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.

herself with her shaking arms to hold herself. Her tears started

all the tough facade she had shown him

herself now. Everyone had left for real.

L City was to visit her grandparents.

with them. But none of that ever happened. What

She assumed that they went out for some groceries. She wanted to surprise them and didn't call. But when it was getting dark, and

them just looked at her with

after she didn't hear anything about her

them at first. She tried to ask again.

had passed away and it had

sickness caught on them all of a sudden. With their age, it took their lives very quickly. No one

they seemed to know how little time they had before they passed. They told the neighbors not to tell Ellie. They said that they might fight it through and they didn't want

the story, she

J City. She didn't believe that

would not agree to let

she mourned until she decided to return

on the bed, holding her knees, her head buried between

wondered why it was so hard for her to accept that they had spent a night together.

He places a breakfast platter on the table

him, surprised, "Why are you

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

Francis sighed, "Did you forget what I told you last night? No matter what happens, I will be with you. You

with a blank

didn't know if she should trust him.

sounded really tempting when he told her she would

over Ellie.

didn't know what to do.

on her. She had stayed away

Francis was different. She didn't hate the

realized it, but she was happy when

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