𝐂𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄, damiano david

━━𝟏𝟓.𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫

Actually, everything happened very quickly, but it seemed to me that the scene in front of me was happening in slow motion.
In retrospect, I only remembered individual images, fragments of the scene that had taken place in front of me.

Damiano was still in front of me, his arms shielding me from my father's gaze, but he was getting closer.

"I am really disappointed in you, daughter. You didn't even leave me a letter, one morning I got up and you were gone, just like Sophia," hearing my sister's name from his lips made me angry. He had no right to her.
"I'm not your daughter," I said between clenched teeth and took a step to the side, Damiano's hand still entwined with mine.

"Oh no?" my father asked, amused, "That's not what the state says. What you did, Coraline, was child abduction. You took your sister away from me even though I was her legal guardian, and that's punishable by law."

Damiano snorted, "It's also a crime to abuse your children."
My father seemed to only now really notice him, "And who the hell are you?" he asked.
That already showed how little my father was interested in me, he didn't even recognise the boy I had spent my time with for years.

Calmly Damiano said, "I'm Coraline's boyfriend. Maybe you don't remember me, you were very drunk the last time we saw each other," my father narrowed his eyes, "Yes I do, I remember you, you're the boy who spoiled my daughter, Damiano David," I was more than shocked, I had no idea when my father and Damiano had last met.

The corners of Damiano's mouth twitched, but when my father stood only two metres away from us, his whole body stiffened. I was breathing faster than before, my heart pounding against my chest.

"What do you want from me?", I then asked before Damiano or my father could say anything else, "Why are you here? Sophia and I are of age, you can't take us back to Italy with you."

"I don't want to. I just want justice, Coraline. What do you think it looked like when my daughters ran away, what do you think people said? I want justice for what you did to me."
I couldn't believe what he was saying, "What I did to you?" I cried in anger and a humourless laugh came from my throat, "I think I misheard. You want justice when Sophia and I are the ones who have suffered under you every day!"

"You should leave now," Damiano pressed out, his voice trembling with suppressed anger, but he sounded eerily dangerous.
"I'm not even thinking about it," my father said, reaching out as if to grab me.

Damiano pushed me backwards so that I stumbled back a few steps and then he slapped my father's hand away.
"So these are the people you surround yourself with," my father yelled angrily, his gaze shifting from Damiano to me."
Oh Coraline, what has become of you?" he asked a little more quietly, but still dangerously, "You're just as much of a slut as your mother, spending your time with these people and betraying your own father."

The anger in my body was indescribable, I hated my father for what he had said to me, but the way he spoke about my mother was even worse.
I wanted to scream at him, to hit him and take revenge for everything he had ever done to me, but before I could even open my mouth to say anything, Damiano spoke.

"Leave her alone or you'll be sorry," now Damiano was really angry.
"Damiano-", I tried but by then it was too late, my father stepped forward, now he was focusing Damiano closely, I was almost forgotten, "Did you just threaten me, boy?"
"Yes," Damiano said, "Do you think I'm afraid of you? You're a drunken old man," Damiano then snapped and I whimpered.

I knew what Damiano was up to, he wanted to draw my father's attention from me to himself so that nothing would happen to me.
I promised to protect you and I wouldn't even think of breaking that promise, Coraline.