𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲

33

Honey returned to the car and took a seat in the front. She clicked on her seatbelt as she stared ahead at the windshield. Her mom pulled her eyes away from her phone and frowned in Honey's direction."What took you so long? It's been almost 10 minutes.."

"I didn't intend to take so long. I ran into some girls from school." Homey voiced, her tone was monotone. She didn't want to talk to her mom about anything that's been going on.

It was saddening to see what's has become of their relationship. At one point Honey told her mother and her father almost everything. Who knew her sexuality would be the very thing to break what they shared? How could they let this happen? Did their relationship not matter enough to them? Honey blinked back the tears brimming her eyes.

Speaking of her parents, tonight would be the perfect opportunity to speak to them because Nadia wouldn't be home until the early hours of the morning since it's Friday. She didn't need her eavesdropping on their conversation or being a distraction.

She cleared her throat, "Actually, I need to talk you and dad tonight about something important." Honey changed the subject as she played with the hem of her coat.

Her mom glanced at Honey out the corner of her eye as she started up the car. "Sure. I'll let your father know. Is everything okay?"

"Yes everything is fine." Honey lied.

Honey's nerves was eating away at her the entire car ride. It only intensified once they arrived at home. Honey was trying hard to keep her composure, but she was anxious. How do you tell your parents about something like this? Everyone she knew kept a few secrets from their own parents.

After her mom put her siblings to bed that's when they would all go to the living room to talk. Her parents couldn't even handle her sexuality. How could she expect them to be okay with her putting herself and her family in danger for revenge?

The more Honey pondered on it the more afraid she became. She didn't think she could go through with this anymore. But the thought of Nadia telling them made her reconsider. What's the worse that can happen? It's a given they will become angry..they will say harsh things..they may throw her out? It's like Honey didn't know her parents anymore. She was expecting the unexpected. These outcomes she would've never crossed her mind until she witnessed how they treated her after knowing about her sexuality.

Honey sat on the leather sofa in the living room waiting patiently for her parents to be seated. Her eyes were downcast as she fiddled with her fingers. She had already changed into her pjs, brushed her teeth and tied her hair up just to stall the inevitable. She really wished she could've took this secret to the grave. It was embarrassing and disappointing. If she could go back in time and stop herself she would. How many times will I say that?

She nibbled on her bottom lip as she drummed her fingers on the arm of the couch.

"What's going on?" Her father asked solemnly as he took in her odd behavior. His dark eyes held confusion and impatience. He was also in his pajamas. The blue shirt and pants was vibrant against his chocolate skin.

Her father was always so serious no matter the time of day or the occasion. It was only worsening her anxiety right now.

Honey shifted uncomfortably as she willed herself to relax. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she maintained eye contact with her father and mother. "I know this conversation isn't the best timing due to the nature of our relationship. But I need to inform you guys on something I did last year...something really really bad." Her voice shook slightly as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"What is it Honey? You're scaring me...." Her mother trailed off as a puzzled expression formed on her delicate features. She tightened her fleece robe as she eyed Honey warily.

"Just let me tell you the entire story first okay? No interruptions please." Honey pleaded desperately, her voice wavered with fear.

Her mother and father nodded slowly in unison.

"Last spring...I met this guy. We formed a friendship and hung out a couple of times with our friends. After a few weeks, he wanted us to chill together alone at his house. I agreed. However, I didn't know he and his friends planned to gang rape me." Honey's voice broke as tears blurred her vision.

Her mother gasped in horror. "My God..."

Honey exhaled slowly and patted her eyes dry. "I was able to get away. I was so blinded by rage and betrayal. I decided to get revenge. Once I carried out my plan of burning his inventory. He threatened to kill me and to hurt you...but he ended up in jail. As soon as he got out. He wanted to meet with me. I agreed because I was afraid he would hurt you guys. The meeting didn't go well because he tried to kill me. However, he stopped coming after me after being he was killed a month ago."

Complete silence.

A bead of sweat trailed down her temple and she shakily wiped it away. Honey kept her eyes on her hands the entire time she spoke because she knew she didn't have enough courage to look them in the eyes as she exposed the most disappointing moment in her life. Her heartbeat thumped rapidly against her chest. She was tempted to chew on her acrylic nails to calm herself down.

Her father was the first to speak. "How could you do something like that?" His voice was full of anguish.

Honey blinked in shock. She's never heard her father sound so distraught. She hesitantly met their eyes and felt her heart break into a million pieces. Her mother was crying quietly to herself with her head in her hands. While her father was fighting back tears, his devastated expression was unlike anything she's ever seen.

"I don't know what I was thinking...what I did was reckless and I put all of us in danger over something that didn't even happen." Honey sobbed, her shoulders shook from her quivering body. She's never seen her parents look so shattered. She hated causing pain to the ones she loved the most. Honey felt absolutely awful. She thought they would be livid. They would throw her out on the streets in fear of her being careless like this again. They would do anything else other than cry among themselves like this.

"You could've died...I can't bare the thought of something happening to my children." Her mother's distressed voice shook Honey to her core. Her father took her crying mother in his arms. She wished she could say anything to make things better, but she can't redo what already been done. All Honey can do is learn from her terrible choice. She will never exploit a moment of complete selfishness like that again.

"Honey do you know what you mean to your mother and I? You're our pride and joy...our reason to keep living....our reason to to hustle hard after having a child fresh out of high school..Do you know what would've happened to us if we lost even one of our children I- " Her father abruptly stopped, his pained expression made a pang of sadness course through her.

"I'm so so so sorry. I will never do anything like that again. It was one of the most dangerous and disappointing things I've done. Please don't let this change the way you view me..I can't take anymore...." Honey broke off, her voice wavered. She brought her knees to her chest and buried her face in them. She couldn't look at her parents anymore. It hurt too much. Honey had to resist the urge to run into her room and isolate herself. She wanted to wallow in self pity for another day and cry herself to sleep. She really can't believe she did this to them.

To her utter bewilderment, she felt the arms of both her mother and her father around her.

After the treatment she's been recovering from them. She didn't realize how much she truly missed the comfort of their words, their hugs, their presence...everything.