10.

“Don’t you ever fall in love child,” her mother said, slurring her words.

“Love is horrible. It makes you vulnerable. It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up!” she then laughed, “and you don’t want that, do you?”

No,

No, I don’t.

Rei helped her mother move onto the bed and lie down, she then covered her tiny frame with a blanket, “sleep mom,” a sigh escaped her lips as she added, “try to sleep okay,”

The woman shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes, “he left me,” her voice ached with sadness, “he left me,” her chest compressed with pain, how could he leave me? How? How could he? After everything we’ve been through. After everything. He left. Just like that.

The brunette’s heart tugged at the sight of her mother’s tears.

“I gave him everything,” the woman could not hold back any longer, and a tear fell down her cheek, followed by several others, “my heart, my soul, my all,” soon after a bitter chuckle erupted from , “and he left me with nothing,” she sniffled, “nothing at all.”

Nothing?

What about me then?

Am I nothing?

Am I?

“So you see child, men don’t love. They don’t know how to love. They do however know how to pretend. That’s something they excel at–Pretending. They pretend to love. They pretend to care. When they don’t. When they never do. They trick you into falling in love with them. And when you do. It’s over. You’re done for. You’ll be at their mercy. Whatever they say, you’ll do. Whatever they want, you’ll give. And when they’ve finally had enough. They’ll leave. Just like that. Without a word. They’ll turn their back on you and leave. As simple as that. But where’s the catch? Where is it? Do you know?” she wasn’t expecting an answer so she carried on, “it’s that they’ll leave with your heart held tightly in their grasp. And as much as you try, you’ll never get it back. You never will. It’s not yours to begin with. It’s not yours to get back. Not anymore. It’s theirs. Not yours. Theirs.”

Her mother looked into her eyes and in a gentle voice said, “The only way to protect yourself is to lock your heart. Lock it up safe in a casket and throw away the key. And don’t you dare open it. Don’t you dare,” a smile worked its way onto the woman’s face, a bitter smile, “not unless you want to end up like me which I assure you, you don’t.”

The young girl flinched as the cold winter air hit her bare skin, her rush to get out of that suffocating room and away from that cold-hearted bastard made her forget her coat. She ran her hands up and down her arms, trying get some warmth but to no avail. Tears blurred her vision as she recalled his hurtful words.

How can he say that?

How?

Do I really seem like that kind of girl?

Do I?

Tell me,

Do I?

A tear fell down her cheek as more soon followed. Why am I even crying? Am I disappointed? She wiped away her tears, sniffling in the process, I am, aren’t I? I thou