Ugly Ronney: mafia romance [English]

Chapter 10-4

"Yeraz, wait!" I shouted as I ran after him down the hall.

He slowed down to wait for me, but didn't turn around. I grabbed him by the arm to make him look at me.

"Tell me, what the hell is going on?"

I glanced around to make sure we were both alone before turning back to him. He continued to stare at me in sudden and violent anger. I held my breath as I guessed I wasn't going to like what was coming next.

"Your parents never pressed charges for the accident at school!"

I was stunned. Why was he bringing that up again? I raised two helpless hands in front of me and let them fall back.

"How could you possibly know that?"

"Oh, come on, Ronney. You know I can get all the information I want. I just have to make a phone call."

Everything I had been repressing for years was coming back to me.

"Why is it so important? It's all in the past!"

Yeraz protested vehemently, "Those things aren't in the past, damn it! A sexual assault is not a small, inconsequential act that you like to remember for the rest of your life."

I gritted my teeth to keep the effect of his words from showing on me. I searched desperately for something to add, but my mind was busy trying to keep those images from resurfacing.

"Why didn't your parents fight for you? Why don't you ever fight against others?"

"You should know that there aren't rules everywhere," I said in a low voice and looked away.

After a long silence, I looked back into his eyes, mine filled with tears.

"Bryan and his friends were among the most popular students in their senior year. They were the sons of ministers and big CEOs. What was the word of a kid like me worth against them, Yeraz? How many times did you pay the court administration to get your way? Money in Sheryl Valley buys everything!"

The features of his face relaxed a little. The pain in his eyes replaced the anger.

"My parents had just opened their restaurant and Elio's health problems were getting worse. They couldn't compete with industry moguls or powerful businessmen. I dropped out that day and never went back. Don't blame them for making that choice. It was the only thing I could do to protect myself."

I reached out to touch his cheek, but he deliberately turned his head away. Saddened, I crossed my arms over my chest and watched him walk away. He had come only to point out my parents' irresponsible behavior. It was the height of irony when you knew what this man was capable of.

"Question nine was the smell of rain," Yeraz told me without turning around. "Question ten was pistachio. Your shirt was covered with it the day we met."