No Broken-hearted girl (Crushing Hard Series Book 2)

Dear Diary:20/09/2013

Friday night

Today was absolute chaos from start to finish.

The day started on a high note—literally and figuratively. It was Nick’s birthday, the last day of term, and the whole class hit the campus bar like we had no responsibilities in the world. Nick, ever the instigator, pulled out a box of wine and declared, “You bitches are finishing this wine today!” I gulped, but of course, I was up for the challenge. After that, it was shots, dancing, and pure madness.

Meanwhile, Kevin and his crew—the so-called Quad Squad—were chilling at a booth, smoking hubbly. He called me over, and stumbling from one too many drinks, I made my way to him. I was meeting all his friends properly for the first time, but I was already so drunk I had no idea what kind of impression I was making. He insisted I try the hubbly, and when he told everyone to let “his girl” try first, my heart nearly exploded. His friends oohed and teased us, and then the real peer pressure began. They all egged me on, exchanging these sly looks, which immediately made me suspicious.

Kevin led the charge, naturally, and we started bickering like we always do, but this time, we couldn’t stop smiling at each other.

“Just try it,” he said, grinning that mischievous grin.

“No way! Tell me what’s in it first,” I laughed.

“Don’t you trust me?” he teased.

“In theory, I do,” I said, trying to hold back my smile.

He threw his head back and laughed, and before I knew it, I gave in. The second I inhaled, my mind spun like a washing machine on turbo. I remember handing the pipe back to Kevin, but then everything got...hazy. It felt like I was floating, like my body wasn’t mine anymore. One minute, I was sitting in the booth, the next, I was dancing on the bar, my arms flailing in what I thought was a graceful twirl, but honestly? It probably looked like I was trying to swat invisible flies.

Everything around me seemed surreal—colors brighter, music louder, the whole world felt like it was vibrating. And then... I was on the jungle gym. When did that happen? I have no idea, but there I was, climbing up and swinging around like a little kid, laughing uncontrollably. Kevin was standing off to the side, watching me amd roaring with laughter.

That high, though, came crashing down hard when I got home.

The second I stepped out of Kevin’s car, I saw him—my dad, standing there like he’d caught me committing a crime. My heart stopped. Thank God, he arrived just as I was getting out of the car, not while Kevin and I were in the middle of a very heated goodbye kiss. I think I’d be dead right now if he had.

My dad was furious. Before I could even explain, he stormed inside, packed my things, and threw them into his car and drove me to my mom's. My stepmom came along, trying to calm him down, but he wasn’t having any of it. I was still high and drunk, my mind reeling as he ranted the whole way there. My biggest concern? That my hand looked way bigger than my face. Yeah. That’s where my head was at.

When we finally arrived, my mom was completely confused. She didn’t understand why my dad was so worked up. And then he laid it all out—how Kevin had been picking me up early, dropping me off late, how we’d been seen kissing. The security guards were apparently his little spies, reporting everything. Traitors.

My mom, though? Completely unbothered. “So what?” she said. “She’s 19, has a boyfriend who’s kind enough to drive her around. And what about it?”

My dad was floored. He didn’t know how to respond. So, naturally, he went off on a rant about how I was “acting like a whore” and setting a bad example for my younger sibling. That stung, but I was too out of it to cry. Instead, I just sat there, wondering why the room seemed to be breathing.

But then, the most unexpected thing happened—my stepmom defended me. She hit him with, “Stop acting like you’re some kind of saint. Didn’t you have a couple of unclaimed kids when you were 16?” I almost choked. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It felt like I was watching a TV drama unfold. My dad had no comeback. Finally, he agreed to let me move back, but only if Kevin kept a “safe distance” from the house. What even was happening? It all felt like a dream I’d be able to laugh about later—except it wasn’t a dream.

At some point during all the yelling, I had this epiphany. I blurted out, “I love my dad as a father, but not as a person.” Everyone froze, staring at me like I had just grown a second head. But it was the truth that had been gnawing at me for a while.

When my dad finally left, my mom just rolled her eyes and laughed. “Your father is so dramatic,” she said, like this was just another Tuesday. She asked if Kevin was the one who had taken me out on my birthday and I said yes. She asked to meet him, which was not surprising. She wanted to know every detail in my life. I was more shocked that she had waited this long to ask to meet him. I told her “all in due time,” but inside, I was freaking out. Would Kevin agree to it?

As soon as I was alone in my room, I called Kevin. He felt terrible, like it was all his fault. I told him the walls can breath and he let out a booming laugh. He apologized about my dad again, but I reassured him. And then, I told him about a plan I’d come up with to spend the night.

Yoh, the things we do for love.