Anyone but you (Fermín López)

Chapter 13

Victoria was almost surprised she had been allowed to travel back home alone. But...where would she try to escape? She had no money with her. Just the boarding pass her dad gave her, the money for the taxi and money for snacks. And she felt too tired to even think of a plan, so she just got on the plane and travelled back to Barcelona.

"Sweetie".

Her mum was waiting for her at the airport but Victoria barely looked at her.

"I wanna go home".

"Vicky, talk to me. Please. I need to know you're ok".

"I don't want to talk. I don't want to scream and cry in the middle of the airport and give you all another reason to think I'm a little girl who can't be allowed to do anything".

Her mum knew there was no use pushing her to talk. And Victoria was right. Better not to make a scene surrounded by so many people. No one knew who she was but still. So her mum took her to the car and once they got to their house, Victoria left the car quickly to go to her room and hide there.

"Vicky, he's just a boy. It seems like the end of the world right now but you'll be fine".

"Mum! He's not just a boy!", she finally screamed. "I love him. I really love him. And he loves me. He's been willing to risk so much just to be with me".

"I'll talk to your dad", tried to say her mum. But Victoria had heard that too many times before.

"He won't listen. He never does. Nothing I say matters to him. Not what I want to do or who I want to be with. I hate him so much".

"Victoria, don't talk about your father like that. He loves you and wants what's best for you".

"No. He would let me be with the person I love if he did".

"We'll talk about it", repeated her mum.

"You always say that and nothing ever changes. I'm tired of being so overprotected, mum. I'm not a little girl anymore".

"But your father will always see you as his little girl".

"But I'm not!"

"Vicky...".

"This isn't fair, mum. He's not being fair. And you know it".

Victoria ran to her room and slammed the door shut. She took her jacket off and got inside the bed, ready to keep crying. It seemed it was all she knew to do but it felt right. It hurt. But it also helped.

When her phone rang, she kind of hoped it'd be Fermín. But checking the time showed her he was at the match so it couldn't be him. It was Alicia.

"Ali...".

"I can come over if you need me".

"Not today", said Victoria, trying not to cry. "My dad will be back later. I don't want you here when he does. It won't be nice".

"Ok. I'll be there tomorrow after my classes".

"Thank you".

"I can talk to Fermín if you need me to", offered her friend.

"Please. Just tell him I'm home and we'll fix this somehow. I'm afraid of talking to him today and getting him in trouble. Well, in more trouble".

"It's ok, Vicky. I'll text him".

"Thank you. I would go crazy if it wasn't for you, Ali".

"Vicky, Fermín loves you. He won't stop fighting for you. And worst case scenario, you're both adults, so...".

That hadn't even crossed Victoria's mind. Probably because the last thing she wanted was to damage Fermín's career and running away with him would definitely do that. But as Alicia said, worst case scenario...there was a limit to how much her dad could control her life now she was 19.

Hours later, Victoria was still in her bed. Both she and Fermín had created secret folders on their phones to keep there the photos they took together or of each other. Seeing those photos was the only thing that made her smile. But then she heard his voice. Her dad was back. And he was the one that took that happiness from her.

"Victoria", he called her name after knocking and getting no response. "I'm coming in if you don't talk to me".

"I don't want to talk to you. I hate you!"

Her dad opened the door and saw Victoria staring at him like she really hated him. Maybe she did and that broke his heart.

"Vicky...".

"You're always doing everything wrong, don't you get that? And it hurts me. And you don't care".

"Of course I care".

"You just care about having a perfect little princess by your side. But not about the princess being happy".

"I care about you being safe".

"I am safe, dad. Fermín wasn't hurting. He was making me happy! And you took that away from me too. You always take everything that makes me happy away from me. You are the one who keeps hurting me".

"I don't want to hurt you...".

"You already have. You don't know how much".

She finally got up but it wasn't to leave the room. Victoria pushed her dad out of the room and closed the door, locking it once he was out.

She picked her phone up again to look at the photos but noticed Fermín had texted her. He was also back in Barcelona.

[Fermín]: I hope I'm not getting you in trouble but I need to talk to you. Ali told me you are back home but I need to hear from you too.

[Vicky]: are you ok? Have they done something to you?

[Fermín]: I'm fine. Are you ok?

[Vicky]: I guess I am now I could talk to you. I'm sorry. This was all my fault.

[Fermín]: don't say that.

They kept chatting for a little longer. It was so hard to only be able to text. But at least they had that and no one could take it from them.

[Fermín]: we have to wait a bit until they aren't mad. Let them get used to the idea. But we'll be together, ok? I promise.

[Vicky]: ok. I can't attend matches but at least I get to see you on tv.

[Fermín]: knowing that will motivate me.

Victoria was still typing when a new text showed up so she stopped to read it and her chest tightened.

[Fermín]: Wait for me, Vicky. Please.

[Vicky]: I will but please we need to fix this soon. I can't be away from you for too long. It'll kill me.

She meant those words. Victoria felt like the heartbreak was already killing her. How was she supposed to cope with that much pain? It felt like it only got worse instead of getting better. She couldn't do this. She couldn't face losing Fermín.