𝐀 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫'𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝

Chapter Thirty-Nine

The roar my father let out when I told my parents about Aiyden could've been heard on the other side of campus. "What?!"

I flinched at the volume of his voice, and Penny started to rub circles on my back. She had suggested leaving the room before I went face-first into this conversation, but the iron grip I had on her wrist and the frantic shaking of my head made her stay.

My parents weren't abusive in any way, but I was a little scared either way.

"¿Cómo pudiste hacernos esto?" he bellowed, the familiar vein on his forehead making a throbbing appearance.

Penny shifted in her seat, her eyes permanently glued to the floor as my father continued his rant in his native language. Yet it was nothing compared to what I had expected to come out of my mother's mouth.

To my utter surprise, she kept quiet.

Never in a million years had I seen my mom keep her mouth shut during an argument. She was a Latina through and through after all, but at that moment she just looked at me with-

Was that a smile?

"Mom?"

My dad stopped talking, looking from his wife to me and back. "¿Mi Amor?"

But my mother kept her eyes on me. "I've seen that look in your eyes before, Mija. It's the same your dad has whenever he talks about me." Finally, she looked at her husband, placing her hand on his. "She's happy, Fernando."

He sighed, running a hand over his face. "I'm not happy with this."

Before I could open my mouth, he turned and left the room. Silence settled over us, and for a minute nobody said anything. I was glad my mother took the news well, but I had expected a reaction like this. I just hoped he would be okay with it one day. Because I knew for sure that Aiyden was it for me. If it were up to me, he would never leave.

"I just have one question," my mother said, pulling her long coat closed. "The reason we sent you here..."

"It was just a rumor, Mama."

She hung her head, nodding to herself. "Okay."

My face fell a little when she didn't apologize, but again, that's what I could've expected. They weren't changing anytime soon, but I did see some progress, and that was enough for now.

"I need you to be careful, though. If it ever came out that-"

"He isn't my professor anymore, Mama." I wasn't going to tell her he was now the dean, because that would for sure make things even worse.

She nodded, saying goodbye to Penny before hugging me. "I love you, baby."

I smiled into her hair, my heart nearly jumping out of my chest with happiness. "I love you, too. See you soon."

She closed the door behind her when she left and I let myself fall back onto my bed. Penny propped herself up on an elbow next to me. "That went well."

I closed my eyes and chuckled. "Let's get some food, yeah?"

Penny slapped me playfully on my thigh, jumping from her seat.

We walked into the common room and decided to order something to eat, both of us too tired and drained to figure out what to cook. That, and we didn't really want to leave the dorms.

The place was buzzing with people, and even though everyone seemed to be in higher spirits, the feeling that something terrible could happen at any second still lingered. I was just glad to be alive and back home.

The TV was on, and when the local news started, I couldn't help but take a seat on the armrest of the couch to watch. Penny stood behind me, gasping softly when a familiar head of blonde hair appeared.