Let's Bend the Rules.

In a shocked daze my head turns to the face of the owner of the voice. I can’t feel what kind of expression my face is betraying me but I can tell that everyone whose watching me can see the shocked feeling I feel right now. I stare down, I want to cry. No? No?
How could this happen? How? Of all the people in the world that had backed me on this relationship and now…No?
I feel like I want to cry, my eyes prick but it seems impossible under my shocked condition. That small word felt like a punch right towards my stomach. Especially coming from the owner.

Nobody talks, the room is completely still as I wait for some kind of an explanation. Any kind. She can’t just say that and then stay quiet. I hear my father’s chair scrap against the wooden floor as he stands up, I feel his presence behind me. He doesn’t seem to notice my stunned silence.

“Rhydan, I need to talk to yourself and Danny in private” He says in a low tone. “Without the prying eyes and ears of our family” He mumbles just low enough for Danny and myself to hear. I swallow, the motion hurts my throat and I wince slightly but I still don’t take my eyes off of her.

“Okay” I breathe. Danny takes my hand, his palms are cold but slightly moist, no matter how cool he appeared to stay he was nervous about the speech he made to my dad. That calms me down, if even just the slightest. Without taking my eyes off of her we walk towards the door way. Dad walks ahead of us in his poker-straight form, quickly and quietly. The staring eyes don’t bother me, I tune them out and pay all of my attention on the figure sitting at that table who denied Danny’s request to… to marry me. The sudden realization hits me, as if walking into a large glass door. It makes me falter in my steps and loose my breathing deeply streak. I take a deep breath, trying not to show that it feels like I’ve been hit by a truck and stay focused.

But then she stands, after muttering a couple of words to the other two vacant at the table and starts walking towards Danny and myself. The fury begins to rip through me, the anger makes me grind my teeth as I refuse to talk to her. I clutch Danny’s hand a bit more tightly but he doesn’t object. My steps grow heavier as if I have to stamp my way out of the room.

I tear my eyes away from her, her sickening face is making my stomach churn. How could she do this to me? Is she trying to deny the future I must hold with Danny? Kill all the happiness in my life? I can’t take it any more, I begin to quicken my pace and almost pull Danny from the large event room, but he steps his pace up as well.

We reach the lobby and I see my father walking across to the elevators. My heels clack against the stone floor, I can hear the blood pumping around my body, pulsing in my ears loudly.

And then a second set of heels come to my attention, from right behind us and I freeze. Danny stops with me, not saying anything and I turn around slowly. She’s walking towards us, no expression on her face.

“Where do you think you’re going?” I snap at her. She stops about five feet away from me.

“I need to explain-”

“NO! You need to fuck off! I don’t want you near me!” I scream at her, my words echo off the tall stone walls, the people behind the reception desk try not to make it obvious that they’re listening.

“Listen-”

“NO!” I scream and turn my back on her. Danny walks after me as I run towards the elevator my father is standing in, holding it open for us. I run straight into it, Danny entering seconds later. I punch the ‘close doors’ button before she has the chance to slip in. The doors begin to close on her, just as she begins to walk faster. When the golden doors finally shut, I reach for Danny. I bury my head in his chest and let the tears fall down my face, they fall onto his white shirt, staining it with black but he doesn’t once even shift as to change our position. He just wraps his arms around me, holding me to him tighter, I feel his mouth press against the top of my head.

I’m not oblivious to my father’s presence in the elevator, but at this time I don’t entirely care, he can see me like this with Danny all he wants. He’s just going to have to get used to it. Besides, it’s his fault I’m having a breakdown.

The doors open and Danny pulls me by the hand as I struggle to see through my tear-filled eyes. All the floors seem to be the same, so I have no idea where in the hotel we are, but Danny seems to stop first and that’s when I realize he’s leading the way. We’re going into our room, I fumble for the key-card which is in my bag which is tied to my wrist. Danny takes my arm and slips his hand into my bag taking the key-card for me. He opens the door and lets me enter first, then my father. The lights turn on and I immediately go to sit on the low couch facing in front of the TV and curl up into a ball. I hear the click of the door shut and then Danny’s arms are around me as tears upon tears fall down my destroyed face. He doesn’t try to console me, knowing that the action might be completely useless.

And then his cold, hard, infuriated voice flows through my ears.
“Explain” One word. Enough to make my entire frame go rigid and erupt in goosebumps. Danny sits up straight, pulling his arms from around me - I let him.

“Abou-?” Danny asks.

“Not you” Dad’s voice is ice-cold as he speaks to Danny. I can hear the strain in his voice and the frown on his face. “You” And I can tell he’s looking at me, no matter how much of a coward I am to face him. I take a deep breath.

“Explain what?” I croak out, my voice breaking into a squeak making me cringe.

“What the hell is the meaning of this? You’ve lied to me, for five years Rhydan?” He questions. I take another breath and close my eyes.

“Yes” I whisper. “I’m sorry… I just couldn’t… I should’ve told you…” The broken sentence doesn’t seem to make any sense but he doesn’t question me about that.

“You should have. I’m very angry with you Rhydan, not because you’ve disobeyed my rules but because you’ve lied to me. I knew something was going on” He seems to be talking himself towards the end of the sentence. “Okay” He takes a deep breath. “Okay, here’s what’s going to - WOULD YOU LOOK AT ME?!” He bellows. I jump. It’s takes a minute for my breathing to continue but I peak up at him from under the mess of my hair. His green startling eyes stare back at me and the hurt in them nearly tears me apart. I should have just told him.

