She looked at him with surprise.

This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening. This can’t be happening her mind was chanting.

He dragged her to himself forcefully.

“Don’t you know how much I love you?” he said in the strained voice.

Tears of helplessness started to form in her eyes. For how long, she will make a fool of herself hearing those words spoken to her.

“Let go of me, Allan.” She made her voice harsh.

“No.”

“Allan, let me go.” Her voice became louder.

“Never, babe.” Hid grip tightened.

She could barely breathe. He was too strong for her to fight off. She quietly gulped back her tears and remained motionless in his arms.

She ran away when he went to the bathroom.
Her destination. Anywhere where there’s no Allan.

Liliana Felton had admired Allan Meyers from a far for a year. He was one year her senior. Tall and broad, good looking even handsome from certain angles. He was not jock though. 

What she admired in him was he was not his looks which was eye-catching, she liked that he was nice and kind. She once saw him giving a bully his piece of mind for bothering a guy who suffered from stuttering. She fell for him more after seeing that.

Bree Lee-Collins noticed how her bestie looked at Allan from a far. After teasing her and pestering Liliana for hours, she learned how much her friend had fallen for Allan. Bree took the mission on herself because she knew how much Liliana was shy. Her efforts bore fruit and Allan asked Liliana on a date.

Teenage love is never smooth sailing. Liliana already knew that. She was careful. Allan was charming and her parents liked him for their daughter. She was happy and content. 2 years had passed since their first date.

She found herself sitting in the remote café with a cup of coffee in her hand.  She looked at the couple sitting on opposite table, young and vibrant, like her and Allan.
She watched girls face softly contorting when her boyfriend tried to spoon-feed her. She still took a bite in her mouth.

Liliana started eavesdropping on their conversation.

“So me and guys went to watch Batman Marathon.” Guy said.

“Sounds fun.” Girl said, partially disinterested.

“Heath Ledger was legend, Marie. No one did role of Joker better than him. Though Leto did some justice in Suicide Squad but I’m telling you Heath was fucking amazing as Joker.”
He was going on and on.

“He must be.” Girl said drinking water to hide her discomfort about superhero movies.

Guy went on and on.

Liliana gave a sad smile.

“David, can we talk about something else?”
That guy didn't listen.

After some time Marie’s patience gave out.

Guy went on and on with the fervor.

Girl sighed and kept listening to her companion talking about nonsense.

Marie’s eyes met with Liliana’s. Liliana gave her a small smile, stood up and went to their table.

“Marie! It’s been so long!” she spoke with enthusiasm. She even gave her a hug.

Girl was bit confused. Liliana then turned to girl’s companion.

“I’m stealing her for a while.” She said and pulled baffled girl to her table.

“Please sit.” She politely said to the girl.

“I don’t know you at all.” Girl said.

“I know. But I had to rescue you. Your “friend” was making you suffer a lot with his movie talk.” Liliana’s words made that girl bit ashamed.

“Don’t worry. Stay here till his mind diverts to something better than batman and joker.”

Marie looked at her with surprise and then nodded.

They talked for a while.

She let her go after sometime but not without an advice.

“Value yourself, make him respect you as a person before letting him love you.”

She couldn’t let nice and sweet girl like Marie to be taken advantage just like her.
That’s what’s wrong with this world and with boys of this era and the times before. Men had always taken advantage of gentle nature of girls. Times are changing though. Girls are taking hold of their lives but patriarchal society have their roots deeply embedded in this world. They still don’t understand the word “No”. They still oblivious that their superiority-complexes, more accurately God-complexes are poisoning the lives. Not only of their partners but of their friends and families. Domestic violence, emotional abuse are just branches of complex patriarchal society.

She took a sip of her now cold and bitter coffee.

She need to take stand. She is to tell Allan that he can’t use word “love” against her to get his way.
Her brain was working hard.
She came to conclusion. She will take control of her life. She will tell him he is not welcome in her life. Not anymore.

“Excuse me, can I offer you another cup of coffee?” she looked up to find somewhat familiar face asking her.

“Please.” She nodded and young waiter poured a hot coffee into her cup.

