That was the end of it. Elias and I were done. Over, zilch, nada. As he stormed out of my apartment, I crawled into my bed and buried myself under my covers, and cried tears that flew out of me like a fountain. I was a fraud and cheater. I had the opportunity to come clean to Elias about Francesco, but I didn't.
Why did my parents have to interfere with my relationships? Why couldn't they just let me figure it out? Granted, I knew I was 34, but I finally found someone. And because of their incessant pressure and my own inability to stand up to them, I ended up losing someone I truly loved.
I laid in bed, with frustration and sorrow flooding my mind. I was supposed to go into work today, but how could I?
The argument replayed in my head:
You broke our trust.
You cheated on me and lied to me.
You were such a wonderful person.
Elias dismissed every single word I said, and frankly, if he had cheated on me, I wouldn't have believed what he said either. I wish I articulated more in my explanation, but nothing was futile in salvaging our relationship.
Somehow, I managed to get myself out of bed to head to work. Perhaps my motivation was the gallon of ice cream I had, as I felt lazy just lounging at my house. I didn't even want to see the faces of my parents right now though. I looked terrible, I had red blotches around my nose from my nose running, and my eyes looked bloodshot.
As I walked into work, I got a text from Francesco.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Francesco:
Hey, sometime after one of your shifts could we meet up and talk?
Me:
Sure, that's fine.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When I looked at the notification, I didn't even want to text back to Francesco. Yet, I had already done a lot of rude things lately and adding ghosting someone to the list would just add to how messed up I am.
Entering the restaurant, I quickly made my way to the kitchen. Tying the apron around my waist, I scanned the kitchen for Elias's face. Spotting him, I noticed that he kept his head down, intentionally avoiding any interaction with me.
I didn't see my parents for the longest time, until I turned around a corner and saw my Mamma attending a table. She was very happy today, her face radiant with joy and laughter.
"Hello mi piccina," she greeted me with a bright smile while refilling up a glass of water at someone's table. "Let me fill up their glasses and then we can talk about that little rendezvous of yours." She added a little smirk to her statement which churned my stomach.
"Okay," I reply with a tinge of annoyance, adjusting my apron, which somehow had become uneven.
My Mamma steps aside to the front of the restaurant, motioning to my Papa so he can hear my opinions as well. Deciding that I need to collect my thoughts first, I excuse myself and head to the bathroom.
Once I am inside of the bathroom, I rush to the sink. I run my hands under the faucet, letting the cold water soothe my emotions. Cupping some water, I splash it on my face in an attempt to wake myself up. I barely slept last night because I replayed the argument with Elias on repeat. I then proceed to wash my hands with soap, taking a moment to get myself together.
Exiting the bathroom, I approach my parents. "Hello," I say to them, but suddenly hush my mouth. They are currently engaged in a conversation with two customers, so I patiently wait until they finish. "Well, I hope you have a wonderful night," My Mamma says to a couple, who leave holding hands. Envy gnaws at me as I watch them leave.
My parents turn me, giving me their full attention. My Papa wastes no time in pressing for details. "So, how'd it go?"
"Well, he's a very nice guy," I begin, but before I can continue, my Papa interrupts. "There's a 'but,' isn't there?" he interjects, causing me to pause and take a deep breath. I hated when people interrupted me.
"I don't think he's for me." I finally say. "Why?" He persists, now crossing his arms. "You always seem to find a problem..." My Papa mumbles under his breath in Italian.
His comment stinks, but I ignore it. "That breaks my heart, Lorena," She says putting her hands crossed over her chest. "I thought you and Francesco would work out. Why don't you give him another chance, sweetie?" Her words hit a nerve, pushing all my buttons at once.
"Mamma, can you and Papa just please stay out of my love life? You both are so controlling!" I shout, my words tumbling out of me without regard for the public audience. People become speechless and stunned, wondering if everything's okay. My Mamma and Papa look at me with so much disappointment, but at this moment, I do not care.
"Lorena, you're done for the day," My Papa tells me sharply, his tone adding to my simmering anger. I cannot believe him. All they care about is me getting a boyfriend. Their suffocating control has me pushed over the edge and I can't bear to look at them any longer.
Without a second thought or hesitation, I rapidly undo my apron and make my way out of the restaurant. Not only have I been broken up with, but I disappointed my parents. Nothing seems to satisfy them.
YOU ARE READING
Romanticismo Per Caso ❤
RomanceOne enchanting day, Elias Johansson walked into Offredi's Restaurant. He takes a glance at Lorena and immediately knew that she was going to be a challenge to start working with. This does not mean that this challenge wasn't going to entail romanc...
