Angel Leffman
That woman wants to drive me insane. I got angry because he went to see the idiot even after what he did, and she greeted me fresh from the shower and wearing only a shirt, her hair still messy and wet without any hint of makeup. Shit, she looked so sexy.
It's not that I never saw her beauty or admired it. But what she did to us made me feel guilty to feel anything towards her other than hate. On the other hand, the Sofia I met was different from what they said.
And now I'm here in her apartment, watching her eat her sandwich after a nonsense conversation.
“Can you stop looking at me like that?” She asked, and I must have been staring for too long.
“I'm just trying to understand how you can hide the real you behind that beauty,” I stated honestly, and she stared back at me.
“Look at the mirror, and you'll know. Behind that face hides a ruthless, mean, arrogant, cold, and naive man.”
“Naive,” I repeated with a bark of laughter.
“Yes, because you are letting yourself be manipulated by your girlfriend, and you've been hating me for that. Now she came back and she continued doing it. If not naivety? Then what?”
“You really want to make me angry.”
“I'm just saying the truth, and you get angry. Other people tell you lies about me, and you get angry at me. What is the difference? You are always angry at me.”
“And why would I not be angry? You do so many crazy things that bother me.”
“Like what? Since you arrived here, you haven't told me what you want. You just stare at me with that weird look on your face, and it's uncomfortable.”
“I'm letting you eat. I ask simple questions, and you haven't answered even one.”
“I'm not interested in explaining things to you to make you feel at ease, and I might even come out as the bad guy again. So again, I don't care what you think. Now can you show me that design already so you can leave me at peace?”
I ignored her statement and looked around her house. “This apartment is smaller than our house. Why didn't you pick something bigger?”
“I like this, and when did that house become ours and now yours?”
“We lived there for five years, even when it started as hollow and empty. You made it look more lively.”
What the hell am I saying?
“I don't like that house, and I never did. It gives me the creeps. Even a remodeling won't make it pretty.”
“I know. Whenever I see it, it looks so empty and creepy. Even a remodeling won't make it pretty.”
But you made it look a little alive.
She snorted a little. “You stayed outside more than you stayed there.”
Even I shook my head at the irony. “I know.”
If I stayed there with her, I might forget about Elisa and our unborn child. I might succumb to my own demons.
“The walls of that house were filled with hatred.”
“It's not that. I trailed off and bit my tongue.
You should be angry at her because of everything she did, Angel. I reminded myself.
“Angel, are you alright? You spaced out.”
I blinked my eyes and saw her waving her hand. “It's nothing. If you're done eating, let's see my design so I can leave.”
“See? You really need to see a psychiatrist.”
I gave her the design, and she looked at it. Because of our distance, her after-shower smell. Her scent invaded my nostrils, and like the first time, my shaft reacted to it.
She took a pencil and started to trace my drawing. She looked so focused and beautiful like that.
I didn't realize that she was looking at me. “What is that smile about?”
“I am not smiling. I am just looking at what you're doing. I like the design. Are you doing the same when you design clothes?”
She frowned in confusion. “My clothes?”
“Yes, your clothes.”
I pointed at Lee Andrew's wallet sitting on the table. I saw how she looked nervous all of a sudden.
“What are you talking about?” She asked with an awkward laugh.
“Are you nervous? You just can't create a huge fashion company and not expect people to realize it.”
“Fashion company?” She repeated, still acting innocent.
“Will you just repeat everything I say?” I teased her.
“Angel! You're not being funny. You're not even trying to help me.” She huffed and turned her back on me.
“I saw your designs one time when I came home and compared them to theirs. I just put things together.”
Her eyes suddenly turned sharp. “Is that why you told me to give up everything to you when you told me to sign the divorce? And you told me you are not interested in anything aside from the house and company. How did you know? I don't believe that you just based it on the designs.”
I didn't get to answer, and she talked again. “And you told me you are not interested in anything aside from the house and company. How did you know? I don't believe that you just based it on the designs. Did you tell anyone?”
“You keep my secret, and I will keep yours.”
“Is that why you're worried about me? You think I'll tell anyone your secret?” she asked in suspicion.
“No. I am worried because you're stubborn. Look what happened yesterday.”
“Forget what happened yesterday. I know how to take care of myself.”
“With how you ended up in the hospital, I don't think so. Did you tell anyone? Did you tell Kevin?”
“No, I did not. Neither did he.” She insisted.
“And you still haven't told me why you went there. What is so important in that house that you needed to see him?”
“It's none of your business.”
“But it is. You see, I've been trying to figure out why you did everything to me. Why you lied, why you cheated, why you had the baby. I've been asking myself over and over again, and I think I finally know the answer.”
“What is the answer?” she asked, her voice tiny.
“You wanted to get to me, but not by being with me.”
“How else would I get to you?”
“By hurting me the way I hurt you.”
“Sofia, how could you say that the baby Elisa was carrying isn't mine?”
I need to leave because the anger I'm feeling is slowly consuming me.
“You are not going anywhere,” Sofia said, blocking my way. “That's the problem, Angel. We always let other people talk. Elisa talks, and you believe her. Your family talks, and you believe them. And so on. You believe everyone but me, and that should stop.”
“Sofia, get out of my way. I am too angry, and you won't like seeing me this way.”
“I am angry as well, and you won't like me when I'm like this. You've been hating me for five years because of what Elisa said, and I just found out. I've been trying to understand why you hated me, and you've been avoiding me when what we needed most was to sit and talk about everything.”
“I can't talk right now.”
“For the first time in our lives, let's talk about ourselves and end it once and for all.”
Talk. I don't want to talk. All I want is... is to... every time I see her, I want to forget Elisa, my family, and my hatred for the last five years. All I want is... to do what I wanted to do since I saw her.
So I let my thoughts win and emptied my mind before I held her face and kissed her.
