Saved Me

✨ c h a p t e r f o u r t e e n ✨

My grandmother refused to let go of what I said to her. Frankly, I believed she deserved it. Every time I walked into the same room as her, she would rant about how I was changing for the worse or how the people I hang out with are influencing me. She would find any reason to pick on me. I refused to apologize for what I said; unless she apologizes to Roman.

I sighed heavily. He didn't deserve the way my family treated him. They don't know him, they only know stories of him. He never told me his story but I didn't ask. The timing wasn't right, nor was it any of my business.

I kept tossing and turning in my bed, trying to find a comfortable position. It was honestly impossible with all these thoughts swarming around in my head. I just needed a distraction.

It was past midnight when I decided to go downstairs to get a glass of water. I made my way downstairs without bothering to make as little noise as possible.

"We need to keep her away from that – that criminal. He's nothing but trouble for her," Uncle Ben said in a low voice. I hid behind the staircase, listening intently.

"Would you drop that already?" Aunt Leah asked exasperatedly. "He made one mistake and you make it seem like he's a murderer."

"Well he might as well be," he huffed.

"That's enough Ben. He is the reason Abby is starting to act like herself again. Ever since that night, she's been acting like a zombie. She rarely ate or even talked. He's slowly starting to break her shell now. She's more livelier now Ben, she's smiling and laughing with her friends. She's enjoying herself." I bit down on my lower lip, trying to keep the tears from flowing down my face. I had a newfound respect for my aunt. "She has been through enough Ben. Let her live a little. Do not dictate who she can or cannot be friends with."

I made my way back upstairs, my thirst long forgotten.. I slipped underneath my sheets, bringing it up to my chin. My fan was on at the highest level, making creaking noises as it spun.

My door slowly opened as my aunt's head popped in. "Hey sweetheart," she whispered, coming over to sit next to me. I sat up, playing with the bed sheet. "I'm guessing you heard that?"
"Yeah," I said, my voice shaking slightly. She gave me a sad smile, wrapping her arms around me.

"I love you Abby, please, don't forget that," she whispered, kissing the top of my head. "We all do. I know it's hard to see that at the moment, but we're all here for you. We're going through the same thing as you." She squeezed my hand lightly, giving me another smile.

"I miss them," I whispered. Her smile faltered a bit but she quickly recovered.

"I miss them too baby, I do too."

We sat there in silence for a while, just indulging in each other's presence.

"When your mother and I were in high school, she had this massive crush on your father," she murmured, chuckling at the memory. "She would do anything to get his attention. She even made me push her into him just so she could touch him." We chuckled softly.

"That sounds like her," I whispered. She nodded, a smile on her lips.

"You should have seen her face when he first talked to her. She was ecstatic. They were partners for a project. That was all your mother ever talked about. Naturally, they began talking and stuff. One thing led to another and they were head over heels for each other. But once college came, they went their separate ways. She was depressed for a while, but he surprised her."

"He transferred over," I murmured, recalling the story my mother told me many times. "He barged into her classroom and completely shocked her. He confessed his undying love for her and vowed to marry her one day."

"And a couple years later, they did," my aunt whispered, squeezing my arm. "They had this bond like no other. They were complete opposites too, but somehow they managed to balance each other out. They were both very hotheaded and stubborn too." I smiled, remembering all the stupid fights my parents used to have.

"I feel like I'm starting to forget the memories I have of them," I whispered, tugging on my sleeves. Aunt Leah cupped my cheek gently, wiping away the stray tears.

"I know baby, me too," she whispered, "But the best thing to do to keep them alive is to talk about them. That way they won't start feeling like a stranger to you."

"Thank you," I whispered. She hugged me tightly, kissing my forehead.

"Good night Abigail."

A/N: to all those who have lost a loved one today (Sept. 11) 14 years ago, I'm sincerely sorry. Today will be a day that will never be forgotten. Don't ever forget that whomever you lost, loves you dearly. They will never be forgotten.

But also, we remember the Muslims and brown people that have been ridiculed, harassed, murdered, etc. because of the actions of one particular group. We also remember the Muslim lives that have been lost on 9/11 as well.

#MuslimLivesMatter #BrownLivesMatter

stay strong xo