erik menendez // if you love me..don't let go

chapter twenty-seven

Erik's POV

I saw her in the hallways. Her dark hair was swinging back and forth across her back. I quickly shuffled up behind her, needing to catch her attention.

"Scarlett." I hissed, not wanting other people to hear.

Immediately, I could feel her whole body tense up from head to toe. It was like a knife to the heart.

Her steps faltered for a bit before she contained herself more, and then she started speed-walking, ignoring me. I met up with her pace, this time walking right beside her. I was able to study her for the first time in a while. Well, at least her side profile. Her face didn't have that same glow it used to have. Now it looked like she's been through something. And I guess you could say she has. I put her through something. Through hell.

"Scarlett." I murmured again, brushing my hand on her upper arm. She flinched and jolted away from me in a flash.

"Don't talk to me." She spat, still not looking at me. Her words hit me so deeply and I felt them through every inch of my body. It was one of the worst feelings ever.

"Please," I pleaded. "I need to talk to you. We need to talk."

I was so desperate to clear the air between us. It's been two weeks since we last talked and it absolutely sucked. I had to go through those two weeks seeing her gorgeous face in almost every class and during passing period. I had to live with her glued in my mind but not glued to me physically for two weeks.

My words must of registered something in her head, because her facial expressions looked less harsh and more soft. Maybe understanding. But then she said: "Not now." 

It was only halfway through the day, yet Scarlett continued her way down the hall with me hot on her heels towards the front entrance. Without any thought, she just opened the doors and walked out, letting in bright sunlight I didn't know was being hidden. I didn't have to think about following her, I knew I had to. If I knew her well, and I did, she actually did want to talk it through. She might've not wanted to admit it, but deep down, she felt like a piece of her life was missing, and it wouldn't be found until we resolved the tension.

She was already down the stairs and in the parking lot, storming to who knows where.

"Scarlett!" I yelled after her.

I got her attention. She halted in her steps and whipped her head around to look at me. Her chest was rising up and down so quickly and she was trying to catch her breath.

Slowly, I started to close the distance between us. But I made sure I didn't get too close, I didn't want to make her uncomfortable. "Can we please talk? Right here, right now?"

Her eyes met mine, and a surge of electricity clashed through my body. It was a moment I never knew I needed so badly, but now that I had it, I didn't want to break it. And so I continued to stare at her. Her breath had finally been caught, and her eyes were just frantically looking between mine, clearly trying to figure out what to do.

Scarlett's POV

Now that I was here, staring into Erik's beautiful eyes, all I wanted to do was forget that everything happened. I just wanted to stay here and stare at him all day and not worry about all the talks and fights we were going to have. I wanted it to be perfect. But obviously, life didn't work that way.

"Okay, let's talk. Right here, right now." My voice sounded tiny and defenseless, but with Erik, I couldn't care less.

His eyes changed into something so strong of relief, and his whole face matched it. His once tense shoulders slightly dropped and he let out a long breath. Then he told me the whole story. 

It all sounded so stupid and crazy. Why would his dad make me him stay away from me? But then again, it was Jose. And it was Erik. This was something that didn't surprise me at all. Of course Jose would think I was some type of distraction towards Erik. And since all Jose cared about was Erik getting into UCLA, he didn't want any distraction. He wanted Erik to focus on himself and only himself.

"He...he threatened to tear me to pieces, Scarlett." He sounded so pained, so broken. 

His words barely comprehended in my brain. "He what?"

Erik just nodded his head vigorously, clearly not wanting to repeat the sentence. My face immediately fell. I knew how Erik always felt so threatened by his father. But were they actually real? Erik sounded so terrified and honestly scared for his life, but for some reason, I couldn't imagine how these threats could be real. Jose wouldn't actually tear his own son into pieces. Right? Erik was the sensitive type, so obviously he would believe almost everything his father told him, and that's what got me really upset.

"Erik," I sighed, accidentally sounding a bit more angry. "You really cannot just be walking around doing everything your father says to do. It's not like he's watching your every movement. He doesn't know what you're doing in school, he can't see you in your room. The only time he knows what you're doing is when you guys are standing in the same room! I just don't get why you can't understand that, Erik. You listening to your father meant both you and me got hurt. I was so hurt. You just left me, Erik. You can't just do that! One day you decided to completely ignore me and then I never got another word out of you. I thought I truly did something wrong. I thought it was over for good. I didn't think I was going to see you again. It was believed that you didn't want to talk to me. I was about to be the one to ask what happened, but I didn't want to sound so desperate! You make me desperate, Erik. I can't go one single minute without thinking of you and what we had back in New York. Why would you let this happen?" Tears brimmed at my eyes, but I didn't let them fall. Not yet.

After my whole speech that I poured my heart out into, he just stared blankly at me. I couldn't decipher what emotion he was feeling. Anger, confusion, angst. All of them? But then his mouth opened, and I regretted ever letting him follow me outside.