“Is everything alright? If you don’t mind me asking.” His voice was sincere.

She stared at him trying to remember from where she know him.

He seems to understand.

“I'm Adam. Adam Hale? We both are in Mrs. Ramirez’s AP biology?”

She remembered him then but she never knew his name. He was quite ordinary looking never catching her eye.

“It’s nothing.” He was stranger to her.
“Okay. Sorry, I intruded.” He left.

She stared at his back for a while. Then she was back in her mind.

Movies from past playing in her mind. Allan explaining her about wolves and their pack formation, even knowing she was biology major. She telling him she already know but he still talked. He explaining her what colors are in female fashion. He was telling her how to look pretty to a high school girl. Making her watch endless hours of action movies for which she had no tolerance. Asking her not to be friends with Raina Hashim because she was Muslim girl, when she adored the girl and was in very good terms with her. All because Allan’s father served in Afghanistan.
He loved her.

Showering her with kisses, giving her cute presents and opening doors for her but also governing her life like she was a little kid who knew nothing. He loved her but never respected her as another human. Always making her feel small with odd remarks. She was not comfortable with public display of affection yet he had no qualms. She told him many times but he never listened.
She endured all for the sake of her love for him. She started to feel suffocating.  She couldn’t do anything without him criticizing or pestering.
 
She had enough.
He was not letting her walk out, saying he love her again and again but never proving.

She had enough.

She looked at her phone. It was switched off.

She took another cup of coffee, then another and another.

“I think that’s enough coffee for you, Liliana.” Her waiter said when she asked for fifth cup.

“Why, Mr.Hale? No one asked for your opinion.” She acted like total bitch.

“I don’t mean to intrude but it will mess up you circadian cycle.” He calmly told her.
She looked at him confused.

“But choice is yours. I’m just a waiter here.” She kept quiet.

He left her.

“Adam?” she called him when he walked pass her after sometime.

“Yes?”

“How come you didn’t explain what circadian cycle is and how coffee will mess it up?”
she must be crazy. What the hell is she saying? She thought.

“Because Liliana, you are biology major and you know what circadian cycle is.” He smiled.

She blankly stared at him.

“My shift is finished. Do you want to talk about whatever is bothering you?” he asked genuinely interested.

“Are you serious!?!” she mumbled.

“I know you are Meyers’s girl. I’m willing to listen without any other thought beside hoping to help you with whatever is bothering you.” He had thought she is thinking that he is trying to flirt.

“Don’t talk about him.” She said with disgust.

“He is decent dude. What did he do?” he asked, sitting before her.

“Nothing.” She said.

“Yes. He did nothing. If I am allowed to comment, it is you who let him do things to you.”

Her eyes went hard.

“No disrespect, Liliana. I’m not accusing you of any wrongdoing. I have eyes and I observed how you morphed after meeting him. Gradually.” He said.

“Explain.” She asked.

She wanted to hear what a person who wasn’t related to him anyway has to say about her.

“You sit right next to me in biology. You always had your hair tied up. Then one day, your hair were down. And main thing was you were very uncomfortable. You were brushing them back again and again.” He looked at her after saying this.

Liliana remembered how Allan pulled her hairband from her hair saying they look good untied.

“I presume Allan asked you to wear them like that?” he asked.

It was the start. First hair, then clothes, then another thing and another and another.

“You should have stopped him right there.” He said. 
“I noticed that you started to wear clothes in which you were uncomfortable.”

“I know, I choose a bad man.” She said.

“No. you didn’t choose a “bad” guy, you let him rule you out of love. You gave an inch, he took a mile. You let him love you but forgot that he had to understand you are not his plaything but a human with her own individuality. You let him interfere too much.”

She started to cry.

He offered her a tissue.

“Go to him. Tell him where he went wrong. Tell him what you want. If he refuses, then dump his sorry ass.” He said calmly.

She wiped her tears and smiled.

“I thought you said you are willing to listen to me.” She laughed and he blushed red from embarrassment.

“Thank you, Adam.” She took her purse, turned on her phone and called Allan.

“We need to talk.” She said.

Adam gave her thumbs up.

She waved and left to make him see her worth.