Fourteen

Hazel.

Everything just seems to irritate me right now, and I'm pointing the finger at Andrey Leonardo for putting me in this foul mood. I'm ticked off, and though I know the reasons behind it, I'm choosing to sidestep the truth because facing it means admitting too much to myself. I'm just not ready for that kind of confrontation with my conscience.

But darn it, I can't stop replaying how Andrey almost treated me like his mistress or whatever he wanted when he knew he was about to tie the knot. It's crystal clear now – he wanted me for sex. I should've seen it coming, the way he was so patient with me; to him, the wait probably seemed worth it. "Asshole," I mutter under my breath.

"Who?" my mother chimes in, oblivious to my internal mayhem. I roll my eyes as she bustles around the room, packing for a sudden trip she's decided to take. I try not to read too much into it, but there's this nagging feeling that she's trying to escape something.

"Mom?" I call out, and she shoots me a look,