Intellect

Japan (18)

Violetta

I've been waiting patiently for him to speak. His hands clench down around my own and despite wanting distance between us, I can't bring myself to pull away from him.

His eyes haven't left the hardwood floor. 2 more hours until we have to get on our plane."Your father was my mother's doctor." I can feel the sweat pooling in his palms and onto my hands. "When she was dying. I needed someone to talk too. So I spoke to him."

My heart was hammering in my chest, begging him to finish so I could get over it, forgive him, forget about this If I could. He wouldn't do anything bad to me. It's Harry, my Harry. He promised me this was real.

"I told him about my escorting to pay for hospital bills, I told him about school, everything, and after my mother died." Pricks of water bulged at his eyes and I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around him and comfort him. "He gave me his number, and asked for mine. He told me that if I needed any help or anyone to talk too I could call him. Your father is an amazing man Violetta."

"So he called you to talk with you? Then what was the deal? To not tell me?" That didn't seem so bad. If that was the case then my heart wouldn't have torn open. My chest wouldn't have imploded. Every cell in my body wouldn't have slowed down until all I could feel was pain, and tears, and his broken stare.

"I'm so sorry Violetta." His voice cracked as he spoke.

"Tell me now Harry. Don't play this shit with me... please." I beg. I don't play games. He knows that.

"Months after my mother died he called me out of the blue. I hadn't called him in weeks, and I thought he was just checking up on me. We got to talking and he mentioned this trip. He'd spoken about you before, he told me about your sister."

"Oh god."

"And he told me that he'd pay me to go on this trip as long as I was your partner, and as long as I made you happy."

With every word my body was rocked with emotion, I could feel every inch of me falling to the ground, like snowflakes. "My father paid you to be my escort."

"Yes." And for the first time, his eyes lifted to meet mine. They were red around the edges and water was spilling from the seams; but all I could feel was my heart and the sweat from his palms against my hand. And all I could think was:

I told you so. This is your life. Murphy's Law. Parents, school, sister, and now Harry.

My hand seemed to have a mind of his own as it slapped Harry's cheek. His head flew sideways, the sting in my hand was nothing like the pain in my chest. In fact, I welcomed more pain. It was a feeling I was used to. "You promised me."

"I know I did Violetta." His voice was frantic. He didn't even seem fazed by my gesture. "But you were in such a dark place and your father didn't know what to do, and I needed the money. I didn't think any of this would happen."

"You promised me. Everytime I fucking asked you you said this was real. You kissed me, me touched me. Holy fuck, I let you touch me! I can't believe I bought your shit!" I was screaming now, desperately picking up my things and throwing them into my suitcase.

"Stop.. Stop!" Every time I put another item in my suitcase he would throw it across the room. "Listen to me Violetta please."

"Get away from me." His hands grasped for my arm, trying to pull me close to him.

"Everything I said, everything I did was real. I wanted to tell you so many times but I was scared."

"And what the hell was I?!" I scream flipping the chair that was in my way. Fire was surging through my body but it was not desire, or lust.. it was anger and pain. Betrayal and the feeliing of stupidity.