When the elevator stopped at our floor, I headed straight to the kitchen. My heart was still pounding as I reached for the shelf with breakfast cereals. I took out the honey hoops, then almond milk, while Victor watched me in silence the whole time.
– You're going to eat cereal now? – he asked as I poured the hoops into a bowl and added milk.
I looked up at him and met his incredulous, dark, angry gaze.
– I'm hungry – I replied nonchalantly, even though I felt no hunger at all. I needed to do something normal to regain my balance after what had just happened in the parking lot.
Victor didn't respond immediately. So, I dipped the spoon into the honey-almond mush and took the first bite of my calming soup.
– You're irresponsible! – Victor suddenly exploded, making me jump, and the spoon fell from my hand.
I looked at him, surprised, with my heart pounding even more, which had just started to calm down, and now it was racing again.
– What? – I managed to say, trying to swallow the cereal without choking.
– What the hell was that downstairs?! – Victor clarified angrily, still shouting.
– What exactly are you asking about? – I replied calmly, even though there was chaos inside me, and I wanted to scream from helplessness.
– That guy could have done something to you! – Unlike me, Victor had no intention of suppressing any emotions.
Before I answered, I took another spoonful of cereal and chewed the whole portion thoroughly.
– What exactly? – I asked, still in a theatrically calm tone, as if we were having the most ordinary conversation about the weather.
– Anything! Everything! – Victor burst out, his eyes flashing with anger.
I stopped eating the cereal and focused all my attention on my emotional boyfriend.
– Do you have a problem with me being able to defend myself? – I asked, holding back the small creature inside me whose fists had been clenched since Victor's first sentence after we left the elevator.
Victor looked at me as if he were checking whether I was missing a screw.
– I saw you were scared as hell! – he roared in a mighty voice, making me flinch. – I was scared too! You weren't defending yourself; you were improvising and were terrified! You could barely stand!
– Don't yell at me! – I finally raised my voice because, instead of supporting me after what I had just gone through, he was conducting some stupid investigation.
– I have to! – he thundered in a tone that dangerously bordered on despair. – I have to because I was scared as hell thinking he would do something to you, seeing you didn't stand a chance, yet you still provoked him more. I have to shout because I can't keep arguing with you about someone stronger and smarter coming along, and no one will be able to help you. And I'll lose you because you can't let go and stop being that proud, fierce Paula on display!
– Do you think crying would have changed anything?! – I shot back, throwing him a challenging look.
– Damn it, Paula! – Victor clasped his hands around his head in frustration and spun around. – There's a difference between staying silent and provoking a guy who could have anything in his head!
– Staying silent wouldn't have made him back off – I replied curtly, no longer in a raised voice.
– And provoking him would?! – Victor gave me a look that mixed disbelief with irritation.
YOU ARE READING
Butterfly's Year
Romance" - We are in a church, - I remarked sensibly. - Absolutely, - he agreed with a pleasant purr that vibrated between my legs. - Your parents are standing right there, - I whispered, discreetly pointing to his mom and dad standing in front of the alta...
