Sub Rosa Ties ( A High School Dark Romance)

Zera

A quiet sigh escaped me as I gazed at my reflection in the mirror. I was wearing my usual uniform, a short skirt, a shirt neatly tucked in, and an unbuttoned jacket draped over my shoulders.

My hair was short and jet black, framing my face in a simple yet striking way.

However, what captured my attention most were my eyes-they seemed to be the most telling part of my features as I stared back at myself in the mirror.

The grey hue of my eyes appeared lifeless, almost too subdued for my taste. It felt as though they had lost their spark, perhaps dulled by the memory of what happened with Austin on that fateful day at his house.

I exited my room, gripping my phone, and headed down the stairs. Mum was the first person I saw, sitting still on the couch in the living room.

She seemed unusually calm, almost too calm, as if she was lost in her own thoughts.

Her silence had been unsettling since Gerard dropped me off last night. I could have asked her what was on her mind, but I decided to give her some space-especially since Dad's return might have been a shock to her.

She was likely still processing the surprise, and I didn't want to add to her stress.

I silently made my way to the kitchen, careful not to disturb the hush that had settled over the house. I poured myself a glass of water and drank it in long, steady gulps, feeling the cool liquid soothe my throat.

"Zera."

I spun around, nearly choking as I caught sight of Mum standing at the entrance to the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe.

Her posture was tense, and her hands were clasped tightly in front of her. The look in her eyes was intense, locked onto me as if she had something important to say.

I swallowed hard, my heart racing a little faster.

"Yes?"

"I know... All these years, I might not have been the best mum to you and Junior, especially when it came to money. I've put the entire weight on your shoulders since your dad left, and now..."

"Mum." I interrupted her, not liking where this was going. The topic felt too heavy, too serious.

"Please, let me finish, Zera. This is important to me." Her voice wavered, cracking slightly as she spoke.

"I know this journey must have been a tough one for you, and I'm deeply ashamed that you had to go through all of this. That we had to go through all of this." She hesitated, and I felt a nervous twist in my stomach.

"But since your dad came back..."

She paused, and I felt the weight of her words settle heavily. "I've been thinking about what he said. He mentioned a video, Zera. What was he talking about? Are you... doing things on video?"

"Mum, no..." I replied quickly, the urgency in my voice making it clear. "I don't sell tapes. I never have, and I never would."

"Then why did he call you a whore?" she asked, stepping closer with an unsettling calmness.

"I've put so much effort into raising you to be someone I can be proud of. So tell me, why would your father say that to you the moment he came back home? What video is he referring to?" Her gaze bore into me, seeking the truth.

I could confess everything to her-the whole truth, starting from the beginning. How I wasn't just a bartender at the club but a stripper, how I met Gerard in the club, and all the reckless things we did before we got together.

How I'd been deceiving her about my job and kept silent about the near assaults with Dragon, my math teacher, and Austin.

I could lay it all out right now, right here. But her heart couldn't take it. Mum's heart seemed too fragile for the weight of it all. If she knew I'd been stripping for three long years, she would never look at me the same way again.