A Love Trap

"Ellie! Stop... talking... like that!" he spluttered.

Francis might have been with a lot of women, but he took nobody seriously. Those women knew it and they didn't mind.

But Ellie was different. He never thought of treating her badly.

He could not fathom why she had to hurt herself like that.

He was really upset. Not because of what she thought about him, but because of how she saw herself.

The worst part of it was that she called him "Mr. Francis." The fact that she called him "Mr. Francis"

hurt him the most.

Ellie closed her eyes and pursed her lips. She didn't say anything.

Francis grabbed both her shoulders and forced her to look at him. "Ellie, please tell me you're joking." He looked at her, his eyes firm with pleading and frustration. "Please tell me you didn't mean any of what you just said."

Francis' eyes spoke sincerely to Ellie.

She couldn't take another look at him. She needed strength to say what she was about to say, "No, I meant everything I said."

Francis could see right through her lie. He shouted, "Look me in the eye and tell me again! You didn't mean any of that, right?"

Ellie looked into his eyes, her visage as fierce as the crunching in her chest. "I meant it. I meant every bit of it. You may leave Mr. Francis."

Ellie pointed to the door gesturing for Francis to leave.

"Fine!" Francis clenched his jaw and gnashed his teeth in anger.

He let go of her and turned around to leave.

The thud that came from the shutting door made Ellie flinch. As the door closed, the room fell into silence.

Ellie could only look at the direction where he had gone.

with her shaking arms to hold

all the tough facade she

all by herself now. Everyone had left

went to L City was to visit

meals with them. But none of that ever happened.

some groceries. She wanted to surprise them and didn't call.

got an answer. All of them just looked at her with sad

the beginning, she didn't care about the way they looked at her. However, she started to panic after she didn't hear anything about her grandparents for the whole day. She went to the

talking about them at

her grandparents had passed away and it

a cold in their lives, but this sickness caught on them all of a sudden. With their age, it

said that they might fight it through and they didn't want

hearing the story, she didn't

City. She didn't believe that any sickness could just take

not agree

mourned until she decided to return

then, Francis had returned to Ellie's house and saw her sitting on the bed, holding her knees, her head buried between them and

it was so hard for her to accept that they had

places a breakfast platter on the

up at him, surprised, "Why

were red and swollen, but she couldn't keep her tears from falling

you last night? No matter what happens, I will be with you.

with

if she should trust him.

told her she would not be alone.

over Ellie.

didn't know what to

huge traumatic mark on her. She had stayed away from men

didn't hate the idea of getting close to

but she was

see him, she felt lost. She wasn't sure about what she was feeling, but