How To Love ✓

21.

Amara

Their eyes dart to Lucien, but he doesn't even budge from my side.

"Get away from my daughter," Luke said dangerously low.

Mum lightly tapped him on the chest.

"What he meant to say was.... thank you for bringing our daughter here. I don't know what would've happened without your quick thinking. I feel like we owe you more than our thanks," mum commented for both her and Luke and wiped away the loose tears that threatened to fall down her now puffy cheeks.

"You owe me nothing at all. All of this could've been avoided if she only listened to when I spoke," Lucien gritted his teeth and forced a smile, "but I'm just happy to see her recover." I knew he was angry; it was prominent in his husky Spanish tone; he just didn't want to become ignorant in front of my parents. I respected him for that.

Maybe later I might hear it.

I raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out how he knew which hospital to bring me to.

"So, how did you know where to bring me?" I looked at him as he turned his head to me.

"I called your mother, and she sent me the address," he responded.

I turned my attention to my mum, who nodded. "I did. He called me from off your phone. Good thing I made you put me on speed dial. And thank you again Lucien."

Mum shot him an adoring smile and walked over to pull him in for a hug, until she noticed his dirty attire.

Instead, she extended a hand for Lucien to shake which he hesitantly accepted, doing the same with Luke.

"Well, I should probably let you guys handle the rest. I'll call you later, Amara?" he eyed me questionably and I finally met his tired eyes.

"Please do," I say, my voice coming out as croaky as ever.

He presents a small, strained smile to my parents and nodded to the doctor, not before resting a small kiss to my forehead and then exiting the room. 

"Is he really not your boyfriend?" was the first thing that came out of my mum's mouth.

I laughed unexpectedly loud, but they were serious.

I tried.

"What? So now I'm not allowed to have boyfriends in university?" I said jokingly.

"What your mother meant to ask was.... why him? Your love life has nothing to do with us. As your legal guardians, who you associate yourself with is a problem," Luke remarked and I arched an eyebrow.

"And guys with tattoos are a problem or something?" I questioned, arrowing my eyes at them both.

"Monkey, that's not the p-" mom started but I stopped her.

"Can we not make an argument out of this, please? Let's just get me back to campus. I'm not in the mood for any of your lectures," I said angrily and swinged my foot off the bed.

They hadn't spoke to me for the rest of the day.

The drive back to campus was dormant and as soon as I stepped foot onto the property and into the hallways of the girl's building, a swarm of students huddled around me like I'm a flower and they're the bees searching hungrily for nectar. Questions were asked but the real question was.... how does the entire campus know?

The party wasn't even all that overthrowing to the extent of everyone being there.

Once I stepped through the doors of my dorm I exhaled deeply, the breath I didn't even know I held in.

Sylvia looked up from the magazine she was reading and her eyes widened.

"Mara!" she exclaimed and embraced me in a tight, soul sucking hug.

"Oh my gosh Syl, I could barely breathe, and I can't even," I exasperated and with that she let go.

"I was so worried after that night! When Lucien took you to the hospital, he told me to phone your parents and tried to keep their nerves under control. I don't even know if he came home this morning. I-I-I-I tried calling his phone so many damn times, but they went straight to voicemail. He was so upset and fuming with anger. He's not the best to talk with when he's this way but you are the only person to calm him down," her eyes glistened when she spoke, and I already knew what she said was true.

He needed me.

I scrunched my eyebrows in thought. "Could you call Raf and ask him if I can borrow his car?" I asked softly and she didn't question me, just picked up the phone and dialed his number.

I did a quick hygiene check and when Syl vias announced that said that Rafael would meet me by his car to get the keys, I threw on some clean, comfortable clothes and a vans, tied my hair in a bun and rushed out into the parking lot, not before grabbing my phone.

Rafael and I exchanged simple greetings, and he handed me the keys without question.

"Be careful Mara," he gave my cheek a light kiss. I rubbed his shoulders to reassure him and promised to take care of his car and bring Lucien back.

"I could care less about the car. Just make sure he's okay, for the sake of all of us."

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