’t have even allowed herself to get into this situation.

She now sat at the kitchen table, with Mustafa spewing words at her. As soon as that ordeal with Haden had happened yesterday, she had done what she always done best and run and hide in her room. The positive side of that was that it allowed Mustafa to have more time to calm down. The negative was that either way, there would be consequences.

          “Your behaviour was absolutely disgusting. You’re certainly not going to leave this place at all, before you go running off to the cops! You’re lucky that I didn’t hurt you properly yesterday. If I could get that boy’s neck again, I would absolutely make sure I’d kill him this time.”

What Mustafa was saying didn’t particularly alarm Arina. It was just in Mustafa’s character to make comments like that. Arina also knew that the only reason Mustafa hadn’t physically abused her was because Mustafa took out all his violent anger on Haden beforehand. If it had not been for Haden, she’d probably have a load of bruises, scratches and cuts thanks to Mustafa.

The thought of this made Arina feel even more guilty about Haden. She felt an awfully painful pang in her stomach.

          “Who was that boy?!” Mustafa questioned.

          “I..I” Arina wasn’t up for speaking, which meant she certainly wasn’t up for talking about Haden.

          “Spit it out, girl! I want to know who that boy was, how you know him, and why he was promising you all sorts of things.”

Arina didn’t know how to answer.

At first, merely out of fear, she just wanted to reveal everything and let it all out. She wanted to unburden herself. She feared what Mustafa might do if she explicitly refused to tell.

But then she thought that Haden had gone through a lot for her. Why shouldn’t she be the one to stand up for the right thing, this time?

Even with that mentality, Arina was too afraid to voice her thoughts and tell Mustafa she wouldn’t tell him anything. Instead, she closed her eyes and put her hands over her face. This was an old thing she did when she sensed that her Baba was going to hit her, and she now decided to implement that when it came to Mustafa.

Mustafa was just surprised, however.

          “What are you doing, you absolute idiot?! Move your hands away from your face, now! Don’t be so childish.”

Arina continued with her hands over her face until Mustafa went over and pulled her hands away. He moved in close and breathed on her face.

          “Now listen to me, you stupid girl, I don’t want any more trouble from you. If I ask you a question, I expect you to answer it! Do you hear me?!”