I feel strangely alone without the feel of Danny next to me. The heat that normally circulates his body is gone and it’s like a lifeless corpse is sitting next to me. I repress the urge to shudder.
“We’re going to have a calm discussion about this” Dad informs us in his business voice, as if reluctantly making a proposal for signing an unknown, unwanted, uncared for and garage-only band. “I want to know how this happened, how we’re at this conclusion and who else knows. I want no more lies and if I find that this isn’t entirely the worst piece of news I could receive on the day my daughter grows another year older and further away from me, I will consider the possibility of an outcome that may be plausible and excepted by all” He tells us. I sigh. So there’s no chance of a happy ending, not for us anyway.

“Now, Rhydan. I know how you met” He purses his mouth as if venom had just flowed from the word, but continues, “But I want to know your side of this ridiculous story” He tells me.

“Okay” I whisper. “But first, I suggest you sit down and secondly I would really appreciate it if you didn’t interrupt me” I say in a quiet, hoarse voice. He nods sharply and takes a seat in the lumpy arm chair facing the couch. I open my mouth to begin,

“First off, as you know we met each other through your company, and honestly Danny is the main reason why I stay there. This isn’t my dream job dad, I never wanted to be a receptionist, I wanted to be a manager. I want to manage bands, but I realized that if I told you that, you’d have moved me to another area of your company, with different hours, different days and different people. I am comfortable with the people that work around me, they respond to me when I ask questions and don’t shy away because I’m your daughter. Danny and I have also gotten our hours and days worked out well so we are always in near sight or area of each other. Lunch is always spent with each other and with you always eating in your office or the restaurant down the road with clients it helped.

“Danny did ask me out, but in all honesty I thought about it a lot afterwards. Betraying you was something I had never done before and it scared me to even consider it. You had never hit us or hurt us before, but I knew how you handled your staff and people you worked with and I was scared on how far you would go with me. Lying to you is the hardest, I never thought it would have worked so easily, you believed me instantly when I told you I was helping a friend study for her finals. You never questioned me on it again. In all truth I enjoyed that evening thoroughly, but I couldn’t stop my mind wandering off as to how I was able to pull this off. I got home that night, you asked how my night was and I said it was good. I didn’t lie then.

“Danny asked me out again and again and I always accepted. He treats me right, buys me flowers and chocolates on important days or as surprises, always pays for the dinners and charms me insanely. It was hard keeping it a secret from and I felt I would have actually burst if I didn’t tell someone, so I told mum. She understood and promised to not say anything to you. I was wary about it at the start because she’s always had been a terribly liar, never able to keep a simple white lie from you and this was much more than a little white lie. But she didn’t let me down. Two years later and I realized I loved him. We didn’t confess until my twentieth birthday and then it continued. He charmed me, surprised me and loved me, just as I love him. I can’t imagine anyone better no matter how many numerous of dates you yourself set up with your highly rich partners. They were stiff, boring and all they cared about was your money and, not to be too vulgar but, my body” - Dad and Danny both squirm at that piece of news - “Danny has the depth I was looking for in a person and I think myself really lucky to have met him at such a young age.

“He makes me laugh when I’m sad or grumpy. He holds me when I cry, when Nana passed, when Kelsey left… He puts up with my love of strange bands and never criticizes how I look or dress. He understands when I have to work late, or go without seeing him for a couple of weeks, or miss his final show because of your meetings. He never bad-mouths the people I have to date. He loves me for me and not what I bring with me - my father’s money and record company. His friends are loyal and never accidentally spill about the relationship, they are supportive and kind people. He is a gentleman when needed but we have our fun days when we act like kids and go to the park or funfair. I love him with all my heart and I can’t imagine myself with anyone else… please dad?” I finish in a whisper. Danny’s cold hand finds mine and he squeezes it tightly, I keep my eyes focused on my father.

The time ticks by in slow minutes, his forehead wrinkles and smoothes. The corners of his mouth tighten and then relax. His eyes glance towards Danny often, to me and then back to his fingers which are held in a tight grip together. His knuckles are white and the veins stick out as he clenches his already tightened fists.

My breathing stays even with much difficulty, my heartbeat slows to the natural rhythmic thudding sound. And finally he speaks.

“You’re only twenty-two Rhydan” He forces out in a strained voice.

“I know” I reply in a small whisper.

“What would you do if I didn’t allow this?” He asks. I remind myself to stay calm, he’s not saying he’s not allowing it, just wondering what I would do if he wouldn’t.

“Honestly, I’m not going to say I wouldn’t care because I would, but I’m not going to let anyone else affect my decision on this. The question is meant for me, not my family” The memory of the single, No, shouts out at me and my eyes suddenly sting.

He realizes whom I’m referring to, “She’s just-”

“No, don’t defend her. Of all the people who have been supportive about this relationship… She loved Danny. She thought he was charming and suited me well, treated me with respect as she thought I should have been… of all the people who want to ruin my life… my own mother!” I scream, and the tears fall. The effect of saying it allowed just made it even more true and I pull my knees to my chest. I bury my face into my knees and let the tears fall down my face, and right on time Danny’s arms cradle me softly. I knew he wouldn’t be able to not try to hold me in some way when he knows I’m in pain.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry” He whispers over and over in my ear. I just shake my head, it’s not his fault. I hate her.

We stay in this position for a long time, it could have been hours but I don’t have any form of telling the time without moving. Nobody moves accept Danny’s lips as he repeats his apologies again and again into my ear.

The sound of movement of my father’s suit catches my attention and then his voice in the smallest whisper I’ve ever heard him use before, sounds like a bell through the soundless room.
“I will accept your decision, no matter how much I might dislike it”

I’m frozen in my position. Am I hearing things? My father did not just say that. My mouth falls open in a stunned response. Is he serious? Danny moves away from me and I open my eyes to look at him, he’s looking at the corner of the arm chair. I stretch my legs out, they feel like jelly, but I stand up protesting against them and move towards my father.

“Thank you Daddy” I whisper and hug him tightly.