Translation of Love - By Alice Montalvo-Tribue Page 0,74

moves to the suitcase filled with my things on the bed then back to me. I look away and walk to my suitcase tossing the rest of my things in.

“What are you doing?” he asks, his voice so cold that it sends a shiver through me. I take a deep breath and begin to close my suitcase. The less I say the better. “Leaving.”

I hear him move across the room, closing in on the space between us. I can tell by the sound of his hurried breath that he is now standing directly behind me.

“Turn around and look at me,” he commands.

I hesitate not wanting to see the disgust in his face anymore. It’s too much for me to handle and I know I have to keep it together until I can get out of here.

“Ellie. Turn. Around,” he demands. I know I have no choice. I take a deep breath and do as I’m told but I avoid looking at his face.

“Victor.”

“Why?”

I look down, wishing the ground would open up and swallow me whole. “Why what?”

“Look at me!” I swallow and quickly look him in the eyes. His beautiful warm eyes have turned cold and I fight back the tears that are threatening. “Why?”

I can’t answer him. I just can’t put myself out there again. I’ve let my guard down and now he’s hurt me too. Not by his own doing but even so, my heart is shattering. I shrug my shoulders and shake my head hoping he’ll accept these gestures as a valid response. I’m afraid that if I open my mouth to speak, I won’t be able to control the tears.

He clenches his fists and takes two steps forward until he’s in my space. I retreat quickly until the back of my legs hit the edge of the bed. As quickly as I back away, he moves forward until I’m left with nowhere to go. I know that I’m cornered and he’s not liking my silence. “Just let me go,” I say.

He gets even closer, making my body go tense. He moves his mouth down to my ear. I can feel his breath there. “You’re not going anywhere.”

I can feel the heat rising through me, I’ve had enough. I put my hands on his chest and push as hard as I can trying to get him out of my way, he does not budge.

“You can’t keep me here!” I yell.

He pulls his head up, looks me in the eyes and grins. “You wanna bet on that?” He takes a step back, walks around me to my suitcase, picks it up and flings it across the room as if it were a Frisbee. I gasp as it hits the wall, clothes thrown everywhere, instinctively I turn to run. I decide my only option is to lock myself in the bathroom until I figure out my next move. I don’t get very far before his arms are around my waist, pulling me to him, my back to his chest.

“Let go of me!” I yell struggling to get free. His grip on me tightens and I know that no matter how hard I fight him, I’m not going anywhere. He’s too strong.

“Jesus, Baby! Calm down.”

I stop struggling as the tears come back. “Just let me save you the trouble of breaking up with me and let me go. Why prolong the inevitable?” I say through my tears.

His body goes stiff behind me and he holds me there, pinned to him for a moment. He takes a deep breath, loosens his grip and turns me around so that we are now facing each other. His expression has changed, no longer hard and angry. It’s something else but I can’t put my finger on what. “Why would you think I’m gonna break up with you?” I try to look down but he grabs my chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilts my head up, forcing me to look at him.

“Why wouldn’t you?” I whisper. “Why would you want me now after what you just saw?”

He brings his other hand up so that he’s now cupping my face. He wipes away my tears with his thumbs. “I was angry. Fuck, Baby, I’m still angry but not at you. I’m angry at the whole situation and at that son of a bitch who took advantage of you.” He brings his forehead down and touches it to mine. “I’ll always want you, that’s not gonna change. I can be hot headed and I lose