Rage.
My mamma’s eyes filled with tears, but for once, I didn’t care. I wanted them to feel as bad as I did right now.
“Rune—,” my pappa said, but I turned my back to him.
“What time do we leave?” I barked, interrupting whatever he was trying to say.
“We leave at seven a.m.,” he informed me softly.
I closed my eyes; I now had only hours with Poppy. In eight hours I would be leaving her behind. Leaving everything behind apart from this rage. I would make sure that traveled with me.
“It won’t be forever, Rune. After a while, it’ll get easier. You’ll meet someone else eventually. You’ll move on—”
“Don’t!” I roared as I whipped around, throwing the lamp from my nightstand across the room. The glass bulb shattered on impact. I breathed hard, heart racing in my chest, as I glared at my pappa. “Don’t you ever say anything like that again! I won’t move on from Poppy. I love her! Don’t you get that? She’s my everything and you’re ripping us apart.” I watched his face pale. I stepped forward.
My hands were shaking.
“I have no choice but to come with you, I know that. I’m only fifteen; I’m not stupid enough to believe that I could stay here alone.” I clenched my hands into fists. “But I will hate you. I will hate both of you every single day until we return. You might think that just because I’m fifteen I’ll forget Poppy as soon as some slut from Oslo flirts with me. But that will never happen. And I will hate you every single second until I’m with her again.”
I paused for breath, then added, “And even then, I’ll hate you for taking me away from her in the first place. Because of you, I’ll miss out on years of being with my girl. Don’t think that just because I’m young I don’t recognize what I have with Poppy. I love her. I love her more than you could imagine. And you’re taking me away, without even considering how I would feel.” I turned my back, walked to my closet and began pulling down my clothes. “So from now on, I won’t give a damn how you feel about anything. I will never forgive you for this. Either of you. Especially you, Pappa.”
I began packing the suitcase my mamma must have placed on my bed. My pappa remained where he was, staring at the floor in silence. Eventually he turned away and said, “Get some sleep, Rune. We’re up early.”
Every hair on my neck pricked up in annoyance at his dismissal of what I had to say, until he quietly added, “I’m so sorry, son. I do know how much Poppy means to you. I tried to leave telling you until now to spare you weeks of hurt. It clearly didn’t help. But this is real life, and it’s my job. You’ll understand one day.”
The door closed behind him, and I dropped onto the bed. I dragged my hand down my face, and my shoulders slumped when I stared at my empty closet. But the anger was still there, burning in my stomach. If anything, it was burning hotter than before.
I was pretty sure it was here to stay.
I threw the last of my shirts into the case, not caring how crumpled they got. I made my way to the window and saw Poppy’s house was in darkness, all except for the dim nightlight telling me the coast was clear.
After locking my bedroom door, I snuck out the window and rushed across the grass. The window was slightly open, waiting for me. I slid through and closed it tightly behind me.
Poppy was sitting in the center of her bed, her hair down and her face freshly washed. I swallowed when I saw how beautiful she looked in her white nightdress, her arms and legs bare, and her skin so soft and smooth.
I stepped closer to the bed and saw the photo frame in her hand. When she looked up, I could see she’d been crying.
“Poppymin,” I said softly, my voice breaking at seeing her so upset.
Poppy set the frame on the bed and laid her head on her pillow, patting the mattress beside her. As quickly as I could, I lay down next to her, shifting until we were only inches apart.
As soon as I saw Poppy’s bloodshot eyes, the anger inside me seemed to flare. “Baby,” I said, covering my hand with hers, “please don’t cry. I can’t stand to see you cry.”
Poppy swallowed. “My mama told me that y’all are leaving real early in the morning.”
I dipped my eyes and slowly nodded.
Poppy’s fingers ran over my forehead. “So we only have tonight left,” she said. I felt a dagger pierce through my heart.
“Ja,” I replied, blinking up at her.
She was staring at me strangely.
“What?” I asked.
Poppy shuffled her body closer. So close that our chests touched and her lips hovered at my mouth. I could smell minty toothpaste on her breath.