Page 42 of Something Old

“Mas, are you trying to tell me you didn’t treat me like I was just pestering you? Do you want to lie to my face and try to tell me you made me feel welcome here? That you treated me like you wanted me around? Like youenjoyed my company?”my voice is straining as I try to hold back my tears again. Angry tears. Angry, hurt, frustrated tears because he can’t be that cold.

“Leora - just take a deep breath, calm down—”

“Calm down?” I stand up again, knocking my wine glass over. “I will not calm down. You need to get your facts straight. You need to stop blowing hot and cold and just stick to the cold because you are so good at it. I don’t have to sit here listening to you make me sound crazy for how you treated me.”

I spin around, marching out of the dining room.

I can’t do this. I can’t keep my emotions bottled up like this. I thought I was doing fine. I thought I had turned off how I felt about him - but I had just smothered it by staying busy and avoiding him.

I still have feelings for him and just spending this small amount of time with him has reminded me of that.

I need to end this. I need to make my heart go cold and numb once and for all before he destroys me.

I run up the stairs to my bedroom, taking them two at a time.

I rush inside and spin around to slam the door, but to my horror - Mas has followed me.

Dammit. Why?

“Please, just leave me alone.” I beg, desperate to just cry in peace.

I try to close the door in his face, but he reaches up and stop it with his one outstretched hand. He’s too strong to fight again so I sigh and walk over to my bed to create some distance between us. And he fucking follows me again.

I turn to face him and push him hard in the chest.

“Just leave me alone.” I scream, my hurt turning to fire in my body.

He grabs my wrists and yanks me towards him. I gasp when I find myself pressed against his chest. Tears are streaming down my cheeks.

“Mas, please.” I beg again.

“I won’t leave you alone when you are not ok.” He growls, staring down at me.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Masaccio

The tears staining her face are flooding me with guilt.

Her words at the dinner table bit into me like fangs that sank right to my bones. They hurt.

And the reason they hurt so much is that they were all true.

I pushed her away.

I wanted her to leave.

I wanted nothing to do with her when she first arrived here, and I made it clear to her how I felt.

Seeing how badly it affected her though - that is eating away at me. I just didn’t think about that part - I didn’t think about how she would feel.

She lashes out, trying to free her wrists. I grip tighter.

“I left myhome for you. I came here to live in your house, and I have never once felt welcome.”She screams. I clench my jaw shut.

“I was happy at home. I was happy with my life. Now its all been taken away from me and I am stuck living with a cold, heartless asshole who doesn’t even want me.” She’s sobbing now and collapsing against me, unable to stand anymore.

I grab her around the waist and pull her against my body.

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