Dr. Grant (Off-Limits)

“Is it true?” my mother asks. I look up, finding her standing in my doorway, her eyes flashing with anger.

I frown, unsure what I’ve done to anger her this time. There’s always something. I’m always letting her down one way or another. “You’ll have to elaborate, mother.”

She crosses her arms over each other, a hint of sorrow behind the anger in her eyes. “Noah,” she says simply.

My first instinct is to deny everything, to hide it from her the way I hide everything I care about. But I can’t. Not this time. I can’t lie about Noah.

“Yes, it’s true,” I tell her, my voice soft. “We’re dating.”

“Dating?” she repeats. “You stood right here in this room when you promised me that you’d never get involved with him, that you two would never be more than friends.”

I rise to my feet, my body tense. “Mom, he makes me happy. When I’m with him, I’m happier than I’ve been in years. He makes me feel like myself again, Mom. Why wouldn’t you want that for me?”

She swallows hard, and I freeze when she visibly blinks away tears in her eyes. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” she asks. “Grandpa fired him. Noah was going places, Amara. You ruined his future, all because you couldn’t stay away. Because you wanted something that wasn’t meant for you and pursued it without caring about what it’d cost Noah, what it’ll cost you. There’s no happy ending here, Amara. No matter how much you think you love him, there’s no scenario in which you two end up happily married.”

I stare at her in shock, her words slowly registering. “Grandpa fired him? Why would he do that? Why would he put so much effort into mentoring Noah only to fire him?”

Mom stares at me, barely able to hide the flash of disgust in her eyes. “Because of you. Because of your selfishness. Noah promised your grandfather that he’d stay away from you, and he broke that promise. You know full well Grandpa operates under a zero-tolerance policy. Noah broke his trust, and it’ll cost him everything.”

I shake my head. “No. No way. I saw how the two of them were together. Grandpa cares about him. He wouldn’t…”

“But he did. He did, Amara, and it’s your fault. You took a risk, counting on Grandpa to forgive you two, but he won’t. He’ll never let you be with Noah. I warned you. I pleaded with you. You promised me you wouldn’t get involved with him, and yet here we are. Your relationship with Noah is done regardless of how hard you fight to be with him, because he’ll never forgive you for taking away the opportunities he had, the life that would’ve laid ahead of him if not for you. It might take time, it might even take years, but it’ll happen.”

I glare at her, swallowing down my own tears. “Noah isn’t like you, Mom. He won’t resent me the way you resented Dad. He’s a better person than you’ll ever be — and he’s talented. He doesn’t need Grandpa.”

Mom laughs, her eyes filled with disbelief. “You’re so naïve, Amara. You have no idea what you’ve done. You have no idea what your grandfather will do to Noah because of you. Noah will never work as a doctor again. Not unless he leaves you. What do you think he’ll choose? You, or the career he worked for all his life? Did you know Noah’s father was a doctor? This isn’t just a job to him. It’s his father’s legacy. Do you think he’ll leave that behind for you?”

I look away, my heart squeezing painfully. I didn’t know that. I didn’t know Noah became a doctor because of his father. He never speaks of his parents. A hint of unease settles deep within me. I cling onto my faith in us, but part of me can’t help but fear that my mother is right. My love for Noah might lead to his ruin.

“Leave him, Amara. Walk away now, and your grandfather will spare him.”

“Is that what Grandpa told you, back when you chose to be with Dad?”

Her expression falters, and for a moment understanding flashes through her eyes. “It isn’t the same, Amara… but even so, I should’ve done as I was asked. I should’ve seen that my father wanted what was best for me, the way I want what’s best for you. For both of you. Leave him and let him live up to his endless potential. Please, Amara. Don’t let your selfishness ruin both your lives.”

A tear runs down my cheek as I open my lips to tell her I’ll never leave Noah, but my words remain stuck in my throat. Fear unlike anything I’ve ever felt renders me speechless. I can take responsibility for myself, for the consequences I’ll face because of my choices… but I can’t drag Noah down with me. I genuinely didn’t think Grandpa would fire him. I expected there to be tension between them, and I expected grandpa to disapprove… but I didn’t expect this.

“Is he home?” I ask, my voice soft.

Mom nods. “He’s in his office.”

I nod and walk past her, my heart feeling strangely tender, almost as though it knows it’s moments away from breaking. I swallow hard as I raise my hand to my grandfather’s office door. It’s a room he and I share so many fond memories in. I’m the only one that was ever allowed to disturb him while he was working from home, and he’d always drop everything to play with me when I was little, or to help me with homework when I insisted on his help instead of my tutor’s as I grew older.

I brace myself as I knock on his door, not waiting for him to call me in. My entire body is tense as I walk in, and when Grandpa looks up at me with a resigned look in his eyes, I’ve got the answers to questions I don’t want to ask.

I ask anyway.

“Did you fire Noah?” My voice breaks, and I clench my jaw, willing myself to keep it together.

He nods. “I warned him, Amara. He broke my trust.”

I look down, unable to face him, unable to hide the pain that’s slowly tearing through me.

“Why? Why are you doing this to him? To us?”

Grandpa looks at me, his expression solemn, not a hint of regret in his eyes. There’s no remorse. But then again, I never should have expected it from him.

“He did this to himself, Amara.”

I sniff, holding back my tears as best as I can. My lungs are burning, but I refuse to cry. “He gave you everything. He worked himself to the bone for you. He looked up to you, Grandpa. You were his hero. How could you? All because he loves me?”

Grandpa looks away when a stray tear runs down my cheek, and I swipe at it angrily. I can’t be weak. Not right now.

“I warned Noah. He knew my support hinged on him staying away from you, and he didn’t. He knew what the consequences would be, Amara. All I did was keep my word.”

“Your word,” I whisper. “What about your promises to me? All my life you’ve promised me you’d always be there for me, that you’d always be in my corner. Can’t you see that you doing this to Noah is killing me? It’s me you’re hurting, Grandpa… far more so than Noah. I love him, Grandpa.”

He shakes his head and sighs. “Love? You can’t love him, Amara. You don’t even know him.”

I stare at him in disbelief. “Grandpa, if you love me at all, even just a little… then please don’t do this to him. It’s my heart you’re breaking, not his.”

His eyes fall closed, and he inhales shakily. “Amara,” he says, his voice soft, pleading. “I love you more than anything. I always will.”

“Then why are you doing this to me? Wasn’t it enough to cut my company off from funding? Wasn’t it enough to destroy my dreams? Why are you going after every single thing that makes me happy, just because it doesn’t fit in with your idea of who I’m supposed to be?”

Grandpa stares at me, almost as though he’s at a loss for words. “Do you want to save him, Amara? Do you want to safeguard Noah’s future? Walk away. Leave him, and he won’t face repercussions for defying me.”

I shake my head. “Do this, and you’ll lose me. I will never forgive you.”

He sighs and looks out the window. “You will,” he murmurs. “But by then it’ll be too late.”

I stare at him, too tired to argue with him, to decrypt his words. Instead, I turn and walk away, looking back at him as I reach his office door.

“Goodbye, Grandpa,” I whisper, my voice breaking. I walk away, truly putting myself and my happiness first for the first time in my life.